Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 1

MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
APPLICATION FOR CULTURAL UMBRELLA EVENT FUNDING
October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010
Please number pages. The page numbers and page breaks should be the same as this application. Pages may be inserted as needed. Number inserted pages the same as the page before plus sub-numbers. Example: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc.
SCORING SYSTEM
Scoring will be considered under the following criteria:
For 5-point items
(1) unacceptable (2) below average (3) average (4) above average (5) excellent
For 10-point items
(1-2) unacceptable (3-4) below average (5-6) average (7-8) above average (9 - 10) excellent
Upon evaluation of the application, the total scores will be tabulated and applications scoring
45 or more will be considered for funding. Events that meet the minimum scoring requirements will be ranked starting with the highest score. Then committee members will use their best judgment in determining award recommendations.
NAME OF PROPOSED EVENT: Tropic Cinema --
“See Art Movies in a Work of Art: The
YearRound Key West Film Festival”
VENUE (location/city): Key West_________________________________________________
DATE(S) OF EVENT: October 2009 through September 2010________________
INDICATE THE DISTRICT(S) FROM WHICH YOU ARE REQUESTING FUNDS and THE DOLLAR
AMOUNT ( Maximum request: $25,000 )
$25,000
$
$
$
$
District I (encompasses the city limits of Key West)
District II (from city limits of Key West to the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge)
District III (from the west end of the Seven Mile Bridge to the Long Key Bridge)
District IV (between the Long Key Bridge and Mile marker 90.939)
District V (from Mile marker 90.940 to the Dade/Monroe County line and any mainland portions of Monroe County
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED (Total Districts I-V) $25,000
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I. EVENT PRODUCER INFORMATION (The event producer is the organization or individual who is responsible for the event. In some cases, the event producer and the event are the same, for example: The Key Players. In other cases, they are different, for example: the
Pigeon Key Arts Festival is the event; the Pigeon Key Foundation is the producer.)
A. NAME OF CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Key West Film Society, Inc.
(Registered Business name)
FICTITIOUS NAME IF USED: Tropic Cinema__________________________
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1283
TELEPHONE NUMBER: (Daytime)
FAX NUMBER:
(305) 294-9382
(305) 768-0465 info@keywestfilm.org____________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS:
YEAR LEGALLY ESTABLISHED 1999
FEDERAL I.D. #/E.I.N. #: 65- 0903672
SUMMARIZE HISTORY OF EVENT PRODUCER:
The Key West Film Society, Inc. was originally organized in 1999 with the goal of expanding the range of cinema available to the local Key West community. Finding widespread interest in a weekly program of films at Old City Hall, the San Carlos Institute and other venues, the Film
Society determined to find a permanent full-time home. That vision was realized with the opening of the Tropic Cinema in April, 2004.
The Tropic celebrated its Fifth Birthday this year and, with the opening of a fourth theater screen this summer is primed to expand and enrich its program and its outreach to an audience beyond Key West.
INDICATE FOR PROFIT OR NOT FOR PROFIT STATUS: Not for Profit
HAS THIS EVENT BEEN PRODUCED IN THE PAST AND WHEN?
Yes, on a more limited basis
DID THE SAME ORGANIZATION PRODUCE IT? Yes_______________________________
B. CONTACT PERSON: George Cooper
(should be familiar with application and authorized to speak for event sponsor)
_____ ADDRESS: 1100 Flagler Avenue, Key West, FL 33040
TELEPHONE: (305) 849-2210 __ FAX: (305) 768-0465
E-MAIL: _george@keywestfilm.org____________________________________
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C. ALTERNATE CONTACT PERSON: _Matthew Helmerich______________________
ADDRESS: P.O. Box 5507, Key West, FL 33045 _____
TELEPHONE: (305) 296-2969 __ FAX: (305) 768-0465
E-MAIL: matthew@keywestfilm.org_____________________________________
D. AUTHORIZED PERSON List name of President and other individual(s) authorized to execute contracts and otherwise act on behalf of event producer:
Name Title
Matthew Helmerich
George Cooper
Chief Executive Officer
Board of Directors, Treasurer
___________________________________________________________________________
E. STAFF List staff members including volunteers responsible for administering and organizing this event with evidence of their qualifications and capabilities to accommodate the demands of the event.
Name Qualifications and Capabilities
Matthew Helmerich Chief Executive Officer
– 2 years exp. as Board member of
Film Society, former Press Liaison and Manager for State’s
Attorney, former Director of Communications and Press
Office Manager for U.S. Senator David Boren, former
Lori Reed
Scot Hoard
Marketing Manager for New York City ad agencies
Theater Manager & Volunteer Coordinator
– 3 years exp.
Programming Manager
– 5 years experience
Additional staff to be hired as needed.
II. HISTORY OF PROPOSED EVENT
A. NUMBER OF YEARS this event has received Cultural Umbrella funds. Check one:
X_ Never received CU funds
__ Received CU funds 1 year
(5 points)
(5 points)
__ Received CU funds 2 years
__ Received CU funds 3 years
(3 points)
(2 points)
__ Received CU funds 4 or more years (0 points)
B. PREVIOUS FUNDING of this event from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and by other state or federal agencies during the last five years.
Source of funding
------- none -------
Amount Requested Amount Received
0 1 2 3 4 5
Year
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 4

X
X
X
X
X
X
III. PROPOSED EVENT INFORMATION
A. MONTH(s) OF EVENT: (Please check the appropriate month. Shoulder and off-season events will receive higher scoring. If an event takes place over a series of months the scores will be added to a maximum of 5 points.)
January
February
March
April
May
June
2
1
1
1
3
3
X
X
X
X
X
X
July
August
September
October
November
December
3
5
5
5
4
3
0 1 2 3 4 5
B. Number of days of event per year: __365____
1 - 2 days
3 - 4 days
5 - 9 days
10 -19 days
20 - 39 day
1
2
3
4
5
40 - 59 days
60 - 79 days
80 - 99 days
100 - 149 days
150 + days
6
7
8
9
10
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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C.
NARRATIVE SUMMARY OF EVENT
Outline goals and objectives and describe in detail the proposed event. (What are you going to do and how are you going to do it?)
In the five years since the opening of the Tropic Cinema, Key West has been dramatically transformed from a barren movie desert to an enviable paradise. The Tropic is the only full-time arts movie complex in the region. Art movies are shown in Miami, but in the megaplexes. There is literally nothing comparable in all of South Florida, not in Miami, not in Fort Lauderdale, not in Palm Beach.
1
Indeed one is hard-pressed to find anything comparable anywhere in the country outside of major urban areas.
The uniqueness of the Tropic is a combination of
 a varied first-run movie program, ranging from popular art features like Slumdog
Millionaire to extraordinary but relatively unknown films like the recent Swedish Oscar winner Everlasting Moments , coupled with a wide-ranging calendar of classic revivals and cultural films, including opera and ballet, further spiced with live concerts and lectures,
 an extraordinary venue that the art critic of Solares Hill has identified as a “work of art” itself, with intimate theater spaces, excellent sight lines and first-rate sound and projection equipment,
 a convivial lobby with café seating serving quality movie snacks, “the best popcorn in
Florida,” and beer and wine, all available for consumption while watching the movies,
 and a convenient downtown location, within easy walking distance of major hotels and
Key West’s abundant inns and guest houses.
The Tropic is a very professional operation, with an annual operating budget approaching $1 million, a dedicated staff, and a top-flight national booking agent in New York.
With the addition of a fourth screen and expanded lobby this summer, we believe the Tropic will have attained the critical mass needed for us to begin an out-of-county advertising campaign built around the slogan “See Art Movies in a Work of Art.” We think the charm of a venue like the Tropic, with intimate theaters, beer and wine to sip, and a friendly artistic ambiance, can be developed as a destination for South Florida film lovers, if not further afield. Tourists at the Tropic often echo a recent message from a Key West émigré to distant shores: “no TROPIC equivalents.....or even close....here in
Brisbane.” Well, maybe we can’t attract anyone from Australia, but America is full of Brisbanes that lack Tropic equivalents.
For some people, this prospect alone might be enough to entice them down, say from Miami, for a weekend. After all, if you’re a movie lover and looking forward to seeing a couple of shows on a weekend, why trek back and forth between Coconut Grove for one film and Miami Beach or even North
Miami Beach for another, both in mall multiplexes, when you can stay in a nice guesthouse and stroll to
1 Miami has a one-screen art cinema at the University of Miami. Miami Beach has a tiny one-screen cinematheque run by its Film Society.
The Fort Lauderdale Film Festival operates a small, part-time single-screen theater, and the Lake Worth Playhouse in Palm Beach also has a tiny single-screen theater. The Tropic shows more art films, more often, than all these theaters combined.
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both in Key West. But it is more likely that the chance to catch a good flick will simply be part of the package that makes Key West an attractive destination for tourists with a variety of interests.
We have a member who lives in Ft. Lauderdale who tells us “I think it is important for cultural tourism because it is located in Old Town and is uniquely Key West in architecture and flavor, and provides an alternative form of entertainment for visitors. For example, some members of a group may want to go snorkeling and others may not want to go. The others can take in a good movie while their companions are out on the ocean.” 2
Or, we might add, some members of a group might prefer a glass of wine with an art film while others are quaffing a pitcher of beer with a rock combo.
Fodor’s online guide to Key West advises, “Catch the classics and the latest art, independent, and foreign films shown daily by the Key West Film Society in the two-screen Tropic Cinema theater.”
3
The gay-oriented South Florida Blade, in an article on Key West this past January, advised travelers “take in a film at the Tropic Cinema, run by the Key West Film Society and dedicated to showing out-ofmainstream films.”
4
Tripsmarter.com notes, “No one dared hope for another ‘art house’ cinema in a town where real estate remains at such a premium…but dreams do come true on this magical little island. First, The Key West
Symphony Orchestra became a reality and finally, Key West has its own Tropic Cinema! The ‘arts’ are truly alive and flourishing…Lights! Camera! Action!” 5
In other words, the Tropic is already on the tourist map and noted in all the tourist guides. We mean to boost its position with an advertising and marketing campaign that emphasizes our unique qualities. We are also redoubling our efforts to develop special events that will provide promotional hooks, like visits by well-known film personalities, themed film festivals and other special events.
For example, this past February the Tropic presented an extraordinary jazz concert “Two Pianos, Two
Talents and Jazz," with renowned French pianists Dominique and Tristan Lofficial performing on two grand pianos. We had no budget resources to promote this other than our usual local advertising, but there surely would have been an audience outside Monroe County for it. In September we were one of the select group of theaters worldwide showing the Manhattan Short Film Festival.
We are presently recruiting a new Executive Director with a specific directive to increase the scope and frequency of “value-added” screenings. That is, screenings of films that add personal appearances by filmmakers and themed content so that the show is more than just running a film. He or she will also be charged with undertaking development of a Key West International Film Festival. The full festival is unlikely to be presented during the period of this grant, but we hope to initiate mini-festivals as we move toward a larger program.
0 1 2 3 4 5
2
From email note on attached CD.
3 http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/florida/key-west/review-148264.html
4 http://www.southfloridablade.com/2009/1-8/arts/travel/5438.cfm
5 http://www.tripsmarter.com/travelinfo/key-west/events/tropic-cinema
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D.
EXHIBIT C
MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
CULTURAL UMBRELLA
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FISCAL YEAR 2010
EVENT NAME: Tropic Cinema “See Art Movies in a Work of Art: The Year Round Key West Film
Festival”
List scheduled event activities in date order. If pre-promotion is included, indicate the event dates of the next season. If funded, funds will be reimbursed only for the promotion of event activities listed here.
 Daily selection of four to six art films shown on four, state-of-the-industry theater screens, seven days per week, 52 weeks per year
 Weekly showing of revival and classic films - every Saturday and Monday throughout the year
 Weekly presentation of historic movies about Key West including the famed 1977 Key West Picture
Show
 High Definition Opera and Ballet performances shown two to four times per month
 Live jazz and musical concerts by local artists and select visiting performers from around the globe
(including the Paradise Big Band, Hooray for Hollywood starring Bruce Moore and Bobby Nesbitt, and performances for the Key West Songwriters Festival)
 Periodic lectures and presentations by visiting filmmakers
 Specialized presentations such as the Tuesdays with Art Series, which shows movies about the artists, followed by a social hour and discussion of the artist and his or her work in the Lounge.
 Various community events and benefits for non-profit organizations such as the Robert Frost Poetry
Festival, the Mana Project for Nancy Forrester’s Secret Garden and Captain Kidd Humanitarian Award
 Mini film festivals such as the best of the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival, the Manhattan Short Film
Festival, WomenFest and Oscar-nominated short films.
 Showcasing of locally made films together with discussions led by the filmmakers themselves.
 Annual Oscar Gala and Fundraiser including presentation of select Oscar nominated films
 A program of value-added screenings, bringing filmmakers to Key West, and mini-festivals leading toward a Key West International Film Festival.
IF FUNDED, EXHIBITS A AND B WILL BECOME PART OF YOUR CONTRACT AND TRANSMITTED TO THE
OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF THE COURT.
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E . MARKETING PLAN (PAID ADVERTISEMENTS & UNPAID PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES)
The marketing plan must be approved in advance by the advertising and public relations agencies of record. See cover letter for contact information. Attach approval letters at end of application.
Include all aspects of the proposed event with estimated number of persons to be reached through the different media. Provide source of information for estimated numbers. Specifically state how you plan to spend the Cultural Umbrella funds requested and summarized in
Exhibit D.
The Tropic has an extensive local advertising program with daily ads in the Key West Citizen
(well-positioned just above the TV listings), and weekly ads in Paradise, Solares Hill and the
Southernmost Flyer . In the case of Paradise the ad is a felicitously placed front-page banner.
For budgetary reasons we have trimmed back regular advertising in the other local papers, but we do place ads to promote special events in Conch Color and the Keynoter .
The paid advertising is supplemented with free publicity generated by weekly press releases to a broad list of contacts which reaches the Miami Herald, local radio stations, the local military press office, and WLRN as well as all local reporters. This generates extensive coverage.
The movies and showtimes of the Tropic are fully listed in Conch Color , the Keynoter and
Keys.net
. Paradise provides a doublepage spread each week titled “Movies in Paradise” which provides extensive descriptions of all our films and related events. The movie reviewer for Solares Hill fully covers all our feature films. Anyone in Key West having a passing acquaintance with newspapers cannot not help but know what is going on at the Tropic.
This press coverage is not merely generous. It is a recognition of the fact that the Tropic is an vital cultural institution that people want to know about.
In addition, the Tropic already has an extensive, nominal cost, marketing campaign through use of the Internet and email. Each week we send out an email “Coming Attractions” blast to 2700 email addresses, 1100 to active members of the Key West Film
Society and the remainder to members of the press; inns, hotels and guesthouses in the Lower Keys; and other interested parties.
This is supplemented by special eblasts regarding particular events. In the aggregate we send out 25,000 to 30,000 emails each month to publicize Tropic films and events.
We also take full advantage of listings with national online services. Through enrollment in professional subscription services, films and other events scheduled at the Tropic are featured on all nationwide event-listing services. A sample of such services is listed under item D below. We also list our out-of-the ordinary events with other services, such as Eventful.com.
Typical Weekly E-blast
But we recognize a need to be more aggressive in listing our events with other non-movie, but
Key West-focused event calendars. The difficulty we have experienced in this regard is that we have ten or more events each week – three or four feature films, two or three classic films and revivals, an opera or ballet, screenings of local films like the Key West Picture Show and
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live concerts and lectures. We have found it difficult to get regular event listing services to provide coverage of all this. Instead we rely on their listings of us as a unique movie destination. But we clearly need to focus more on promoting specialized events.
All these email blasts and the extensive listing of the Tropic Cinema on travel guides and the like all drive inquiries to our website. We devote extensive effort to keeping this site updated and informative. It is especially important to us because of the rapidly changing, time-sensitive nature of our programming. Unlike a legitimate theater, which books its plays and sets its program months in advance, we literally do not know what is going to be playing at the Tropic on any Friday (which is the day we turn over our programming) until Monday or Tuesday of that same week. We could book films in advance, but then we would miss opportunities to claim the best current features on a timely basis. This is so because major new films are still circulated on 35mm film prints that are shipped from theater to theater. The studios make only a limited number of such prints and allocate them carefully so as to generate maximum attendance. Our New York film booker is well-positioned to get us films, but only if he can move fast and grab a print when it becomes available.
Under these circumstances, the Internet and email is our natural ally, and we have made extensive use of it since the day we opened. Our website, TropicCinema.com, which is maintained in-house by our own staff, includes not only our schedule but also summaries of all films and events and links to trailers and reviews. We maintain a “Coming Soon” page at the website to give viewers a preview of future events. We also have developed our own online ticketing system, because the Keystix system used by other local organizations imposed a service fee that was too great for low-priced movie ticket buyers to bear. The website also has links to an online store selling Tropic paraphernalia and Film Society memberships.
This website is very popular, averaging more than 500 sessions and almost 1,500 page views each day. In January 2009, alone, we had 17,999 sessions and 50,697 page views, indicating that visitors not only check the calendar but also click on particular films to obtain information.
This website is of course available to out-of-county and even out-of-country tourists who are exploring cultural opportunities in Key West.
Despite the success of this broad E-publicity campaign, we recognize the need to supplement it with other modes of communication.
 Physical mailings of newsletters and brochures -- While we cannot guarantee specific new films on specific days very much in advance, we are capable of advance programming for other aspects of our schedule, including the classics and revival series and cultural events. We also promote major new feature films that we know are in the pipeline even if the exact booking dates are uncertain. The thing that has deterred us from mailings is the cost. Our membership list alone has more than 1,500 addresses for more than 2,000 people.
We would like very much, for example, to target a mailing to selected persons in South
Florida based on their interest in art film, featuring our tag line “See Art Movies in a
Work of Art.” This could include members of the film societies which exist in many communities throughout the region, including Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach,
Naples-Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Augustine among others. This would be a well-designed, well-printed mailing piece. We are working on this, but do not have the
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funds to broadly distribute it.
This brochure could also be included in packets given out by realtors and placed in hotel and guesthouse rooms.
 Radio spots. We make use of local radio, usually without cost by giving away free tickets in exchange for mentions of the theater and specific films. But we have found that it is difficult to correlate the radio audience with the audience for our films, because we appeal to a classical music rather than a rock or country audience. The obvious solution to that dilemma is NPR. Though WLRN has recently improved and expanded its presence in Key West, it is difficult to justify the cost of using the station just to reach a Key West audience. But as we craft a message to reach into the South Florida community, it becomes a perfect medium. We will seek to work with the Needham-
Fatica agency to develop radio messages that can be broadcast not only on Miami’s
WLRN, but also WXEL in West Palm, WGCU in Fort Myers, and other stations around the state.

Flyer placement
– We have long used a weekly flyer to advertise the Tropic in store windows and at concierge desks.
We have invested in a high-speed, color laser printer that facilitates in-house production of these flyers. But we need to greatly increase the distribution. For example, the fast ferry from Fort Myers, and sometimes Miami, brings a tourist to town who almost always stays overnight and whose car-less range is essentially limited to Old Town. We see good opportunity in promoting the Tropic with flyers or other means that might reach this audience during their three hours of captivity on the way here.
Several inns and guesthouses have even offered to place a flyer in guest rooms, but the quantity needed and the staff to distribute it is beyond our current capabilities.
Typical Weekly Flyer
 Print advertising
– Paid advertising in out-of-county newspapers is unlikely to be costeffective. But opportunities abound in specialized publications. Very likely targets are the programs published in connection with film festivals in the region. There are fiftyfive different film festivals in Florida each year, in communities from Amelia Island to
Ybor City, all of which attract film lovers ready to be seduced into a trip to “See Art
Movies in a Work of Art.” A list of these festivals is included in accompanying CD.
We might also advertise in the programs of other cultural institutions in the area, such as the Palm Beach Playhouse or the Adrienne Arsh Center.
 E-advertising - We would like also to expand our E-reach by advertising on various web sites, such as the sites for regional film festivals, and via search engines that target an audience that may not know about us.

Program
– Because of the complex and rapidly changing nature of our schedule we have not had a program distributed on a daily or weekly basis, as a legitimate theater
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might.
However, with the development of the “Year-Round Film Festival” concept, we expect to use the brochure described above as a program that can be distributed to hotels, guesthouses and tourist information centers throughout the region.
This marketing message will be pursued at two levels. First, and most generally, we will be working at branding the Tropic and creating awareness of this unique regional resource.
Second, as specific events are developed we will be focusing attention on these events. All of this will promote the Tropic, of course, but it will at the same time help convey the message that Key West is a place of art and culture.
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IV. QUALITY OF PROPOSED EVENT
A. NARRATIVE Discuss the overall excellence of the event. Discuss the artistic excellence, the tourist appeal, and the extent to which the event is unique to Monroe County or the district.
How does it promote and showcase the destination’s cultural, historic, and/or environmental resources?
The Tropic Cinema is well-known in Key West as a source of fine movies
– including four of the five Academy Award Best Picture nominees this year. The official mission of the Film
Society is “to showcase film and video as an art form,” “to present film, video and new media which are otherwise unavailable to local audiences” and “to promote and enhance the cultural, artistic and economic well being of this region.” The Tropic has been true to that mission. In the five years of its existence it has exhibited more than 700 different films in 16,000 shows to more than 290,000 ticket holders. This has been a period of great change in Key West, from high spots like the opening of the Studios of Key West to low spots like Wilma and the real estate downturn, but through it all the Tropic has been open every single day, all year-round
(except for a few days of mandatory closure during hurricane evacuations).
The people of Key West have come to know that the Tropic is there for them -- there 365 days a year… there when they need a downtown auditorium venue… there when they want to see the movies all America is talking about… and there when they need a quick, convenient and economical evening’s entertainment.
The Tropic is constantly seeking to improve and expand its programming options. Over the past two years we added high definition opera from the great opera houses of Europe (such as
La Scala and Covent Garden), ballet from the Bolshoi and the Royal Ballet, and events from the Salzberg and Glyndbourne Festivals for cultural enrichment.
We have also begun a classic film series, which has now expanded from one to two days per week. We are partnering with the leading digital film distributor, Emerging Pictures, as well as major revival distributors such as Janus Films and Criterion to develop a fully licensed program of classic and specialty films.
All of this will soon be expanded with the opening of our fourth theater screen and expanded lobby in the summer of 2009.
The Tropic has always considered it important to promote and develop the theater as a part of the growing emphasis on cultural tourism. Our periodic surveys indicate that approximately 20 to 25% of our audience is tourists, most of whom seem to learn about the Tropic from seeing our marquee. Indeed, our marquee is fast becoming an iconic image of Key West, as tourists stop by to capture its tropical colors against the blue or starlit sky.
Our current expansion will also double the street frontage of the Tropic, extend our marquee and add four new movie poster cases to our street front display, all of which will give
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the Tropic a much stronger presence for tourists and visitors. The expansion also enhances our ability to develop our long-desired film festival.
Our Managing Director recently developed several programs to work with hotels and guesthouses to help market the Tropic as an alternative entertainment feature in Key West, especially in the off-season months. We show the 1977 classic The Key West Picture Show in a matinee every Saturday, in cooperation with hotels, to help introduce visitors to our unique island.
This proposed expansion is a major effort, requiring us to completely renovate the newly acquired space. We have built a mezzanine level to house a projection booth and office; upgraded air conditioning, electrical and soundproofing to meet code requirements for a theater space and assure patron satisfaction; purchased and installed a complete projection/sound system up t o the standard set by our other theaters; and redone the façade and sidewalk to mate it with the existing theater and create the effect of a unitary space.
The Key West Film Society has a demonstrated track record of meeting the schedule and budget projections it has submitted to the Tourist Development Council on four occasions for bricks and mortar capital expansions. Our management team has been a part of the Tropic over the past five years and will manage our endeavors in the coming year. There is every reason to expect similar performance. We earnestly solicit your assistance in partnering with us to help bring these plans to fruition.
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B. ATTENDANCE Number of people anticipated to attend the event, the number attending this current year, and actual past attendance:
Vendors/Participants*
Anticipated Current Actual
Monroe County Residents
Out of County, Florida
Out of State
TOTAL *
2010 n/a n/a n/a
*
2009 n/a n/a n/a
*
2008 n/a n/a n/a
Attendance
Anticipated
2010
43,311
2,887
25,986
72,184
Current
2009
41,248
2,750
24,749
68,747
Actual
2008
39,509
2,634
23,705
65,848
* We do not have booths with vendors at the Tropic. However, to the maximum extent possible, we procure items from local vendors
– including concessions, gift souvenirs, paper goods, etc.
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C. DETERMINATION OF ATTENDANCE
1. HOW WAS PAST ACTUAL ATTENDANCE DETERMINED?
Gross attendance was based on data from our computerized box office ticketing system. The breakdown of local Monroe County residents, out of county and out of state percentages were derived from surveys conducted at the Tropic Cinema in April 2009 for Americans for the Arts and in November 2008 for our Managing Director’s Report. These surveys indicated that 20 to
25% of our audience is tourists (short-term visitors) and another 15% is from out of county or out of state, a combined total of 40% non-residents.
2. HOW WAS ANTICIPATED ATTENDANCE AT PROPOSED EVENT ESTIMATED?
Based on current and prior performance levels, we conservatively estimate a 5% increase in attendance in 2010. Of course, with an aggressive marketing campaign we might see an even greater increase.
3. PLAN FOR DETERMINING ACTUAL ATTENDANCE AT PROPOSED EVENT?
We will continue to use our computerized box office ticketing system to maintain accurate attendance figures.
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D.
UNPAID MEDIA EXPOSURE OUTSIDE OF MONROE COUNTY
1. Have you received any media exposure outside of Monroe County that was not paid advertising (i.e. newspaper articles, radio, TV coverage)? If so, submit a detailed history of state, national and/or international media exposure of events of last year, including estimated reach and source of information.
DO NOT INCLUDE PAID ADVERTISING . DO
NOT INCLUDE MONROE COUNTY MEDIA.
The Tropic Cinema issues weekly press releases covering scheduled movies, special events and performances to local media as well as to members of the press in Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Tampa areas. We receive ongoing media coverage in out-of-county publications.
Additionally, the Tropic’s website www.tropiccinema.com
averages more than 500 unique visitors and more than 1500 page views per day. This equates to 182,500 visitors per year
– a substantial percentage of these visitors are from outside of Monroe County.
Further exposure is obtained by the Tropic’s weekly e-mail blasts that are issued two times per week to approximately 2700 individuals – including members, journalists and other interested parties – located throughout the U.S. These email blasts are supplemented with narrowly targeted emails publicizing specific events. Each month we distribute 25,000-30,000 emails.
Following is a selection of non-paid news articles featuring the Tropic, media exposure and online listings focusing on the Tropic Cinema over the past year. All of these are online and have worldwide reach.
 The Tropic Cinema’s weekly schedule is included in all of the National Online
Movie Listing Websites including: http://www.hollywood.com/movies/theater_showtimes.aspx?id
= http://www.movies.com/33040/movietimes/theaters http://southflorida.metromix.com/movies/movie_theater/tropic-cinema-key-west/86645/content http://www.boxofficemojo.com/showtimes/theater.htm?id=2iM&p=.htm
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/locations/tropic-cinema-22357/ http://www.wegoplaces.com/Activity_207963.aspx
http://www.fandango.com/tropiccinema_aatxa/theaterpage http://www.topix.com/theater/key-west-fl/2787-tropic-cinema http://www.moviefone.com/theater/tropic-cinema/8027/showtimes http://www.movieclock.com/fl/KeyWest.html
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2TMH
 Iphone users will find full Tropic Ci nema listings through a number of “apps”:
Showtimes
Now Playing
Flixster
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 16


Yahoo http://local.yahoo.com/info-28440568-tropic-cinema-key-west
“The Theater! Doesn't get any better. Beer, Wine and a movie.”
 The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030601267.html
washingtonpost.com
> Arts & Living > Travel
By Beth Schucker
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, March 8, 2009; Page F01
“…. On Big Pine Key, No Name Pub has been feeding locals since the 1930s. It's hard to find, so stop for directions or you'll roam aimlessly with the cute little Key deer. The pub boasts a colorful history as a general store, a brothel during tough times and a longtime restaurant. The pizza recipes of past Italian owners still star today. In a final flourish of merriment, you'll want to sign one of your dollar bills and hang it from the rafters with the thousands of others left by earlier revelers who, like you, drank beer, ate heartily and danced to the jukebox.
If this shanty fare whets your appetite for more reveries of old Key West, you might be interested in
"The Key West Picture Show," a riotous 1970s documentary that pays homage to the island's history of ragged funkiness. It shows most Saturdays at 12:45 p.m. at the Tropic Cinema.
B.O.'s Fish Wagon , 801 Caroline St., Key West, 305-294-9272. Hogfish Bar and Grill , 6810 Front St.,
Stock Island, 305-293-4041, http://www.hogfishbar.com
. No Name Pub , North Watson Boulevard (mile marker 30.5), Big Pine Key, 305-872-9115, http://www.nonamepub.com
. Tropic Cinema , 416 Eaton St.,
Key West, 305-295-9493, http://www.tropiccinema.com
.

TripAdvisor http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g34345-d569358-Reviews-
Key_West_Film_Society-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html
“Founded in 1998 to augment a lackluster supply of film offerings in the area, the Key West
Film Society hosts screenings and festivals daily at the Tropic Cinema.
WOW>...What a great theatre! Plays excellent choice of alternative and independent films. Big plush seats and a great soun d system. Don't miss it when you visit Key West. “

Fodors http://www.fodors.com/world/north-america/usa/florida/key-west/review-148264.html
Key West Film Society –
Fodor's Review: Catch the classics and the latest art, independent, and foreign films shown daily by the Key West Film Society in the two-screen Tropic Cinema theater.
 Disney Family Travel Website (listing) http://family.go.com/travel/things-to-do/florida/key--west/poi-332328-tropic-cinema/
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 17

 TripSmarter http://www.tripsmarter.com/travelinfo/key-west/events/tropic-cinema
Submitted by TripSmarter.Com on March 23, 2009
Key West, FL -
It isn’t surprising that Key West has been the backdrop for many films…everything from
Tennessee William’s, “The Rose Tattoo” to the blockbuster James Bond Adventure,
“License to Kill”.
Now the Key West Film Society, dedicated to showing out-of-mainstream films has raised the curtain on the Tropic Cinema, an 8,000-square-foot film center and multipurpose theater with
35mm projection systems and Dolby digital surround sound…all located within historic “Old
Town,” Key West!
The Tropic Cinema boast s three full screening rooms… the largest of which will present independent films and first-run features primarily, but live theater events and musical showcases are also expected. The elevated stage and first-rate dressing room facilities will give Key West its fourth fully equipped theater to showcase the wealth of island talent. The second, somewhat smaller screening room will feature classic and repertory films, with the remaining room dedicated to conferences and seminars…or possibly used as classroom space.
The Tropic Cinema also boasts a roomy 2500 square foot lobby for schmoozing before and after events both large and small…something Key Wester’s always manage to do with gusto!
Long ago, Key West had an “art cinema” on Duval and its closure was a great loss to locals and visitors alike. No one dared hope for another “art house” cinema in a town where real estate remains at such a premium…but dreams do come true on this magical little island. First,
The Key West Symphony Orchestra became a reality and finally, Key West has its own Tropic
Cinema! The “arts” are truly alive and flourishing…
Lights! Camera! Action!
For The Tropic Cinema's Weekly Schedule Click Here , for a list of Future Attractions Click
Here , or for more information call 305.295.9493.
 Cinema Treasures http://cinematreasures.org/theater/17212/
Key West, FL
416 Eaton Street
Key West, FL 33040 United States
305.294.5857
“The tide has turned. Out of the "remnants" of an old carpet warehouse, the Key West
Film Society has built a beautiful, intimate triplex. The theaters show first run and art features.
The Tropic Cinema is THE place to see movies in Key West.”
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 18


Country Music Television http://www.cmt.com/pictures/kim-richey/photo-gallery/507071/2955812/artist_photo.jhtml
Robert Earl Keen, Kylie Sackley, Kim Richey and Chuck Cannon perform at the
Tropic Cinema in Key West, Fla., on May 1, 2008. Photo Credit: Brian Tipton
 Arts and Events - Florida http://artsandevents.org/index.php?option=com_sobi2&sobi2Task=sobi2Details&catid=23&sob i2Id=75&Itemid=117
416 Eaton Street, Key West, FL 33040
For years, the lament in Key West over the slim pickings of films offered by the local multiplex was like talking about the weather. Everyone deplored it, but no one did much of anything about it. It was against that backdrop that a small group of film buffs put out a call in 1998, seeking volunteers interested in rejuvenating the local cinema scene. They tapped into a wellspring of community interest. Volunteers crowded meetings, offer ideas, suggestions and help for a project to bring alternative film to town. Working committees were formed to search out venues, track down film sources, and round up projection equipment.
The talk quickly moved from planning for "next year" to doing something right away, and it happened. From the gala opening fund raiser, the Key West premiere of Roberto Begnini's Life is Beautiful, to the first Key West International Festival of New Cinema, the Conch Republic has begun to see the best of independent, foreign and alternative movies.
As the membership and attendance of the KWFS grew, it became clear that no part-time venues could fill our needs. By the 2002-2003 season we had begun a fund drive to create a permanent full-time home. This goal was finally realized in the spring of 2004 with the opening of the new Tropic Cinema. The Tropic is a full-time, two-screen theater, with a large lobby serving as a cultural center and gathering place.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 19

A. EVENT PRODUCER’S FINANCIAL STATEMENT Insert producer's total budget and financial statement, compilation, review or audit for the last completed fiscal year. Number as page 13.1, 13.2, etc.
A copy of income and expense, and balance sheet, pages from most recent Federal Income
Tax Return, Form 990, is attached.
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 20

B.
The treasurer of the producer must sign this statement. The signature must be notarized. The figures for the last completed year should be actual. The items listed are for example only.
Individual items can be changed or deleted to fit your event’s income and expense except items listed under advertising & promotion.
EVENT NAME: Tropic Cinema --
“See Art Movies in a Work of Art: The Year-Round Key West
Film Festival”
Income and Expense Data
Proposed Current Yr Last Year
Year
2009-2010 1st Q only 2008
INCOME
Food
Beverage
Mdse
Tickets
Sponsor/Donatio ns
Memberships
Other
A) Proposed CU
Grant
B)Total Income
EXPENSE
Advertising/Pro mo
Security
Cleanup
Equipment
Maint
Insurance
Office Exp
Postage
88,202
120,853
12,807
21,337
138,130
82,909
25,000
877,121
70,000
2,541
35,114
34,051
31,890
37,638
4,238
5,253
47,304
17,242
310,991
7,656
147
9,100
3,391
84,002
115,098
12,197
412,883 167,427 393,222
20,321
131,552
78,961
835,354
47,767
2,420
33,442
32,430
12,291
7,492
1,680
360
1,810
362
11,706
7,135
1,600
Rent & Utilities
Payroll
Film Rental/Proj
Svc
Concessions
Costs
Other
124,158
230,000
176,559
75,582
104,595
29,223
77,616
71,164
28,785
18,949
118,245
251,323
168,151
71,983
99,614
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 21

C)Total Expense 874,063 248,565 845,817
3,059
1 ST
62,426
Q Only
-10,463 Net Income
(Loss) Full Year Full Year
Cultural Umbrella funds for the proposed FY are 2.85% of Total Income (A divided by B)
Treasurer
SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED before me this _________ day of
My Commission Expires:
Notary Public at Large
State of Florida (SEAL)
, 20 ______.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 22

EXHIBIT D
MONROE COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL
CULTURAL UMBRELLA EVENT BUDGET
BUDGET BREAKDOWN
Line items listed below must be approved by the appropriate agency of record
There will be no amendments to this budget (Exhibit D) after BOCC approval of Agreement
EVENT NAME: Tropic Cinema -- “See Art Movies in a Work of Art: The Year-Round Key West
Film Festival”
MEDIA PLACEMENT & PRODUCTION COSTS: newspaper, radio, magazines,
TV, website/internet advertising only
______________________________________________________________________$13,250
PROMOTIONAL SIGNS: posters/banners
______________________________________________________________________$2,000
PROMOTIONAL ITEMS: t-shirts, hats, jackets, koozie cups
______________________________________________________________________$1,000
DIRECT MAIL PROMOTIONS: brochures/pamphlets/postage & shipping
______________________________________________________________________$5,000
PROGRAMS:
______________________________________________________________________$see brochure above
PUBLIC RELATIONS:
______________________________________________________________________$free placements
*GENERAL NON-ALLOCATED:
______________________________________________________________________$3,750
TOTAL:________________$25,000
*GENERAL NON ALLOCATED MAY NOT EXCEED 15% OF THE ABOVE BUDGET AND CAN ONLY BE UTILIZED
FOR ACCEPTABLE TDC ITEMS
ACTUAL EXPENDITURES MAY DEVIATE NO MORE THAN 10% FROM THE BUDGETED LINE ITEMS NOTED
ABOVE.
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 23

D
CONTRIBUTIONS IN CASH, ANTICIPATED
(Cash and in-kind contributions are important because they show community support.)
1. List e-mails or letters of commitment of anticipated cash contributions, sponsorships, grants. List each separately.
2. Provide a CD containing an e-mail or letter of commitment for each anticipated cash contribution or sponsorship. (Letters of commitment for anticipated grants are not necessary).
CONTRIBUTOR, SPONSOR, GRANT AMOUNT
The Tropic Cinema’s operating budget is supported by three major sources of income: Ticket
Sales, Concessions Revenue and Membership Income.
We have depended on grants and contributions to fund our capital program, and have raised approximately $2.5 million over the past five years to build and equip the Tropic. That capital budget is not included in the income/expense figures above.
But the cash contributions received from Membership dues are a central element of our operating budget. During the last fiscal year (2008) we received $131,552 in Membership dues from more than 2,000 members. For the first quarter of 2009 we have already received
$47,303 from this source, which indicates a subscription rate approximately equal to last year.
We are including on the attached CD a full list of our Members from 2008. We cannot guarantee that each of these persons will renew for next year because there is a population turnover with such a large group. But we have consistently maintained this level of membership for the last three years.
We have also included on the CD a sample of letters received from Members indicating their commitment to the Tropic.
TOTAL $130,000
0 1 2 3 4 5
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E. CONTRIBUTIONS IN-KIND, ANTICIPATED
1. List all e-mails or letters of commitment of anticipated in-kind contributions (including complimentary rooms, functions, services, and volunteer hours at up to $10 an hour).
2. E-MAILS OR LETTERS OF COMMITMENT
Provide a CD containing an e-mail or letter of commitment for each in-kind contribution.
TYPE DOLLAR VALUE CONTRIBUTOR
Wayne Kruer, Counsel Legal Services As needed
Patricia Bollinger, Administrative Services
(Perform a wide range of services for the Film Society, including grant writing, membership development, and web-site computer support. This work averages 20/hrs week throughout the year. Twenty hours/week for 52 weeks is 1,040 volunteer hours which we value at $10/hr.)
$10,400
Jennifer Lopes and Sandy Green Membership Coordinator
(The Membership Coordinator job is shared by two volunteers who work an average of 8 –1 0 hours per week throughout the year. Average of 9 hours/week for 52 weeks is 468 volunteer hours, which we value at $10/hr.)
$4680
Box Office and Concessions Staff Staff Work
(The Box Office and Concessions counter at the Tropic are staffed by volunteers who work approximately eight hours per day throughout the year. There are an average of two volunteers on duty. Two volunteers @ 8 hrs/day for 365 days is a total of 5,840 volunteer hours, which we value at $10/hr) $58,400
TOTAL $73,480
Commitment letters from Wayne, Patricia Bollinger, Jennifer Lopes and Sandy Green are included on the attached CD. Because of the large number of Box Office and Concessions
Volunteers, and the turnover that occurs from year to year, it is not possible to include detailed commitment letters. We have, however, attached a list of the current volunteers as of this date. The list has consistently been this long for many years.
3. TOTAL CASH AND IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS $203,480
0 1 2 3 4 5
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 25

NON-COLLUSION AFFIDAVIT
AND VERIFICATION
I, _______________________________________, of the city of according to law on my oath, and under penalty of perjury, depose and say that:
1) I am ________________________________, the bidder making the Proposal for the project described as follows:
2) The prices in this bid have been arrived at independently without collusion, consultation, communication or agreement for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor;
3) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this bid have not been knowingly disclosed by the bidder and will not knowingly be disclosed by the bidder prior to bid opening, directly or indirectly, to any other bidder or to any competitor; and
4) No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person, partnership or corporation to submit, or not to submit, a bid for the purpose of restricting competition;
5) The statements contained in this affidavit are true and correct, and made with full knowledge that Monroe County relies upon the truth of the statements contained in this affidavit in awarding contracts for said project.
VERIFICATION
I HEREBY CERTIFY that I have read the forgoing application and that the facts stated herein are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
________________________________
President’s Name Typed
______________________________
President’s Signature
Sworn to and subscribed before me this ____________ day of
20____ personally appeared _________________, ____________________, and known to be the persons named in and who executed the foregoing document.
Notary Public - State of
My commission expires
,
,
(Printed, typed, or stamped commissioned
Name of notary public)
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 26

Attachments to the Tropic Cinema’s Cultural Grant

Key West Citizen Article (hard copy): The Tropic Cinema As A Work of Art

CD with the following documents: o 2008 Members’ Names o E-mails of Volunteer Donated Support o Film Festivals in Florida o Letter of Legal Pro-bono Donation o Member Letters of Support o Volunteer List 2008-09
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 27

Attachment to Tropic Cinema Proposal
From the Key West Citizen
December 30, 2005
by Joel Blair
Seven years ago, a group of film enthusiasts met at the Key West Library. This informal group began renting and showing films at a variety of available locations: the San Carlos, Iron Bodies Gym, the Old City Hall, among several others. Plans moved from simply showing film to creating a permanent theater. Almost from the beginning, the idea was not just to show films but to create a space that would serve the community and that would encourage participation in a variety of arts.
The purchase of 416 Eaton Street and the commission of Michael Miller as architect focused minds and pocketbooks. In
April, 2004, five years after that first meeting, the Tropic Cinema opened. To design the theater in the Art Deco style was a crucial decision--a decision to link the Tropic Cinema to the glory years of Hollywood. That a movie marquee had not been built in South Florida for 50 years illustrates how radical that decision was.
Art Deco is an international style identified with luxury and modernism, epitomized by the Transatlantic Ocean Liner. Corbusier saw the steamship as the model for living in the 20th century. In America, the style was ubiquitous in theater design during the 20s and 30s, during the most economically depressed period of our history. That elegant style looks to the future with hope, with optimism: Eugene O'Neil sees all that as pipe dreams. Such dichotomies are also inherent in film--the glitter is a piece of plastic; the illusion substitutes for the ordinariness of life. All art, though, is a fiction, but one that reveals truth; it creates a make-believe world that orders experience, making sense out of random facts.
The stylish neon marquee, designed with the help of Corky Irick, an authority on theater marquees; the large curvilinear lobby with it rich, dramatic carpet designed by artist Helen Colley; the glowing V-shaped lighting; the large George Hurrell images of movie greats, loaned by Jean
Carper -- all recall the glitter and glamour of the old Hollywood. The space is gracious, public, and exciting, reminding us of the grand theaters of our youth and of times that seem better than the mundane present.
As one moves from the public areas to the more private theaters, the middle distance is dominated by the stairway by
Reen Stanhouse and the "Silver Screen" by Susan Rodgers, both designed, constructed, and donated by the artists.
Before ascending the stairway, the audience sees Rodgers' "Silver
Screen," a shimmering work of art made of 89 half-inch aluminum rods suspended from a free hanging metal frame. It anticipates the theater screen that we are about to see, and the names on it recall the list of credits that (used to) precede the movie. At present, there are 82 names of contributors of at least $1000 to the Tropic's Commemorative Art
Wall. George Cooper (chairman of the board) and Michael Shields
(executive director) note that there is plenty of room for the names of future contributors.
Rodgers is an accomplished sculptor, familiar to us from exhibits at
Lucky Street Gallery and her annual entries to Sculpture Key West-large, provocative pieces that are site specific to the large field at Fort
Taylor.
An elegant modernist sculpture, "Silver Screen" is also site specific. It was hung to span a space between two walls which meet at a wide angle; it forms the long side of an oblique triangle. As a result, the piece casts a shadow reflecting the space between the walls and the screen,
Monroe County Tourist Development Council Cultural Umbrella Application FY 2010 Page: 28

making the piece appear to be three-dimensional. Additionally, circulating air ripples through the rods. The red neon sign facing the sculpture reflects rosy light on it. As with Rodgers' works for Sculpture Key West, light and air become agents in the drama of the sculpture.
After the experience of "Silver Screen," the audience moves towards the stairs to the entrance of the main auditorium, The
Natella Carper Theater. A well-known artist in metal, Reen Stanhouse designed and constructed the dramatically shaped railings for the staircase. She is quick to acknowledge the assistance of Atlantic Metals in the construction. The steel railings were constructed and electrostatically finished in place.
The glory of the stairway is its newel posts. Wavy steel rods surround burnished aluminum strips, which resemble unfolding strips of film. Lighted from the bottom and crowned with satin metal plated finial globes, the newel posts and railings create a glorious entry to the theater itself. From the bright marquee, through the highly decorated lobby, to the "Sliver Screen" and the lush newel posts and stairway to the private and communal experiences in the theaters themselves, the Tropic Cinema is a series of works of art that coalesce into an exciting whole.
In addition to aesthetic and cinematographic pleasures, the Tropic Cinema was conceived of and functions as a place of assembly for all Key Westers. In addition to first-rate films, the Tropic welcomes live theater groups and provides space for lectures, community meetings, and private functions. With the Key West Film Institute, it gives classes in filmmaking, editing, and theory. In February, it will institute a Film Forum modeled on the Library Lecture Series. It has hosted jazz, pop, and operas and dozens of fund raising benefits. And it is a catalyst for conversation, where people can sip wine and coffee and talk--one of the activities that transforms Homo sapiens into civilized beings.
It is significant for the future of Key West that the Tropic Cinema came into existence along with the Symphony, Pops, and
Island Opera. They join the Founders Society, the Literary Seminars, the Impromptu Concerts, the Garden Club, the
Botanical Garden, and the Red Barn and Waterfront Theaters as cultural institutions that give definition to our civic life. But that life and those groups are fragile, susceptible to natural disasters--as we have recently learned--to human error and indifference and to the power of the transient tourist dollar. So, congratulations to the work of art know as the Tropic Cinema.
But we all must be vigilant against forces that could erode or compromise the values it advances.
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