Shadows of the Mind to host one final film night

The Shadows of the Mind Film Festival will be showing one final farewell film to officially mark its end.

Rose will be screened at a pay-what-you-can event on Friday, April 12 at the Grand Theatre on Queen Street. Donations to ARCH will be accepted at the door.

Last fall, the long running festival — which brought world-class cinema to Sault Ste. Marie with a focus on reducing the stigma of mental health and addictions — announced it would be calling it a day.

“While industry challenges such as the immediacy of streaming services, technology, and rising costs of films and cinema rentals contribute to the decision to dissolve, the primary factor is an aging team of volunteers who are ready to step down and like many volunteer driven organizations today, Shadows of the Mind does not have a succession plan,” the film festival committee said at the time.

Shadows plans to present over $70,000 in donations, which will be distributed among the following organizations:

• HARP - HIV & AIDS Resource Program
• Algoma FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Committee
• SOYA - Save our Young Adults
• Algoma Family Services (Children’s Mental Health)
• Sault Ste Marie Soup Kitchen
• Community Living Algoma
• Canadian Mental Health Algoma
• Ken Brown Recovery Home
• Breton House
• Nogdawindamin Family and Community Services
• Algoma International Films

Shadows has also donated its Summer Shadows equipment, along with startup funds, to the Sault Film Festival. 

“This means the 'Movies at the Park' will commence this summer with free Family Friendly movies at Bellevue Park,” the festival stated in a news release. “Thank you to the Sault Film Festival for resuming this popular family event.”

“We extend a huge thank you to our corporate and community sponsors, volunteers, and patrons for their years of support. Please come join us for our final event.”