As Director Johnny Royal and the California Freemasons head to Fargo, ND on Monday, January 29th for another full-house screening on the film’s tour, their hometown of Los Angeles honors the legacy, history and preservation of the Masonic society.

As the film is taking major U.S. cities by storm, the California Freemason’s hometown of Los Angeles is highlighting the vitality of preserving the history and legacy of the world’s most secret fraternity.

Gained fame as the founders of Guess Jeans, Maurice and Paul Marciano are opening the ‘Maurice and Paul Marciano Art Foundation’ in May in Millard Sheets’ 1961 designed Scottish Rite Masonic Temple in Windsor Square (Wilshire Blvd.) as one of the last theaters of Masonic rituals built in Los Angeles. 

Photo: The Marciano Art Foundation, originally Scottish Rite Masonic Temple designed by Millard Sheets in 1961 – located in Windsor Square of Los Angeles. Photo by Elizabeth Daniels, Curbed LA.

“The city of Los Angeles evokes many romantic and apocalyptic images to the popular imagination, but the visual culture of Freemasonry is likely not among them. Yet this fraternal organization, although supposedly shrouded in secrecy, has its symbols boldly emblazoned on Masonic lodges across this sprawling cityscape from Santa Monica to Glendale to Burbank. Often incorporating fanciful historic appropriations (such as the Mayan Revival style of the North Hollywood Lodge), these buildings rival the showy movie palaces that are their architectural neighbors. This is no accident, for long before Hollywood existed Masons were staging elaborate costumed rituals in front of fantastical painted backdrops. Indeed, many of the film industry’s early pioneers, including Cecil B. DeMille, Louis B. Mayer, Darryl F. Zanuck, and Walt Disney, were Masons,” stated the Marciano Art Foundation. 

Photo: Inside the Marciano Art Foundation

The Marciano’s have re-opened the Masonic lodge to the public with repurposing and renovations by Kulapat Yantrasast, but kept and intends to continue the preservation of Sheets’ architectural layout and design, especially though the devoted room to Freemasonry with several artifacts and preserved pieces of their history.

“Sheathed inside and out in marble and travertine, the temple was modern in its sleek lines yet archaic in its monumentality — a perfect metaphor for an organization that valued the ancient, yet wanted to remain relevant to contemporary society,” added the Marciano Art Foundation.

After across-the-country red carpet and screening events, TriCoast Entertainment is excited to announce upcoming screenings of “33 & BEYOND: THE ROYAL ART OF FREEMASONRY” including confirmed dates of: Tuesday, January 30^th at 7:30 P.M. in Nashville, TN and on Friday, February 2^nd at 7:30 P.M. in Charlotte, NC (Tickets for Charlotte, NC (2/2/18) are SOLD OUT!)

For further information about upcoming screening events for “33 & BEYOND: THE ROYAL ART OF FREEMASONRY”, or to join as press, talent, or reviewers, please contact Jenna at jenna@tricoast.com.

Royal‘s team on the film includes California Freemasons Producer Robert Doan, Producer, Music Supervisor, Composer, and Re-Recording Mixer Sean Beavan (Lost Highway, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson,) Supervising Editor Jason Pachomski (Bates Motel, Hand of God), and Composer and Co-Producer Tennessee Freemason Ernest Chapman. The team also includes Co-Producer and Composer Juliette Beavan, as well as Visual FX Supervisor Zach Brinkerhoff  (“Thor” and “X-Men First Class”).

Watch the “33 & BEYOND: THE ROYAL ART OF FREEMASONRY” trailer here: https://vimeo.com/235610129. Order your pre-release Blu-Ray and DVD copy at www.TheRoyalArtMovie.com – it will be avaliable on Monday, January 22nd, 2018.

33 & BEYOND: THE ROYAL ART OF FREEMASONRY (2017, 90 min.) Written and Directed by Johnny Royal. Supervising Editor: Jason Pachomski. Cinematographers: Pablo Diez, Philipp Friesenbichler and Daryl Gilmore. Original Music: Juliette Beavan, Sean Beavan, Ernest Chapman and Johnny Royal. US, English. Praetorian Motion Pictures, TriCoast Entertainment.

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Praetorian Motion Pictures

About TriCoast Entertainment: 

A new home for story-driven American films, TriCoast Entertainment is a full service media company that creates, produces, manages and distributes unique and unusual entertainment. Bringing together filmmakers, distributors, financiers, and technologists, TriCoast Entertainment embraces change by redefining the production and distribution model for indie filmmakers, providing them with low cost tools, financing, and worldwide theatrical and digital distribution, along with market feedback and storytelling opportunities tools, financing, and worldwide theatrical and digital distribution, along with market feedback and storytelling opportunities.