OFS News
OFS Brings Back 6-Week Program Format in 2010! »
01.04.10Dear OFS community,
This year OFS will celebrate it’s 30th anniversary. In reflecting on this remarkable achievement we recognize that we would not be here without the amazing support of our members, sponsors, volunteers, and patrons. Over the years you have staffed our theater, served on committees and the Board of Directors, filled our theater with good cheer, and provided the financial support to help us continue to bring engaging and unique arts programming to the South Puget Sound.
To show our appreciation for your amazing support we decided to find a way—amidst more budget cuts in 2010—to respond to your request to bring back the six-week program guide.
While we committed to make this a priority for 2010, finding the funding for the printing and mailing costs is no easy task. OFS, along with many other arts organizations, continues to experience financial losses. You may remember that our decision to discontinue the program last January saved the organization $12,500. When we asked our members to help us weather the financial downturn by increasing your membership dues and charitable donations, you responded generously, increasing our income from memberships and donations by over 40% in 2009! And when we reached out to the business community for support we received an amazing sponsorship from Graphic Communications, which covers three-quarters of the total annual printing cost!
So thanks to your contributions and a very generous sponsorship by Graphic Communications we are able to bring back the program format so many of you have missed.
But as we work to balance the 2010 budget we are again faced with making some more difficult cuts. So we still need your help to continue to keep the six-week program format in print! You can donate online at www.olympiafilmsociety.org/about/donations (select general operations), at the box office during regular box office hours, or through the mail:
Olympia Film Society
Att: Elaine Vradenburgh
416 Washington Street SE, Suite 208
Olympia, WA 98501
If you are interested in becoming a business sponsor, please contact Elaine Vradenburgh, Development Coordinator, at elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670×10.
Thank you, again, for your ongoing support! We look forward to what the next 30 years have in store for us.
Warm Regards,
Isaac Overcast
OFS Board of Directors President
Please Note Our Phone Number Change »
12.28.09Please Note Our Phone Number Change
To reach OFS staff or to listen to showtime information call (360) 754-6670
Several months ago, we installed a new phone system–thanks to a generous donation by Olympic Telephone. The new system saves us close to $100 per month by eliminating the use of multiple lines. However, it has recently come to our attention that our old showtimes phone number (754-5378) is still published in various places, including the recently published phone book. Please note that we can no longer be reached at 754-5378. To reach OFS staff or listen to showtime information call 754-6670.
Board votes to appoint new members in January »
12.28.09OFS Board of Directors News: Board Votes to Appoint Two New Members in January
According to our by-laws OFS must have at least eight non-paid Board members at all times. A few months ago, our membership dropped to six. Our elections are not until Spring so we need to appoint two members to the Board at this time. We currently have two great candidates: Angie Toner and Sasha Cornellier. If you are interested in learning more about Angie and Sasha, please click on the links below to read their letters of interest.
The Board will vote to appoint them at our next meeting on Wednesday, January 6th. If you have questions, comments, or concerns or would like to attend the meeting, please feel free to contact Elaine Vradenburgh, OFS Board Coodinator, at elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670 x 10.
Letter of Interest - Angie Toner
Letter of Interest - Sasha Cornellier
NEW OFS Membership Benefits!! »
12.16.09Are you an OFS member? Here’s one more reason to join! OFS members will now receive discounts at our our partner theaters nationwide! Whether you’re at the Tampa Theater in Tampa, Florida or the Hollywood Theater in Portland, Oregon, just show your OFS card at the box office and reap the benefits. Click here to download a complete list of our partner theaters and learn about fabulous discounts!
OFS Online Survey! »
09.14.09Sincerely,
Isaac Overcast, OFS Board President
P.S. When you have completed the survey print the receipt and present it to an OFS staff or theater volunteer to receive a free OFS bumper sticker.
Join the OFS Street Team! »
09.08.09Street Team Volunteers Needed for “Person on the Street Interviews”
Help OFS gather information about how well we reach the community. We need about 6 pairs of volunteers to do “person on the street” interviews at various locations around town. We’ve already come up with the questions, we just need some folks who like talking to community members about OFS. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Elaine Vradenburgh at elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670×10.
Thank You Colleen! Welcome Josh! »
09.04.09We at the Olympia Film Society, both the staff collective and the board of directors, would like to honor Colleen Dixon for her year of service as Volunteer Coordinator and thank her for her contributions to our organization.
Colleen has shown a strong commitment to OFS through her recruitment, encouragement, and training of volunteers. She leaves a solid crew of dedicated volunteers for the new coordinator. The staff collective has benefited greatly from the contributions Colleen has made as a member. Her, friendly attitude, dedication and clear, thoughtful insights were invaluable assets during meetings and events.
We are especially thankful that Colleen stayed on longer to accommodate the needs of OFS and will continue in her role as the Festival Director for the coming 2009 Olympia Film Festival, a role she has excelled in for the past two years.
We wish Colleen continued success in all her future endeavors, and hope her involvement with OFS continues for many years to come.
We would also like to welcome our new Volunteer Coordinator, Josh Kane, to the staff collective. Josh has been volunteering with OFS for three years and is committed to providing a welcoming experience for new and old volunteers alike. One of Josh’s first questions after he accepted the position was, could he could keep his Tuesday night concessionaire shift; dedication like that is hard to come by. OFS is already reaping the benefits of his calm presence and detail-oriented work style. We look forward to great things from Josh’s increased participation in our organization and appreciative of his already significant contributions.
Welcome aboard, Josh!
Olympia Film Society
Volunteer Needed - Environmental Film Festival Sponsorship Coordinator »
08.31.09The Olympia Film Society will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with a four day Environmental Film Festival. Held from April 22 to April 25, 2010 the festival will feature independent and foreign films that address important environmental issues. OFS is looking for a volunteer to serve as the Sponsorship Coordinator for the festival. This is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in gaining experience in fundraising, building relationships with the local business community, and/or festival organizing. Interested? Please contact Elaine Vradenburgh at elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670 x10.
OFS Needs Fundraising Help! »
08.10.09The Olympia Film Society Needs Your Help!
Join the OFS Development & Fundraising Committee
Help raise money to support the Olympia Film Society’s efforts to secure a permanent home and continue to bring the best independent films and live events to the South Sound. Activities include planning and executing a coordinated fundraising strategy involving grants, mailings, online campaigns, events and more. As a member of the Fundraising and Development Committee you’ll play a key role in keeping OFS fiscally healthy while learning important nonprofit fundraising skills.
If you are interested in getting involved please contact Elaine Vradenburgh at elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670 x10 or drop by a Fundraising Committee meeting. Meetings are held every 1st and 3rd Monday of the month at 6:00 in the OFS Office (416 Washingston Street, Suite 208). Hope to see you there!
Board of Directors Meeting »
08.03.09The OFS Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, August 5th at 5:30 in the OFS Office (416 Washington Street, Suite 208). Click here to download an agenda. If you are interested in running for the upcoming election, we encourage you to attend. Board meetings are open to the public, so please join us.
Our Beautiful Marquee Plaque! »
06.05.09The Olympia Film Society would like to thank Shane & Macy Jewell–long-time volunteers and owners of Reflections Custom Etching–for creating a plaque that recognizes the major donors of our successful Marquee Campaign. The Marquee Campaign raised close to $20,000 and the plaque is a reminder of what the OFS family can accomplish when we work together. So, thank you Shane and Macy! The plaque is a beautiful addition to the theater!
Important News about the Capitol Theater! »
05.15.09
Yesterday the Capitol Theater was put on the market by building owner Gary Holgate. I wanted to send out a short note to all OFS members to let you know, quickly, how this will affect us and what the board has done and plans to do in the future. Currently OFS has a 20 year lease on the theater. The details of the lease are a little tricky, but the bottom line is we won’t be thrown out tomorrow. In fact, Gary is positioning the occupancy by OFS and the security of a guaranteed 20 year tenant as a key selling point.
Securing a permanent home has been a long-term goal of the board (for a long time). How can we buy the building? Until very recently this has been a moot question. Right now, we are finally excited to actually be able to address it in a concrete way. We are working with a lawyer and a real estate agent to pursue an offer on the building. As you might imagine it’s extremely complicated and messy. Because we may not be the only buyers on the market, and because frankly, we may not be able to raise the kind of money being asked, the board is also constructing a contingency plan.
Sincerely,
NEW SHOWTIMES NUMBER & THEATER PHONE NUMBER! »
04.21.09Thanks to a generous donation by Olympic Telephone, The Olympia Film Society now has a phone system for the 21st century! Our new system will save us money each month by eliminating the need for multiple separate phone lines. To hear showtime information AND to reach any of our theater or office staff, simply call (360) 754-6670. Beginning on Tuesday, April 21st our previous showtimes line (754-5378) will be disconnected.
OFS Board of Directors Meeting »
03.29.09The OFS Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, April 1st at 5:30 in the OFS Office (416 Washington Street, Suite 208). Click here to download an agenda. If you are interested in running for the upcoming election, we encourage you to attend. Board meetings are open to the public, so please join us.
OFS Board of Directors »
03.17.09
Now Seeking Candidates to Run for the Board of Directors
Support one of the largest membership based media arts organizations in Western Washington—Join The Olympia Film Society’s Board of Directors!
Dedicated OFS members with experience in fundraising, managing budgets, community outreach, and/or marketing are encouraged to run. In the coming term we will be working to improve our fiscal health, strengthen our connections with the community, and continue to restore the Capitol Theater.
If you are interested in playing a central role in this work, please contact Elaine Vradenburgh, OFS Board Coordinator, at 754-6670 or elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org. Download the Board of Director’s Application Packet here or pick up an application in the Theater lobby. Applications are due no later than 5p on Friday, May 1st.
OFS Programming News »
03.09.09WHY DID OFS DISCONTINUE ITS PAPER PROGRAM?
Over the past few years OFS, along with many other arts organizations, has been experiencing financial losses. To ensure our continued existence we are actively working towards cutting our operating costs and greatly improving our program offerings. In order to save money (over $12,500 in printing and mailing costs each year) and create a more flexible film schedule we have discontinued our six-week paper program. This has enabled us the flexibility to extend movies that are doing well (not determined until the Tuesday before the continuing week), bring in a wider variety of new and suggested films, in addition to bringing a greater number of one-time live music and special events to the theater. This style of receptive and adaptable programming was not previously possible with the fixed printed calendar.
HOW DOES OFS PLAN TO KEEP MEMBERS INFORMED?
Watch for our NEW Quarterly Newsletter in the mail and at the Theater. This special newsletter will provide members with OFS updates as well as upcoming films and events. The newsletter includes highlights but not all the film and event listings for the entire quarter, so be sure to check the website for up-to-date information.
· Print a monthly calendar from our website to hang on your fridge. Monthly calendars are updated every Tuesday with new listings so be sure to visit our website to stay informed.
· Pick up a weekly schedule at the Capitol Theater and around Olympia. New weekly schedules come out every Wednesdays and include show times and film descriptions. You can also print a weekly schedule from the calendar on our website.
· Subscribe to our weekly email digest to receive film and event schedules and information. Sign-up on our website or in the theater lobby. Subscribers receive updates every Wednesday.
· Call our showtimes phone line, 754-5378, to hear a current film/event schedule.
HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED IN THE PROGRAMMING CHANGES?
· Join the OFS Marketing Committee. Be a part of the action as the Marketing Committee launches creative image-building campaigns, generates publicity and media relations, markets membership promotions, and organizes special events at the Capitol Theater. The Marketing Committee meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month at 5:30pm in the OFS Office at 416 Washington Street SE, Suite 208. For more information Elaine Vradenburgh at elaine@olympiafilmsoceity.org or 754-6670.
· Attend Film Programming meetings. If you have film programming suggestions, bring them to a programming meeting. Meetings are held on Mondays at 6pm in the MIXX 96 Meeting Room at 119 Washington Street NE in downtown Olympia. Check the calendar on the website and the quarterly newsletter for specific dates. For more information Helen Thornton at helen@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-6670.
· Join the OFS Street Team to help spread the word about OFS’s exciting programming. Our Street Team distributes our weekly schedule, posters and other promotional materials at locations throughout the South Sound area. We especially need Street Team members to help out in Olympia’s Westside, Tumwater, Lacey, and at the Evergreen, SPSCC and St. Martin’s campuses. For more information, contact Audrey Henley at audrey@olympiafilmsociety.org or 754-3635.
OFS Board of Directors Meeting »
01.06.09OFS Seeks New Members to Join Our Board of Directors
If you are interested, we encourage you to attend a Board of Directors meeting. The Board of Directors meet every first Wednesday of the month in the OFS office at 416 Washington Street SE, Suite 208 in downtown Olympia. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 4th at 5:30pm. If you would like more information, please contact Elaine Vradenburgh, OFS Board Coordinator, at 754-6670 or elaine@olympiafilmsociety.org.
Download the March Agenda here.
Removal of the Capitol Theater marquee »
01.29.08Removal of Capitol Theater marquee brings sadness but uncovers beauty. The marquee of Capitol Theater, which advertised movies, plays and events downtown for nearly 70 years, is being removed. Stained-glass windows from 1924 exposed to public.
Read the full article online
Online photo gallery
