LOFT FILM FEST

Remembering the incredible Graham Greene, who was born of this date in 1952.

We were honored to host him at the 2024 Loft Film Fest where we presented him with the Lofty Achievement Award at a screening of Reservation Dogs.

Submit your short or feature length film to the Loft Film Fest on FilmFreeway!

Celebrating its sixteenth year in 2026, The Loft Film Fest (located in beautiful Tucson, Arizona) is dedicated to showcasing the best independent, foreign and classic films, as well as celebrating the work of established and emerging directors, writers, producers and actors.

Regular Deadline: June 27, 2026
Extended Deadline: July 18, 2026

https://filmfreeway.com/LoftFilmFest

The Loft Cinema is pleased to announce the appointment of Elise Lopez as its next Executive Director. Lopez will assume leadership of Tucson's beloved nonprofit arthouse later this month, succeeding Peggy Johnson, whose visionary leadership transformed The Loft into one of the nation's most respected independent movie theaters.

Johnson, who founded The Loft as a nonprofit arthouse cinema and has served as its Executive Director since 2002, leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. Under her leadership, The Loft grew from a two-screen theater into a five-screen cultural destination, including Arizona's first permanent outdoor movie screen. During her tenure, The Loft expanded its programming, educational offerings, and community impact, becoming a cornerstone of Tucson's arts and cultural landscape.

Lopez brings nearly 20 years of organizational management, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement experience to the position. Most recently, she served as Vice President of Organizational Operations for Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse. Prior to joining the Emerge executive team, she served on the organization's board of directors for four years. She has also served on the boards of local arts and community center organizations, including The Loft. A second-generation Tucsonan, Lopez holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration, master’s and doctorate degrees in public health, and an Executive MBA, all from the University of Arizona.

A longtime supporter of The Loft, Lopez has deep personal ties to the theater, recalling that she started coming to The Loft in high school, and her own teenagers had their first moviegoing experiences at the Loft Kids Film Fest.

"The Loft Cinema has held a special place in my heart for many years, both as a movie lover and as someone who values the arts and community," said Lopez. "It is an incredible privilege to join an organization I have admired for so long, and I am excited to help shape its next chapter while preserving the spirit that has made The Loft such a treasured Tucson institution."

Johnson expressed confidence in the organization's future under Lopez's leadership.

“I am thrilled to see Elise step into my role at The Loft. It’s time for a younger generation to take the reins and Elise is a perfect fit. I have total confidence in her ability to take The Loft into its next phase. I know she will be a great leader for our incredible staff, and she will ensure that our world class programming and unique eclectic personality will flourish”

The President of The Loft’s Board of Directors, Jaime Gutierrez, who led the succession process, says, “For 24 years Peggy Johnson has been the guiding light for The Loft Cinema. Her vision, tenacity and passion have contributed to the success of The Loft, making The Loft a premier art house cinema, a true iconic community asset.”

The Loft’s Program Director, Jeff Yanc, who since 2006 has been the creative force behind The Loft, is excited about the future while acknowledging that the last 20 years have been an incredible adventure, saying, “in a national landscape where independent theaters have faced often insurmountable challenges, The Loft has not only survived but thrived here in Tucson thanks to Peggy’s vision and hard work, and now with Elise on board, this next chapter in the story of The Loft Cinema promises to be amazing.”

Longtime donor and Loft board member Stephen Golden echoed that enthusiasm.

"We knew Peggy was going to be a hard act to follow, but with Elise we have found someone with the vision, the love of movies, and the personable nature to work with the fabulous staff, engage with donors, and lead The Loft into the future," said Golden.

As The Loft prepares for its next era, the organization remains committed to its mission of building community through film, education, and cultural experiences while continuing the innovation and growth that have defined its success for decades.
Lopez will begin her role as Executive Director on June 16.

For interview requests, please contact Peggy Johnson at [email protected], Elise Lopez at [email protected] or Jaime Gutierrez at [email protected].

Congratulations to UA grad Lindsay Utz, whose film PRIME MINISTER won the top prize at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmys! In addition to the the award for Best Documentary, PRIME MINISTER won the award for Best Politics & Government Documentary.

We were so honored to screen the film at the 2025 Loft Film Fest with Lindsay Utz here to talk to our audience in a post-film Q&A.

Happy 90th birthday to Bruce Dern, recipient of the 2014 Lee Marvin Maverick Award, which was presented by Pamela Marvin.

He joined us for a Q&A alongside Stacey Keach after a screening of Nebraska.

The Showcase Cinema, the current home of The Loft Cinema, opened on this date in 1969! Here's a photo from that year from the Tucson Citizen archives.

Oliver would be the first 70mm film screened at the location, opening on July 18, 1969.

Here's more history of the location provided by dallasmovietheaters on cinematreasures.org:

B-movie producer Robert L. Lippert was a widescreen expert having produced low-budget Regalscope films during his movie producing days. So it was little surprise that when he started Tucson’s Showcase Luxury Cinema, it was a single-screen roadhouse theatre. Lippert’s Transcontinental Theatres Circuit would hit 120 theaters but the Showcase was his first in Tucson and #67 in the San Francisco based chain. The $350,000 Showcase launched May 29, 1969 with “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” Its curved 22x55' screen seated 600 patrons in continental loge seating and was going to make every effort to book 70mm films. The theater appears to be architected by Tucson’s Terry Atkinson though similar to other Transcontinental theaters around the country of this period has some differences likely incorporated by Atkinson. It featured a beautiful double-storied glass front leading into a spacious high-ceiling and open lobby area. Well prior to the opening, the Showcase was advertising a road show of “Oliver” that was two months away from opening.

“Oliver’s” road show run was 2.5 months and replaced with the popular, “Easy Rider” and would have the road show of “Dr. Zhivago” and a three-month run of “Hello, Dolly” during its first year of exhibition. In the battle for clearances, Lippert had to bid $50,000 for “Dolly” and said he would never fight / bid that much for a clearance again despite the film’s success.

As the booking of a single-screen film was high risk, the theatre had some losers in 1970 and opted to add a second screen called the Penthouse. This was the circuit’s practice all over the country as they would transform their high-ceiling entryway lobbies into a lobby housing a 175-seat auditorium above which was reachable by stairway. Similar setups with in Lawton, OK, Chattanooga, TN, and Richmond, VA were placed in those luxury roadshow houses. To make life easier, the theater used an automated Cinemeccanica Victoria 18 projector that could handle 2.5 hours of film on a single reel.

On July 28, 1972, the Penthouse was renamed and the theater marketed as the Showcase Cinema 1 & 2. The Penthouse/Cinema 2 concept paid dividends. Among the theater’s most successful runs was “Fiddler on the Roof.” It ran as a road show for 13 weeks and would have left the theater were it not for the renamed Cinema 2. “Fiddler” switched to the Showcase 2 running 17 more weeks for a profitable 30-week run. “The Sting” beat that playing 40 weeks between 1973 and 1974. “Earthquake” in Sensurround was a revelation. But beginning in 1975 with new competition and other chains more eager to pay high for clearances for “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” and other films, the Showcase drifted as “the place” for big films.

Under AMC, the theater would become the Showcase 2 moving to art house fare much of the time. The New Loft closed on Fremont and would move here in 1992. Ten years later, it would become a non-profit membership art house still called The Loft adding a third screen in 2014.

We're 6 months away from the 2026 Loft Film Fest, which will be taking place from Wednesday, November 11 through Thursday, November 19 at The Loft Cinema!

Film submissions are now being accepted at https://filmfreeway.com/LoftFilmFest

The LOFT KIDS FEST returns to The Loft Cinema this summer for 11 days of free entertainment, excitement and popcorn! This year's schedule includes 2024 Loft Film Fest selection FLOW, which plays on June 14!

The fest kicks off with an Outdoor Movie Party at Himmel Park on Friday, May 29, followed by indoor screenings at The Loft Cinema every Saturday and Sunday morning, Saturday, May 30 – Sunday, June 28!

View the schedule at https://loftcinema.org/series/loft-kids-fest/

SPONSORED BY:
Long Realty Cares Foundation
Max McCauslin & John Smith
Pima Federal Credit Union
Southwest Gas Foundation
Bisbee Breakfast Club
The Marshall Foundation

We are now accepting film submissions via FilmFreeway for the 2026 Loft Film Fest! We accept all kinds of films, all genres, all lengths, with a production year of 2025 or 2026. Features are 60 minutes or longer, shorts are less than 60 minutes long.
All films must be Tucson film festival premieres.

Submit now at https://filmfreeway.com/LoftFilmFest

Regular Deadline - June 27, 2026
Extended Deadline - July 18, 2026