Teams made movies with running times no longer than 253 seconds. Here’s where to see them

A film party in Tacoma will give people the chance to view short films created during a competition that included a 253 twist.

The 253 Short Film Party will be held Friday, May 20. It highlights the work of 31 local teams, whose job was to create a short film in three days. With a touch of the Tacoma area code added to the rules of the contest, the films are no longer than 253 seconds.

Party attendees will get a chance to watch the films, which were created from April 28-May 1, and vote for the film that they feel deserves the Audience Choice Award.

As described by executive director at The Grand Cinema Philip Cowan, the 253 Short Film Party provides some happiness during COVID-19.

“If you see an event with a lot of people around, there’s an energy and buzz you get that’s quite different from watching a film at home. There’s a lot of funny films in these, and that communal laughter is almost like a healing thing these days, and so it’s just a lot of fun,” Cowan said.

The event will include prizes and local food and drinks available for purchase.

“It supports local people and it’s a lot of fun…since it’s so many local people, you see a lot of people that you might bump into and say, ‘Oh, I haven’t seen you in a long time.’ So it’s just really good for that,” Cowan said.

The event will take place at the Urban Grace church in downtown Tacoma with tickets on sale now through grandcinema.com with prices ranging from $16-$18 per person.

Tickets that have been purchased in advance can be picked up at The Grand Cinema’s box office.

Doors for the event open at 5:30 p.m. with the film showings starting at 7 p.m.

Contest participants will be given the chance to win prizes for their films, and one team will get the chance to enter one film into the 2022 Tacoma Film Festival for free.

This story was originally published May 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.