Arts The Community as One Tucson pulls together to save the Screening Room BY LAURA LATZKO Since it opened in 1989, the Screening Room has offered a space for filmmakers, especially those local to Arizona, to show their work. The Tucson venue hosts a number of different film festivals, including the Arizona International and Arizona Underground film festivals and Tucson Terrorfest. Over the years, the space has become even more wide ranging, as different community groups have begun to put on shows in the venue. Similarly to other performance spaces, the Screening Room has been hit financially by the COVID-19 pandemic because of having to close in March. The extended closure prompted operator and manager David Pike, along with local organizations and performers, to pull together to try to raise money to keep the space open. Through a GoFundMe account, the Screening Room been trying to raise $10,000 to help cover bills. Keep Tucson Sketchy, a local sketch company group, and Miss Nature, a Tucson drag queen, have also organized shows to raise money for the Screening Room. “By having this fundraiser, this will make us OK into next year,” Pike says. “We are asking for enough to get us by.” The shutdown has been an uncertain
The Screening Room’s purpose is wide ranging, over the years playing host to different community groups. (Submitted photos)
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time for businesses such as the Screening Room, which aren’t allowed to reopen under social distancing guidelines. The venue has had to cancel major events, including premieres and film festivals, after having a strong year last year. This year, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has gone online from September 11 to September 19, and proceeds will go to the Screening Room. Pike says the closure has especially been impactful for filmmakers who were going to show their work at the venue this year. “We were set to do a lot of things when we were closing. A lot of local filmmakers premiere their films at the theater,” Pike says. “We have so many filmmakers— local, international and national—that come through and show their movies. It’s really centered in the film community.” Pike initially thought the venue would be closed for two to three months. In the last few months, the Screening Room has held online events, but the amount of money raised has not been enough to sustain operating costs. “Just being open the public, showing movies, serving popcorn and beers, that’s what pays the bills. We are trying everything we can online to bridge the gap and build, but the fundraiser is definitely needed,” Pike says. Pike has a long history with the theater.
The Screening Room has offered a space for filmmakers to show their work since it opened in 1989.
He worked as a programmer at Screening Room from 2010 to 2013 and is the founder and festival director for the Arizona Underground Film Festival and Tucson Terrorfest. He says it has been tough not working because of how much he enjoys interaction with other film aficionados. “I miss popping popcorn, serving customers and meeting them. I really miss playing movies for people,” Pike says. The Screening Room was founded by Giulio Scalinger, who continues serve as the Arizona International Film Festival director. From the beginning, the space was meant to serve as an incubator for local filmmakers. When he came in March 2018, Pike wanted to continue to offer a place for filmmakers. He has also expanded on the venue’s offerings by opening it up to other types of entertainment, including comedy and drag shows. “I’m a movie guy. I’ve always been a movie person. I’ve studied film. I’ve written and directed movies. … Film is very important to me, but all the other events that we have in there, it’s good to have that stuff because it makes it more of a community theater,” Pike says. Community members have also rented the venue for weddings, birthday parties, office or holiday parties, and engagement celebrations. Pike has found that expanding on programming has helped to bring in different crowds. “There are so many diverse people in town who support many different things. A lot of events we have, we get really good crowds for,” Pike says. Keep Tucson Sketchy has operated out of the Screening Room since March 2019. The troupe does a bi-monthly sketch comedy show similar to “Saturday Night
Live” with musical performers and guest hosts. Joel Foster, one of the founding members of Keep Tucson Sketchy, says the Screening Room allows groups such as his to experiment and have creative freedom. “That’s a testament to David. If you have an idea for a show and you want to start something up, he’s all about it. … It’s this core group of weirdos that are trying stuff out, but it’s cool to see that happening. It’s an incubator,” Foster says. Foster says the venue is set up well for a sketch comedy show that combines in-person skits and video because of the stage and screen setup. “Just the interaction with the video to the live show, it’s so important to how the show flows. … It’s been integral to the success of our show,” Foster says. The space can accommodate the 20-person crew, which recently had to be reduced to eight to 10 during the pandemic. Foster says working with the Screening Room has been a positive experience because Pike has always been accommodating, especially in letting his group come in during off hours to work out sound issues and lighting cues. “He works with us in making sure it is a great experience for us and everyone else,” Foster says. Starting in March, the group started hosting virtual shows. A portion of proceeds from its August 22 show went to the Screening Room. Foster says it is important to save the space because without it, his group would not be able to continue to exist. With its virtual shows, Keep Tucson Sketchy has incorporated recurring characters, such as a doctor who is unsure about everything and a homicidal, drunken cooking show host. The sketches have delved into life www.LovinLife.com
