CALGARY IS REWRITING ITS CULTURAL PLAN. FILM IS MISSING FROM IT.
We have until November 15 to tell them it matters.
The City of Calgary is writing its new cultural plan — the long-term vision that will guide arts and culture investment and priorities for decades. And right now, Calgary is losing the places built to show film. The Globe is for sale. If it goes, smaller film groups lose their screen first.
The City has told us it needs to see that a real community cares about this. That means you.
Complete the City's cultural plan survey before it closes this Sunday, November 15. Tell the City that spaces to present film and media arts are missing from the plan.
We're not asking for a specific building or a single fix. We're asking the City to name the gap — so the sector and the City can start solving it together.
Take the survey — it takes about 5 minutes
Short on time? You can still make a difference.
On page 1, select Film & Digital Media and use Other to add "spaces built to show film." On page 2, in "Are there any focus areas that we have missed?", tell the City that spaces to present film and media arts are missing from the plan.
Use your own words — identical answers are easy to dismiss. Please don't name a specific building as the fix; the ask is for the City to name the gap.
EMAIL YOUR COUNCILLOR
Ward 1 - Kim Tyers
Ward 2 - Jennifer Wyness
Ward 3 - Andrew Yule
Ward 4 - DJ Kelly
Ward 5 - Raj Dhaliwal
Ward 6 - John Pantazopoulos
Ward 7 - Myke Atkinson
Ward 8 - Nathaniel Schmidt
Ward 9 - Harrison Clark
Ward 10 - Andre Chabot
Ward 11 - Rob Ward
Ward 12 - Mike Jamieson
Ward 13 - Dan McLean
Ward 14 - Landon Johnston
SUGGESTED RESPONSE
To: (Your Ward Councillor)
Cc: themayor@calgary.ca, daorcey.lebray@calgary.ca
Bcc: cinema@ciffcalgary.ca
Subject: Calgary needs places to show film
Dear Councillor [Name],
I live in Ward [#] and I care about film in Calgary. [Add one or two sentences of your own: a film you saw, a cinema you love, a filmmaker you know.]
Calgary's cinemas are aging, and the Globe is for sale. We have a growing film industry but very few places built to show the work. I'm asking you to support naming spaces for film and media arts as a distinct need in the City's updated cultural plan.
[Optional: I’d also ask you to protect arts and culture funding in the upcoming budget.]
Thank you, [Name] [Neighbourhood]