Pop Up Movie Night press release FINAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Myra Leibu | cell: 416-770-3011 | email: [email protected]
Media Advisory: TIFF® & Art Starts partner to bring outdoor
movie series to inner suburban Toronto neighbourhoods
TORONTO, ONTARIO (June 10th, 2014) – TIFF’s Special Delivery Program and award
winning community arts organization Art Starts are proud to present a series of outdoor
Pop Up Movie Nights throughout the month of June in three Toronto neighbourhoods:
Villaways June 11th, Neptune June 18th and Glendower June 25th . The movie nights will
feature a screening of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.
Art Starts, a leader in developing arts and culture initiatives in underserved Toronto
neighbourhoods, is an arts organization in residence at Villaways, Neptune and
Glendower. This bridging partnership with TIFF’s Special Delivery Program will provide
an opportunity for residents in these three Toronto Community Housing neighbourhoods
to watch a movie under the stars.
“Special Delivery is just one of several TIFF community initiatives that focuses on
fostering a sense of togetherness while providing residents with a creative outlet and an
opportunity to discuss issues inspired by film. We are excited to be partnering with Art
Starts and thrilled to be able to share such an important film that showcases Nelson
Mandela and the struggle for justice in South Africa, and also justice as a universal
cause, to which his work was integral,” said Emily Scheer, Senior Manager, Family &
Youth Programming, TIFF.
This partnership aims to increase access to arts and culture opportunities across the city
of Toronto, and is part of the larger Platform A initiative which is testing new models for
collaboration and resource sharing in the youth and community-engaged arts sector.
“We want to create access to the ‘downtown’ art scene as much as we want to increase
opportunities in the underserved communities we work with,” says Myra Leibu, Art Starts
Special Projects Manager. “We hope to help neighbours connect to each other, and
larger happenings in the city, through positive artistic spaces. These Pop Up Movie
Nights are community building at its core: a chance to share stories and a beautiful
summer evening!”
The June 18th Pop Up Movie Night at Neptune will also feature a pop-up video arcade by
acclaimed video game arts organization, Hand Eye Society.
Art Starts is charitable organization that has been bringing professional artists and
underserved communities together in community-building arts programs for over 20
years. They are the winners of Toronto Arts Foundation’s 2013 Arts for Youth Award.
www.artstarts.net
Platform A is a collaboration between four of Toronto’s leading organizations in
community-engaged arts: Arts for Children and Youth, Art Starts, Jumblies Theatre and
SKETCH. Funded by the Toronto Arts Council, this exciting pilot initiative is testing new
models for collaboration and resource sharing in the youth and community-engaged arts
sectors.
Special Delivery is a TIFF programme that reaches out to youth in under-served local
communities who may not otherwise have access to the film festival experience. Special
Delivery brings film screenings, director discussions and film-craft workshops to schools
and community groups free of charge. Over the past twelve years, Special Delivery has
reached more than 15,000 children and youth across the Greater Toronto Area. Special
Delivery is generously supported by the Toronto Port Authority.
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people
see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include
the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which
features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and
innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an
annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously
supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Government of Canada,
the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi
Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information,
visit tiff.net.
Hand Eye Society is a Toronto not-for-profit dedicated to supporting and showcasing
videogames made primarily as a form of creative expression. Founded in 2009, it is the
first videogame arts organization in the world. http://www.handeyesociety.com
WHO:
WHAT:
WHEN:
WHERE:
Art Starts and TIFF Special Delivery
Pop Up Movie Night
Villaways: Wednesday June 11@ sunset
Neptune: Wednesday June 18 @ sunset
Glendower: Wednesday June 25 @ sunset
Villaways: park at the foot of Adra Way
Neptune: the gazebo at 145 Neptune Drive
Glendower: the grassy knoll at 2821 Birchmount
For more information, please visit www.artstarts.net or contact Art Starts Special Projects
Manager Myra Leibu at 416-770-3011 or [email protected]
For more information on Special Delivery, contact the TIFF Communications Department
at 416-934-3200 or [email protected]