January 31, 2022
Windsor, ON / Detroit, MI – In 2021, Windsor’s internationally celebrated Media City Film Festival (MCFF) received a $27,000 grant from the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund – Operating stream. This grant, delivered by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, will support the presentation of the festival’s landmark 25th anniversary in a special virtual edition, February 8–March 1, 2022.
MCFF’s 25th anniversary will provide local and global audiences with access to more than 70 films from over 30 countries, including incredible new works and restorations by local, regional, national, and international filmmakers and artists. All screenings and programs will be available online for the general public free of charge.
“I want to congratulate Media City Film Festival on the award of this Community Building Fund grant,” said Lisa Gretzky, MPP Windsor West. “For years this festival has been an internationally recognized highlight of Windsor’s cultural calendar, and I am very happy to see that it has been able to adjust to accommodate the exceptional and difficult circumstances we are living through. The grant will help this important local institution survive that adjustment.”
The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone. The arts and cultural sector has been especially hard hit. However, because of the support of this grant, Media City Film Festival has teamed up with CineSend, a Toronto-based industry leader in film delivery, along with Spellerberg Associates, a high-level web design and development firm, to provide viewers with an incredible virtual experience. Audiences can enjoy industry-level access to cinematic gems from around the world that would otherwise regularly premiere at events such as the Cannes, New York, and Toronto International Film Festivals behind paywalls.
“Media City Film Festival is honoured to receive this vital support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation,” says MCFF Artistic Director Oona Mosna. “In times of crisis, people require access to artistic expression and the community that art creates. This funding will ensure that MCFF’s globally-recognized contributions to film culture can continue. Throughout the pandemic, MCFF has reached tens of thousands of new audience members online with cinematic experiences that would normally be out of reach. The festival’s virtual programs have engaged 70,000+ viewers. With OTF’s support, MCFF will continue to build on these successes and grow networks of solidarity so intrinsic to our humanity until a time when we can join each other safely in the cinema.”
MCFF’s 25th anniversary program will be accessible on the festival’s website February 8 – March 1, 2022: mediacityfilmfestival.com
Media City Film Festival is an international festival of film and digital art, dedicated to the creation, exhibition, and dissemination of the cinematic arts. MCFF is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, Knight Arts Foundation, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, along with support from private donors, sponsors, members, audiences, artists, and viewers like you.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.