Montclair Film receives $25,000 'Fan Favorite' grant from Gannett Foundation Gannett recognizes Montclair Film with a $25,000 grant from "A Community Thrives" program.

Ricardo Kaulessar | NorthJersey

Usually, being a fan favorite in the movie world means a movie has won the hearts of film-goers at a festival.

In the case of Montclair Film, being a "fan favorite" enabled the organization behind the Montclair Film Festival to receive $25,000 from the Gannett Foundation, the charitable arm of Gannett, the owner of North Jersey Media Group.

Montclair Film is one of 16 "A Community Thrives" grant recipients from across the nation announced Wednesday by Gannett CEO Bob Dickey. They have received a total of $600,000 in grants.

MONTCLAIR: Cancer survivors to share stories of podcasting, marriage breakup at Montclair event

CHARITY: How to help 8 New Jersey nonprofits win $600K in funding

"A Community Thrives" was started by Gannett and the Gannett Foundation in 2017 to provide funding opportunities for local-based ideas that support their communities.

Dickey stated, "Congratulations to these grant recipients and their projects. We are more focused than ever on our mission and contributions to enhance lives and help people in our communities connect, act and thrive."

Projects in three categories — arts and culture, education, and wellness — vied for funding the ACT program in three steps:

• Apply for a CrowdRise campaign by March 15.

• Describe the specific charity and what specific project the grant money would finance.

• Raise as much money as possible through crowdfunding by May 11.

At the end of the crowdfunding period, the Gannett Foundation would award eight grants to organizations in each of two tiers (operating budget of less than $1 million and more than $1 million) ranging from $10,000 to $100,000.

More than 500 people and groups applied to the program, with the final 16 including an all-girls Catholic high school in the Bronx and a literacy program in Salem, Oregon.

Montclair Film received its grant for being one of the top fundraisers in the ACT program, as it raised $40,868 from 287 donors.

The money raised and the grant will go toward the organization's $2.7 million capital campaign, in particular to finance more accessibility at Montclair Film, in terms of ADA compliance at its Cinema505 headquarters on Bloomfield Avenue. The funding will also assist education programs.

Montclair Film Executive Director Tom Hall told NorthJersey.com that he is happy that the organization was awarded the grant, and for the donations from the community.

"It's great to receive this grant. We had a significant number, over 200 people, give to the campaign, which ended up making us eligible for the additional $25,000," Hall said. "It's really a team effort. Everyone really chipped in, and I'm really grateful for that."

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Support our journalism. Join us and get your first month free! SUBSCRIBE ×