NEWS RELEASE
BE THE CHANGE FILM SERIES
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The Be the Change Film Series (BTC) has kept the people of Collingwood/Blue Mountains enthralled for 14 years. The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust, our area’s leading environmental charity, runs the film series as a friend and fundraising effort.
Like last year, showings are outdoors on the Beer Garden lawn at The Collingwood Brewery located at 10 Sanford Fleming Dr. Show times will change with the sunset. The first movie, To the Orcas, With Love, kicks off this Tuesday, May 31, at 9 p.m. Attendees must dress for the weather and are asked to bring a chair or a blanket, as picnic tables are limited.
The 14th season promises to be great, extending from the end of May into October 2022. BTC’s environmentally and socially-conscious movies are a big hit with many demographics: children, families, couples and retirees.
“Our attendees have changed since we moved outdoors to the brewery,” said Kathleen Knoll, who leads the BTC film series for the Watershed Trust. “We definitely skewed older pre-pandemic at the Simcoe Street Theatre, but being outside, we now have families and more young people in addition to our die-hard supporters.”
“Of course, being at the Collingwood Brewery, you have the option of enjoying a beer, a cider and other refreshments with and without alcohol. Just don’t forget to bring something to sit on,” Knoll added.
Knoll points out that the brewery is easily accessible via the Collingwood Trails, which fits right in with this season’s fourth movie, Motherload.
“I expect to see lots of bikes,” Knoll said.
This year’s film line-up is stellar, with something for everyone. BTC is a family-friendly event, at $12 for adults, $7 for students and free for children. The first movie, To the Orcas, With Love, is full of stories of personal connections with orcas, beautiful cinematography featuring B.C’s resident orcas, and an evocative soundscape. It’s inspired by elders, including environmentalist David Suzuki, whale researchers Alexandra Morton and Paul Spong, as well totem carver Wayne Alfred. It invites us to rise up and create the world we dream of for ourselves. Find this season’s lineup of films (thus far), tickets and show details here.
On May 31 only, BTC attendees have a chance to win a 6-pack of tickets to the Blue Mountain Film Festival, which runs from June 1 to June 5.
Seeking sponsors
BTC seeks sponsorship from organizations that espouse socially and environmentally progressive values, such as the series title sponsor, RE/MAX Four Seasons Realty. While many BTC sponsors have signed on for season 14, a few longstanding sponsors have left the flock. BTC’s many other sponsors include Conscious Water, Rockside Campbell Design, Anytime Fitness, Canopy Media and The Collingwood Foundry.
“It’s such great exposure, such a good marketing decision for local businesses,” Knoll said. Sponsorship starts at $100. Interested businesses are encouraged to get in touch.
Proceeds from BTC benefit local environmental education programs organized by The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust, a Collingwood-based environment-focused charity entering its 27th year.
The BTC Film Series is designed to unite Collingwood and surrounding communities around a variety of environment-centric issues. Provocative, carefully chosen films are selected around themes such as growing food sustainably, resource extraction and climate change.
About the Be The Change Film Series
The BTC Film Series was created in 2008 to educate and inspire the local Collingwood/Blue Mountains community into action. The Blue Mountain Watershed Trust Foundation is working together along with other community partners to provide the audience with a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of some of the most important ecological and social justice issues facing our local area and the communities of planet Earth. For more information, please contact Kathleen Knoll at [email protected], or call 705-446-1580.
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