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What’s New at FACETS?

We here at FACETS are pleased to announce we will be fully reopened September 17th and are so eager to welcome you all back in-person again! We will be announcing our opening film Friday, September 4. In the meantime, enter to win 10-free cinema tickets to redeem when we reopen here. 

Thanks to the help of all who supported our ReOpening Soon Campaign, we raised over $50,000 and are coming back better and stronger than ever this fall. Because of you, our dedicated patrons, members and supporters, we raised nearly double our initial goal of $30,000 and have been able to go above and beyond with building renovations. 

We cannot wait to welcome you to the building this fall and unveil offerings your support made possible. These spaces are tailored to fit the needs of you, our FACETS community, and bring film lovers together. Our new café to rent and watch films and our updated lobby are perfect for conversations with friends after a screening. New food and beverage items, a BYOB option, and a multi-use studio space capable of being tailored to your needs are all part of the plan to make our building for the FACETS Community, by the FACETS Community.

The Lobby

The first space you all helped reinvigorate is our lobby. With brand new seating located from the entryway to the box office, we hope you and your friends can come enjoy some films and get some good discussions going while you lounge comfortably. To help spark some of these conversations is our brand-new lobby projector system, which will rotate film and video art so there’s always something new to see. Stop on by as often as you please, bring a friend (or fly solo and maybe even make a friend here) talk cinema and come see what’s new.

The Café

To help keep the discussions lively, we’ve also added some new brain food to our repertoire: the café will be serving Dark Matter cold brew cans and gourmet hot coffee, Guayaki Yerba Mate, Topo Chico sparkling water, Milk Bar Cookies and vegan-friendly Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs! Classic offerings like our popcorn and concession stand candy have also been upgraded and expanded to welcome you back to the big screen in style. 

To celebrate our grand reopening, patrons who are 21 years of age or older can also now enjoy alcoholic beverages in the café and theater by bringing their own favorites, as FACETS is now a BYOB venue (provided drinks are consumed responsibly).

In case you were wondering, our Video Rentals collection is also back and better than ever! Aside from renovating the space with new shelving designed for a more engaging browsing experience, we’ve sifted through our extensive collection to bring you the best of the best from throughout cinema history and hope to help you discover your new favorite hidden gem. If you’re searching for an independent, international, or generally unique film that isn’t streaming, come check our shelves as we just might have it. And if we don’t, our friendly staff (or maybe even some of our friendlier regulars) can definitely help you find an alternative.

The Studio

In other big news, Cinema 2, formerly a 50-seat theater, has been converted into The Studio, a black box flex-space to be used for workshops, non-traditional screenings, and receptions. Everything from our famous Film Camps to the private screening event of your dreams can be hosted in this multi-use space. 

FACETS is so excited to welcome not only patrons and members back, but also our hardworking staff. We’re more than ready to welcome you all back after working so hard on these renovations to make them perfect for you all. We hope everyone can see these renovations as our way of saying thanks for the support over all these years. To continue showing our gratitude we want to make sure our place is a safe space—not only for community gathering, but physically. We will continue to uphold our COVID-19 response protocols (see below for details) and look forward to welcoming you all in a safe and healthy environment.

Following the City of Chicago’s indoor mask advisory and to ensure the health and safety of anyone in the building, FACETS has updated the guidelines which are also outlined on our website.

  • Masks: It is requested that all staff and guests wear a mask even if vaccinated
  • Distancing: All guests and staff are encouraged to maintain physical distance
  • Air and Cleanliness: Hand sanitizer stations are readily available in all public spaces, all surfaces are cleaned regularly and thoroughly, and ventilation systems are being examined and maximized
  • Food and Beverage: It is requested masks are replaced after consumption of food and beverage
  • Cinema Seating: Upon reopening in September, Cinema seating will be reserved, maximized for distancing, and at 40% capacity
  • Purchasing: Online ticket purchasing is encouraged to reduce crowds and there will be credit card purchases only
  • Health: If a patron is feeling unwell or has a fever, it is requested to enjoy FACETS Virtual Cinema from the comfort of one’s home.

We cannot wait to welcome you back to FACETS on September 17, 2021. Go to facets.org/reopening to enter to win 10 FREE cinema tickets today and check out our screening schedule for more ways to stay connected with FACETS. 

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