CHELSEA — The Chelsea Film Festival’s third year could be its last without financial support from the community, its organizer said.
Co-founder Ingrid Jean-Baptiste has launched a campaign to raise $100,000 to keep the festival — which showcases the work of emerging independent filmmakers — on its feet.
“There’s less and less funding for the arts, so we had to somehow reach our audience… and let them know that we need their support,” Jean-Baptiste explained.
Though the festival has sponsors, the funding isn’t enough to cover its many costs, which include organizing the annual event and renting out a venue, she said.
The festival’s inaugural lineup in the fall of 2013 featured 17 films from eight countries, including Lithuania and Kenya.
This past fall, it showcased nearly 70 films at the SVA Theatre, Jean-Baptiste said.
“My mom and I, we’ve just been putting our savings and all our money into this project, and now we can not afford doing it like that,” said Jean-Baptiste, who created the festival with her mother Sonia Jean-Baptiste.
“There are other film festivals that are doing great, [but] we’re the only platform in New York City that is only dedicated to emerging filmmakers,” she added.
As of Wednesday morning, the campaign had raised $901, or approximately 1 percent of its goal.
For Jean-Baptiste — who devoted herself to creating the festival after a car accident in Chelsea left her with broken ribs and a fractured spine — ensuring a future for the yearly event is imperative.
“I’m still here [after the accident], and to me, [the festival] was some kind of mission,” she said.
“We’re really hoping that our community, New York City, reacts to the fundraiser, and understands that this is an international platform that’s really needed… for emerging artists,” she added.
