NEW FILM SERIES COMING TO TACOMA >>>

A friend of mine saw Inception last week, and it surprised her how many in the crowd bolted for an exit as soon as the credits rolled. I guess after two-and-a-half hours inside a time-bending, gravity-defying dreamscape, a few minutes of slowly crawling text feels a bit anticlimactic. Maybe the sight of those uniform columns of names severs the illusion too quickly, so off we go.

It takes a slew of highly skilled artists to pull off that elusive movie magic, and The Grand Cinema makes a consistent effort to shine a light on those individuals hidden behind the camera. Every year you get the 72 Hour Competition and Tacoma Film Festival; this summer, get ready as the theater brings you a one-of-a-kind event, entitled "25 New Faces of Independent Film Showcase." Last week Filmmaker Magazine released its annual list of rising talent in the indie world. As the only venue in the nation doing this, The Grand will devote a whole week (Aug. 20-26) screening recent works from these head-turning filmmakers.

Orchestrating this convergence of art on Tacoma took some work, but Executive Director Philip Cowan can't wait to see the result.

"This has potential to be the largest event (and most important event) we have ever done," he says.

And of course many from the 25 will accompany their films, eager to share with us some fascinating stories about a medium in which they tirelessly tinker and experiment and grow. So next time you finish a movie, take a deep breath, let the music wash over you, and give those credits a second glance.

For more information on all 25 filmmakers, click here.