Oakville Film Festival returns to in-person screenings, hosts fundraiser in support of Ukraine
Published June 17, 2022 at 11:32 am
A return to live in-person screenings and galas and events in support of relief efforts in the Ukraine highlight this year’s Oakville Film Festival.
The ninth annual film celebration begins Wednesday, June 22 and runs through to Tuesday, June 29 and will feature a record-setting 113 films, including 21 feature length films, over seven days.
The popular film festival returns to in-person screenings at Film.Ca Cinemas (June 25-26) and events at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts (June 23-25) after COVID-19 restrictions resulted in the closure of theatres across the province.
There will be a hybrid of offerings as participants can attend film showings live in person or watch virtually.
This year’s festival is also doing its part to help its “friends in Ukraine” with two sets of fundraising events to help relief efforts in the war-torn country which was invaded by Russia.
The film festival will first hold a series of virtual screenings next Wednesday (June 22) and then on Saturday (June 25) it will host An Evening to Celebrate Ukrainian Arts and Culture featuring: Chantal Kreviazuk in support of the Ukrainian World Foundation. at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts.
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“This festival features authentic Ukrainian film, performance, dance, and art, and funds raised will go towards emergency medical and humanitarian support, to help the brave civilian volunteers in Ukraine as they fight for freedom,” the Oakville Film Festival said on its website. “A live auction, and an auction of local Ukrainian art, will raise further funds to support the cause.”
Kreviazuk has Ukrainian roots. The Canadian singer-songwriter is a platinum-selling, Grammy and three-time Juno Award-winning artist and Order of Canada recipient from Winnipeg.
Her great-grandparents fled Ukraine and the regime of Josef Stalin, coming to Canada and settling in rural Manitoba.
Kreviazuk has been an ambassador to War Child for more than two decades and one of the organization’s founding artists.
The evening begins at 7 p.m. and includes:
- A concert by Ukraine-Canadian Singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk,
- A traditional Ukrainian dance performance by the Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School (pictured below),
- A screening of the Ukrainian/Lithuanian film, The Earth is Blue as an Orange, with an introduction by Director/Editor/Writer Iryna Tsilyk.
Gala Tickets Information:
Regular Ticket – $75 per ticket (all in price, includes taxes and fees) USE THIS BOGO CODE TO GET TWO FOR ONE TICKETS: offabogo link to purchase here
VIP Platinum Ticket – $250 per ticket (all-in, includes taxes and fees. Includes an hors d’oeuvres and cocktail hour to precede the event (5-6 pm ET), and meet and greet with Chantal Kreviazuk) Get 20 per cent off your VIP tickets using the code: offatwentyvip. Link here enter the code offatwentyvip in the promo code.
Livestream: You can enjoy the full event in the comfort of your own home for the price of one regular ticket ($75 all in) so host a watch party. You have 48 hours to watch the livestream. For 20 per cent off the livestream, go here enter the code offatwentyvip as a promo code
The opening night gala on Thursday (June 23) will feature the viewing of The Phantom of the Opera. Another gala will be held on Friday (June 24) and feature the viewing of Iranian romantic-drama Tehranto.
The Oakville Film Festival will also include Canadian and regional premieres, independent films, documentaries, and short films.
Filmgoers are also encouraged to make sure they stay for the Q&A after each film screening to elevate their film fest experience with direct audience access with artists and filmmakers.
For a list of what’s playing at this year’s festival and how to purchase tickets or ticket packages, see here.
