At The Grand Cinema, we staff members are encouraged to follow our passions and come up with ideas for partnerships and programs. For me, this is dangerously enticing. There's nothing I like better than working with creative Tacomans to make marvelous things happen in our community.
Yet despite my penchant for over-committing and sharing way too many ideas, magically (through the magic of collaboration, to be precise), we pull off incredible, inspiring, unique events at The Grand all the time. This summer is no exception.
Thanks to all sorts of cool partners, here's what I'm excited about at (and around) The Grand Cinema over the next few months:
TRACK 01: Local Music Video Showcase
June 1 & 2 at The Grand & The Old Carpenter's Building
Partners: local musicians, filmmakers, Alma Mater, and Red Hook Brewery
Music videos are one of the best places to discover up-and-coming local talent. But one of the most frustrating elements of enjoying music videos is watching them on tiny viewing screens.
The Grand is delighted to change that: TRACK 01 brings some of the best of new, locally-made music videos to the big screen complete with Q&As with musicians and filmmakers, and an after-party hosted by our friends Alma Mater and Red Hook Brewery at the Old Carpenter's Building.
See your favorite musicians on the big screen and then, on June 2, see DJ Press Play, Bruce Leroy, and Mirrorgloss live at the after-party. Get your tickets for the June 1 or June 2 screening and come to the after party free-of-charge.
June 1 6:30 p.m. screening
June 2 6:30 p.m. screening. 9 p.m. concert after-party at The Carpenter's Building
FREE MEMBER MOVIE DAY
June 6, all day, at The Grand Cinema
Partners: our members!
At The Grand, we exist for and because of our thousands of amazing members, so we like to say thank you with, what else, free movies!
Monday, June 6 is one of our favorite events: FREE MEMBER MOVIE DAY! All day long, for any and all movies, members are welcomed for free. Make it a marathon and see all the great films playing in our theaters! Not a member? You can join anytime or join that day to take full advantage of the fun.
Go Skate Tacoma
June 18, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Tollefson Plaza
Partners: Alchemy Skateboarding
Supporting our friends at Alchemy Skateboarding, we're partnering to support the positivity, wellness, and creativity that skateboarding inspires in our community.
Visit our booth to play games, win prizes, and tie-dye a Grand Cinema tank or t-shirt!
Documentary screening & discussion for I AM THALENTE
June 21, 6:45 p.m. at The Grand Cinema
Partners: Alchemy Skateboarding, Seed & Spark, Kona Brewing Company
We celebrate national Go Skateboarding Day with our friends at Alchemy Skateboarding to present an inspiring documentary I AM THALENTE, a new movie about South African skater Thalente Biyela.
Homeless since the age of nine, Thalente travels to the US to pursue his dream of becoming a professional skateboarder. Through his eyes, we experience what it takes to rise up out of circumstance and escape life on the streets.
After the film, enjoy a Kona beer (for those 21+, of course) and talk with our amazing panelists at our post-film discussion.
Join Metro Parks Tacoma commissioner Jessie Baines, Alchemy Skateboarding Executive Director Ben Warner, Camp Fire Orca Executive Director Mary Grant, and others as we discuss the film and learn more about skating in Tacoma.
Tacoma Pride featuring films VIVA & FIRST GIRL I LOVED
July 9 - 13 at Tacoma Pride's Out in the Park festival and at The Grand Cinema
Partners: local filmmakers, Tacoma Pride, The City of Tacoma
The Grand Cinema is a proud community partner with Tacoma Pride.
We love celebrating our LGBTQA communities every year by being a part of the festivities at Out in the Park on July 9 and hosting the Pride Film Series, July 12 and 13.
This year, we're featuring two beautiful films I fell in love with at Sundance this year. I'm so excited for Tacoma to experience VIVA on July 12 and FIRST GIRL I LOVED.
And I'm also really excited to share that after First Girl I Loved, we'll be hosting a Queer filmmaker panel and meet-up.
So tell your friends and come meet and network with the South Sound LGBTQA filmmaker community!
Art on the Ave with The Grand Cinema
Jul 10, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Bluebeard Coffee
Partner: Bluebeard Coffee
Summer is the festival season and we're looking forward to get out in the sun to encourage Tacomans to come spend some time in our delightfully cool, dark theaters. We're partnering with our friends at Bluebeard Coffee to do a bit of a Grand Cinema takeover during this year's Art on the Ave.