Support SLFS here or join the Red Carpet Club here. | Māsima Pacific Island Film Festival May 20-22 | Right Person, Wrong Time starts May 2nd. Get tix here.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

October 31-November 2

Let’s Do The Time Warp Again… Rocky Is Back

Rocky Horror Picture Show returns to SLFS! We are bringing our live performance event to the Broadway Centre Cinemas with several unique opportunities to experience this cult classic. On 10/31, 11/1, and 11/2 we will have three different screenings for you to choose from.

The Out Of The Shadows cast is back for live screenings! There are two separate emcees performing along with the shadow casts. We will also have a screening of the movie only with no live performance for those who prefer.

Screenings with live performers will have the doors open half an hour before showtime. Live pre-show starts at 10:30 pm. Prop bags are included in your ticket price and will be handed out at entry. No outside props are allowed.   

Mature Audiences Only. 18+.

The following production includes language and themes that may be triggering to certain individuals. This event includes graphic language, sexual content as permitted within Utah law, blood, assault, and uses language that some viewers may find offensive and/or dehumanizing. In addition the event is loud, cast members will be wandering the auditorium, and props will be tossed in the air, and audience members may move, stand, yell, and behave generally raucous. SLFS encourages viewers to consider their own personal mental health before purchasing a ticket or attending any Salt Lake Film Society Rocky Horror Picture Show event.

Here is the Rocky Horror Picture Show parental guide via IMDB.

The event is a live show and the SLFS disclaimer will apply. As live-shows are unpredictable, we encourage all ticket buyers to know the disclaimer below.
 
If screenings sell out there will be a waitlist for tickets starting 1 hr prior to showtime. First come, first served.

We have three separate options for this unique experience – read below for details on each event.  Any questions can be sent to info@saltlakefilmsociety.org.

LIVE CAST + GUEST EMCEE SUSAN STEFFEE 
10/31 (SOLD OUT) , 11/1 (SOLD OUT), 11/2 (SOLD OUT) at 10:30 pm ; $25/person includes prop bag
 
 
 
Due to the graphic nature of this show no one under 18 will be admitted 
 
Photo ID will be required at time of entry at security entrance.
 
Admission includes Prop Kit
 
No bags, outside props, or cosplay weapons permitted 
Not intended for all viewers, audience discretion advised.
Closed Caption devices available for live shows 
 
Join us for our most raucous, wild, and very unruly screening of the motion picture film Rocky Horror Picture Show, accompanied by a live shadow-cast. This show includes a full-cast (all key characters) provided by Latter Day Transvestites/Out of the Shadows Theater Company as well as local, infamous emcee Susan Steffee.  Susan has been emcee for Rocky Horror Picture Shows at the Tower Theater for over 40 years – and counting! 
 
She’s time warped so much, you will hear lines never-heard-in-other-states or at other shows. 
 
This irreverent show will include shadow-cast reenactments of scenes, costumes to feast the eyes upon, and Susan’s mad-libs throughout the entire show. 
 

Rocky Horror emcees traditionally talk over the entire film with a microphone, so if you have interest in hearing or seeing the film in it’s pure form, without an emcee, look for the film-only screening times. 

This show is adult in nature, includes language and themes that are not for all individuals, SLFS recommends individuals do their own research to determine if an event is appropriate for them. The SLFS Rocky Horror event disclaimer is below, please view before purchasing a ticket or attending this event. 

 
 
More about the Shadow Cast: 
The Latter Day Transvestites (LDT) have been feeding your Rocky addiction since 1995 (officially). From the Blue Mouse to the Tower Theatre, and possibly before, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been playing in the Salt Lake City area. The cast started officially in 1995 and dubbed “The Little Cast of Horrors”, LDT has been through personnel changes, personal disasters, and near prosecution by the local vice squad. In 1997 we changed the name to the Latter Day Transvestites to reflect our heritage and our personal fashion preferences.
 
Come join us as we take a step to the right into our version of reality.
 
The performance by the Latter Day Transvestites is brought to you by the Out of the Shadows Theater Group (OSTG). OSTG provides an alternative aspect to the performing arts and cinema. Catering to cult film followers and encouraging audience participation. OSTG is an ongoing presence in Salt Lake City through local media, live performances and community events. Our shadow casts are known for their improvisations and witty call backs while performing to well known and loved cult films.
LIVE CAST + GUEST EMCEE AMANDA DUSOE
10/31 (SOLD OUT), 11/1 (SOLD OUT), 11/2 (SOLD OUT) at 10:30 pm ; $25/person includes prop bag
 
 
Due to the graphic nature of this show no one under 18 will be admitted 
 
Photo ID will be required at time of entry at security entrance.
 
Admission includes prop-kit 
 
No bags, outside props, or cosplay weapons permitted 
Not intended for all viewers, audience discretion advised 
 Closed Caption devices available for live shows
Join us for a informal and raucous screening of the motion picture film Rocky Horror Picture Show, accompanied by a live shadow-cast. This show includes a full-cast (all key characters) playing the on-screen characters, provided by Out of the Shadows Theater Company as well as local, emcee Amanda Dusoe. 
 
This irreverent show will include shadow-cast reenactments of scenes, costumes to feast the eyes upon, and Amanda’s mad-libs throughout the entire show.
 
Rocky Horror emcees traditionally talk over the entire film with a microphone, so if you have interest in hearing or seeing the film in it’s pure form, without an emcee, look for the film-only screening times. The price of admission includes Prop Kits to interact with the movie and cast.  This show is adult in nature, includes language and themes that are not for all individuals, SLFS recommends individuals do their own research to determine if an event is appropriate for them. The SLFS Rocky Horror event disclaimer is below, please view before purchasing a ticket or attending this event. 
 
More about the Shadow Cast: 
The Latter Day Transvestites (LDT) have been feeding your Rocky addiction since 1995 (officially). From the Blue Mouse to the Tower Theatre, and possibly before, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has been playing in the Salt Lake City area. The cast started officially in 1995 and dubbed “The Little Cast of Horrors”, LDT has been through personnel changes, personal disasters, and near prosecution by the local vice squad. In 1997 we changed the name to the Latter Day Transvestites to reflect our heritage and our personal fashion preferences. Come join us as we take a step to the right into our version of reality.
 
The performance by the Latter Day Transvestites is brought to you by the Out of the Shadows Theater Group (OSTG). OSTG provides an alternative aspect to the performing arts and cinema. Catering to cult film followers and encouraging audience participation. OSTG is an ongoing presence in Salt Lake City through local media, live performances and community events. Our shadow casts are known for their improvisations and witty call backs while performing to well known and loved cult films.
 
 
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW – MOVIE ONLY WITH SING-ALONG OPEN CAPTIONS
10/31, 11/1, 11/2 at 10:30 pm ; $20/person includes prop bag
 

ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE

No shadow cast or emcee

Due to the graphic nature of this show no one under 18 will be admitted Photo ID will be required at time of entry at security entrance. No bags, outside props, or cosplay weapons permitted. Not intended for all viewers, audience discretion advised.

 


All ticket proceeds benefit SLFS.   

DISCLAIMER: 

By purchasing a ticket for or participating in any Rocky Horror Picture Show event planned and controlled by Salt Lake Film Society, you agree to the following:

  1. Salt Lake Film Society Rocky Horror Picture Show events are provided with no warranty either express or implied. The Organizers, including but not limited to the Staff, Board,  Advisory, Volunteers, Cast, and Sponsors, of Salt Lake Film Society Rocky Horror Picture Show events assume no liability for any loss, theft, damage, trauma, triggering complaints or injury to property or persons, including death, whether arising in contract, negligence, equity, or otherwise.
  2. You assume all risks when participating in Salt Lake Film Society Rocky Horror Picture Show events. All participants must use care and good judgment and must obey all rules and regulations and code of conduct of Salt Lake Film Society. You will comply with all requests made by employees or volunteers or contracted staff of Salt Lake Film Society and its representatives. You must obey all laws of the State of Utah. Salt Lake Film Society reserves the right to eject any participant who does not comply with the terms of this section. Ejected participants will not be entitled to a refund or any further recourse.
  3. You will defend, indemnify and hold harmless Salt Lake Film Society and its organizers, directors, employees, consultants, agents, affiliates for any and all legal actions arising out of participation in Salt Lake Film Society Rocky Horror Picture Show events. You further agree to pay all legal fees incurred by Salt Lake Film Society that arise due to this agreement.
  4. You give Salt Lake Film Society authorization to use and post any photographs, videotapes, recordings or any other record of our events, before during or after the event for promotional use, at any area of our event venues, reporting to the media and to publish on our website or blog. You will not be entitled to any compensation for Salt Lake Film Society’s use of your name or image.
  5. Refunds for any reason will be at the discretion of Salt Lake Film Society.
  6. Salt Lake Film Society reserves the right to exclude anyone from becoming a Salt Lake Film Society participant should they choose not to accept this Agreement.
 

Stanley Kubrick & Akira Kurosawa

Masters of cinema! KUBRICK & KUROSAWA. March 2024. Every Friday and Saturday. See these classics on the big screen. Get tix now -> www.slfstix.org 

MARCH 1: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
MARCH 2: YOJIMBO
MARCH 8: RAN
MARCH 9: FULL METAL JACKET
MARCH 15: DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB
MARCH 16: SEVEN SAMURAI
MARCH 22: STRAY DOGS
MARCH 23: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
MARCH 29: THE KILLING
MARCH 30: RASHOMON

Presenting Black Cinema

Presenting Black Cinema is a series in February to spotlight the unique and varied experience of black cinema.

During February we will have films opening on Sunday for limited runs throughout the week. These films include such varied genres as documentaries, dramas, romance, and horror.

Check out the schedule below. Showtimes May Vary. Tickets will be on sale soon at www.slfstix.org.

Feb 4: I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO
FEB 11: TIME
FEB 18: LOVE AND BASKETBALL
FEB 25: GANJA AND HESS

Tower Of Terror

Tower Of Terror is back! Every weekend starting Sept. 13, we will be featuring horror films that will have you looking over your shoulder. While the Tower is under renovation, this year we will be screening these seasonal classics at Broadway Centre Cinemas.

Tickets are available now -> HERE

Sundance and SLFS Local Lens Screening 7/28

Festival Favorites. For Utahns. For Free. Sundance Film Festival: Local Lens program is a series of FREE screenings happening July 26–29.

Get information on all screenings -> https://www.sundance.org/local-lens/
Get tickets while supplies last.

RSVP for FREE tickets to these films screening at SLFS on 7/28:
Kokomo City at 7:00 pm -> RSVP
Birth/Rebirth at 11:30 pm -> RSVP

Kokomo City
Birth/Rebirth

Guest Blog: José talks SLFS and Queer Cinema

José (he/they/them) identifies as a queer, Mexican, immigrant, educator, and film-buff. They currently serve as the Assistant Director for Community Engagement at the Thayne Center, Salt Lake Community College, where they help connect students to the many opportunities for service and engagement through community partners, and also oversee basic needs programs like the Bruin Pantry. In their free time, José can be found ingesting copious amounts of television, throwing a dinner party for their family and friends, traveling, camping, and of course catching the latest indie flick at the Broadway. 


“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue”

“Growing up as an undocumented, queer, brown kid in Utah has not always been rainbows and butterflies. Media representations, especially in movies, of my life experiences have been hard to come by especially when I was coming out of the closet as an undergrad at the University of Utah. I would fill the evenings in my dorm room watching queer movies I had inconspicuously rented from the Tower Theater—ok, now I’m dating myself!

This is why Salt Lake Film Society has always had such a special place in my heart; it unlocked stories of what it meant to be queer, plus it gave me a community where I could feel safe to be myself and talk about the films I love. But it would be hard to list all the impactful queer films I’ve seen with SLFS, so I’ll just choose “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”.

a still from the queer cinema film played at SLFS, Brokeback Mountain
Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the queer cinema classic, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN

In terms of something old, in January 2006 after having wrapped up my first semester of college, I started hearing about a “controversial” film that some theaters in Salt Lake City were refusing to show. BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005, dir. Ang Lee) was a pre-marriage equality film with two Hollywood stars (Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal) really going at it rough and raw—all puns intended. This immediately piqued my interest, not to mention that SLFS was proudly showing the film in their theaters.

Although I was horrified by the brutal ending which depicted a violent hate crime ultimately leading to the protagonist’s death, this was one of the first times I had seen same-sex love and sex on a big screen.  From then on, I wanted more stories that depicted something closer to my lived experiences.

A new film I look forward to experiencing again on the big screen is ROTTING IN THE SUN (2023, dir. Sebastian Silva). During its Sundance premiere which I saw at the Broadway, this film’s penis and gay sex filled scenes were all the buzz. Well, it did not disappoint! Be ready to see every kind of penis under the sun in the first 30 minutes, before making a sharp left and being delivered into a thrilling story about the cover up of an accidental murder.

Playing a frenzied domestic worker, Catalina Saavedra thrusts this film forward— I could not help but to think of my mom who has worked various housekeeping jobs in the city— and provides the perfect foil to the nihilistic, suicidal protagonist. Queer or hetero, young and old, everyone who has seen the film has been captured by its whacky charm (and hopefully SLFS is able to pick it up when it comes out in September!).

For something borrowed (again from Sundance) and something blue, I want to celebrate how far the diversity of lived experiences has come in queer cinema. TANGERINE (2015, dir. Sean Baker) and MOONLIGHT (2016, dir. Barry Jenkins) each touched my heart in different ways. TANGERINE tells a story of true friendship through the eyes of two transgendered Black and Brown sex workers in the streets of L.A. Not only was this movie completely filmed on the streets with iPhones, but Sean Baker has gone on to make extraordinary, award-nominated, indie films about people living on the edge, including THE FLORIDA PROJECT and RED ROCKET.

a still from the queer cinema movie Moonlight
Trevante Rhodes and André Holland in the Oscar-winning MOONLIGHT

With melodic, blue delivery, MOONLIGHT takes us through different stages of the protagonist’s life as he is met with violence for being his authentic self. The liberation he experiences through vulnerability against a hyper-masculine, homophobic society is a lesson that I continue to enact in different ways in my own life.

Queer cinema has come a very long way from the cliché coming of age stories with cisgender, white, male protagonists having oh so many will-they-won’t-they moments. Salt Lake Film Society creates a space and community for folx like me to feel seen and heard. The exploration of gender, sexuality, and identity through film is one with growing voices and perspectives, and I’m excited to keep coming back to the big screen as we continue to celebrate queer, trans, BiPoC independent stories for queers to come!”


Supporting and Showcasing Queer Cinema – SLFS

At Salt Lake Film Society, we are proud to exhibit a wide variety of queer cinema and stories to our Salt Lake City community, both during Pride month, and during all the other months too.

If you value these kinds of stories, and your community’s access to them, please consider supporting us! All donations received before July 15th will be matched through a generous offer from a local family foundation. Donate or join the Red Carpet Club during this matching period and see your support of SLFS and queer cinema doubled during this matching period!

To see a list of our upcoming films and events, click here.
To join our Red Carpet Club, or to learn more about RCC levels, discounts, and benefits, click here.


SLFS: Putting Classic Movies Back In Theaters

Like any engaging form of art, film is a medium that is often defined and disseminated through its most classic works. Whether defining the genre of the time and influencing works of the future, or achieving renown only in hindsight after being popularized by the next generation, “classic” movies have always existed as vital storytelling pieces for everything from entire countries, to entire generations.

At Salt Lake Film Society, repertory films and classic movies are a crucial part of our programming repertoire. While there are incredible independent films being released all the time (many of which we are lucky enough to show at the Broadway), for many people, classic movies are the driving force behind their love of film and the impactful connection they have with it. And what better way to re-experience the magic of these classics than how they were intended: on the big screen?

Keep reading to learn why seeing a classic movie on the big screen matters (or click here to view our Summer Showdown schedule of classic movies at the Broadway this summer!). And don’t forget; until July 15th, all donations will be matched through a generous offer from a local family foundation. So if you value access to independent film and things like seeing classic movies on the big screen, this is the perfect time to show us your support! Click here to see our progress so far, and make your own contribution!

What Exactly is a Classic Movie?

While there is no official definition, it’s not exactly easy to qualify what is considered a classic. It could be an Oscar-laden adventure trilogy integral to pop-culture, or a dated love story full of big-name stars during their younger years, or even a low-budget horror flick that achieves “cult” status in the modern Internet age. 

a picture of Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, and John Goodman in the classic movie The Big Lebowski
Jeff Bridges, Steve Buscemi, and John Goodman in the The Big Lebowski, part of the 2023 Summer Showdown lineup

The definition of a “classic” movie is often defined less by its content or fame and more by its staying power through the years, both in our minds and our culture. It’s the iconic stories, whose themes and outcomes still feel relevant even upwards of 70 years after a film’s release. It’s the iconic performances from Hollywood legends or unknown actors announcing their skill to the world. It’s the extremes, both the extremely good and the extremely bad, that still get parodied on sketch shows and quoted between colleagues.

There is no reliable formula for making a classic movie, especially when it comes to cult classics, as they seem to become popular despite themselves, which makes their nostalgic success even more unpredictable. Even the very nature of a classic means that people won’t definitively know if it qualifies as a classic until years later, and like with any art form, ambiguity and personal taste play a big part. Similarly to how the Supreme Court defined pornography in 1964, it’s hard to describe and specifically define, but many people know it when they see it.

Capturing the Magic of Classic Movies, In Theaters

However, like any classic in any other artistic medium, watching a classic movie nowand trying to “recapture” the authentic magic and the power it brought to both initial and later audiences isn’t so easy. For example, while many of us know works of art from the Renaissance era, most of us have only seen a photo of the Mona Lisa painting or the Michaelangelo statue of David, and only in a digital era long past the widespread fame of painting and sculptures. 

Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey doing the iconic lift in the classic movie Dirty Dancing
Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey doing the iconic lift in Dirty Dancing, another classic entry in our 2023 Summer Showdown lineup

While the era of film fame is alive and well today, the power of the big screen and a packed audience in a dark theater is unfortunately much easier to miss out on. And trying to experience the authenticity of a classic film when it’s streamed to your TV in your living room is akin to appreciating the Mona Lisa through a small image on your phone.

Getting to watch (or more likely, re-watch) these cinematic milestones on the big screen, sharing in a nostalgia trip with total strangers, and for many, re-living the magic of watching a classic when it first came out (and when it wasn’t even a classic yet) can be a powerful, and even emotional experience for many people. Classic movies have always been something that we have shared with both those close to us, and with those we don’t even know. Their staying power in our society and our communicative culture has always had the capacity to bring us closer together. And SLFS is proud to offer these classic movies in theaters to our Salt Lake City community.

See Classic Movies at SLFS Summer Showdown!

If classic movies are as important to you as they are to us, come down to the Broadway on a Friday or Saturday this summer, and see a film on the big screen that will take you on a little trip down memory lane. Or if you haven’t seen some of these classics before, there is truly no better way to experience them than on the big screen! Vote for your favorite film of our summer selections with your ticket purchase to the film, or any film-specific donations you want to provide by finding the poster in the Broadway lobby, scan the QR code of your favorite film, and donate if you want to see that film win! 

And don’t forget; until July 15th, all donations will be matched through a generous offer from a local family foundation. So if you value access to independent film and things like seeing classic movies on the big screen, this is the perfect time to show us your support! Click here to see our progress so far, and make your own contribution!

To see a list of our upcoming films and events, click here.
To join our Red Carpet Club, or to learn more about RCC levels, discounts, and benefits, click here.


SLFS Guest Post: Māsima 2023 and Lauren To’omalatai

Lauren To’omalatai is a Sāmoan screenwriter, director, and film programmer from West Valley City, Utah. She served as Director of the Utah Pacific Island Film Series for four years where she organized free community screenings showcasing films by and about Pacific Islanders throughout Salt Lake County. In 2021 she co-established the Māsima Film Tour with the Salt Lake Film Society to amplify this work and bring it to a wider audience. She is a proud alumni of imagineNATIVE’s Screenwriting: Features Intensive (2021) and Visual Communications “Armed With a Camera” Fellowship (2022-2023) under which she wrote and directed her debut short film “Snack”. You can find her on Instagram, and her website.


“Growing up in West Valley City, I was always surrounded by other Sāmoans and Pacific Islanders in my community. My parents spoke Sāmoan in the home, we ate Sāmoan food, attended a Sāmoan church, and danced in Polynesian groups. I was never the only Pacific Islander in any given place. I could always identify other Pacific Islanders by the way they looked, spoke, or my favorite, that signature boisterous laughter that seemed to follow us around, especially when we gathered together. I consider myself lucky there’s been a constant tether between myself and my heritage. 

During my junior year of high school, I became obsessed with film after watching Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. It was the spark that led me to watch other films, explore film history, and try my hand at screenwriting. This budding interest was supported by a theater in downtown Salt Lake City that showed independent and foreign cinema: the Broadway. I’d always loved to write but there was something specific about screenwriting that spoke to me.

This curiosity led me to pursue a Film Production degree after graduation. I didn’t complete the program, leaving school to get a full-time job to help support my household. I was disappointed I couldn’t finish my studies because during this time I’d become increasingly aware that although I didn’t feel like an outsider in my own community, the world of film and television had yet to catch up to the wealth of stories that Pacific Islanders had— a realization that fueled my desire to continue writing scripts, even if I wasn’t in a position to return to school. 

a photo of a screening from the Utah Pacific Island Film Series

A Utah Pacific Island Film Series community screening of the short documentary Standing Above the Clouds (2020).

A few weeks later, in March 2016, an opportunity presented itself in the form of a free film screening of a Sāmoan film. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to learn the ins and outs of filmmaking in a classroom but I could still attend this screening and hopefully find other Pacific Islanders who were as passionate about film as I was. The Utah Pacific Island Film Series, a program of Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources (PIK2AR), had an afternoon showing of My Fa’a Sāmoa directed by Ursula Ann Siataga.

This short depicted a Sāmoan family living in the Bay Area. It was the first time a piece of media directly reflected my own experiences as a first-generation Sāmoan living in the diaspora. Although set in an entirely different state, it was a powerful moment to see the same ways Sāmoan culture was made malleable and molded around the way other young Sāmoans and their families in the U.S. were living. 

At the screening I met my mentor and friend Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou, Executive Director of PIK2AR and for the next few years volunteered at screenings and attended Pasifika inclusive Sundance events. In 2019 I became Director until February 2020 when Covid-19 halted all in-person programming. For the next year we tried our best to facilitate online screenings and discussions, but of course, the energy was different and it was this new challenge to rally folks to watch films online at a time when the whole country was growing weary of watching films at home.

During this period, I reconnected with screenwriting and started submitting to screenwriting fellowships, something I’d never done before. To date, I’ve been privileged to participate in back-to-back fellowships that have strengthened my skills as a screenwriter and filmmaker and given me the gift of connecting with other indigenous and Pasifika filmmakers. 

a photo of many people at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival

“Armed With a Camera” Fellowship cohort at the 2022
L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival: (L-to-R) M. Kaleipumehana Cabral, Veialu Aila-Unsworth, Peter Filimaua, Alexis Si’i, Misa Tupou, and Lauren To’omalatai

This past year has been an incredible experience for me under Visual Communications “Armed With a Camera” Fellowship where I was given financial support and mentorship to direct my first short film “Snack”. This cohort was the first in AWC’s 20 year history to be entirely Pacific Islander which serves as a reminder that often in AAPI spaces or initiatives, the PI part of that acronym is minimized or forgotten completely.

Through this fellowship, some intercommunity healing has taken place and I’m hopeful we will continue to make strides in ensuring that when AAPI is used, it actually and actively includes Pacific Islanders in a meaningful way. Snack makes its world premiere at this year’s Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival and comes full circle to screen at this year’s Māsima on closing night. 

In 2021 I was a participant in the imagineNATIVE Screenwriting Intensive where I spent the following months writing my first feature film. This would also be the inaugural year of Māsima that saw the incredible staff from the Salt Lake Film Society help us orchestrate a virtual tour complete with panel discussions and partnering with local Pacific Islander owned businesses.

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. In 2022 Māsima’s program was a larger hybrid experience of both in-person and online screenings and thanks to the generosity of Bill Imada and his team at IW Group we took an abbreviated version of Māsima to Los Angeles. 

A photo of important people from opening night of Māsima 2022 at SLFS

Opening Night of the 2022 Māsima Pacific Islands Film Tour

Filmmaking is a collaborative effort. This goes for not only what happens on-set and on the production side of things, but also what happens when your film leaves you and is shared with others. There is a lot of trust and respect when a film is shared with an audience that we would all do well to remember and I’m extremely appreciative of each and every filmmaker who has allowed us to showcase their work in all iterations of Māsima. Salt Lake County has a large population of Pacific Islanders and it’s a dream fulfilled to share Pasifika stories with the local community for a third year at Broadway. 

There is an expression in Sāmoan, Teu le Vā, which means “nurture the space” and that space is essentially the relationships that we all have in our lives. This relationship could be one that you have with another person, multiple people, or the environment around you. This is a personal favorite saying of mine that I strive to live by because the relationships that we have with our family, friends, coworkers, ourselves, and the world around us, are crucial to the ways we see, experience, create, and share art. To be an artist is to be in community and we must prioritize these relationships so trust and creativity can take root and flourish. 

A still from a film showing two Pacific Islander women

Still image from Snack, starring Luseane Pasa and Vida
Tuitamaalelagi Hafoka

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. I hope Pasifika and non-Pasifika audiences alike will attend one of our screenings down at the Broadway to see the variety of humanity and creativity that the Pacific Islander community has. 

If you can’t make it to the Broadway in May during Māsima’s run or any of the available screenings online, here’s a curated list of Pasifika films that I believe have made waves of positive change and self-expression in the ever-expanding ocean that is Pasifika cinema.”

Here is a curated list from Lauren of Pacific Island films, available on SLFS Letterboxd and below.

Loimata: The Sweetest Tears (2022) directed by Anna Marbrook 

Waru (2017) directed by Ainsley Gardiner, Casey Kaa, Renae Maihi, Awanui Simich-Pene

For My Father’s Kingdom (2021) directed by Vea Mafileʻo 

Tanna (2015) directed by Martin Butler and Bentley Dean

Whale Rider (2002) directed by Niki Caro

The Dark Horse (2014) directed by James Napier Robertson

The Dead Lands (2014) directed by Toa Fraser

Cousins (2021) directed by Briar Grace-Smith and Ainsley Gardiner

Three Wise Cousins (2016) directed by Stallone Vaiaoga-Ioasa

Boy (2010) directed by Taika Waititi

Out of State (2017) directed by Ciara Lacy

Patu! (1983) directed by Merata Mita

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) directed by Taika Waititi

The Orator (2011) directed by Tusi Tamasese

One Thousand Ropes (2016) directed by Tusi Tamasese

Once Were Warriors (1994) directed by Lee Tamahori

Next Goal Wins (2014) directed by Mike Brett, Steve Jamison

Waikiki (2020) directed by Christopher Kahunahana

James & Isey (2021) directed by Florian Habicht

Leitis in Waiting (2018) directed by Joe Wilson, Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer

Every Day in Kaimuki (2022) directed by Alika Tengan

The Land Has Eyes (2004) directed by Vilsoni Hereniko

No. 2 (2007) directed by Toa Fraser

The Legend of Baron To’a (2020) directed by Kiel McNaughton

Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen (2018) directed by Hepi Mita

Kumu Hina (2014) directed by Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer 

Island Soldier (2017) directed by Nathan FItch

Ever the Land (2015) directed by Sarah Grohnert

Mele Murals (2015) directed by Tadashi Nakamura and Keoni Lee

Music May starts May 5

Join us at SLFS in May 2023 for our Music May retrospective series is curated by musician John Doe from the band “X” every weekend on Fridays and Saturdays starting May 5.

John Doe is a founding member of the legendary punk rock band X, who released ALPHABETLAND in April 2020. His eleventh solo record, Fables in a Foreign Land (Fat Possum Records) was released in May of 2022.  He has appeared in over 60 films and television productions, some of his most notable roles have been in Road House, Georgia, Roadside Prophets, Great Balls of Fire, Pure Country and Roswell. His most recent film effort is playing the lead, Frank Bigelow, in a period correct, re-imagined version of the film noir, D.O.A. So far it has won several film festival awards including Best Picture & Best Actor. He currently lives in Austin, Texas.

Showtimes may vary. Tickets will be on sale at www.slfstix.org.

MAY 5: CHULAS FROTERAS

MAY 6: X: THE UNHEARD MUSIC

MAY 12: I’M NOT HERE

MAY 13: BIRD (1988)

MAY 19: BLACK ORPHEUS

MAY 20: SEARCHING FOR SUGARMAN

MAY 26: THE GIRL CAN’T HELP IT

MAY 27: THE HARDER THEY COME

In The Can with Doug Fabrizio starts April 20

Salt Lake Film Society partners with University of Utah department of Film and Media Arts and KUER’s RadioWest host Doug Fabrizio to bring you a conversation about THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. This month’s special guest will be University of Utah Associate Professor of Film Studies Sarah Sinwell. Admission includes a screening of the film followed by a live panel discussion.

Join us for this one night only special event! Tickets are now available here.