Saanich will play a supporting role in the final night of the Victoria Film Festival’s popular Free B Festival.
The made-in-Victoria B Film, Murder is News, will be screened Saturday night at Broadmead Village. The curtain rises at 9 p.m. for the film that will be shown in the breezeway area of Broadmead Village Shopping Centre, on Royal Oak Drive just off the Pat Bay Highway.
Filmed in 1937, Murder is News is a glamourized look at the newspaper business in the 1930s. The story follows Jerry Tracy, a charismatic reporter for The Daily Planet whose beat is the personal business and shady secrets of the local captains of industry. He also has a regular radio show where he summarizes the most salacious news of the day.
“Most of the nighttime exterior shots you do see the tell-tale arrow of Victoria’s streetlights so I think people will get a kick out of that,” said Donovan Aikman, festival programmer. “With most of the scenes taking place at night, Victoria isn’t really recognizable outside of that. It’s an early example of Victoria standing in as an American city.”
Murder is News will be preceded by a short film, Kali, le petite vampir, and a Max Fleischer Superman cartoon, The Underground World, where The Daily Planet funds an expedition to mysterious underground caves in exchange for an exclusive story to be reported by Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Moviegoers will also see Chapter Two, The Tunnel of Terror, in the Universal pictures Flash Gordon serial.
Movie goers are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. Broadmead Pharmasave will provide a concession selling popcorn and water. Funds raised are contributed to the Canucks For Kids Fund in support of charities that support children’s health and wellness.
Visitors to Broadmead Village are invited to enter a Movie Magic prize package from Marlin Travel valued at $250. It includes a popcorn bowl, popcorn, candies, beverages and a $200 travel voucher to visit a movie magic destination. Enter at Marlin Travel or at the screening of Murder is News until 8:30 p.m.
Run by the Victoria Film Festival, the Free-B Film Festival is Victoria’s longest-running outdoor screening series. Since 2000 Free-B has been screening family-friendly films on Friday and Saturday nights throughout August at locations such as the Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park, the Legislature Lawn and Broadmead Village.
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