A northern B.C. film festival that was set to take place in September has been postponed until 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Director Norm Coyne announced The Great Northern International Film Festival will hit local screens March 18-21, 2021.
“Our aim for the Great Northern International Film Festival is to foster local talent, celebrate attending filmmakers and showcase our city. We want to portray what Prince George has to offer and build a legacy with this festival," Coyne says in a news release.
"September simply is not a viable option for safety and success at this time."
The showcase will show local, regional and international artists’ work with over 100 films expected to play on the silver-screen in an Oscars-style setting.
Coyne says the festival has seen hundreds of submissions from filmmakers in 22 different countries so far.
GNIFF will be hosted at new Treasure Cove Show Lounge & Coyne says Prince George filmmakers can submit their production for FREE 🎞 “Full red carpet treatment” will also take place Sept. 10-13 | #CityOfPG pic.twitter.com/Vo3XljgeCQ
— Kyle Balzer (@KyleBalzer) December 5, 2019
The successful selections will be announced July 31 and will be screened on the new dates next Spring.
Coyne says throughout the next few months, events will feature online interviews with some of the filmmakers leading up to the event.
The original schedule of screenings across four days won't be unchanged.
"GNIFF is another piece of our ongoing strategy to do our part in building the film industry right here in our city. We are grateful to have support from like-minded businesses who have sponsored this event. It is clear to me that people really want to see a resurgence take place and we aim to continue to do our part."
The event was originally announced back in December 2019, where Coyne said he is confident this festival, which has been in the works for the past two years.
He added he hopes to bring unseen movie-making skills in Prince George into the spotlight and encourage youth to network with industry professionals through the festival.
There will still be a true red carpet gala carpet with paparazzi, 24 award categories for submission and a $500 cash prize for each winner.
- with files from Kyle Balzer, PrinceGeorgeMatters
