If that Monday-lunch ham sandwich seems a little more blasé than usual, or if you’re tired of the ambiance provided by downtown Edmonton food courts, then a trip to see Sobey’s Lunchbox Shorts might be the ticket.
The shorts are screening at Empire City Centre 9 cinemas as part of the 23rd Edmonton International Film Festival. The truly international selection of lunch-hour bite-sized films runs today through Friday.
The shorts are always a highlight of EIFF, says festival producer Kerrie Long, who notes that an increasing number of filmgoers are trying their luck by just showing up at Empire with little to no knowledge what’s actually playing. She says it’s a testament to the level of faith attendees have in her team’s programming selections.
“I think that’s one of my favourite parts of the festival,” she says. “The joy out of risk.”
For those who require a bit more certainty with respect to their viewing habits, tonight has one of the festival’s strongest double-bills.
A documentary by Oscar-nominee Kirby Dick, Outrage tracks down some of the United States’ most notorious anti-LGBT politicians who may or may not be gay themselves. Mostly, it’s a glimpse into the weird depths of America’s closet, with public servants sacrificing their own sexual identities in the interest of climbing the political ladder.
The film also raises an ethical debate about whether gay activists seeking to expose the truth have that right from a moral standpoint, as “coming out” is a deeply personal and private matter. The doc starts at 6:45 p.m.
Similarly hidden in plain sight are the vampires at the heart of Strigoi, which follows at 9:45.
The film follows Vlad (no, not that guy), who returns to the small Romanian village of his upbringing only to discover that the townspeople have gone on a witch-hunt for bloodsuckers.
While Strigoi is included as part of EIFF’s Edge of Night series, it’s really more comedic than horrific. It’s like a forgotten Eastern European tribute episode of Corner Gas, only way better, because if anything truly sucks it’s Corner Gas.
For a complete EIFF schedule, visit edmontonfilmfest.com.
