The Grand Cinema's Annual Meeting |
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Mar 14th, 10:00 AM
Join fellow Grand patrons at the Annual Meeting!
The Grand Cinema's annual meeting will take place in the lower lobby of the Grand on Saturday morning, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. We will have summarized financial statements from 2008 available for members to review, we'll discuss the past year, look forward to the upcoming year and answer any questions you might have. This will also be the time the newly elected board members will be announced. Light refreshments will be served. Please join us! « hide details |
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Wendy and Lucy local food drive |
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Mar 6th - Mar 19th
The Grand Cinema partners with My Sister's Pantry for a local food drive in connection with the release of "Wendy and Lucy".
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2008 Movie Poster Sale! |
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Dec 13th, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Mark your calendars! The 2008 Movie Poster Sale is happening at the Grand on Saturday, December 13 from 11:00am - 3:00pm. Over 400 movie posters will be for sale, along with a wide variety of movie trailers.
Don't miss your chance to own posters from some of the most successful films from the past year!Click HERE for more info and for the list of over 400 posters. « hide details |
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Movie schedules available at area businesses |
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Dec 1st
Current Grand Cinema weekly movie schedules will now be available at various businesses in the community. Stop by any of the listed Tacoma establishments and pick up a schedule today! (Subject to availability)
read more » Tully's Coffee (downtown on Broadway & S. 9th St.)
The Mandolin Cafe (S. 12th St. & Madison)
Backstage Video (N. 26th St. & Proctor)
Stadium Video (N. 1st St. & N. Tacoma Ave.)
UW-Tacoma Bookstore (S. 11th St. & Market)
King's Books (S. 2nd St. & St. Helens)
Blackwater Cafe (S. 9th St. & Fawcett)
Corina Bakery & Bistro (6th Ave & Tacoma Ave S.)
The Spar (N. 30th St. & McCarver) The Rosewood Cafe (N. 26th St. & N. Warner)Watermark Gifts (S. 11th St. & A St.) Hotel Murano (S. 13th St. & Broadway) Courtyard by Marriott (S 15th St. & Commerce) « hide details |
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Movie Archive added to Grand Cinema website! |
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Oct 21st - Oct 31st
An archive of past films at the Grand has been added to the "About the Grand" section of our website.
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Award Winners for 2008 Tacoma Film Festival |
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Oct 9th
On Thursday, October 9 at the Temple Ballroom, the Tacoma Film Festival announced the award winning movies from the 2008 Tacoma Film Festival. To see the list in a story from the Tacoma News Tribune, visit http://www.grandcinema.com/page.php?id=43. Thanks to everyone who was a part of the fun 2008 Tacoma Film Festival! « hide details |
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Films to Watch for in Film Festival |
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Oct 2nd
With over 80 films in the film festival, how do you narrow the list down? The Grand's Executive Director Philip Cowan gives his annual list of his top 10 films to watch for.
Last year I published a list of my “Top 10 List of 11 movies to see during the Tacoma Film Festival” (because 10 is never enough). Many people said it was valuable to them as they made choices of what to attend during the festival. Making the list is always tough because there are so many interesting films and because, unfortunately, I’m never able to see them all myself. So with that caveat, in no particular order, here is my list of films not to be missed in this year’s Tacoma Film Festival. (Tickets are on sale now at the Grand Cinema and a full schedule with descriptions can be found at www.tacomafilmfestival.com)
Enjoy! Philip Cowan, Executive Director
Crawford- I first saw this movie earlier this year when it played in
Comedy Shorts- This is a grouping of nine of the funniest films that were submitted for the film festival. Ranging in time from 2 minutes to 29 minutes, this is 1 hour and 40 minutes of fun. Watch as a 36 year old shoots for his dream to be a Cabbie…even though he can’t drive. In another you see an elderly man plot his escape from his nursing home. Together they make a fantastic package. Last year the comedy shorts sold out for its Saturday evening screening so this year we scheduled it for two screenings.
Pat Martino Unstrung- The story of legendary jazz guitarist Pat Martino is very interesting and one I was not familiar with. If you have a Martino CD, you know what amazing music he has made. This movie tells his musical story but more importantly it portrays the medical issues that temporarily silenced him. The website for the film best summarizes it: “Through this remarkable story of his ascent from the depths of amnesia to the peak of artistry once more, the filmmaker explores the nature of memory, self, creativity and the brain systems underlying personal identity making some ground-breaking discoveries on the way.” Whether you are a fan of his music or interested in how the brain works, this is one you should see. It also features the likes of Les Paul, Pete Townsend, Carlos Santana and others.
Opening Night Instead of doing a single Opening Night film as would most often happen at a festival, we decided to present a combination of three outstanding films. Played together they are an amazing combination: a short drama, a short comedy and a feature documentary. The comedy tells the story of love, but not of the usual kind: how about a mouse falling in love with a woman? The 15 minute drama is an incredibly well put together film showing the simultaneous stories of people in four cities throughout the world, from Hong Kong to New York, as they learn the earth has only 8 minutes left. It reminded me in a way of the film A Night on Earth. Then finally comes the documentary On Paper Wings. It tells of the Japanese balloon bombs that fell from the sky on the Pacific Coast during WWII. Most of all, it looks at it from the personal side, interviewing both the Japanese women who made the balloons and the families of Americans who were killed by a bomb in Oregon, the only fatalities on U.S. soil during WWII. The filmmaker will be in attendance so this is an opportunity to see the film and talk about it with the woman who created it. For those who can’t make it opening night, these three films screen together again at the Grand on Saturday.
The Ostrich Testimonies / In Times of War: Ray Parker’s Story A nice pair of documentaries. The Ostrich Testimonies is another film I first saw at SXSW in Austin. Imagine you are an ostrich farmer making a nice living. If you are an ostrich, the one thing you fear the most is a hot air balloon (a genetic fear of huge creatures in the sky?). Now imagine hot air balloons flying over the ostrich farm. The result wasn’t pretty and the loss of hope in the U.S. system as the farmer tries to right his wrong is heartbreaking. The farmer is a character unto himself and very much worth seeing. As a bonus, the filmmaker will be in attendance to answer your questions after the screening. The second movie in this pairing is the inspiring WWII history of Ray Parker. He was captured by the Germans but found a way to print an underground newspaper for his fellow captives. He tells the story in his own words in this fascinating documentary.
America Betrayed A press release earlier this year on the movies summarizes it pretty well: ”Academy Award Winner Richard Dreyfuss narrates the heavily anticipated documentary America Betrayed, from Eclipse Entertainment and filmmaker Leslie Cardé. The film, places the spotlight front and center on the specific ways our government contributes to and profits from disasters both here and abroad…from the way it shields itself from blame when all roads point to their culpability, to the friends in high places in corporate America who continue to benefit from the very disasters that leave the rest of us reeling.” I would add the question: How are we going to fix the problems unless we learn how they got to be problems in the first place? This powerful, well made documentary helps answer that question. As a bonus, the filmmaker will be in attendance to answer your questions following the screening on October 3.
JUMP! JUMP! is a feature length documentary that follows several teams from the
Wiener Takes All: A Dogumentary This is a fun movie on the world of competitive wiener dogs. Have you ever seen a dachshund race? Have you ever known a rabid dog owner? You’ll see them both, along with many other competitions including the Westminster Dog Show, in a funny combination here. Think Best in Show but in real life.
Short Films from the Seattle Children’s Film Festival This is a fun group of films from this year’s
Certifiably Jonathan Did you know Jonathan Winters is an artist? I didn’t. This interesting film talks about him as an artist and also brings in the likes of Sarah Silverman and Robin Williams. You are in for quite a little ride with this film as you watch Jonathan be Jonathan.
Indestructible An engaging look at a filmmaker as he battles ALS. We watch as he struggles to speak, stand and stay alive but most of all, as he struggles for hope. He travels the world to better understand, looking for a miracle cure along the way. One of the most interesting parts to me was when he approached a Chinese doctor who promised help through brain surgery. The doctor seems very shady but the filmmaker was searching for any help he can find and opts for the surgery anyway. The film shows a person pushed to the brink, the struggles it causes within a family, and the joy of being alive. « hide details |
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Summer Sunday Socials return! |
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Aug 10th
Our FREE Sunday Socials return this summer on June 8, July 13, and August 10!
Join us Sunday, August 10, for an old fashioned pie and ice cream social in the Grand's Lower Lobby. Several varieties of pie, cookies, ice cream, and brownies will be served up from 1:00 until 6:00 pm. Come a little early for your movie or stay a little late. You are also welcome to join us simply for some pie and conversation. Hope to see you there! Very special thanks to our sponsor, The Commencement. www.thecommencement.com ![]() « hide details |
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Poster art at the Grand |
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Aug 8th
Come see and give your input on the 50 possible designs for this October's Tacoma Film Festival.
Recently we promoted a "Design the Tacoma Film Festival Poster" art contest. The deadline has now passed and the entries are in. Come see them! We have about 50 possible designs for the 2008 Tacoma Film Festival (October 2-9) and all are posted in the lobby of the Grand Cinema. They are simply amazing! The artistic talent in the area is definitely something to be proud of. Before we select the poster that will represent the festival, we'd appreciate your input. Ask for a feedback form so you can let us know your favorites. You response will help us in our choice.
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Opportunity For Filmmakers |
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Aug 4th
The Grand is introducing a new entry format for local filmmakers in the Tacoma Film Festival!
Building off the success of the 72-Hour Film Competition, the non-profit Grand Cinema is creating another opportunity expressly for regional filmmakers. During the Tacoma Film Festival in early October, we will feature approximately 90 minutes of local short films in a Local Filmmaker Showcase. Unlike the 72-Hour Film Competition, there are no restrictions on what kind of film you make. Any topic or genre is fair game as long as the final product is suitable for broad viewing (let’s call it PG-13).
Here are the general rules: 1. Films must be no longer than 5 minutes in length. 2. Films should be submitted only on DVD. 3. Films should have about 10-15 seconds of blank black screen at the beginning of the DVD prior to the start of the film. 4. Final films must be accompanied by a $15 entry fee. 5. Films are not guaranteed to be shown in the Tacoma Film Festival. We seek to fill about 90 minutes of time so the best 18 (approximately) movies will be screened together in the festival. 6. Filmmakers who have their movies selected for the festival will receive two complimentary tickets to the movie screening in the film festival. 7. Films are due at the Grand Cinema no later than 8. DO NOT create your entry through our website via withoutabox.com unless it is a longer film entry not part of this particular competition. Simply bring the DVD and $15 to the Grand’s lobby. 9. Submitted films should be accompanied by your complete contact information: name, address, phone number and email address. 10. Entries are limited to filmmakers from
The host organization for the Tacoma Film Festival is the non-profit Grand Cinema. The Tacoma Film Festival takes place at various venues October 2-9 in
For filmmakers wishing to enter longer films, complete information is available at tacomafilmfestival.com.
For additional information, please contact the Grand Cinema at 253-572-6062. Our mailing address is 606 S. Fawcett, « hide details |
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The Grand Cinema's Annual Meeting |
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|
Mar 14th, 10:00 AM
Join fellow Grand patrons at the Annual Meeting!
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|
Wendy and Lucy local food drive |
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|
Mar 6th - Mar 19th
The Grand Cinema partners with My Sister's Pantry for a local food drive in connection with the release of "Wendy and Lucy".
|
|
2008 Movie Poster Sale! |
|
|
Dec 13th, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Mark your calendars! The 2008 Movie Poster Sale is happening at the Grand on Saturday, December 13 from 11:00am - 3:00pm. Over 400 movie posters will be for sale, along with a wide variety of movie trailers.
|
|
Movie schedules available at area businesses |
|
|
Dec 1st
Current Grand Cinema weekly movie schedules will now be available at various businesses in the community. Stop by any of the listed Tacoma establishments and pick up a schedule today! (Subject to availability)
read more » |
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Movie Archive added to Grand Cinema website! |
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Oct 21st - Oct 31st
An archive of past films at the Grand has been added to the "About the Grand" section of our website.
|
|
Award Winners for 2008 Tacoma Film Festival |
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| Oct 9th | |
Films to Watch for in Film Festival |
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Oct 2nd
With over 80 films in the film festival, how do you narrow the list down? The Grand's Executive Director Philip Cowan gives his annual list of his top 10 films to watch for.
|
|
Summer Sunday Socials return! |
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|
Aug 10th
Our FREE Sunday Socials return this summer on June 8, July 13, and August 10!
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Poster art at the Grand |
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|
Aug 8th
Come see and give your input on the 50 possible designs for this October's Tacoma Film Festival.
|
|
Opportunity For Filmmakers |
|
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Aug 4th
The Grand is introducing a new entry format for local filmmakers in the Tacoma Film Festival!
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