THUNDER BAY - The Vox Popular drive-in screening of a local film that was to take place Thursday night has been cancelled after Interstellar Outdoor Cinema unexpectedly backed out.
“Unfortunately, we were a bit blindsided,” said Adrien Harpelle, artistic director of the Vox Popular Media Arts Festival. “Our partners Interstellar decided to cancel our event with 24-hours notice. Luckily we have our online festival is up and running right now.”
Vox Popular partnered with Interstellar Outdoor Cinema to screen the film, Five Bucks at the Door by Kirsten Kosloski, along with two other short films on their inflatable screen that was to be setup in the Intercity Shopping Centre parking lot.
According to a statement from Interstellar Outdoor Cinema, the screening was cancelled due to logistical issues, but no further explanation was provided. The statement went on to say they are looking at rescheduling.
But Harpelle said the decision to cancel the screening was due to Interstellar not receiving enough pre-ticket sales.
“Because they told us 24-hours before hand, we weren’t really able to come up with any solutions, so they just quit the event and just cancelled it for us,” he said. “It’s a bit disappointing.”
Interstellar Outdoor Cinema, launched by Darren McChristie, began screening movies in July on Cloud Lake Road on a large inflatable screen.
Even though the screening on Thursday has been cancelled, Harpelle said the festival is still up and running and all films are available online.
“This was just one part of our festival,” he said. “We are really disappointed that it’s not going to happen, but stay tuned. We have live stream events every single day from the 10th to the 20th. All the films are available for free. You can watch at home at your own leisure.”
For those who have purchased tickets for the screening at the Intercity Shopping Centre, Harpelle said individuals will need to reach out to Interstellar Outdoor Cinema for refunds.
Harpelle added that they are working with Kosloski to organize a future screening of films for live audiences.
The Vox Popular Media Arts Festival includes more than 50 films, with 30 by Canadian filmmakers and 10 made in Northern Ontario.
All films can be found on the Vox Popular website.
