In the heart of St. Paul’s Creative Enterprise Zone sits a former furniture showroom and warehouse from 1930. Designed by renowned architect Clarence Johnston late in his life (whose portfolio spans Glensheen Mansion in Duluth to Northrop Auditorium at the U of M), the art deco Brown-Jaspers Store Building, as it was known, is entering a new era. On July 19, from noon to 4 p.m., it will have a grand opening for its new resident: The organization FilmNorth, which has turned the space into a hub for film and media arts.
The building also has a new name: 2441 Arts. The first floor and lower level will serve as FilmNorth’s media center, with 10,000 square feet for the nonprofit to expand its footprint. Along with editing suites for media production, FilmNorth offers courses in filmmaker development from working professionals. Its FilmNorth Forum has brought together independent filmmakers from across the Midwest.
For the past 35 years, the organization has served new and established film and media artists in the Twin Cities. Executive director Andrew Peterson expects the center to grow its reach across Minnesota.
“This building will become for filmmakers what the Guthrie is for theaters,” Peterson says, “what the Walker and Mia are for art. In Minnesota, we have a lot of movie theaters, but we don’t have centers like this that have educational communities [and] gathering spaces year-round for people to come together and find out what they can do with their career.”
The organization’s relocation marks a move from a rental property to one that FilmNorth now co-owns with D/O Architects. The groups used a variety of tax credits, support from the City of St. Paul, and a number of other grants and donors to raise the $14 million they needed to secure the building. Beyond the media center, additional spaces will be rented out in the rest of the building.
“The building is really the future of how nonprofits need to think about being stable and serving their communities,” Peterson said. “Being able to stay in one place, not having to move every 10 years because rent has become unsustainable. To continue to serve your communities and deepen your ties to your communities, instead of serving them for 10 years and moving on.”
Central to the new space is the 50-plus person cinema, named for Oscar-nominated, Minnesota-born director Bill Pohlad, a major FilmNorth supporter. It features the same 4K laser projection system that big theaters like AMC and Regal use, not to mention the 24 different Dolby Atmos speakers that envelop viewers with sound. It might be the most high-tech screening room in the state. FilmNorth will harness that tech to host educational programs, community events, and screenings of independent local films.
“I always tell folks, the moment that you feel the most like a filmmaker is when you get to put it on-screen, and you’re watching it in a communal space with other people,” director of engagement and advancement Rob Ndondo-Lay said.
FilmNorth has ensured that this communal space is communal for everyone, regardless of ability. Ndondo-Lay says that the organization has long welcomed all people into their spaces, but their new venue will let them expand that mission.
“We have always closed captioned all of our work and made sure that there has always been subtitling for all of our public screenings,” he said. “We’ve always had ASL interpreters. But [now, we’re] making sure that the entryways are not just ADA compliant, but feel accessible for people who are coming in wheelchairs, or the glass paneling for people who are vision impaired, or the acoustics for people who may have some hearing challenges.”
The new media center also looks to invite creative people of all backgrounds, interests, and expertise. In addition to filmmakers, the center supports artists across media, including podcasters, game developers, and new media creatives. Experience ranges from hobbyists and students who want to take their first introductory class to 50-year veterans who want to add to their filmography. Is this where Minnesota can find its next buzzy director—a Ryan Coogler or Emma Seligman?
“Most people say, ‘I have to get my foot in the door.’ My answer to that is, ‘Which door?’” Ndondo-Lay said. “Here are tens of thousands of doors. Let’s figure out who you are in terms of your personal identity and artistic practice.”
FilmNorth serves as a guide for aspiring creators, especially those from marginalized groups throughout Minnesota. With this new center, Ndondo-Lay and Peterson believe that they can continue to support the growing film culture in the state, despite recent federal cuts for arts funding.
“My hope is that out of one of the many communities here, including Somali, Hmong, Native American, and others, is to find our next Coen brothers,” Peterson said. “A lot of times, those people don’t find careers, unless they have an organization like FilmNorth and a building like this one to play around, get great advice and connections, grow their careers, and become those culture-moving filmmakers that we want and tell stories from Minnesota that then branch out and play around the world.”