|
THE GRAND SEEKS DONATIONS TO COMPLETE ‘PROJECTOR FUND’
CAMPAIGN
Since
last fall The Grand has been raising funds to purchase a
new film projector, surround sound and simulcast
equipment. The total budget for what is being referred
to as the “Projector Fund” is $66,000 of which $42,000
has been raised to date, leaving a balance of $24,000
remaining. The projectors that served The Grand for
about 70 years proved beyond repair when they both broke
in the fall of 2007.
The Grand would like to have the
new projector by July 1 to bring back a full menu of
entertainment for the summer. It would take about 4-6
weeks of lead-time for ordering and installation.
Therefore, to meet this goal, funds need to be in hand
by May 15. Checks can be made payable to The Grand
Theatre and mailed to 165 Main Street, Ellsworth, ME
04605. Please write “Projector Fund” on the memo line.
You can also donate on-line at
www.GrandOnline.org.
“If everyone who ever experienced
a movie at The Grand were to make a donation, we could
easily achieve this goal,” said Jack Lafond, Executive
Director of The Grand. Gifts of any size are welcome,
from $7.00 (the current ticket price of a movie) to a
grand ($1,000) for The Grand! “I am grateful for the
fundraising progress we have made to date and am hopeful
that we will meet this goal.”
The contributions so far have come
from a variety of sources. A $10,000 grant was received
from the Maine Arts Commission, several four-digit gifts
were received from loyal film patrons, and many small
donations have come in through the collection box in the
theatre’s lobby. “We are getting small donations from
many people, which is reflective of the broad community
support that The Grand enjoys,” said Lafond.
The demise of the old projectors
is similar to the lifecycle of a car. You keep running
it every day and doing maintenance on it. When it
breaks you fix it. Then the model gets older and older,
more things break and parts are harder to find. Finally
one day it takes more money to repair the car than what
it is worth and you find that its time to buy a new
car. That was the situation with the old projectors.
The new Cinemeccanica Victoria 5
Projector that is being considered is state-of-the-art
and custom-made in Italy. This brand is used in many
theaters around the country and advances in technology
over the last 50 years enable this one projector to
replace the old two-projector system, with much better
sound reproduction. New clear lenses, optically
correct, will provide incredible clarity that will fill
the screen. The simulcast equipment will enable The
Grand to offer special events on the big screen such as
the World Series, Kentucky Derby, Camden Conference,
Academy Awards, This American Life with Ira Glass, and
Live from the Met.
For the past six months The Grand
has been filling the gap by showing film retrospectives
on DVD using their digital projector. “While digital
produces high resolution image clarity and vibrant
colors, film holds lush colors that pop and depth of
field that video cannot recreate,” said Ben Speed, Film
Program Coordinator at The Grand. “In addition, most
distributors will only send out their films on 35mm and
not on DVD.” Consequently, over these last few months
audiences have missed out on a lot of great films like
Juno, Atonement, and No Country for Old
Men. With the new projector, great foreign and art
house films are planned for the summer.
Now in its 70th year,
The Grand Theatre provides a wide variety of art
enrichment experiences to more than 60,000 patrons per
year, who live in the greater Hancock County area and
beyond. Classical to contemporary programming includes
live music, theater, dance, film, and educational
outreach for people of all ages and backgrounds. The
Grand offers something for everyone. Registrations are
now being accepted for the Summer Theater Camp now in
its 12th year. The Grand Theatre is a
non-profit 501c3 and contributions are tax deductible to
the full extent of the law. For more information about
The Grand Theatre you can go to
www.GrandOnline.org or call 207-667-9500.
The new Cinemeccanica Victoria 5
Projector being considered. |
