Loft Cinema Inc

BUILDING COMMUNITY BY CELEBRATING THE ART AND DIVERSITY OF FILM.

SEE SCHEDULE O THE LOFT CINEMA IS THE PREMIERE VENUE IN THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES FOR ART FILMS, FOREIGN, INDEPENDENT, ALTERNATIVE AND CLASSIC NARRATIVE FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES. THE LOFT OPENED IN 1972 AND TRANSITIONED TO A NONPROFIT IN 2002. IN 2012, THE LOFT MADE A SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE TO THE CINEMA, ADDING A THIRD STATE-OF-THE-ART SCREEN AND BRINGING THE MAIN AUDITORIUM UP TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR DIGITAL PROJECTION. IN 2015, THE LOFT UPGRADED ITS FILM CAPABILITIES TO INCLUDE REEL-TO-REEL 35MM AND 70MM PROJECTION. IN 2016, THE LOFT ACQUIRED AND OUTFITTED A SOLAR VAN TO OFFER MOBILE SCREENING OPPORTUNITIES TO THE REGION. IN 2017, THE LOFT ENGAGED IN THE FIRST MAJOR REHABILITATION AND REDESIGN OF THE MAIN AUDITORIUM SINCE BECOMING A NONPROFIT. OPEN 365 DAYS A YEAR WITH AN AVERAGE OF 15 SCREENINGS PER DAY, THE LOFT PROVIDES A FULL SPECTRUM OF CINEMA EXPERIENCES, WITH AFFORDABLE TICKETS AND MANY FREE SERIES AND EVENTS.PROGRAMMING IS DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE. IN 2019, THE LAST YEAR OF FULL FILM PROGRAMMING BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, FILMS FROM 42 COUNTRIES WERE SCREENED FOR AUDIENCES THAT INCLUDED THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA, INCLUDING PEOPLE FROM EVERY RACE, GENDER, AGE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND INCOME LEVEL.THE LOFT CINEMA'S SIGNATURE EVENTS INCLUDE HOSTING VISITING FILMMAKERS AND SCHOLARS TO DISCUSS THEIR WORK WITH AUDIENCES, LOCAL FILM PREMIERES, ALL-NIGHT HORROR AND SCI-FI MARATHONS, SING-A-LONG EVENTS, THE FREE LOFT KIDS FEST AND MONTHLY LOFT JR. SERIES, AND THE LOFT FILM FEST, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS NEW FILMS ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT AND HONORS SIGNIFICANT FIGURES IN INDEPENDENT CINEMA, INCLUDING ILLEANA DOUGLAS, DON COSCARELLI, EDWARD JAMES OLMOS, AND FUTURE ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS JULIA REICHERT AND STEVEN BOGNAR AT THE 10TH EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL IN 2019. THE LOFT WAS ONE OF 23 CINEMAS TO BECOME AN INAUGURAL MEMBER OF THE SUNDANCE ART HOUSE PROJECT, AN EXTENSION OF THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL, AND IN 2014 BECAME ONLY THE SECOND AMERICAN CINEMA AND FIRST US FILM FESTIVAL TO BE ACCEPTED INTO THE INTERNATIONAL CONFEDERATION OF ART CINEMAS (CICAE), WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER ABOUT 4,000 SCREENS IN 37 COUNTRIES.THE LOFT CINEMA'S EFFORTS ARE CONSISTENTLY RECOGNIZED THROUGH THE AWARDS OF PRESTIGIOUS STATE AND NATIONAL GRANTS. IN 2019, THE LOFT WAS AWARDED A $42,000 GRANT FROM THE ARIZONA COMMISSION ON THE ARTS FOR GENERAL SUPPORT, AN $8,500 GENERAL OPERATING GRANT FROM THE ARTS FOUNDATION FOR TUCSON AND SOUTHERN ARIZONA, CONTINUED THE "SCIENCE ON SCREEN" PROGRAM WITH A GRANT FROM THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION AND THE COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE FOUNDATION, AND WAS AGAIN AWARDED A $20,000 GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS TO SUPPORT LOFT FILM FEST AND LOFT FILM FEST ON THE ROAD.THE LOFT CINEMA ALSO MAKES AN EFFORT TO HIGHLIGHT AND SUPPORT OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND NONPROFITS. IN 2019, THE LOFT CINEMA PARTNERED WITH 215 NONPROFIT OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, HELPING THOSE GROUPS TO RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS, AND TO INTRODUCE NEW AUDIENCES TO THE LOFT. THE LOFT ALSO DIRECTLY DONATED GOODS AND SERVICES TO 230 LOCAL NONPROFITS. THE LOFT CINEMA'S LOCAL IMPACT AND VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY IS EVIDENCED BY CONSISTENTLY HIGH ATTENDANCE AND MEMBER ENROLLMENT. MUCH OF THE LOFT CINEMA'S TYPICAL PROGRAMMING WAS DISRUPTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN 2020. AFTER VOLUNTARILY SHUTTING ITS DOORS IN MARCH OF 2020, THE LOFT CINEMA PIVOTED TO DIGITAL DELIVERY OF ITS PROGRAMMING BY OFFERING FILMS FOR RENTAL THROUGH ITS WEBSITE, A PRACTICE THAT WAS AT THE TIME UNHEARD OF AND HAS SINCE BECOME A MODEL. OTHER INITIATIVES AND NEW WAYS OF CONNECTING WITH AUDIENCES CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND GREW FROM DIGITAL ONLY TO SAFE IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PRIVATE RENTALS OF THE THEATRE. ANOTHER WILDLY SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM WAS OPEN AIR CINEMA, A SERIES OF NEW AND CLASSIC FILMS SHOWN OUTDOORS IN THE LOFT'S BACK PARKING LOT. THE LOFT'S AUDIENCE RESPONDED WITH MASSIVE SUPPORT, AND 2020 MARKED ONE OF THE LOFT'S BEST FUNDRAISING YEARS.IN 2021, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO THE GOVERNMENTAL AID FUNNELED THROUGH THE PPP AND SVOG PROGRAMS, THE LOFT CINEMA WAS ABLE TO REOPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR INDOOR SCREENINGS WHILE INVESTING IN SAFETY FOR ITS CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, OFFERINGS WERE REINTRODUCED AND THE BROAD AND DIVERSE PROGRAMMING OF THE LOFT PICKED BACK UP WHERE IT LEFT OFF.