For the first time in the 22-year history of the Rockies Film Series, we sold out the Key City Theatre twice in one day thanks to the citizens of Cranbrook, Mount Baker Secondary School and the tenacity of Russ Sheppard, local lawyer and subject of the movie.

The Grizzlies is a story of the birth of a Lacrosse team in Kugluktuk but it is more than that. It is a story of the struggle, heartbreak and triumph of the people of this, and many other northern communities in Canada.

The movie is based on the story of a young, fresh teacher, Russ Sheppard (pictured above) and his desire to make a difference through sports for his students in Kugluktuk.

Sunrise Rotary presented the movie on October 18 thanks to the sponsorship of Badger Sports and Cranbrook Lacrosse. Russ Sheppard’s tenacity had the distributor, Mongrel Media, agreeing to allow us to screen the movie in advance of the public release scheduled for March of 2019.

A matinee was presented to the Mount Baker Secondary School students who watched with rapt attention and erupted at the end in spontaneous applause and a standing ovation. It was certainly a sight to see!

The “real” Russ Sheppard, Kyle Aviak and Dave Little were in attendance to answer questions for both audiences. After the matinee, Mount Baker hosted a ‘Red Carpet’ event in the foyer of the school with students and teachers dressed in formal attire offering appetizers made by the students and ginger ale drinks for everyone.

The students then had another opportunity to speak to the three honoured guests. The fun didn’t stop there. Russ Sheppard sponsored a VIP Wine & Cheese before the evening performance raising over $5,000 to be split between the Mount Baker Warriors program and youth mental health initiatives in Cranbrook.

All proceeds from these two screenings and all other films we offer returns back to the youth of our community in the form of scholarships, bursaries, sponsorship for the Youth Ambassador program, Rotary Youth Leadership Award and the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

If you are interested in sponsoring any of our upcoming movies or as a major sponsor for our six-movie festival in March, please email us at [email protected] . Check out our website for information on our upcoming movies

Rockies Film Series and Festival

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