Since the pandemic took away its customers, Countryfest Community Cinema in Dauphin has been struggling to lure them back and, as a result, is fighting to keep the lights on.

And while the community has not been buying tickets to the same extent it once did, the cinema’s board of directors is asking for a different kind of commitment to help get it through this tough stretch.

As part of a three-pronged approach to raising an urgently-needed injection of capital, the cinema has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise the $30,000 needed to support operations and the $80,000 board chair Ron Hedley said is needed in the long term. The other two prongs are a corporate fund-raising drive and the sale of new monthly cinema memberships.

“The most exciting thing for me, I’ve been trying to do for five years is to have a monthly membership, a $10, $20 or $30 membership. It’s on our website now. We’re just kind of finalizing the touches of it,” Hedley said, adding the program is modeled like memberships to Netflix and other streaming services, which most people already purchase.

“So people can get one seat for $10, two seats for $20 and a family, I think for $39. But the whole idea is that it will help make us sustainable because it’s just going to be a recurring income.”

Hedley said an extra $7,000 to $8,000 per month is needed to keep the cinema viable.

“As far as extracurricular income, like away from the movie screen,” he said.

“If you want a theater, that’s what we need to do.”

Hedley said the cinema was operating smoothly when it was presented with a series of obstacles.

“We were doing well and had some financial reserves and then we were hit with hurdles such as the pandemic, the actors guild strikes in Hollywood, and the rise of streaming services,” Hedley said, adding those reserves were burned through during that period.

On top of operating costs, the cinema has a remaining mortgage of $1.139 million, reduced from the original $2.5 million in 2011, which, Hedley said, represented only half the actual value of the building.

Hedley added he has heard comments that the cinema has always been a  losing proposition, but that simply is not true.

“We’ve held our own for a long time. We just need to get over this little hump,” he said, adding the entire board is committed to the future of the cinema.

“We need a short-term lift to get us back on track. Recently, there are days you can come to the movie theatre and it feels like a private screening. This building was meant to bring people together, but right now we’re struggling to convince people to show up and see a movie.”

As part of the drive, the board has decided to change direction when it comes to day-to-day management of the business and is searching for a new general manager, a task made more difficult by the current financial challenges.

Hedley said existing staff and the board will guide the transition along with some help from City staff.

“We have 13 employees there that we want to look after, so that’s our first priority right now, to make sure there’s enough for them,” Hedley said, adding with the recent moves that have already been made, he is confident the campaign will be a succes.

“It’s a new kind of wave. I like it. A new kind of breath.”

While the Cinema is a non-profit organization and cannot issue charitable tax receipts, there are still many ways to help:

• Donate directly to the GoFundMe campaign online at gofund.me/994e7d428.
• Share the campaign with friends, family and colleagues.
• Reach out to the cinema board with partnership or fund-raising ideas.

“This is your cinema,” Hedley said.

“It’s where we’ve celebrated birthdays, fundraisers, community events, first dates, and countless family nights. If you have ever made a memory here, please help us make sure the next generation can, too.”

To discuss how you can help, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..