FAVA Fest to show the best local films, past and present
While Edmonton is replete with film festivals along the stripes of format, genre and identity, none focuses better on the local cinematic ecosystem like FAVA Fest — which both showcases and rewards homegrown creative hustle.
Running April 17-21, the seventh annual edition has moved its Saturday night gala to a hawk’s-eye view in the downtown core from Garneau Theatre, one of a couple dynamic changes this year.
“We’ve rented out the 16th floor of the Epcor Tower downtown,” interim program director Heather Noel said, “an industrial space we’re filling and swank-ifying — we’re going to animate it with some cool media art projections. As always, we’ll have a silent auction … and a bar.”
During the April 21 gala, “We’ll be giving out our production awards, our craft awards and our class awards — there’ll be a lot of happy people in the room.”
The awards total almost $10,000 in prizes.
These films will run Tuesday through Thursday at Metro Cinema in the Garneau Theatre, 8712 109 St., in the Best of the Fest programs of shorts, music videos and animation.
“It’s kind of the backbone of the festival, I would say,” said Noel. “Our members who are local, independent filmmakers submit work they’ve made in the last year and a half — all new work from the Edmonton region.”
A jury creates a short list, which results in four hours over three programs, which run Tuesday through Thursday nights at Metro.
“All of those films are up for awards at our gala.”
Another tweak to the non-profit Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta’s (FAVA) most public week: Best of the Region, at Metro 9 p.m. Wednesday.
“We don’t get a lot of opportunity to see short films in theatres — it’s kind of a niche thing — so every year we try and bring in short films from elsewhere so we can see what’s happening out there and be inspired.”
One year it was the best short films of Sundance.
“This year we put out a call to similar co-ops in other parts of the Prairies — CSIF in Calgary, Winnipeg Film Group, SaskFilmpool — for them to recommend films we could do as part of the screening. We’re also going to give a ‘best from away’ award at the gala.
“It’s something we’re interested in exploring with other regions in the future.”
Two historical, made-in-Edmonton feature films will also play.
“The films we’re aware of being filmed in Edmonton are usually the ones where it’s a Hollywood film flying in for a few weeks and you might spot Patrick Swayze in the mall or something.
“But sometimes there are these cool, independent films that fly under the radar.”
Noel is talking about “the centrepiece of the festival,” Two Brothers, a Girl and a Gun, a Telefilm film produced out of FAVA and directed by Bill Hornecker — one of Heartland actor Shaun Johnston’s earliest films. The 25th anniversary screening is at Metro April 20 at 7 p.m. A Toast to Bill and Shaun follows at 9 p.m. Both events — and all the shorts programs —
are by cash donation at the door.
“We definitely want to recognize those achievements — it was a very ambitious undertaking for such a low-budget film. It’ll be a good experience to come see the film and hear from the people who made it about making a movie in Edmonton at the time.”
The other feature is 1987’s Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II, described as a feminist slasher classic by some.
“It’s a very different kind of Edmonton-made film, a Toronto production that hired a lot of people here,” Noel said. “It’s just such a little cult phenomenon. It was never intended to be a sequel, the producers created a link to Prom Night — but it’s got really fun practical effects, and was shot at O’Leary high school.
“The characters were named after cult filmmakers — so there’s a Carpenter family, a Mr. Craven, there’s a Waters, someone named Eddie Wood,” she says with a laugh.
A 35-mm print was secured by DED Fest, and the 9 p.m. screening April 19 is the festival’s only ticketed event at $13 for adults.
The wave of new shorts and overachiever archival features are an excellent opportunity to dive into Edmonton’s growing film scene.
“The music community in Edmonton has done a really good job of building a local audience,” Noel said. “There was a time when people around here only listened to music that was mass produced and didn’t see what was happening in their own backyard. But we really had a shift.
“This is something we’re trying to do with FAVA Fest — show that there’s more than what’s going on in Hollywood, stuff that might be more relevant to you because it’s made in your own back yard.
“For anyone who’s ever just toyed with the idea of making a film but hasn’t done it, it’s a great opportunity to be inspired because the people here who are producing stuff, by and large, are working with small crews and really tight budgets, and still managing to make work that’s esthetically pleasing and tells an interesting story.
“Having a regular event like this,” Noel says, “creates momentum.”
The Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta is in its 38th year.
The full schedule of festival events is at fava.ca, and any donation supports the non-profit co-op and its significant cultural impact on local film production.