Moosomin Community Theatre part of Toronto International Film Festival circuit
The Little Film Fest on the Prairies is showcasing Toronto International Film Festival films once a month
February 2, 2026, 10:59 am
Ashley Bochek
J’aime Payne moved to Moosomin about two years ago from Toronto, along with her husband, and was eager to bring new and exciting films that are part of the Toronto Film Festival to the community.
Payne says she missed watching films that were offered in theatres in the big city and wanted to bring the opportunity to Moosomin and created The Little Film Fest on the Prairies.
“We were exploring some ways to diversify some of the offerings at the theatre. The theatre does a fantastic job of bringing in family-friendly films and big-ticket films you would typically want to see, and I was curious if there was an appetite for a different kind of film in Moosomin,” she explains.
“I lived in Toronto for almost a decade and attended a lot of film festivals while I was living there, and I really enjoyed being able to go and see some films that I really couldn’t find or get anywhere else like the big movie theatres—maybe they were independent films and didn’t have the budget for the big theatres—and I miss that and there are lots of things I do miss about living in a city and so instead of wishing I was there to see them I decided ‘Let’s see how hard it is to get on the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) circuit.
“I didn’t know much about it other than it is across Canada. The TIFF people have been fantastic. I reached out to them through email and asked what the process was for getting involved in their film circuit. They walked me through it, and they have made it very easy to get involved.
“I was in communication with the board who runs the movie theatre in town as well, and discussed with them whether or not they would be open to giving us a night at the theatre that wasn’t Friday or Saturday, when they run their regular movies, and they have been extremely supportive.”
TIFF circuit expands
“Moosomin is one of five locations in all of Saskatchewan who is part of the film circuit,” Payne explains.
“It is a big deal, but it also takes educating the public because maybe they aren’t aware of TIFF and maybe they don’t realize that it is quite special to have access to the catalogue of films that they probably wouldn’t have access to otherwise.
“There is a map of all the locations across Ontario that the TIFF circuit is part of and they are really eager to open up more spots in the western provinces, but it really takes the initiative of someone local and the agreement of the participating parties to make it happen because not many people out here know about it and it is something new and exciting and different.”
When and where
Payne says the first few films have been well attended and the group is looking at feedback from the community for upcoming films.
“We sent out a survey in November to see if there was any interest in this and we had enough positive feedback to move forward. We asked in the survey what evening throughout the week worked best, and what type of films they were wanting to see.
“Some people want crowd pleasers, some like documentaries, some don’t like subtitles, there are so many options because the TIFF catalogue is quite large. Then we used the info from the survey to start. It is so easy to get slowed down on a new idea by being uncertain or being scared of making the wrong choice, but I am very much the type of entrepreneur that throws it out there to see what happens. I recruited Kyla Fingas’s help, and we watched a bunch of trailers and decided on the first three films without really consulting people other than the survey results. So we’re showing one film a month. It typically is a Monday night right now.”
“We showed the Baltimorons, a holiday romcom. The last show, which was January 19, was Eleanor the Great which was really excellent and well-received.
“Our next film is on February 16 which is Family Day and that evening we are going to be showing a film called The Choral that is 113 minutes long.
“The last Monday, January 19 after the film we did something extra special and showed the crowd five trailers and we asked them to tell us our favourite. It was awesome. It was a close contest between two films, but ultimately the group selected their March film which will be a shorter film of about 60 minutes called We Lend A Hand—The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes.”
Payne is motivated to continue showcasing TIFF films in Moosomin for the next year.
“I would like to do it as long as there’s interest,” she said. “Right now, I am very committed to do this once a month for a year. The TIFF team has been really supportive in terms of understanding we are just launching and helping by reducing their administrative fee. We pay licensing fees to the actual production companies for licensing the films and so right now we are keeping a close eye on the budget. We are raising funds through $5 raffles each show so far and all of the funds are just going to make sure we cover our costs. Some of the raffles so far have been a handmade blanket and dainties tray by Kyla Fingas, Botox Gift Certificates from Dr. Woodside, a beautiful handmade pottery bowl donated by Terry Grant from Clayman Studios, baked goods from Devona Putland and a ‘Muskoka in Moosomin’ gift basket that I put together. We welcome donations to our raffle.
“We are not trying to make a profit off this we just want to continue to provide this opportunity to Moosomin folks to watch great films. If and when we get a surplus of money, then we will probably reduce the ticket price.”
What to expect
Payne explains the films range in genres and run time.
“The films definitely range. The previous film was a light one that started at 8:15 and was over around 10pm. I am going to be getting better at promoting the run time so that people know exactly how late the film is going to go. The March film is only a 60-minute documentary, so it can range greatly, and we will do a better job at communicating the run time so people can get home at a reasonable hour, especially on work nights.
“We took TIFF’s recommendation for ticket pricing to start which is $12 a ticket. Once we have got a little bit more money, we will look at reducing the price to make it more accessible.”
The Little Film Fest on the Prairies Facebook page lists the details of each film as well as posters around town.
“With the survey we collected emails,” said Payne. “We started up a Facebook page people can follow at Little Film Fest on the Prairies. We create a Facebook event, we put posters up—we are trying to put posters up almost three weeks before the film so people can have a chance to see them. We also promote it on the website I created for ‘Things to do in Moosomin.ca’”
Vibrant arts community
Payne says she has enjoyed becoming more involved in Moosomin’s art community and the variety of opportunities it offers.
“I love living in Moosomin. My husband is one of the doctors in town and we have lived here since July 2024, so we are still pretty new and there is such a vibrant arts community here already. It is incredible. I am on the board for the Moosomin Visual Arts Centre, I just started helping out with the Moosomin and District Arts Council with performances going on, I just love how vibrant the community is. There are a lot of little things I miss about living in larger city centres, but I am someone who thinks ‘Why can’t it be here or create the things you miss’ instead of wishing it was here.
“I also think I am never alone. There are probably other people who would like the films as well and there is. It is really just an effort to see if there is a desire for this sort of programming and creating this opportunity for our community to get a little taste of the city, but in Moosomin.”
Films encourage critical thinking
Payne describes the TIFF films as exciting, and unlike big-ticket films.
“They are very thought-provoking films. The subjects are not always subjects you are going to get in Disney Pixar or Marvel movies. It is not that kind of film. The stories are really thought-provoking. I think for many people who enjoy watching film, there are films that stick with them their whole lives. I want to see if there is still film being created now that is like that. By how many remakes they make of superhero movies, it seems that all the good ideas are gone, but these topics and films are amazing and important and they open discussion about things that maybe you don’t typically discuss. It creates an opportunity for deeper discussion and thought. It is just an opportunity to connect, I think.”
Community support
Payne says the group was excited to see the crowds grow from the first film in December to the latest one last week.
“It all happened very quickly just through the support of the TIFF team and Kyla helping me out and the support of MADAC of course who runs the theatre. The first film was actually a little bit touch-and-go because we were so close to the delivery cut off time with the holidays coming up so it was a little bit exciting and nail-biting wondering if we were even going to get the film in time because they actually mail it to you. They mail you the film on a USB device. Turnout for the first film was great. I think we had around 35 people and we were quite happy with that with the chaos of the holidays, and we only had two weeks to promote it—that is how quick we decided to just launch.
“Then, the last film we were really happy with the turnout, we had about 48 attendees and that was obviously the largest turnout so far. It was such an amazing night because I felt the film really left you feeling a certain way, and it just felt that the space was buzzing after, and giving people an opportunity to have a say on what they would like to see next I think was a no-brainer and we will probably do that every time now.
“I am always surprised about the turnout. In a small town where there are competing events—especially with sports, kids’ sports and family stuff—it is hard to know who is going to come out even when you ask for RSVPs. They don’t mean much, because you can all of a sudden get hit with the flu and you aren’t coming out, but I feel like Moosomin has done such a great job of showing up, which is good because if people weren’t showing up then we would probably think this isn’t something sustainable.”
She said she would welcome any help anyone can provide.
“If you'd like to get involved with putting this event on (putting posters up, helping promote, helping host, helping clean up, etc.) we would welcome you with open arms! Right now, our committee is J'aime Payne and Kyla Fingas.
“We have room for you!”
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