A local film festival has been awarded $406,325 in both federal and provincial grants celebrating the art of cinema.
Media City Film Festival (MCFF) is an international festival of film and digital art dedicated to the creation, exhibition, and dissemination of the cinematic arts in Windsor-Detroit.
The funding announcement was made ahead of the 27th annual virtual MCFF beginning Dec. 9 through Dec. 30.
MCFF's artistic director Oona Mosna says the organization began in 1994, with many films produced locally.
"We do film production and films that have shown at the academy museum, have been collected by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is the the Oscars, the Museum of Modern Art. We're kind of a globally well-known event."
$208,000 was provided by Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), $136,325 from Ontario Arts Council (OAC) and $62,500 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
Mosna says in last funding cycle, MCFF spent more than $200,000 in artist fees to directly support artists and distribute their work.
"Artists and filmmakers always come first for us, we know that art is a generator for our local economy. It's something that improves the quality of life for our citizens, and so that $400,000 will make incredible impact, and we know that it's going to make an impact both in Windsor and Detroit."
Assistant artistic director Jeremy Rigsby says this year 73 films will be screen in three different program sections including international, local and spotlight that take an in depth look at eight international artists.
"All of those films are completely free to watch without registration or paying anything, and they're globally accessible, not only to Canadians but to people around the world can come and watch those works."
The virtual festival can be accessed at mediacityfilmfestival.com starting Dec. 9.
-With files from AM800's The Shift with guest host Kyle Horner