By Mary O’KEEFE

Sabrina Torres found herself very sick with COVID in 2022. The virus just didn’t seem to let up. She would feel better and then it would flare up again. Due to the virus she was isolated from everyone and she discovered it left her with asthma. Although it was bad at times she started going out again even though during the pandemic it was difficult to meet people. At the time Torres was an actor who just wanted to be around filmmakers. 

“I always wanted to be an actor and I needed something for my reel,” she said. 

She began meeting people at film events.

“I would get so inspired,” she said. “I remember when I went to this one local event, it was the Secret Movie Club, and I was so happy that a space like that existed.” 

“Secret Movie Club was born from a simple belief – great movies deserve great company,” according to secretmovieclub.com.

The idea of the club was to gather together film lovers and filmmakers to watch films together. 

Torres liked the interaction with filmmakers. She made a film as part of a competition; at the time she knew all about acting but had to learn every aspect of filmmaking, including production and direction. The showcases that were part of the Secret Movie Club were paused while the theater was under renovation – and Torres was not happy about the delay. 

“I don’t know what happened, but I heard a [voice in my head], like a whisper in my ear, saying ‘You should do that,’” she said. 

And so she did. She started The Great Film Club and started reaching out to everyone she had met at local events. 

“I just started telling people to show up,” she said. 

Soon she had the Club’s first showcase of July 2022, which was popular, and she just kept up the events. She found that local independent filmmakers were hungry for a place to show their art and to be with others who shared the same passions. 

The Club became a cultural hub but then, when the writers and actors strike occurred in May 2023, there was so much interest in the Club’s showcase that the 114-seat – the Eastwood Performing Arts Center – was sold out. 

Through social media and word of mouth, the Club continued to grow, which brought The Great Film Club to The Balcony, a program at St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church in La Crescenta. 

“The [need] actually came out of wanting community,” Torres said. 

Sebastian Gonzalez is the founder of The Balcony. He had been involved in small projects when he met Torres through a mutual friend. 

“I was somewhat familiar with Sabrina’s work,” Gonzalez said. 

He knew of The Great Film Club but had not met Sabrina; he knew that The Balcony could work well with the Club. The Balcony was based in independent music and film seemed like a natural transition. 

Though Torres and Gonzalez didn’t know how they could work together, Gonzalez had worked closely with St. Luke’s Vicar Guy Leemhuis, producing events and being available as tech support. Gonzalez focuses on bringing the community into the events and wanted to expand The Balcony program. Gonzalez said he feels fortunate that Leemhuis has not only given The Balcony space at the church for events but has given them office space at St. Luke’s fellowship hall, Sadler Hall.

And now The Great Film Club, with the support of The Balcony, is hosting a film festival in Santa Ana. This is the third annual event for The Great Film Club and its growing popularity can easily be tracked by the thousands of submissions for the festival. 

The films submitted are required to be no more than 20 minutes long. 

“I’m so excited for this one [event] because it is in the historical Frida Cinema in downtown Santa Ana,” Torres said. 

She added she loves the Santa Ana art scene and that local businesses have been very supportive. 

“We’re showcasing 106 short films,” she said, adding the submission process has become very competitive. 

The Great Film Festival runs from Aug. 27 to Aug. 30. For information and for tickets go to www.thegreatfilmclub.com/the-great-film-festival.

Gonzalez and Torres want to expand their outreach and find more supportive events, which will be held at St. Luke’s of the Mountains. They are working on building a group of local filmmakers and musicians who will find a home at The Balcony and The Great Film Club. They want to give those local artists a place to share their art. 

The Great Film Club and The Balcony are non-profit organizations. To find out more about them or to donate visit thegreatfilmclub.com; on Instagram see thegreatfilmclub.

Follow thebalconystlukes on Instagram. To donate visit www.sllc.church and click on the donate button and note The Balcony with any donation.