Chilliwack Independent Film Festival donating 50% of proceeds to B.C. flood relief
The Chilliwack Independent Film Festival will begin this week, nearly two months after it was originally scheduled to take place.
Organizers delayed the event due to the impact of the devastating floods that struck the Fraser Valley in mid-November.
The flooding directly affected some of the festival's volunteers, and it also cut off Chilliwack from both Metro Vancouver and the Interior, which made it all the more impossible for the event to continue, according to festival director Taras Groves.
"We're essentially a destination festival," Groves told CTV News. "Fifty per cent of all our tickets are usually from outside of Chilliwack."
He said he was personally lucky to avoid damage from the flooding.
"Water came right up to our doors," Groves said. "It was definitely a surreal and scary experience."
The in-person portion of the festival begins on Friday, Jan. 14. Over three days, organizers will screen 40 films in 10 screening blocks at the Cottonwood Cinema in Chilliwack. Attendance is limited to 50 per cent of capacity because of B.C.'s current COVID-19 rules.
After the in-person screenings, a virtual festival will run from Jan. 17 to 30, allowing those with tickets to watch all of the festival's offerings online from the comfort of their homes.
Half of the proceeds from all tickets - in-person and virtual - will be donated to flood relief efforts.
Groves said there was no question for organizers that donating proceeds was the right thing to do.
"I think it puts things in perspective, you know?" he said of the flooding.
"It's a stressful thing, being a nonprofit ourselves and trying to run a film festival. It's all 100 per cent done by volunteers. We volunteer our time. But then something like the flooding happens and it really just kind of grounds you. It makes you want to try and give back to the community after they've tried to support us so much."
Ticket sales are typically one of the primary sources of income for the festival, but Groves said he's not concerned about the reduced revenue this year.
"We'll cope," he said. "It's not about making money. It's about providing the platform for artists to have their stories heard and obviously bringing stories and filmmakers to Chilliwack."
More information on the Chilliwack Independent Film Festival can be found on its website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
Senators reject field trip to African Lion Safari amid elephant bill study
The Senate legal affairs committee has rejected a motion calling for members to take a $50,000 field trip to the African Lion Safari in southern Ontario to see the zoo's elephant exhibit.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.