Elon to celebrate completion of Turner Theatre with screening of alum’s Oscar contender

Elon University will officially open its new Turner Theatre on Thursday, Dec. 8, with a cinematic celebration featuring the work of one of its School of Communications alumni.

The first film to officially grace the screen at the 220-seat Turner Theatre will be “Theeb,” the Oscar-nominated work co-produced by 2005 Elon graduate Laith Majali. The film — one of five nominees for Best Foreign Film at this year’s Academy Awards — tells the story of a Bedouin boy who embarks on a perilous desert journey to guide a British officer to his secret destination during World War I.

Majali will attend a special afternoon screening and receive the School of Communications Alumni of the Year award on Dec. 8. The inaugural public opening of Turner Theatre will be the showing of “Theeb” at 8 p.m. that day, and Majali will engage the audience in Q&A afterward.

On Friday, Dec. 9, the School of Communications has partnered with Student Union Board to host a double showing of “Sully,” a true story starring Tom Hanks as Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who lands his crippled plane in the Hudson River, saving all lives on board. Shows will be at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. All faculty, staff and students gain free admission to Turner Theatre with a Phoenix Card, along with family members.

Turner Theatre in the recently opened Dwight C. Schar Hall has a high-definition projection system, 25-foot-wide screen, stadium-style seating and a premier sound system. Turner Theatre was funded by a gift from Elon parents Jim and Toni Turner and their sons, Parker Turner ’06 and Garrett Turner ’08. 

​​The theater is the next component of the wide-ranging School of Communications expansion to be completed. The semester started with faculty and students moving into newly renovated spaces in McEwen Communications Building, followed by the opening of Schar Hall after Fall Break in October. The two are connected by the Snow Family Grand Atrium, a two-story glass structure featuring a large video screen showcasing the school’s programs, alumni and student internships. 

Work continues on the next piece of the expansion — Steers Pavilion, named in recognition of a gift by Bob and Lauren Steers P’15. The pavilion, which will be completed in December, will be the home of the school’s Imagining the Internet Center, a media analytics lab, four faculty offices and a student-faculty research area.

In spring 2017, Long Building will be renovated to house the M.A. in Interactive Media program and the Sport & Event Management Department, both currently located in Powell Building, completing the School of Communications construction project.