WATERLOO, Sept 25, 2023 –
On Saturday Sept ember 23rd, the Grand River Film Festival (GRFF) team hosted their screening of Claydream, a documentary about pioneering “Claymation” animator Will Vinton. Local MPP Catherine Fife attended the event to celebrate a $24,800 Resilient Communities Fund grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The funds, first awarded in March 2022, provided a significant boost towards GRFF’s organizational growth.
“I’m grateful to be here with you today to celebrate this timely investment. I have championed the need for all levels of government to provide direct funding support to Ontario’s cultural institutions such as the Grand River Film Festival as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Catherine Fife, MPP for Waterloo. “I am glad to see that the Grand River Film Festival is prioritizing continued investment in tangible diversity, equity and inclusion work that will shape their organization and community impact for generations to come.”
The grant supported GRFF’s efforts to increase their social value by providing members informed training and coaching to develop and implement a diversity, equity, and inclusion workplan and evaluation strategy to better meet community needs. It also allowed GRFF to re-examine how they operated and spoke to their audience and to ensure that they truly represent the community which they aim to serve, and which is critical to the organization’s future.
“The support of OTF and the Government of Ontario, along with GRFF’s other funding partners and sponsors, ensures the sustainability of the organization,” said Michael Clark, Chair of GRFF. “Through the Resilient Communities Fund grant, GRFF has invested in the future by providing training and coaching to develop and implement a diversity, equity and inclusion workplan and evaluation strategy meeting community needs.”
Founded in 2007, the Grand River Film Festival (GRFF) is committed to celebrate and inspire community through the shared experience of film. Featuring compelling documentaries, engaging shorts and premiere features, GRFF presents an integrated cultural experience. The festival encourages community involvement through a shared love for cinema by offering unique and diverse programming with creative community partnerships. If you are interested in learning more about GRFF please contact Michael Clark, Chair, at chair@grff.ca.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grant-making in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested over $110M into 1,022 community projects and partnerships. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
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