Movie buffs get will get their thrills, chills and documentaries with the opening of the Edmonton International Film Festival running from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2.
Empire City Centre 9 Cinemas will host the nine-day festival featuring over 60 full-length feature films and over 100 short films, from international and local filmmakers.
The award-winning line-up includes 2010 Cannes Palm d’Or winner Uncle Boonmee as well as the critically acclaimed international film Howl.
Opening night will feature two very different Canadian films — Score: A Hockey Musical and Fubar 2.
“We’re going with the slug-line this year ‘Every Night is Opening Night,’ and the reason for that is more often that not, this will be the only opportunity you have to see these films”, said Kerrie Long, festival producer.
The Lunch-Box shorts are a series of short films shown everyday from noon until 1p.m.
“The audience from these really amaze me, they are willing to come to the festival, over their lunch hour, having no idea what any of the films are. They’re wonderful to program for”, said Long.
EIFF is turning 24 this year and Long has been festival producer for the past seven years.
The festival saw more than 800 films submitted this year for consideration, which is a huge increase over the 100 films submitted in 2004.
Guy Lavallee is enjoying his fourth year as festival programmer and it’s his job to seek out and choose all of the feature films.
“We love finding the little gems, the undiscovered ones that we can really be passionately bragging about to people,” he said.
