SIFF REACHES FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR EGYPTIAN THEATRE REOPENING

SEATTLE -- August 6, 2014 -- The Seattle International Film Festival announced the results of their capital campaign to reopen the Egyptian Theatre. With generous match offers from two anonymous philanthropists, several ways to give - including a uniquely successful "Text2Give" component - SIFF is pleased to announce that they've hit their match offers and exceeded their goal of $300,000. Having now hit nearly $340,000, the organization is on track to reopen the theatre - to be called SIFF Cinema Egyptian - by October 1, 2014.

"To come full circle and have a home once again at the Egyptian means so much to me personally, and to everyone at SIFF," says Carl Spence, SIFF's Artistic Director. "We are excited to reopen the SIFF Cinema Egyptian in October and look forward to being an active member of the Capitol Hill community."

The organization secured a lease for the iconic Capitol Hill venue and subsequently launched a fundraising campaign to raise funds for the necessary improvements and operational costs to get started.

The donations will go to necessities to reopen the theatre:   

• Critical repairs - electrical, plumbing, ventilations, and the exterior marquee
• Equipment - projector, server, and computers for the projection booth
• Operating costs, cleaning, maintenance, and staffing
• Improvements to the theatre's interiors and sound system

"We're pleased by this support from the community," says Mary Bacarella, SIFF's Managing Director. "This is the largest amount of money that we've ever raised in the shortest amount of time through crowdsourcing, and the anonymous match offers got us off the ground. These gestures speak both to the deep connection Seattle has to the theatre and to its faith in SIFF, for supporting having this beloved venue in our hands."

Details on the Grand Reopening of SIFF Cinema Egyptian to be announced soon! 

About SIFF

Founded in 1976, SIFF creates experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary films from around the world with the Seattle International Film Festival, SIFF Cinema, and SIFF Education. Recognized as one of the top film festivals in North America, the Seattle International Film Festival is the largest, most highly attended film festival in the United States, reaching more than 150,000 annually. The 25-day festival is renowned for its wide-ranging and eclectic programming, presenting over 450 features, short films, and documentaries from over 70 countries each year. SIFF Cinema exhibits premiere theatrical engagements, repertory, classic, and revival film showings 365 days a year on four screens at the SIFF Film Center and the historic SIFF Cinema Uptown, reaching more than 120,000 attendees annually. SIFF Education offers educational programs for all audiences serving more than 13,000 students and youth in the community with free programs each year. 

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