This donation-matching pledge will help Pickford Film Center open new theaters
A pledge to match donations could put The Pickford Film Center in Bellingham in striking range of its goal to open three new theaters.
Michael Feerer of Bellingham has pledged that if the Pickford can raise $200,000, he would match it. The organization has already raised $500,000 of its $1 million goal since spring.
The Pickford has already purchased the building at 105 Grand Ave. and is raising the money to remodel the building into two 70-seat cinemas and a 20-seat cinema, according to Gray Gordon, marketing manager.
If everything goes right, the new theaters will open around the end of 2023, Gordon said.
“There are four reasons why I stepped forward to make this matching donation,” Feerer said in a Pickford news release.
“The first one is the way Pickford synergizes with other nonprofits. Showing more films that speak to the mission of numerous nonprofits in this community gives us all a stronger voice. The second reason is the kids. By having five theater spaces instead of two, the Pickford will have so much more flexibility for their amazing doc-ed program and other programming efforts they do for kids. The third reason is because Pickford builds community. Independent film is an important voice at the foundation of what this community is about. The fourth reason is personal: wouldn’t it be cool to have even more cream-of-the-crop independent films available to our community by having five theaters Instead of two?” Feerer said.
Gordan said the purchase of the Grand Avenue location was made because Pickford had closed the smaller Limelight theater and the storefront cinema on Cornwall Street represented about a third of Pickford’s film showings.
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