Just over two weeks ago, we told you that an important piece of Capitol Hill culture was in trouble. Northwest Film Forum was facing a $70,000 budget gap and looking at making hard cuts to keep their doors open. Director Lyall Bush wrote CHS to let us know how the big push to get donations to bridge the gap went. While NWFF didn’t make its goal of wiping out the $70k gap, it was able to raise $44 grand and, Bush, says, that’s enough to keep things going:

A press release is coming your way tomorrow (Tuesday), but the gist is that in two weeks we’ve raised $44,000, that it’s allowed us to keep the doors open, the lights on and the cinema programs everyone loves up and operating. Some restructuring has come about, yes, but we are aiming to be stronger than ever in the next years.  Some stats:

• Over 700 people gave.

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• Sub Pop’s $10,000 gift has been matched.
• We received two anonymous gifts, one for $5,000, one for $2,000.

We’ve been struck by how many people have given for the first time, by how many people have said, “Thanks for asking.”

best,

Lyall

The remaining shortfall is forcing cuts at NWFF. Publicola reports that NWFF managing director Susie Purves is leaving and will not be replaced. You can read more about the support drive on NWFF’s news page.

CHS is also a partner with NWFF. They advertise on the site and we feature a capitolhillseattle.com message in the slides before their shows and get to sponsor the occasional film. We’re happy this week to help bring you a one-week run of Art & Copy, a documentary about advertising and its effect on culture. Fitting, no? The showings kick off Friday night with a special panel session after the screening including Seattle advertising luminaries Pam Fujimoto and Cal McAllister. I’ll be poking around the theater through the week with a CHS crow button or three. Say hi.

And, why we’re talking films, don’t forget about this weekend’s last outdoor movies of the season in Cal Anderson Park. Three Dollar Bill Cinema (yes, also a CHS sponsor!) presents 9 to 5 on Friday night and NWFF hosts its annual bike-in movie on Sunday. Screening that night will be 1948 French comedy Jour De Fete.