MISSION AND HISTORY
Sudbury Indie Cinema is a not-for-profit arts and culture organization dedicated to creating community by celebrating the art and diversity of film.
Incorporated in early 2014, Sudbury Indie Cinema is a mission-driven, membership-owned co-op arts organization intentionally located in downtown Sudbury, offering film programming unique to NE Ontario. Because of Indie Cinema, Sudbury residents and visitors now have year-round access to the best, new independent films being made in Canada and the world today. Since moving into our own single screen theatre, we host and organize more than 800 public screenings per year, run 4 annual regional film festivals, and curate various film series with many with value-added components such as filmmaker Q & As and panel discussions. We screen new independent local, Canadian and foreign films and documentaries, along with classic art films, interactive events and cult favourites. Every year Indie Cinema has dozens of community partners working to create community and raise awareness toward a myriad of local issues. Sudbury Indie Cinema, is a member-owned, community-oriented organization, with 1500 lifetime members.
Since incorporating in 2014, Sudbury Indie Cinema had the goal of opening a dedicated independent movie house in downtown Sudbury. Programming unique series and festivals pop-up style for our first 5 years, we were finally able to bring all the funding and partners together to re-purpose a defunct school gym into a state-of-the-art fully digital, single screen cinema. Since opening late February 2019, we have ramped up from 60 screenings per year to 60 series per month, nearly 750 in our first full-time year of operations as a theatre – a more than ten-fold increase to our public offerings.
Our space at 162 Mackenzie St., increasingly and affectionately referred to as “the Indie”, has a multi-arts function. We are committed to sharing our home with other local arts groups and not-for-profit organizations to help forward their programming and to assist them to gain a friendly and affordable community performance space to interface with the public. To this end, we actively seek partnerships and collaborations with local groups, community causes, local presenters, and emerging arts organizations who are unhoused or under-housed. Public programming has only increased from that point, as well as diversifying into a multi-disciplinary arts and community space, hosting events as diverse as slam poetry, to improv, social dances, cabarets, to quartets and concerts.
Sudbury is one of the smaller communities among the list of cities with independent, not-for-profit, mission-driven arthouse cinemas like Sudbury Indie Cinema. As a member of NICE (Network of Canadian Exhibitors), we stay connected to colleagues from similar cinemas. We, like all the other media arts organizations, are unique. Independent arthouses reflect their own communities, and Sudbury Indie Cinema is uniquely programmed to meet the needs of the many communities-of-interest that we serve.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2025
We have a growing membership of 1,500 Lifetime members who are cinephiles, appreciate independent cinema, support the co-operative movement, and cherish the growing arts and culture hub downtown.
Chair
Jason Tripp
Jason Tripp is best known at The Indie as our marvellous Oscar Party’s host 2 years running. He is also the President of Thorneloe University in Sudbury, Ontario where he lives with his wife Sylvie and two children Michaela and Levi. A long-time member and supporter of the Sudbury Indie Cinema, Jason is an ardent cinephile with a particular passion for Film Philosophy and aesthetics. He is currently working on his doctoral dissertation focusing on Open and Relational Theology in conversation with the filmography of Terrence Malick.
Vice-chair
Matheu Seguin
Mathieu Seguin is a Sudbury-born cinematographer and a graduate of the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles, where he earned his Master’s in Cinematography. Whether filming commercials, documentary or narrative films, Mathieu uses light as his paintbrush to create vivid and evocative imagery. He has four feature films, including STELLAR directed by Darlene Naponse, which enjoyed its world premiere at TIFF 2021, and its Northern Ontario premiere at The Indie. Mathieu is the principal creative behind MotionArc Studio and Scriptfest. He is dedicated to nurturing local filmmaking talent and aims to transform Northern Ontario into Canada’s content creation capital.
Treasurer
Janet Mackenzie
Since retiring, Janet has been honing her film-watching skills at the Indie on a regular basis. She has lived in Sudbury since graduating with a Honours Commerce Degree from Laurentian University in 1983. Previous employment includes Revenue Canada, financial services, and Canadian Mental Health Association. As the current Board Treasurer, Janet has been active in financial and strategic planning, fundraising, and sponsor recruitment. As a member of the Sudbury Indie Cinema, her goal is to continue to work towards putting the Indie in a strong financial position while adhering to our co-operatives’ mission statement and values.
Secretary
Brenda Cavallin
Brenda Cavallin has been an active member of the Indie since first learning about it in 2014. She is a status band member of the Mohawks of Akwesasne and while she’s proud of being Kanienʼkehá:ka she shares equally her enthusiasm and passion for her Irish and French lineage. She is active in keeping alive the teachings and traditions of her mixed heritage. Brenda was a co-lead with the local N’Swakamok Native Friendship Centre to bring Christi Belcourt’s Walking With Our Sisters to the McEwen School of Architecture. Currently Brenda serves as an Oshkaabewis (helper) to both Anishnabek and Cree grandmothers involved in recent work such as the Robinson Huron Treaty Annuities Fund, travel for Ceremony and Eagle Condor Prophecy Gatherings. Brenda has a great deal of experience in organizing events and working effectively with volunteers and the community.
Co-chair, Fundraising Committee
Nicholas Ntaganda
Nicholas Ntaganda currently works in a law office and has a multidisciplinary educational background. Nico studied both Business Administration and English Literature, Media, and Writing as an undergraduate at Laurentian University. Born and raised in Sudbury, he has always been passionate about the city’s vibrant cultural scene. He is a lifelong cinephile who loves nothing more than discovering new and exciting movies of every genre, culture, and era. He understands film exhibition having worked in a supervisor capacity at a movie theatre and was a featured Guest Programmer at the Indie’s 2013 Retrospective.
Co-chair, Fundraising Committee
Laura Stradiotto
Laura Stradiotto is a journalist and marketing specialist. Laura has been active in the cultural literary sector, co-founding Latitude Press with Heather Campbell, and previously serving on the Board of Wordstock Sudbury. Laura is a recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award, and YWCA Sudbury Women of Distinction Award. She has also been an active organizing member of LEAF Sudbury over the years. Laura is keen to apply her skills and enthusiasm to secure its next stage of sustainability for the Indie.
Chair, Nominating Committee
Patti McDowell
Patti McDowell is Sudbury born and raised. She attended University of Guelph where she later worked, then moving to careers at Health Canada and Canada Revenue Agency. Patti chaired a Sustainability Committee at CRA for many years implementing environmental practices and projects. She oversaw small business reporting and is comfortable analysing numbers and assessing financial health. But mostly, Patti is strongly committed to supporting the Indie to succeed.
Chair, Locations Committee
Travis Olding
Travis Olding is a lover of art and technology. Those two merge perfectly to create the cinema experience, which has help form his passions, imagination, and emotional connections. With his background in commercial audiovisual technology, Travis seeks experiences at the intersection of art and technology so he can share them with others and celebrate the human experience of film.
Member, Finance Committee / Locations Committee
Merv McLaughlin
Merv McLaughlin retired from INCO in 2000, as Emergency Coordinator for the Ontario Division, after 35 years’ service. He has found time to travel, exercise, keep in good physical health, and enjoy good cinema. Merv is a Charter member of Indie Cinema since the very early years and continues to support attending movies and special events. Merv has served on the Board as secretary and been very engaged in its governance through the pandemic to the cinema’s recovery.
To contact our Board of Directors, please email us at: Bod@SudburyIndieCinema.com
STAFF
Beth Mairs
Project Lead of Feasibility Stage Capital Project
Before the Indie was a twinkle in her eye, Beth tried her hand at filmmaking as well as film distribution, organizing theatrical releases of Canadian features through-out a small but spirited network of independent cinemas. Since 2013, she’s been developing The Indie both as a new arts asset for Sudbury as well as establishing numerous regional film festivals, film series, and monthly programming. Currently Beth is laying the groundwork for Indie 2.0 as the cinema relocates and rebrands to embrace a more regional focus.
Favourite Film: Worst Person In The World (2021)
Loveleen Kaur
Cinema Manager
Loveleen Kaur draws from her extensive experience in non-profit project management and as an award-winning documentary filmmaker to support the valuable work of the Indie.
She holds a BA Honours in Political Science and an MA in Cultural Analysis and Social Theory.
Loveleen is a strong believer in the power of film as a tool for social change and is passionate about supporting local stories. In her free time, you can find Loveleen and her little dog looking for new hikes and lakes to swim in.
Favourite Film: Moonlight (2016)
Simone Widdifield
Festival and Series Director
Starting as an intern at Sudbury Indie Cinema in 2023, Simone was brought under the wing of Beth Mairs, where she learned the trade of film exhibition. She is driven by a deep passion for cinema and its history. Simone is the Director of Junction North International Documentary Film Festival, Queer North Film Festival, Studio Ghibli North, SOAR Film Festival, & Sudbury’s Tiny Underground Film Festival. She also develops the cinema’s theatrical and special events programming.
Favourite Film: Millennium Actress (Satoshi Kon)
Yangzi Chen
Communications
Yangzi Chen is a recent graduate of Concordia University with an MA in Communications. Before moving to Canada, she gained professional experience in festival marketing and film production in China and New Zealand. Passionate about promoting cultural and artistic experiences that foster meaningful community connections, she now contributes to the marketing of theatrical releases, special events and film festivals at the Indie. Everyone here calls her “Yang”, pronounced like “Young.”
Favourite Film: Stonewalling (2022)
Dominique Belanger
Cinema Staff
People. Passion. Love. Learning. Opportunity. Simple words, important ideas.
Film is one of the greatest ways we can explore these themes through countless perspectives.
I get to join our members, patrons and friends as they experience these greatly important pieces of media alongside an inclusive community. A community that gives voices to those less often heard. A community that extends love to those who deserve more. A community which grows my mind and heart.
For myself and many others, The Indie is a bridge to all of this. And I’m proud to be part of it.
Favourite Film: Pleasantville (1998)
Asha Gentili
Cinema Staff
As a member of staff, Asha Gentili’s roles include providing customer service and contributing to the weekly newsletter. For Asha, the best part of her job is when new films come to the Sudbury Indie Cinema and having the opportunity to engage in conversations with community members about their thoughts on the films.
Favourite Films: Hairspray (2007) and The Exorcist (1973)