TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Tucson once stood tall as a hub for Hollywood westerns and big-budget productions, but local filmmakers say the city’s movie-making days are far from over.
On Tuesday, September 30th, The Loft Cinema will host a fundraiser and screening aimed at reviving Tucson’s film scene.
Writer and director Rene Rivas is debuting a 15-minute proof of concept for his project Grunge, a film he hopes to expand into a feature. The story of Grunge follows a 1990s rock band whose success is derailed by bad choices, leading to their world devolving into chaos.
Rivas will use this proof-of-concept as a sort of “business card,” using the film to attract investors, essential to expanding it to a feature-length film.
For the filmmakers, it’s an opportunity to show off the work of a local creative collaboration, while proving how Tucson and Southern Arizona offer filmmakers unmatched opportunities.
“Tucson has really proven to have a lot of talented individuals here,” Rivas said. “There’s so much diversity for filming here. We have high country up in Mount Lemmon, we have cityscapes, we have desert. Tucson is just a plethora of everything a filmmaker would love.”
But making movies outside of Hollywood isn’t easy. Independent filmmakers often face challenges with limited budgets and resources. That’s why Rivas is turning to the community for help.
“Resources are always slim for independent filmmakers,” Rivas said. “We have to utilize the resources at our disposal to the best of our abilities.”
Director of Photography Peter Fuhrman says the event isn’t just about creating art—it’s about strengthening Tucson’s creative economy.
“We’re bringing people from out of state to work on the projects, we’re employing people here locally,” Fuhrman said. “So I would like them to see it not just as supporting us as creatives, but also supporting a community of people.”
Groups like Film Tucson and the Southern Arizona Film Society (SAFS) will also be on hand. Film Tucson helped the production with securing locations, while SAFS served as a fiscal sponsor for the event.
The event will also feature representatives from MovieMaker Magazine, which decided to support Grunge’s production costs after viewing Rivas’s short, Rejected, at the FilmQuest Film Festival.
Rivas says he hopes the event sparks momentum for local filmmakers while reminding audiences of Tucson’s cinematic roots.
“Film production used to be more prevalent in the 60s through the 1990s in Tucson,” he said. “It seems like there’s a new resurgence coming, and we want to be part of that.”
The screening and fundraiser take place on Tuesday, September 30th, at The Loft Cinema in midtown Tucson. Doors open at 5pm, while the event officially kicks off at 5:30pm with a mini-concert featuring grunge music, followed by a screening of the Grunge proof of concept. The event is free to attend.
More information can be found on Grunge’s event page.
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