Summary

Hi! We’re Tish Sparks & Lauren Hess and we the owners of The Dreamland Cinema. After two successful years operating out of the Thistle Dew Dessert Theatre, we are ready to expand Sacramento’s only locally-programmed haven for wild, weird, and wonderful films! 

We know y’all love our little theater, but expanding into a new space will ensure the show can go on for many years to come! We have many challenges and limitations in our current location, so this move will not only allow us to keep bringing you the wide variety of films you love, but we’ll also be able to introduce fun new programming, events, and concessions options, all in a beautiful new space with plenty of room for everyone! 

Help us bring MORE of the best in indie, international, arthouse, and cult film to Sacramento! 

What We Need & What You Get

Opening a cinema of any size & scale is an expensive undertaking – especially if there is upgraded concessions stand and a theater buildout involved. We are asking for $65,000 to help with various startup costs including  permits, furnishings, and equipment. Here are some of the expenses we are facing, in addition to A/V, signage, and other design & build-out costs:  

City of Sacramento & State of California Permits & Fees (Building, Food, & ABC): $5,000

Food Prep, Refrigeration, and Concessions Equipment: $10,000

Seating, Furnishings, and Lighting: $20,000

Basic Buildout (Risers, Walls, Electrical,  etc): $30,000

The items above will be mostly covered with the income from this campaign (after platform fees and perk costs, we’ll net about $60k if we meet our goal), but anything we raise over that amount will help offset the cost of other necessities like the projection and sound system for the theater, A/V & POS systems for the lobby, carpets & soundproofing, signage, etc. We know we are asking for a lot, but we believe we are offering the city of Sacramento a truly unique and important venue and we want our guests to have a comfortable and high-quality experience at our cinema…and that’s expensive! 

For your help with this campaign, we have dreamed up some exciting perks for supporters both near and far! We have ticket & event deals, exclusive campaign swag, special crowdfunding rental packages, and more!

Larger theater space with room for 45-50 seats so there’s room for everyone but still cozy! 

The Impact

By donating to The Dreamland you are helping to bolster the vibrant arts community in Sacramento, aiding in reimagining a space that shines a light on films, filmmakers, and communities that are often left in the dark at other cinemas, and supporting a woman & queer-owned small business. We have a strong foundation of past successes to build on, we just need a little help to successfully launch this major new endeavor! 

Risks & Challenges

We are fully aware of the challenges cinemas are facing in a post-pandemic world and with streaming services becoming ubiquitous and proliferating every day, however, we believe that nothing can replace the experience of sitting in a darkened room with friends and strangers and watching a film – free from the distractions of chatter, cell phones, dogs, kids, leaf blowers, or whatever else you have to contend with while trying to watch a movie at home!  Going to the cinema offers audiences a true escape from their reality for a couple of hours, and that alone is valuable in today’s world. We believe by offering expertly curated programming, unique concessions, and a venue for meeting like-minded people in a cool and comfortable atmosphere, audiences will continue to get off the couch and come to The Dreamland! 

We have proven that programming films that are overlooked by mainstream cinemas is something that Sacramento wants and needs. Over the last two years we have welcomed in thousands of diverse audience members and have gained a strong and loyal network of regular attendees & members. By transitioning into a new, larger, and better appointed space, we are confident we can become an attractive activity for an even wider array of customers and do even more cool stuff for our established customer base! 

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that the last few years have been very difficult for a lot of people, so even if you cannot donate, we would still love your help in spreading the word. Sharing this campaign on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Reddit, or wherever you connect with people online would be a big help!