Support SLFS here or join the Red Carpet Club here. | Tower of Terror starts 9/13. Get tix now.
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Support SLFS here or join the Red Carpet Club here. | Tower of Terror starts 9/13. Get tix now.
For over 22 years, SLFS has served as Utah’s mission-driven, venue-based, film non-profit, serving residents in the Wasatch Front and beyond
We exhibit, create, and preserve the cinematic experience. We promote diversity through film exhibition and creation. We foster film talent and cultivate film appreciation and participation. Our programs and venues ensure that the potent ideas and voices of film are accessible to everyone in our community.
SLFS recognizes and honors the fact that our Broadway and Tower venues are located on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, and Ute Tribes. The State of Utah is home to eight distinct tribal nations.
90,848 total audience
93 filmmakers and artists attended special events
12,602 patrons attended free of charge and 10,006 attended with reduced admission
10,371 attended educational, Q&A, reception and discussion events
311 film titles were exhibited
63 educational
51 special events
For ALL current SLFS films and events:
SLC's home for independent, international, repertory, and documentary cinema, reopened October 2021, open 365 days in 2022
SLC's beloved 95-year-old theater in the 9th & 9th neighborhood, offering contemporary and historic works of cinema, undergoing renovation
Cultural Tours have been celebrating the history, culture, diversity, and heritage of Utah communities for over a decade. In-person and video panel discussions enhance the film-watching experience by providing audiences engagement with artists and issues. These series are curated by groups of volunteers who represent each community, helping to ensure that the films are relevant and timely.
The 12th year of Filméxico featured prominent works by indigenous filmmakers, as well as new and local talent. A series of panel discussions was presented with Mexican filmmakers, Utah community leaders, and cultural binational specialists and allies.
"Salt Lake City is lucky to have Filméxico because it is a culturally enriching experience unique to our town. The documentaries offer valuable educational experiences, and the features and shorts give us a glimpse into Mexico’s rich independent film scene. ¡Gracias a SLFS y viva Filméxico!"
Each year, Māsima positively impacts the lives of many Utahns by providing a safe space for audiences to explore identity and take part in meaningful and often difficult conversations. The 2023 Māsima lineup, in-person Q&As, and recorded panels continue to bring content and engagement that would not be seen in Utah otherwise
Māsima Panel Discussions included:
I chose the name Māsima, which means “salt” in a few Pasifika dialects, referencing Salt Lake City where it was created, and the salt of the ocean that connects our Pacific Islands and stories. …. The relationship that I’ve had the honor of cultivating with the incredible team at the Salt Lake Film Society is one that I value greatly and I’m grateful to be working closely with an organization that doesn’t just purport to care about diverse stories but, has made an active effort to bring those stories and storytellers to the forefront.
SLFS features Black Cinema during February Black History Month and also prioritizes Black programming year-round. In 2023, SLFS celebrated Black History Month with 18 first-run, repertory, and international films. In November, the Utah Black Chamber co-hosted the Founders Lounge for the film Rustin. Year-round film programming offered a total of 44 films that had BIPOC artists as directors and/or in leading actor roles.
SLFS programs and venues are operated with the purpose of welcoming and providing access to everyone in our community. We exhibit works by and about underrepresented people embracing diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging—in terms of age, gender/gender identity, race/ethnicity, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, and other complexities of humanity. Our objective is to create an institution that mirrors and celebrates the robust diversity and breadth of human lives in Utah and the world.
In 2023, SLFS was THE “museum” of cinema, showcasing 134 film titles from the archives. Restored, anniversary, and 35 mm films from the vault of film history provided audiences with a rich, varied, and educational dive into the canon of global filmmaking and the evolution of film over the decades.
35 mm films included new release Oppenheimer (2023) and classics: Evil Dead II (1987) and Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Anniversary Celebrations included:
In 2023 SLFS produced seven quality repertory series that each celebrated the canon of film history, its most influential artists, and the power of film throughout the years. Cleverly curated collections such as Anderson and Anderson, a retrospective of the works of P.T. and Wes, Killer Cars and Joy Rides, a collection of the best car-centric thrillers from the 60’s and 70’s, and Music May, curated by musician and actor John Doe of the legendary punk rock band X.
Annual film series included: Holiday, Sing with Maria, Tower of Terror, and Summer Showdown
The Invincible Czars returned with two nights of classic silent film accompanied by original live performances The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari (1920) and Nosferatu (1922)
SLFS Media Accelerator Studio (MAST) and six of its animation fellows produced the powerful Ninety-Five Senses Animated Short Film which made it all the way to the 2024 Oscars!
Parker Sessions Short Film
The award-winning first feature film by SLFS’ own Stephen K. Simmons, master of the Horror genre. Shot in high contrast black and white and split up into four acts.
Front of House manager Patrick Charles and Events Manager Zoey Reynolds went above and beyond to create 42 art installations in the Broadway Lobby to enhance the audience experience at many repertory films.
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Movie Club provides an ongoing opportunity for seniors to connect with each other and the world through a wide-range of films including documentaries and international titles.
SLFS and Tanner Humanities Center presented world-class, live theater onscreen through National Theatre Live. Each presentation included behind-the-scenes interviews and in-depth background of the work. The 2023 productions were:
In 2023 SLFS presented 103 films made in 25 other countries. Nearly 20% of all films exhibited were in languages other than English. representing 18 languages from around the world.
Our mission as the premiere film establishment of our state is to Exhibit, Create, and Preserve the cinematic experience.
We foster film talent and cultivate film appreciation and participation. Our programs and venues are welcoming and accessible to everyone in our community, ensuring that the potent ideas and voices of film are available to all. We seek to exhibit works by and about underrepresented people. We embrace diversity, equity, inclusivity, and belonging—in terms of age, gender/gender identity, race/ethnicity, national origin, ability, sexual orientation, and other complexities of humanity. Our objective is to create an institution that mirrors and celebrates the robust diversity and breadth of human lives in Utah and the world.
Every day of the year, SLFS is accessible and affordable to audiences of all cultures, languages, interests, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds. SLFS programs are diverse, high-quality, inexpensive, and offered in safe, comfortable, and community-based venues that serve as neighborhood anchors and gathering places. One of the greatest strengths of SLFS mission programs is their ability to help people examine and understand their biases, experiences, and emotions, and then grapple with truths and perspectives different from their own. At its best, film illuminates human emotions, ideas, and commonalities. In a conscientious way, movies peel back the layers of our assumptions and biases, empowering each one of us to grasp both the beauty and the mystery of our existence and then inviting us to live more fully within it.
*Nov.2023 National Arthouse Convergence partner, Avenue ISR SLFS audience survey results
In the 311 SLFS film titles exhibited in 2023 represented Directors and/or Lead Artists
50% or 156 were women
40% or 124 were People of Color
33% or 103 were International films representing 25 countries
14% or 44 were Black, Native American, Indigenous, African, or Middle Eastern
12% or 36 were LGBTQ+
11% or 34 were Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander
8% or 24 were Latinx, Hispanic, Iberian, Latin American, or South America
SLFS screens current release films with Open Captioning all day every Wednesday
SLFS provides a variety of assistive audio and visual devices available at every screening, including:
*Personal Audio Headphone Receivers with adjustable volume for all movie sound and dialogue
*Personal Audio Headphone Receivers with Descriptions designed for visually impaired patrons. They have adjustable volume for sound and dialogue, and an additional audio track with narrated descriptions is mixed in with the movie sound
*Personal Audio Receivers – Hearing Aid Option works with both audio receivers above. It is a neck loop accessory for users of T-Coil type hearing aids who prefer not to wear headphones
*Personal Text Display is a device that fits into a cup holder, adjusts to a patron’s sightline, and provides text synchronized to the sound to the film
REVENUES | |
| Concessions | $264,079 |
| Program Services | $650,473 |
| Individual contributions | $190,181 |
| Grants and public funding (15 grants/foundations) | $3,091,965 |
| Sponsorship | $58,369 |
| In Kind | $128,929 |
| Total | $4,383,996 |
EXPENSES | |
| Program Services | $1,969,656 |
| Fund Raising | $538,265 |
| Management and general | $546,109 |
| Total | $2,823,817 |
Curating immersive, transformative arts experiences accessible to everyone in the community. At SLFS we don’t simply show movies; we bring the magic of cinema to everyone who walks through our doors.
Inspiring and educating our neighbors and neighborhoods through film, one filmgoer at a time.
*All patron data is based on the 2023 Avenue ISR National Arthouse Audience Survey
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