We Did It!
We
are excited to announce that we've reached our initial target of
$20,000 thanks to many First Weekend Club members and industry partners
who believe in this project and feel the time is right for Canadian
films to have a stronger presence in the market.
We still have some time left in our fundraising campaign, and we're taking this success train into
overdrive so we can do more to ensure a great future for Canadian film.
Jump on board and be a part of a grassroots movement that will change the face of the Canadian film industry!
Any
additional funds raised will go into marketing the service so we can
bring more great Canadian films to more people across the country (and
eventually to the world!).
If you have already contributed to
this campaign, thank you for believing in us. If you haven't yet but
want to be a part of something important and exciting, then do it today,
or before November 30th, as time is quickly running out.
Thank you for helping us make this happen!And thanks to Indie Gogo for allowing Canadian campaigns to exist on their site. Without them we wouldn't have been able to launch this important campaign.
Our Story
Did you know that in 2010, so few people went to see Canadian films that only 3.4% of the total national box office went to Canadian films (83% went to US films and 8% went to other foreign films).
First Weekend Club is a national, non-profit organization that was created to help change that statistic by building audiences for, and awareness of, great Canadian films. Simply, our goal is to help more people discover great Canadian films.
Having supported the theatrical releases of over 150 titles since 2003, we’re moving into a new frontier: the online world. We want to make quality Canadian feature films available to anyone, anywhere, anytime. We aim to transform the Canadian cinema landscape by launching a video-on-demand (VOD) streaming platform, which will feature a curated library of the very best Canadian films available. We've been researching and developing the viability and technology required to implement this plan for two years, now it's time to make it a reality.
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From Empty Theatres to Full Houses
First Weekend Club is Making a Difference
The Impact
Currently, there is no Video-On-Demand service dedicated to Canadian films. As First Weekend Club has well established relationships with independent Canadian filmmakers, and over 13,000 dedicated members, our proposal to stream Canadian movies on a pay-per-view basis will provide a much needed alternative platform to indie filmmakers wishing to access a new and ever-growing digital audience. First Weekend Club’s VOD service will be filling an important gap and will be furthering our mission to bring quality Canadian films to more people everywhere.
What We Need
Our goal is to raise $20,000 to develop a beta site; to upgrade the current First Weekend Club website; and for hosting fees. If we raise more money (and we really hope we do) then we will be able to put those funds into building a larger library of films and into marketing this new service so we can attract a larger audience. And don't worry, as we grow, we will continue to look for quality, NOT quantity.
What You Get
We've got some great stuff, including some fun and unique experiences. In putting together these perks, we turned to our friends in the film community to see what they might be able to contribute to help us out. We've got signed DVDs, film passes to our Canada Screens Series, an online Master Class, a semi-private dinner and movie experience with two of Canada's most renowned filmmakers, and a bunch of other fun stuff.
What we're really building is a virtual cinema dedicated to showing off Canadian films. So with a minimum contribution of $50, not only can you own a seat that you can personalize in this virtual cinema, but you'll also be invited to test drive our new Video-On-Demand system, be able to offer your feedback through a private discussion group, and attend our online launch where we'll stream a Canadian film live from Vancouver. This way we can engage Canadian film fans across the country and make sure we create a new video-on-demand service that you'll want to visit again and again.
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The Photo:
Former colleague Kelsey Matheson and me (Anita Adams)
wearing the First Weekend Club tanks, which is one of the
perks we're offering (the tank, that is). They're black with our gold
marque logo across the chest. I think they're kind of cute.
With a $25 contribution, you can own one of these sexy tanks!
If you get this perk, I'll follow up with you by email to get your
preferred size.
Other Ways You Can Help
Spread the word and tell your friends about the campaign and First Weekend Club!
Sign up to become a First Weekend Club member at www.firstweekendclub.ca. Membership is free, and we have a bunch of other perks for members throughout the year.
Find us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/FirstWeekendClub and
Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/1stweekendclub.
Great Canadian films…they are out there!
PLEASE NOTE:
It has come to attention, that all donations must be made in American currency, which means you will be charged an exchange fee on top of the donation. We see the biter irony of the situation, but unfortunately there is no Canadian alternative to a crowd source fundraising platform. We thought you should know before making a contribution, but sincerely hope this piece of information doesn't prevent you from jumping on board to support our cause. Thank you!
A big Thank You to our Industry Partners who have jumped on board to sponsor this project:
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