“They feel called to support local cinema.”
Skye McLennan is describing the donors who have already stepped up to support the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival’s campaign to ensure the continuity of the nonprofit SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre.
McLennan, the executive director of the festival, says the newly-launched SLO Film Center Founder’s Circle campaign is all about sustainability.
“It’s about creating a strong foundation for the theatre and for the organization for many years to come.” Monies raised will support upgraded technology and equipment, staffing, programming, and the establishment of the center as a permanent fixture in the Cultural Arts District of the city.
Staff and board members of the SLO Film Center at the Palm Theatre are focused on communicating a vision of the organization as a vibrant community resource.
Attendance records seem to back that up. “More than 20,000 people visited the Palm last year,” McLennan says, and they now can boast of having some 450 “Palmies.”
The Palmie membership program costs $99 per year (just $79 for students) and offers perks to members such as free screenings and popcorn, discounts on theatre tickets and SLO Film Fest passes, and an annual membership party.
Donors to the Founders Circle campaign are being asked to give a bit more—between $5,000 and $250,000 over a two-year period, with a goal of raising $1 million.
“This campaign will set us up for success in the future,” says McLennan, who believes the future of film-going is in small, independent theatres like the Palm, not the multi-plexes. “Art always goes through eras, but some version of film will always exist. There are some incredible movies being made now.”
She says people want the “theatrical experience,” and she’s seeing a younger generation of audience members wanting more visceral, in-person experiences. “We’re like a vinyl record store,” she says.
Donors to the Founders Circle receive a variety of perks, including recognition on a “Wall of Fame,” free screen rentals, sponsor-level benefits and passes to the film festival, and—at the highest levels—naming opportunities for seats or even one of the theatre’s screens.
Besides serving as the hub of the annual SLO International Film Festival, the SLO Film Center showcases new releases and retrospective titles, and provides a venue for cultural and educational events.
Staff have collaborated with other nonprofits to screen films of shared interest, and some novel approaches such as “Crafternoon: Lights Up with Craftmaking” have drawn new audiences into the theatre.
The Palm also serves as the venue for the Central Coast Film Society to stage its annual Entertainment Expo, where local filmmakers connect, network, and collaborate.
McLennan says they would like to bring in even more activities that nurture emerging filmmakers, such as filmmaking camps, opportunities for Q&As with directors and other creatives, and audience participation events.
The Founders Circle campaign ensures that everyone has the opportunity to experience the magic of cinema, and McLennan says that membership is perfect for those “who enjoy having a thriving film center in their community.”