A small group of community members has come together to help the Countryfest Community Cinema through a critical time. Please take a moment to read the press release below and consider donating, sharing, or getting involved. Together, we can keep the lights on.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

For nearly 15 years, the Countryfest Community Cinema has been a place where friends, families, and visitors come together to share their love of the movies. For the last five years, keeping the doors open and the lights on has been an ongoing struggle. We are urgently asking the Parkland region and local business community to come together once again to help keep the Cinema alive.

The Countryfest Community Cinema opened on February 11, 2011, built for the community, by the community. It was a dream realized through the dedication of volunteers, local businesses, and residents who believed that Dauphin and the surrounding region deserved a place to enjoy movies close to home again. Today, that dream is in jeopardy.

The Cinema is currently facing serious financial strain, with monthly operating costs of approximately $45,000, and a remaining mortgage of $1.139 million, reduced from the original $2.5 million in 2011. Despite ongoing efforts to cut costs and rebuild attendance after the pandemic, lower audience numbers have made operations challenging.

“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,” says Ron Hedley, who has served as Board Chair since the Cinema’s inception. “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.”

To respond to this crisis, a group of community members who care deeply about the Cinema’s future has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise immediate funds to cover operating costs through the holiday season.

“This is critical. We need the region’s help now. Without it, we could lose not only this theatre, but a piece of what makes this community special. Every donation, every social media share, and every show attended makes a difference,” says Martijn van Luijn, community member and longtime supporter of the Cinema.

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

“This is your cinema,” Hedley added, “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.”

The Board welcomes partnership discussions and creative fundraising ideas from local businesses and organizations, but immediate donations are crucial to keep operations running in the weeks ahead. To discuss how you can help, please contact the Countryfest Community Cinema.