WRAPPING UP CIFF 2015
A record for visitors
There was a post- screening marriage proposal, a Ship and Anchor performance by a long- lost Japanese country star, surprise appearances by Omar Khadr and even rumours, albeit unsubstantiated, of Kevin Bacon sightings.
But the big news as the Calgary International Film Festival wrapped its 12- day run Sunday night with a sold- out closing gala at the Theatre Junction Grand was the numbers. According to executive director Steve Schroeder, the festival continued an upward trend in 2015, breaking last year’s record- breaking attendance of 29,000.
“This year it looks like we’ve come in at about 20 per cent above last year’s record, pushing further into record territory,” said Schroeder on Sunday evening.
“We passed 34,000 last night. So depending on how the last few shows sold, we are quite likely to land at 35,000.”
Official numbers won’t be tallied until later in the week, but Schroeder credits more investment in marketing and “getting the word out” about the festival and enhanced programming for the boost.
An infusion of sponsorship cash by ATB Financial earlier this year has the festival aiming for some ambitious goals over the next three years, hoping to increase attendance to 50,000.
The festival closed with the screening of the The Smalls: Forever is a Long Time, Calgary filmmaker Trevor Smith’s loving documentary about the Edmonton band’s recent reunion tour. The screening ended with filmmakers and the four members of The Smalls participating in a Q& A.
It was a fitting end to the festival, representing its one- two punch specialty of local content and interesting guests. This year, there were sold- out screenings of Spencer Estabrooks’ Legend of the Lich Lord, the first of which ended with the Calgary filmmaker proposing to his girlfriend and first assistant director Emily Renner Wallace; Thomas Robert Lee’s sci- fi film Empyrean and Lawrence Roeck’s western Diablo, starring Scott Eastwood.
While Kevin Bacon was a noshow — rumours of him wandering around Calgary did not come from the festival, although two screenings of his violent thriller Cop Car were programmed — the 12 days of screenings did bring with it some interesting appearances.
Japanese country singer Tomi Fujiyama, 75, the subject of Josh Bishop’s documentary Made In Japan, was on hand and also played a concert to a packed house at the Ship and Anchor. Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan discussed his new film, Remember. But the most notable guest was also the most controversial. Omar Khadr, the Canadian citizen who spent 13 years locked in an American military prison after being branded a terrorist at the age of 15, showed up for both screenings of Guantanamo’s Child, the documentary by Michelle Shephard and Patrick Reed. It was the first public statements made by Khadr since being released. He now lives in Edmonton. Despite the polarizing nature of Khadr, Schroeder said the festival received no complaints.
“That’s a film festival experience,” says Schroeder. “Any great film festival that has a strong documentary through- line will try to not only bring the director but also the subjects. We will always, given the opportunity, have the subject of the documentary here. To have him come and make his first public appearance since he was let out on bail, I’ve had people coming up to me all festival long since then thanking me for that opportunity. That’s the personal, in- the- flesh connection we want to make with these films.”
We passed 34,000 last night. So depending on how the last few shows sold, we are quite likely to land at 35,000.