Our Story
What is the QFA?
For sixteen years now the Quinte Film Alternative’s (QFA) Great Movie Wednesdays! have offered Quinte residents the opportunity to see first-rate, first-run films that wouldn’t otherwise light up the movie screens in this area. The Quinte Film Alternative is a not-for-profit organization run by a handful of volunteers on behalf of all film lovers. Everyone is welcome.
Movies are held on alternate Wednesdays at The Empire Theatre, 321 Front Street, downtown Belleville, with a matinee at 2:00 pm and an evening show at 7:30 pm.
Tickets are available in advance at the Empire Theatre Box Office by calling 613.969.0099 and are also sold at the door.
Become a member and receive reduced ticket prices and enjoy other benefits as well.
The Quinte Film Alternative is everyone who comes to see QFA films – whether once, twice or every time. The Quinte Film Alternative is all the restaurants, shops and businesses that proudly display QFA posters and brochures. It is the local sponsors who help defray costs and support community outreach. It’s the publicists who turn out press releases for the local media, and it’s the media that cheerfully print or broadcast news of these great films to the public.
Most especially, the Quinte Film Alternative is that body of ardent supporters that has expressed appreciation for, and commitment to, great cinema by purchasing memberships. There are many benefits of membership – not the least of which is the opportunity to see a great movie, at a great price, every other Wednesday!
What’s an alternative film?
Good question! It might be a very small, independent art film that holds up a mirror to society or dares to shine its light into certain dark corners; an effervescent comedy from Japan, Italy, Brazil, France or the Czech Republic; a bittersweet tragedy from the American heartland; a gangster movie from China that lifts the veil from the hearts of those struggling against evil to reveal that, no matter how distant the time or the land, how foreign the language, the beat, the hope, the pain and the joy in their hearts matches that of our own. Or it could be a brilliant little film made right here in Canada that sadly might only be seen on about 2% of the movie screens in this country.
In all cases, alternative simply refers to high quality cinema — award-winning Canadian, American or international — that otherwise wouldn’t make it to a local screen. The economic pressure on normal theatrical movie exhibition is such that offerings tend to consistently be of the same safe, predictable, lowest-common-denominator, Hollywood factory product with big budgets, big stars and big hype.
So come out and discover outstanding movies that usually flow past small centres like ours. Discover what they’re discovering in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, New York, San Francisco, Boston, London, Paris, Edinborough, Cannes, Berlin, Madrid, Tokyo, Amsterdam and other great world cities.
How did the QFA get started?
The Quinte Film Alternative was formed in the fall of 1995 by a group of local film enthusiasts with the assistance of The Quinte Arts Council and support from the Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival Group. There were people then who believed that an audience did exist in our own community for films like this. Happily, the response over the past decade and a half has borne this out.
The premiere presentation – Blue in the Face (USA) – sold out, as have many others since. Movie patrons of all ages, from all walks of life and all ethnic backgrounds have consistently proven that there is a local audience thirsting for award-winning, international and Canadian movies. Thank you Quinte!
And sincere thanks as well to all the mainstream theatres, movies and audiences, for without them there would be no film industry, no distributors, no theatres and no QFA!
What else?
Everyone is welcome. The QFA is a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization. Programmers carefully select from the best films currently available and we are always eager to hear your feedback and suggestions so please go to our Contact page and full out the online form.
Memberships are available for committed regulars and single admission tickets are sold at the door. Want to learn more about becoming a member? Check it out here.
There is an afternoon and an evening screening every other Wednesday at the Empire Theatre, 321 Front Street, downtown Belleville.
As always for more information or provide feedback or suggestion, simply contact us.
