Head to the Varsity Theater on Franklin Street Friday night for a free screening of the classic Christmas film “It’s A Wonderful Life”!

Hosted by Chapel Hill’s Community Home Trust and underwritten by Investors Title Company, the free screening has become an annual holiday tradition.

“It’s a classic Christmas story,” says Community Home Trust executive director Robert Dowling. “Most of us have seen parts of the movie on television…(but) most of us have probably never seen the whole movie, nor have we seen it in a movie theater.”

Community Home Trust is a local organization that works to provide affordable housing options for low- to middle-income residents of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. They’ve worked with the two towns to establish an inclusionary zoning ordinance requiring new developments to set aside a certain percentage of housing units as affordable – so they’re able to offer affordable housing even in higher-end developments like Greenbridge and Meadowmont.

Dowling says that mission – to help people find a home – is also a crucial part of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

“What Jimmy Stewart’s organization does – the Bedford Building and Loan – is provide homes for people,” he says. “They provide financing and help people better their lives and provide stability in their lives – and coincidentally, we do the same thing.”

This is the fifth year Community Home Trust has teamed up with the Varsity Theater to screen “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Doors open at 6:15 Friday evening, and the movie gets underway at 6:45.

The movie is free, but tickets are limited. You can secure your tickets by calling 967-1545.

And to learn more about the Community Home Trust – including some of the homes they have available right now – visit CommunityHomeTrust.org.

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Friday Night, "It's A Wonderful Life"
The Community Home Trust is hosting a free screening of the Christmas classic at the Varsity Theater.
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