It's true and may just be a little bit sad (depending who you are), our World is changing, even faster than we can now buy tickets online to our most anticipated film festival movies (I know, pretty fast right?) Blockbuster is dead, succumbing to the ever mighty and all powerful Netflix, which will be making it's appearance up in the Great White North in just a matter of months now, taking with it all prospects of the once revered video store (hang in there Casablanca and bird dog!) and instilling itself as symbol of the times. It seems these days we would rather engage in mindless consumption of the free, cheap, and readily available. In fact there may come a day when we step outside into the bright sun and realize what we've done! Record stores are going extinct, cinemas have become cineplexes parading superimposed three dimensional remakes of remakes upon their overly silvery screens. Is there no solace from this madness?
Fear not good people! There is, and it is relatively inexpensive and believe me oh-so-worth-it. There will be many wonderful people yelling and crying and laughing altogether. There will be unreasonably addictive popcorn among other unreasonably delectable savouries. There will be theatres so old that you feel young again! And most importantly there will be movies. Not just any movies though! Like the advertisements read: Only the best movies make it. It would almost be fair to rephrase that to : Only ALL of the best movies make it. The selection of films is as diverse as ever with a healthy amount of local and Canadian talent to make us proud and to remind us that Calgary is much more than drunken cowboys in July, steak, and oil. The lineup also includes a strong selection of American independent cinema, global films, shorts, documentaries and more than the eyes, ears, and mind can behold! Take that netflix. There's a little of everything for everyone it seems, and if you are a true cinephile, well, then there really is everything.
The Film festival is much more than an individual viewing of recorded images on a screen. It is truly a collective appreciation of art. An "all together" celebration of the odd, the forgotten, and the inspiring. It is the manifestation of intentions, the temporary uprising of a certain special community that you'll miss when it disappears just two weeks after it sprung up, seemingly out of nowhere, and that you'll love coming back to the next go round!
So do not run to the hills and far away. Hell, don't even throw out your television. Simply dash over to Festival centre in Eau Claire, or find that little possibly coloured link online that assures you that you can purchase tickets if you click on it (you can), and just do it! Buy the ticket, take the ride. It'll be a good one.
Everything film fest and more can be found at: www.calgaryfilm.com
The festival itself runs from September 23rd through until October 3rd.
