The Collingwood Youth Centre Film Club surpassed its fundraising goal of $20,000 to help local homeless youth thanks to four sold-out screenings of their full-length documentary on the issue.
According to a news release issued by the film club, the opening weekend of Falling with Flying Colours (a short film by the club) and No Home in Sight, brought in more than $20,000.
John Cardillo Jr. the film’s director said the screenings and public reaction to the film have gone beyond his expectations.
“The reception is mindblowing,” he said in the news release. “We sold out all four of our screenings and have seen enough interest to continue showing the project throughout Simcoe County over the next year.”
Cardillo worked with a team of youth to put together the documentary on homeless teens in Collingwood, how those in the community were trying to help, and what resources were needed to make a difference in their lives.
“We spoke to homeless youth, youth workers, politicians … We asked them to tell their story in whatever way they felt comfortable. What is it like being homeless here in Collingwood? What does a good day look like? A bad day?” said Cardillo in an earlier interview with CollingwoodToday. “As we did interviews it blew us away. When we thought we knew what the scale was, it grew, and then it would grow again.”
The money raised at the film screenings is going into a special fund held by the Collingwood Youth Centre to “combat youth homelessness” in the community.
“A youth homelessness advisory board, made up of youth and workers from the youth centre and the community, will be directly responsible for administering funds to those who need them,” states the news release.
Lea Pankhurst, manager of the Collingwood Youth Centre, encouraged Cardillo and the team to work on a documentary about youth homelessness. He said the issue kept coming up as he met with other groups and organizations in the community.
He is proud of the teens who put together the documentary and brought the issue to the forefront of many more minds in Collingwood.
“There are a lot of people that until now were invisible,” said Pankhurst. “We can’t be ignorant of this crisis anymore. We know what the problem is and we know we have to start working to solve it.”
Cardillo said the documentary and awareness it brings is only a start.
“We need to work together to help those affected and stop anyone else from going through this ever again,” he said. “These are our students. These are our friends. These are our kids.”
For those interested in screening No Home in Sight at their school, library, church or organization, contact Pankhurst or Cardillo.
