The Sunset Theatre in Wells is going back to its big screen roots, screening movies by creators, directors and animators from B.C. and Alberta.
Event organizer, Daniel Jefferey said he wanted to make the festival a celebration of western Canadian filmakers.
Other than the geographic constraints, the festival should have something for every lover of motion pictures.
“We wanted it to be eclectic – every movie different from the last, except all of high quality,” Jefferey said.
The event starts Thursday night with a run of narratvie short films. These would include a variety of films that draw closer to mainstream tastes.
Friday, the festival hops the rails into the more eclectic side, featuring experimental films, documentaries and animation.
The festival culminates Saturday night with the full length feature film by Don Hertzfeldt It’s Such a Beautiful Day.
Some of Hertzfeldt’s animation can be viewed on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuOvqeABHvQ&list=TLwt0Tr3F-708. His most popular work, Rejected, was nominated for an Oscar.
The festival features a 50/50 mix, with half of the movies having done the festival circuits and/or received acclaim and half being new or flown under the radar.
The laurels on some of the film makers highlighted over the weekend include Academy Award nominations, Sundance accolades and admission into many international film festivals.
Beside the films themselves, Jefferey has encouraged the film makers to come to the festival themselves and talk with the crowd about their pieces.
“Because the Sunset Theatre is such a unique place, small and engaging, I thought we might as well make use of it so the directors can talk to their audiences.
So far, Jeffrey has a few directors who have agreed to make the trip, like Quesnel Resident Brendan Nagel, who is showing Converse, and has scheduled time in the intermissions for them to talk. He is also trying to organize some other get togethers outside of the festival evenings.
Will Ross, film critic, is also scheduled to talk on It’s Such a Beautiful Day.
Jefferey, son of the current proprietor and just-graduated film student, jumped at the chance to pursue his passion at home when he was given the chance.
Jefferey is hoping the event will become an annual festival.
Tickets are $10 for a day pass, $20 for a three day pass. Films start at 8 p.m. and will go through to 11 p.m. Thursday and Friday, but will finish earlier on Friday.
