Cash crunch makes film festival a low-budget affair

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Dreamspeakers Festival director Loro Carmen said Edmonton council's vote to not increase the festival's funds leaves her little choice but to lobby against specific aldermen in next year's civil election.

"We'll certainly be working on council and I have personally made a commitment to unseat some council members," Carmen said.

Carmen has taken off the kid gloves after three years of wrangling with council for increased funding for Dreamspeakers, a unique festival that brings international Aboriginal artisans, entertainers, films and food to Edmonton each August. Carmen is frustrated Edmonton's city council continues to refuse additional funds to the festival's $30,000 Grant-in-Aid budget.

This year, Carmen requested an additional $20,000 in light of the festival's proven track record and high attendance figures. Dreamspeakers total budget is nearly $670,000 but only three per cent of that is allotted for the festival. The rest is designated to employment training grants.

"Dollar for dollar, we are the lowest-funded festival in the whole city," Carmen noted.

Despite being lauded as the only festival of its kind in Canada by Mayor Jan Reimer, the motion was trounced by eight out of 12 council members.

Meanwhile, council granted $190,000 to the week-long gold rush celebration Klondike Days.

The no-vote means the festival has been cut back one day and the popular downtown Churchill Square is being turfed as the venue site. Carmen said Dreamspeakers can't afford to foot the $100,000 bill on it's own and "is not willing to try to pay that by flogging hamburgers and T-shirts."

Though disappointed, Carmen is banking on another successful year to prove to council once and for all this is one festival that's worth the extra cash. "Dreamspeakers is fast becoming the premier Native festival in the country," she said.

Dreamspeakers is slated to run Aug. 25-27 this year in Edmonton