Watching movies, hanging out with friends and staying up all night is nothing out of the ordinary for the majority of teens.
But spending an entire night at the movie theatre with friends is definitely out of the ordinary for anyone, let alone teenagers.
And yet for one night in October that is exactly what teenagers in the Harbour City will be able to do.
On Oct. 10, United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island will be hosting its annual Starlight Film Festival at Galaxy Cinemas. For a small fee and under the supervision of United Way volunteers, teens can spend the entire night hanging with their friends and watching movies at the movie theatre.
Among the movies that will be screening at the festival, which runs until 6:30 a.m., are 21 Jump Street, Anchorman 2, Bridesmaids, Grown Ups 2, White House Down and World War Z. One of the movie screens will be set up so teenagers can play Xbox games. There will also be pizza, soda and popcorn available throughout the night.
Kyla Karakochuk, marketing and communications officer for United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island, says the event is a great night out for teenagers.
"They get to watch movies and hang out with their friends all night," she said.
There will also be pizza, soda and popcorn available throughout the night. Volunteers will be on hand throughout the night to ensure that teens do not leave the theatre during the night and that they get picked up safely in the morning.
The Starlight Film Festival is one of a number of fundraising events for the United Way. Proceeds from the festival will help fund the charity's 33 Central Island region programs such as a youth suicide prevention program, in-school mentorship programs and an anti-bullying program. Last year the festival raised $10,500.
"It is a pretty big event," said Karakochuk, who will be on hand for a portion of the event.
Teens may bring sleeping bags and pyjamas and the event is a drug- and alcohol-free environment.
The admission fee is $20. Parents should drop the teens off at Galaxy Cinema between 11:45 p.m. (Oct. 9) and 12:15 a.m. (Oct. 10). The doors close at 12:30 a.m. Parents can pick up teens at 6:30 a.m. (Oct. 10).
For more information, please visit www.uwcnvi.ca.
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