How do you fund a world-class film center? First, you tell a good story.
The Maryland Film Festival had a bold vision to renovate Baltimore’s historic Parkway Theatre into a state-of-the-art contemporary film center. We shaped the Festival’s ambitious fundraising campaign with a compelling narrative that spanned print, web, video, environmental graphics, and more. The $18 million campaign was successful, and the Parkway opened in 2017.
Envisioning a new future for a historic theater
Built in 1915, the Parkway Theatre served generations of audiences from the silent era into the 1970s. After decades of falling into disrepair, MdFF acquired this architectural gem in 2015 with the goal of creating a state-of-the-art film center in Baltimore.
We wrote and designed this large-format case-building book that was a crucial tool as the Festival pitched the Parkway to potential donors and foundations. We combined beautiful photography, persuasive writing, and high-quality printing. The colorful design stands out from typical fundraising packages and captures the dynamism of contemporary cinema.
The Festival had a lot of great information that needed a structure. We filtered and organized their vision into a succinct narrative.
A memorable video to introduce the campaign
We conceived, produced, and designed on-screen graphics for a short video that announced the project to the public. In the video, well-known filmmakers, including John Waters, make the case for the Parkway as a cultural lynchpin in Baltimore.
Connecting with local and global audiences
Small, friendly brochures tell the Parkway’s story in print and solicit contributions for the project, while stylish invitations for a VIP party drew a spectrum of donors to this well-attended event. A colorful Parkway Campaign website built the case for the theater, allowing the Festival to accept campaign pledges and connect with a global network of film lovers and preservationists.
Eye-catching graphics to build awareness
Prior to and during construction we encircled the site with fun graphics and even a participatory chalkboard that generated interest on the street and social media.
The murals and signage put the location on the community’s radar and signaled the transformation about to take place.
