Film and film festival goers got a hearty taste of what the SBIFF Film Center is and will become over the past several months. After the acquisition and transformation of the centrally located 40-year-old Fiesta 5, the new Film Center hosted a steady flow of films in all their variety.
Art films, documentaries, splashes of mainstream and family film programming, and retrospectives both serious and popcorn-y filled the complex's handful of screens. In addition, during the 12-day film festival, the center was fully abuzz with morning to late night screenings, and audiences were informed that a major change and renovation of the space would begin post-festival.
Such was phase one in the life of the Film Center. Phase two, involving the months-long construction and recreation of the facility, has officially and finally begun. Elaborate renderings of the center after the metamorphosis have gone public, and the prospects look bright and elegant.