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Prince George's Great Northern International Film Festival officially cancelled

'We did everything we possibly could to keep the event alive for this year'
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Norm Coyne, founder of UNLTD Media and Events, speaks to Prince George's first-ever Great Northern International Film Festival set. (via Kyle Balzer)

The city's first-ever international film festival which was set to take place in 2022 has been officially canceled.

Originally announced in 2019 by director Norm Coyne, The Great Northern International Film Festival was scheduled to take place in September 2020 in Prince George but was postponed twice due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim for the Great Northern International Film Festival was to foster local talent, celebrate attending filmmakers and showcase the city.

The plan was to showcase local, regional and international work with over 100 films expected to play in an Oscars-style setting.

“It is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce that we are canceling the Great Northern International Film Festival for 2022,” said the organizers in a press release.

“We did everything we possibly could to keep the event alive for this year but this festival was structured on a very different world of support than we now know.”

The organizers explained since they initially announced the event, some attached sponsors have closed down both volunteer and team members have moved on and they are no longer in a position to host the event as originally planned.

“Over the next couple of months, we'll be initiating refunds to all the filmmakers who applied and those sponsors who supported the event. As the world recovers, we hope that one day we will be able to host the Great Northern International Film Festival in the way it deserves: in person, with a level of prestige it truly warrants. Until that day, please continue to support independent filmmakers and their dreams.”

Despite the festival cancellation and challenges of COVID-19 to the industry, Prince George continues to draw some interest from filmmakers.

A romantic comedy called The Way To The Heart filmed last spring in Prince George is set to air on Super Channel in April which is available through Shaw or Telus cable providers.

A Great North Christmas was also shot in the city in 2021 and another holiday film called Meeting Mr. Christmas was also filmed in Prince George throughout February.