Valerie Ettenhofer
Staff Writer

The Grand Cinema is about to go out of style. At least, that’s what the president of the National Association of Theater Owners made apparent with his quote featured on The Grand’s website: “if you don’t get on the digital train soon, you will be making the decision to get out of the business.”

The push to convert all theaters that still use classic projectors to digital projection has led the Tacoma cinema to begin asking viewers for donations, using the slogan “don’t let our screens go dark.”

The small, non-profit theater is often the closest or the only place for Pierce County residents to see art-house Oscar contenders such as “The Artist” or “The King’s Speech” and buzzed-about indie films such as “Safety Not Guaranteed” in theaters.

The cinema is also a host for many local events, including the Tacoma International Film Festival and the 72-hour film competition that began on May 10. This year’s film submissions all feature flashlights, superstition and the line “that wasn’t what I was expecting,” and were each made in 72 hours by local teams of filmmakers.

An Experience235 company, The Grand Cinema is a part of a short list of organizations “dedicated to providing arts and culture experiences of the highest quality” with a unique northwest flavoring specific to the Puget Sound area.

“We’re actually the only first-run theater in Tacoma right now,” said Marketing Director Zach Powers. “We keep our pulse on independent films. We can tell what kind of films our audience is drawn to by what does the best and what doesn’t do the best.”

Powers added that The Grand offers art-house and foreign films to elevate the availability of cinematic art to the public, saying, “it’s important that those films have a home.”

Many who support The Grand for its cultural contributions to the Tacoma area volunteer there or become members who receive perks in exchange for subscribing with anywhere between $45 and $500, depending on the membership package.

At press time, $218,449 of the approximate $344,000 dollars necessary for converting all four theater projectors had been made. With a fall deadline, there are a few months left until many studios will no longer provide film reels. Luckily for those in charge of independent theaters, once the new projectors are installed, digital reels could be cheaper to procure than the less easily made old-style film reels.

To check out currently playing films, ticket prices or event schedules, go to www.grandcinema.com.