Tag Archives: siff

SIFF financial struggles add to uncertainty around reopening of Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theater

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The 570 seats of Capitol Hill’s historic Egyptian Theater have been empty since last fall. News of layoffs and financial issues at SIFF are making its path to reopening even more uncertain.

The Seattle International Film Festival says the E Pine theater will remain shuttered for the indefinite future as it has announced it is laying off nine full-time employees — around a fifth of its administrative staff — and more cutbacks.

“SIFF is downsizing and restructuring in order to remain open and continue to deliver on its mission,” the announcement reads. “SIFF has continued to struggle financially post-pandemic and revenue has not kept up with our expenses, specifically fixed costs, including staffing, rent and mortgage payments, insurance, and ongoing maintenance.”

The Egyptian’s struggles stem from another category — terrible luck. Last November, a devastating water leak in the building’s fourth floor mainline damaged several floors of the five-story, 110-year-old structure which houses the former Masonic Temple where SIFF Cinema Egyptian operates. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill’s Egyptian closed for ‘foreseeable future’ after burst pipe damages building home to 108-year-old theater — UPDATE

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(Image: SIFF)

(Image: SIFF)

Capitol Hill’s art house film future is murkier than ever as the silver screen at E Pine’s Egyptian Theatre could go dark for months.

SIFF says a major water pipe burst on an upper story of the Seattle Central-owned building home to the historic theater Tuesday damaged multiple floors of the 1916-era structure.

SIFF said it looks like the building could be closed for a long time. Continue reading →

Here’s how you can see a movie at SIFF Cinema Egyptian before October’s grand re-opening

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Neighborhood film lovers have already marked the weekend of October 3rd for a reunion with The Egyptian Theatre as part of SIFF’s grand re-opening of the space. But there’s an opportunity next week to be among the first to enjoy a film in the overhauled theater as SIFF’s Women in Cinema opens its 2014 showcase with a party and screening on E Pine:

September 18 | SIFF Cinema Egyptian & SIFF Cinema Uptown
SIFF’s annual celebration of Women in Cinema returns, showcasing exceptional films from women around the world. Opening night takes place at the newly reopened SIFF Cinema Egyptian, and features Seattle favorite Lynn Shelton’s new film Laggies. The festival continues with Danish master Pernille Christensen’s award-winning Someone You Love; stunning foreign Oscar® submissions from Norway (I am Yours) and the Philippines (Transit); and enlightening new documentaries from Winter’s Bone director Debra Granik (Stray Dog) and Tina Mascara and Guido Santi (Monk with a Camera).

Free tickets to Women in Cinema opening night
Want to be our guest at the party? CHS is giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky CHS reader. Please leave a comment with your favorite line from your favorite “woman in cinema” below or on Facebook by today (9/12/14) at 5 PM Seattle standard time. We’ll randomly select a winner from the bunch. You can enter more than once if you like but we’ll include each email address or Facebook profile one time only in the drawing. Oh, you love movies, right? In addition to the party, WIC 2014 starts off with a screening of Laggies directed by Lynn Shelton.

SIFF to reopen Egyptian Theatre in October

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By this fall, Pike/Pine’s iconic movie theater should be back in action. The nonprofit Seattle International Film Festival announced Wednesday it would open Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theatre for regular programming on October 1st under the new name, SIFF Cinema Egyptian.

The announcement came as SIFF continues its fundraising campaign launched in June to raise money for critical repairs to the theater. So far SIFF has raised $340,000, exceeding its $300,000 goal.

SIFF and the Egyptian share an extended back-story — the nonprofit had once owned and operated the theater and for decades the Egyptian has played host to SIFF’s massive annual film festival.

“To come full circle and have a home once again at the Egyptian means so much to me personally, and to everyone at SIFF,” said SIFF’s artistic director Carl Spence in a statement. “We are excited to reopen the SIFF Cinema Egyptian in October and look forward to being an active member of the Capitol Hill community.”

At the launch of this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, festival organizers announced they had secured a 10-year lease with Seattle Central College to occupy the 1916-built Egyptian after Landmark Theatres left the space last year.

Many hope SIFF’s Egyptian takeover will be a doubling of their successes at Queen Anne’s SIFF Cinema Uptown.  SIFF announced plans to buyout the Uptown earlier this year after occupying it for several years.

SIFF fundraising campaign seeks to ‘Save the Egyptian’

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2014 SIFF honoree is greeted by presenter Eddie Vedder as the popular film festival returned for another year at the Egyptian (Image courtesy a CHS reader!)

2014 SIFF honoree is greeted by presenter Eddie Vedder as the popular film festival returned for another year at the Egyptian (Image courtesy a CHS reader!)

It turns out Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theatre still needs some saving, even after the film-focused nonprofit SIFF announced in May they had moved in to put the venue back in motion. At the launch of this year’s Seattle International Film Festival, festival organizers announced they had secured a 10-year lease with Seattle Central College to occupy the 1916-built Egyptian after Landmark Theatres left the space last year.

SIFF is now seeking to raise $300,000 to repair the aging 600-seat theater and re-open it this fall in what many hope will be a doubling of their successes at Queen Anne’s SIFF Cinema Uptown. Last month SIFF announced plans to buyout the Uptown after occupying it for several years.

According to SIFF, the “Save the Egyptian” fundraising campaign will fund new equipment for the projection room, sorely needed upgrades to the building’s plumbing and electrical systems, and a new sound system. The fundraising effort is being backed by two unnamed, but apparently well heeled, super-donors that are offering to match donations up to $155,000.

And like any good fundraising campaign ought to do, SIFF will take your money in any number of ways, including via text message.

After remaining dark for several months, the Egyptian was revived in May to play host to this year’s Seattle International Film Festival. The festival, which wrapped up earlier this month, is one of the largest film festival’s in the U.S.

SIFF and the Egyptian share an extended back-story. Built in 1916, the former Masonic temple was bought by SIFF founders Darryl MacDonald and Dan Ireland in 1980. The duo were the first to transform it into the Egyptian-themed theater. After running it for nearly a decade, SIFF sold the theater to Landmark in 1989. Seattle Central bought the building two years later, keeping Landmark as its tenant.

CHS Pics | The curtain rises again at The Egyptian with award for Wild at Heart star

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IMG_1848_2IMG_1807The Egyptian Theatre returned to service on Capitol Hill this weekend as the venue reopened to host an award ceremony honoring veteran actress Laura Dern and kick off its month of screenings as part of the 40th annual Seattle International Film Festival.

Dern appeared Saturday to receive her Dale Chihuly-designed SIFF award for outstanding achievement in acting and to take part in an on-stage interview session as part of a special screening of the David Lynch classic Wild at Heart.

Thursday, SIFF officials made it official and announced the nonprofit arts organization had inked a 10-year lease for the shuttered theater and would embark on a summer renovation with plans for a full reopening of the venue this fall.

Saturday, Dern thanked the crowd and surprise presenter Eddie Vedder and added that the people of Seattle were getting back a beautiful and historic theater in the form of the old Egyptian.

In the meantime, The Egyptian (SIFF schedule) along with The Harvard Exit (SIFF schedule) will host dozens of films in coming weeks as the 2014 festival plays out.

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Plot twist: SIFF’s boozy Cinema Seattle clue of what comes next for The Egyptian

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(Image: @HueyJune via Twitter)

(Image: @HueyJune via Twitter)

As CHS reported earlier this month, SIFF is making preparations for a return to Capitol Hill’s shuttered Egyptian Theatre for its 2014 festival. Tuesday, the marquee went back into motion for the first time since last summer.

We also reported that the movie-focused non-profit SIFF has been the only bidder to take over the old theater long-term as Seattle Central searched for a new tenant. Officials wouldn’t confirm a long-term lease but it looks like SIFF, managing director Mary Bacarella, and artistic director Carl Spence are making plans to open a new Cinema Seattle in the Egyptian according to, of all things, a liquor license application for the theater.

The application listing SIFF and the directors’ names is a request for a beer and wine license specifically issued for theaters. It was filed on Monday.

It’s possible — but not likely — Bacarella and Spence are pursuing the license just so festival goers can enjoy beer and wine during the Capitol Hill screenings of the 40th annual Seattle International Film Festival this May. Here’s hoping, instead, the application is another plot device in the Egyptian’s epic tale of loss and triumphant return to glory.