Home » News » Page 4

Category: News

Metro Cinema Popcorn Pop-Up

Happy International Popcorn Day!

Orders are now open for our latest popcorn pop-up! Visit shop.metrocinema.org  between January 19-22 to pre-order popcorn, candy, Blindman Brewing beers, merch and more for pickup on Saturday, Jan 23, from 12-6. (Beer orders must be picked up by an adult with valid ID).

Our staff will pop you fresh popcorn on Saturday morning and have orders ready for safe pick-up at the main doors of the Garneau Theatre beginning at noon. Please maintain a safe distance from other customers while waiting for your turn. Only one person will be permitted to pick up their order at a time.

Pre-orders close on January 22 at 10pm.

Metro Cinema 2020 Poster Auction

Did you know that Metro Cinema’s 11×17 movie posters are created by a team of talented volunteer graphic designers? That’s right! For years, talented artists have created unique new movie posters to hang in our theatre and around town. Now, you have a chance to bring these original works of art to your own home. Some of these kind artists have made a selection of great movie posters from our past screenings available for auction, as a fundraiser for Metro Cinema.

Follow this link to bid on fan favourite movie posters that were designed by members of our outstanding volunteer team. Winners will receive a beautiful high quality 11×17 print and the proceeds will help our organization weather this challenging time.

But wait, there’s more!

The Grand Prize is a custom movie poster! The winner has the opportunity to choose an artist from our list of participating designers to receive a customized, full-size theatrical movie poster for the film of your choice! The Grand Prize includes an authentic cinema poster display case to hang your masterpiece. View all the participating artist’s portfolios below and follow this link to bid on the grand prize!

FAQ

How will the Grand Prize winner select an artist?
• A Metro representative will contact the winner and put them in touch with their choice of artist from our list of participating volunteers. Be sure to check out the participating artist’s portfolios!

How will the artist know what poster to make?
• The winner will get to choose the film and provide some additional details about the film choice. After that, the artist will get to work creating the custom poster masterpiece.

Can I request changes to the finished poster?
• No. Just like when they make a poster for Metro Cinema, the artist will have full creative freedom. You should discuss all ideas during the initial consultation.

How long will it take for the grand prize winner to get their poster?
• Metro Cinema will work with the artist to determine a timeline for the completion of the artwork. Every artist’s process is different and something that cannot be rushed, therefore completion time may vary.

But what will I do with such a giant movie poster?
• Metro Cinema will print the full-size theatrical poster (24 x36 inches) and provide an authentic cinema poster display case for you to hang your poster in.

How can I pay for my item if I have the winning bid?
• A Metro representative will be in touch to arrange for payment with options that include, Credit, Debit, Cash, or Cheque.

What if I can’t pick up the prize if I win?
• Shipping may be arranged as an additional cost, separate from the value of the winning bid.

Fundraising Campaign

Hello Metro Cinema supporters,

Metro Cinema is back open and we are excited to be screening films again! The bustle of filmgoers and the smell of fresh popcorn is a delight to the senses. Though our capacity is reduced, we are programming a familiar mix of indie new releases and nostalgic favourites, with the same commitment to providing a platform for local filmmakers and artists, but with enhanced safety procedures.

Metro has always relied on support from our community and given the new constraints we are facing, that support is more vital than ever. We are now experiencing the added challenges of more than 80% reduced capacity, costly safety measures, and a quickly evolving film exhibition landscape.

A donation to Metro Cinema Society will have the following direct impacts to your community:

  • Ensure that Edmontonians can continue to enjoy the historic Garneau Theatre as it was intended.
  • Allow us to continue bringing new, exciting, and different films to the screen.
  • Provide local filmmakers, artists, and musicians with a safe space to present their art.

Enjoying a movie at the Garneau Theatre is great entertainment and an escape from the daily grind, but the art form of film also has the ability to soothe, heal, and comfort us in darker times. It can empower and elevate the voices of the underrepresented, and shine a light on unfamiliar worlds. This is what film means to us at Metro and why we are so passionate about what we do. Whether you are looking to get your mind off of something or turn your mind on to something new, Metro Cinema welcomes you back to the Garneau to laugh, cry, and grow with us. Your financial support is absolutely vital to us fulfilling this purpose through these trying times.

 

Please considerer giving at one of the following tiers, or any amount within your means in support of community cinema.

$100 – Altruistic Donor – With a minimum donation of $100 you will receive full society membership, a tax receipt, and the knowledge that you have helped an Edmonton-based organization continue to bring great film, conversation, and experiences to our community.

$500-$999 – Seat-saver Donor – We have 521 seats at Metro Cinema. You can keep one of our seats audience-ready with your $500 membership. Saving a seat for others to enjoy the Metro Cinema experience has its own feel-good rewards and, because we know you love it, 10 free small popcorns. You will also receive full society membership and a tax receipt.

$1000-$4999 – Row-saver Donor – Saving a row of seats for our community is generous and kind. The Row-saver donation comes with full society membership, 10 free admissions to regular Metro Cinema programming, and a tax receipt. **

$5000 and up – Dedicated to Metro Premier Donor – This is our premier donor tier and, as such, comes with big benefits. Along with full society membership, we will help you create a curated film night for you and your guests with a special seat dedication. Your name will be engraved on a seat holder plaque for all to see in recognition of your generous contribution and comes with a tax receipt.

 

**Metro Cinema is a registered charity and is happy to provide tax receipts for donations that meet current Canada Revenue Agency policies regarding memberships. Metro Cinema is a not for profit Society, and we are responsive to the ideas and desires of our membership. These members have an opportunity to help shape the future of Metro by voting in general meetings, electing the volunteer board of directors, and supporting film and the arts in Edmonton.

Metro Cinema Society membership is valid from the date of purchase until the next Annual General Meeting (held each year in November).

 

Sincerely,


Dan Smith,
Executive Director
Metro Cinema

 

Metro Cinema Reopening

Metro is back!

We’re so excited to announce our return to theatrical screenings and welcome audiences back to the Garneau Theatre, beginning July 10, 2020. We have been hard at work in these past few weeks making sure our space is safe, comfortable, and outfitted with new health and safety measures. We want to thank everyone for the ongoing support throughout this shutdown and for your patience as we have taken the extra time to plan our reopening. Our community has shown us so much kindness in these difficult weeks and we are profoundly grateful. Things are going to look a little different at the Garneau for a while. We still have great programming and delicious popcorn, but you can now also expect:

  • At least two metres of distance between seats, with accommodation for family units and cohorts
  • Cashless and tap payment options at our concession and box office
  • Enhanced sanitation procedures including regular disinfecting of auditorium seating
  • 20% capacity in our spacious 500 seat auditorium
  • PPE for our staff and guests
  • So much hand sanitizer!

Please check out the full details of our new safety measures and practices before stopping by to enjoy a film!

 

Our Programming Schedule
As part of our gradual reopening plan, we return with a limited, weekend-only screening schedule. This will allow us plenty of time for cleaning between shows and gives us a sustainable way to operate such a large space at a 20% capacity. We are eager to expand our schedule as soon as is reasonable and will do so as soon as we are able. In the meantime, you can check in weekly at metrocinema.org to see the great films we have in store each weekend!

 

Renting the Theatre
Maybe you and your cohort family are interested in a private movie party. Or perhaps your business is looking for a unique opportunity for conference space. If you would like to host a private event here at the Garneau Theatre, check out our updated rental details here or get in touch at info@metrocinema.org.

We look forward to experiencing cinema together again!

 

Opening Weekend Titles:

First Cow
USA 2020, 122 min, Dir: Kelly Reichardt

Two travelers, on the run from a band of vengeful hunters in the 1820s Northwest, dream of striking it rich, but their tenuous plan to make their fortune on the frontier comes to rely on the secret use of a landowner’s prized dairy cow.
Friday July 10 @ 7PM, Sunday July 12 @ 3PM

 

Moonrise Kingdom
USA 2012, 94 min, Dir: Wes Anderson

A pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them.
Saturday July 11 @ 7PM

Job Posting – Summer Administrative Assistant

Temporary Position Available

Administrative Assistant

Metro Cinema Society

 

Job Posting – Summer Administrative Assistant

Metro Cinema Society

Metro Cinema is Edmonton’s community movie house, dedicated to the presentation of film and video in many forms. We program and host a thousand events each year at the historic Garneau Theatre. Metro is seeking an engaged and passionate student to spend a summer helping to shape the future of Metro.  This position will run approximately 16 weeks, starting on or around July 20th.

The Administrative Assistant will be working directly with the Executive Director and board committees to plan, coordinate, and execute future film programming, fundraising initiatives, outreach to community stakeholders, and daily operations. They will assist the staff in adapting many longstanding processes to the circumstances of Covid-19. Exact duties will be tailored, as much as possible, to the successful applicants’ specific skills and interests.

The successful applicant will be comfortable with both self-directed and team-based work environments, possess strong oral and written communication skills, and have experience with creative programming and event management. Familiarity with the film industry, marketing and communications systems, event management, and customer service are all assets but not required.

This position will be funded in part through the Canada Summer Jobs program. Special consideration may be given to applicants between the ages of 15 and 30, and to full-time students returning to studies in the fall.

Cover letter and resume may be sent in confidence to director@metrocinema.org.  The deadline for applications is July 13th 2020.

 

Click to download a PDF of the job posting.

 

Metro Cinema Relaunch Statement

As you may know, cinemas around the province have recently been given the guidance to light up their screens and start welcoming back moviegoers as our province launches into Phase 2. We here at Metro Cinema couldn’t be more excited to open our doors and start showing films again. It is important that when we open, we provide a safe, sanitary, comfortable, and enjoyable environment for all our patrons and staff, so we are now working to implement all of the guidance from Alberta Health Services. Community safety will be a top priority as we move towards our re-launch. For now, our screen will remain dim as we work towards an opening date that works for all involved.

Our new operations and procedures will include:

  • At least 2m of distance between seats, with accommodation for family units and cohorts
  • Cashless and no contact payment options
  • Staff PPE and enhanced sanitation procedures including regular disinfecting of auditorium seating
  • Reduced capacity to allow for ease of social distancing
  • New packaging for Edmonton’s best theatre popcorn
  • So much hand sanitizer!

The support from our community through this time period has been amazing. Edmontonians have shown a level of generosity and care for one another that we can all be proud of and we are glad that we can once again open our doors as a community hub and celebrate film with everyone. We will be announcing our official re-launch date and upcoming programming very shortly and we look forward to seeing you all out at the movies. Until then our top priority is making sure that our venue is safe for everyone.

 

Sincerely,

Dan Smith
Executive Director

Download Metro Cinema Relaunch Statement

Give Yourself a Break! COVID-19 Diversions

It can be tempting to try and fill all of our newfound time at home with productivity. Downtime is crucial to your mental, emotional, and creative well-being, though, which is just as important as your physical health. Share your suggestions or the diversions you’ve been up to!

Metro Cinema Crosswords

Fun Stuff

 

Keep Yourself Informed! COVID-19 Resources

Community is more important now than ever, and even though our doors are closed, we’re still here to support you. Here are a number of resources for your physical, mental, and financial health and well being.

Local Resources

Provincial Health Resources

National Health Resources

International Health Resources

Economic Resources

Metro Cinema Presents… Close-Up – Episode 16 – April 2020

NOTE: Due to developments regarding COVID-19 following the recording of this episode, we understand that many of the films discussed, if not all, will not be screened in the month of April. Instead, we urge our listeners to find these films and watch them in the midst of our current social isolation, if at all possible. Many streaming services can be accessed with a free 14-day trial, including criterionchannel.com, which is currently streaming both Safe, and Come and See, and First Reformed can also be found on Crave.

Otherwise, we hope that we are at least able to provide informative discussion and opinion in light of circumstances beyond our control.

 

 

A monthly roundup of films and events coming soon to the historic Metro Cinema in Edmonton, Alberta. As well as an overall look at the calendar for April with some of our regular contributors – Owen Armstrong, Heather Noel, Talicia Dutchin – this episode also features interviews with Panorama: Latin American Cinema curator Andrea Barragán, and Sally Poulsen, who brings Seeing The Unseen in acknowledgment of World Autism Day.

Throughout the episode, you’ll also hear music from local artists Mark Templeton, Soft Ions, excerpts from Leonard J. Paul’s excellent procedural film score to Beep – A Documentary History Of Game Sound, and also Brighton’s Mighty Lord Deathman. Follow the links below to hear more, and enjoy!

https://leonardjpaul.bandcamp.com/releases

https://pseudolaboratories.bandcamp.com/album/soft-ions

https://marktempleton.bandcamp.com/

https://mightylorddeathman.bandcamp.com/

Metro Cinema is Temporarily Closed

May 6, 2020

The Government of Alberta has announced its relaunch strategy, and we’ve received many excited comments about the prospect of our reopening! Venues such as ours fall within Stage 2, with its date to be “determined by the success of Stage 1, considering health care system capacity, hospitalization and ICU cases, and infection rates.” We encourage everyone to continue to keep the safety of those around us in mind by maintaining physical distancing whenever possible.

March 17, 2020

Alberta Health has detailed new mass gathering restrictions, stating the following:

  • Albertans are prohibited from attending public recreation facilities and private entertainment facilities.
    • This includes gyms, swimming pools, arenas, science centres, museums, art galleries, libraries, community centres, children’s play centres, casinos, racing entertainment centres and bingo halls.

We will continue to monitor these updates, and look forward to the long-term health of our community.

March 16, 2020
Effective March 16, Metro Cinema is temporarily closed in order to help “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 transmission. Our utmost priority is the safety of our community, patrons, volunteers, and staff. This is a trying time for all of us, but our community has the strength to get through this. Take care of one another. As much as you are able, find safe ways to support your family, neighbours, local businesses, artists, and charities. When the time is right, we will see you out at the movies again.
If you’ve pre-purchased tickets to any upcoming shows, you can email info@metrocinema.org to request a refund. If if you are able to do so however, consider making your ticket purchase a donation to Metro Cinema as this will help us greatly to get back up and running.
Here are some resources to help you until then:

March 12, 2020

Following Alberta Health‘s directive to cancel mass gatherings, we are restricting attendance at all of our screenings and events to 250 people. We continue to monitor the rapid evolution of novel coronavirus news and are committed to supporting public health measures to limit its spread.

We also need your help to keep Metro Cinema safe for everyone:

  • Stay home if you are sick, or you are in one of the following high risk categories:
    • 60+ years of age.
    • With underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease, or diabetes.
    • With weakened immune system
    • Who are pregnant
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
  • Use a hand sanitizer with 60% alcohol if unable to wash your hands.
  • Do not touch your face with unwashed hands.
  • Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, and dispose of tissue without contaminating other surfaces.
  • Avoid contact with people who are ill.

Refer to Alberta Health for updates on COVID-19, or phone 811 if you are experiencing symptoms.

March 11, 2020

At Metro Cinema, we take our slogan of “Where Community Meets Cinema” to heart. We value the health and safety of our customers and staff. While Alberta Health has stated that the current risk to Albertans of contracting novel coronavirus is low, we are taking the following precautionary measures to prevent its spread.

  1. Enhanced practices for sanitary handling of food items.We are suspending all self service of concession items. Napkins and straws will be kept behind the concession counter for staff to dispense, and disposable gloves will be mandatory for popcorn and beverage service.
  2. Enhanced hygiene of high contact surfaces.Our staff will disinfect “high-touch” surfaces such as table and counter tops, door handles and handrails, and electronic devices such as our Point of Sale machines regularly.
  3. Suspended usage of reusable cups and containers.Concession items will only be served to our customers in Metro Cinema cups or bags.

We have also reviewed hygiene best practices with our staff, including frequent, effective hand washing and staying home if feeling ill. We greatly appreciate the patronage of our loyal customers, but we ask that if you are experiencing coronavirus symptoms to follow all Alberta Health recommendations and consider enjoying our programming at a later date.

We continue to be committed to our programming and support our devoted patrons and staff during these delicate times. We are monitoring local updates from Alberta Health and we encourage you to do the same; we will provide additional information in the event of any subsequent changes to our scheduling or processes.