A recent tour by filmmakers through northern Ontario is being hailed as a success by organizers at the Toronto International Film Festival Group. The festival last month sent filmmakers Anneli Ekborn (Loving Loretta), Daniel Prouty (Band-Aid) and Brent Orr on a tour of small towns — including Sioux Lookout, Eagle River, Red Lake, Whitedog and Kenora — where they sat down with some 600 school kids for discussions and workshops about film.

The talks are part of TIFFG’s Special Delivery program, aimed at informing children and teens about moviemaking. The program has reached some 2,000 kids per year since launching in 2002.

‘The northern Ontario tour gave us a fantastic opportunity to reach out and help cultivate an interest in cinema among young people,’ said organizer Emily Scheer in a statement. ‘The participants’ passion and the community’s enthusiastic response strengthens our commitment to expanding Special Delivery.’