Niagara Artists Centre out as Film House programmers
For four years, Niagara Artists Centre (NAC) gave local film buffs a break from blockbusters and typical cineplex fare with its Film House series.
Most every night in the lower regions of FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, the Film House would offer documentaries, foreign films, indie moves and plenty of classics many people never had the chance to see on the big screen before.
But as of the end of May, the cityowned performing arts centre (PAC) has taken over programming of the film series for its eventual return, ending its service agreement with NAC. The decision has left some NAC supporters angry.
“They sure got shafted,” wrote one in an email to The Niagara Falls Review. “I feel like boycotting.”
“City staff aren’t qualified to curate NAC’s work but I guess there’s no telling them that,” wrote another. “This was a good thing and NAC’s dismissal is a real failure of cultural leadership at the city.”
When reached Wednesday, NAC director Stephen Remus said the St. Catharines arts collective was informed last fall about the decision, but hoped PAC would reconsider as it went through the transition of hiring a new executive director (Colleen Smith). An extension was granted to the end of May, but PAC stuck to its original plan — new film program co-ordinator Cathy Carr was hired earlier this year.
“We weren’t pleased, but we’ve come to terms with it,” said Remus. “PAC and the city have their system and ways of evaluating and they determined they could deliver a film program more efficiently by going in-house.”
Film programming has been part of the 50-year history of Niagara Artists Centre. For the Film House series, it recruited Brock University professors Joan Nicks and Barry Grant to help program a series which saw steadily increasing attendance over four years before the COVID-19
pandemic abruptly shut down screenings in March.
“We created a model that I’m sure PAC will continue,” said Remus. “We built something we know is unique to Niagara.”
PAC programming and marketing manager Sara Palmieri said the venue is “grateful” for NAC’s contribution to Film House programming and stressed the series will continue to “connect what is on screen with audiences, the community, artists and the industry.”
Remus isn’t closing the curtain on film programming at NAC, however. There are plans to stage a summer series — when it’s safe to do so — of “guerrilla drive-in” screenings: Movies shown in a variety of locations via a mobile projection booth.
“We hope to keep the art house film thing,” he said. “We hope to provide an alternative to the mainstream programming that happens at drive-in theatres.”