| dbo:abstract |
The Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) is a cultural, charitable organization whose mission is to recognize and celebrate the art of cinema by showcasing Canadian and International films and filmmakers. When the festival first took place, it had 1,000 people in attendance and screened 20 films over the course of 2 days. Marking its growth, in 2009 the festival screened 25 films and sold 1,500 tickets. In 2011 it was attended by 8,000 people. By the time of the 9th festival in 2013, the festival screened 65 films over a 6-day period, with an attendance by 14,000 people under the guidance of executive director Vincent Georgie, who replaced the retiring Peter Coady. In 2016, the festival sold over 20,000 tickets, and was the 2nd-largest volunteer-run film festival in Canada. WIFF 2017 saw ticket sales increase to 22,000, while in 2018, they went up by 10 percent. That same year, 143 films were screened in three different venues: the Capitol Theatre; St. Clair College's Chrysler Theatre, and the . The increase in attendance prompted organizers to extend the festival from 7 days to 10 days the following year. 2019 was another record-breaking year with over 42,000 in attendance for WIFF's 15th anniversary. The creation of WIFF Alley as well a partnership with Netflix was established. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, WIFF was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and WIFF Under the Stars was created in 2020 as an alternative. (en) |
