to believe when faced with images of red carpets and cocktail parties, but a closer look behind the scenes finds cultural institutions – from film festivals to performing arts organizations – facing the same economic stressors as everybody else in the country.
Take the case of the ImagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival in Toronto, which is celebrating its 24th annual edition next week in the midst of what executive director Naomi Johnson calls an incredible “crunch.” “This year we had to be very specific in which artists we can invite and realistically afford, and that just sucks,” adds Johnson. “We can’t keep going like this.”
last month. Tickets to ImagineNATIVE films are priced below-market, with single screenings costing $10 and five-film packages going for $45.