Cult film director, actor and writer Kevin Smith is coming through for a small east Vancouver theatre that's fighting to stay alive.

Smith has agreed to host an evening fundraiser at the Rio Theatre, with all proceeds going toward the fund aimed at supporting the independent theatre and community performance space.

Smith's initial tweets of support for the Rio helped kick-start a campaign that climaxed earlier this month when the theatre's two owners made a successful offer to buy the building, which was for sale and potentially slated for redevelopment.

Owner Corinne Lea and her partner now have less than two months to raise the multimillion-dollar purchase price.