film folk

Tonight was the last night of the Victoria Film Festival. It ran for 10 days.

I saw 21 films.

What I find fascinating about the film festival is that it's only 70 per cent about the movies. At least for me. The rest is about the atmosphere, the people you meet, the quick food runs between screenings. It's about waiting in line and rubbing shoulders with your neighbours as the theatre fills to capacity with a buzzing crowd of eager viewers.

This was my third year attending the film festival.

The first year I went, in 2008, I only saw a couple of films. I didn't even really know the film fest existed until it was already happening. I squeezed in an edgy drama starring Ellen Page (The Tracey Fragments) and a documentary about the "business" behind marijuana (The Union). It was thrilling to sit and breath in the fragrant air at the more-than-full showing of The Union. I remember that people clapped and cheered in the middle of the movie when they were particularly moved by what was happening on screen. I'd never thought people could do that in a movie before. That was something you only did at a play or musical.

I was obviously mistaken.

In 2009, I saw eight or nine films. I forgot to plan ahead, forgot to look at the film list before all the good ones were sold out of advanced tickets, forgot how amazing the experience had been the year before.

This year though, I feel like I did it right.

I bought a film pass back in December. Goodbye, $132. I calculated that I needed to see 15 movies for it to break even with the cost of individual tickets. I didn't even know what films were coming at that point...I just knew that no matter what was offered I had to see them.

Being a film pass holder, I got to know other film pass holders since we were shuffled to the front of the line before all other ticket holders. Talk about the royal treatment. People waiting outside the Odeon in the clouded, drizzly weather mournfully fixed their gazes on my tiny white rectangle that had "FILM" printed on one side in pink lettering and a barcode on the other. I kept it in my back pocket and towards the end, the scan machines could barely read the rubbed lines and creased corners.

I never knew their names, but tattoo guy, the mother & son and the Chyler-Leigh-look-alike were regulars that I chatted with in the lines. What had they seen that day, that morning, oh wasn't that amazing? I gasped then too.

On the long days, Saturdays and Sundays, I lived off of Brickyard Pizza. Since it's literally next door to the Odeon, when I only had 15 minutes before I had to hop back in a lineup, I'd dash in to grab a slice of whatever didn't have onions.

I saw a few by myself, but for the rest either Chantal or Meghan joined me. I brought water bottles and baggies of sunflower seeds and banana chips. Not to say I didn't indulge in the occasional over-priced pack of peanut M&M's. I only bought one bag of popcorn, and that was for the final flick I saw tonight. I figured that one bag out of 21 movies was an ok ratio.

Some of the films I hated, some I was indifferent to. Some I thought I hated until the very end, when I loved them. Some I was convinced would be the best movie I'd ever seen, but turned out to flop. Some of them seemed great in the previews, and some of them sounded bland in the write-ups. Almost all of them were contrary to what I'd originally predicted.

Here are some of my personal highlights:

Beyond Gay - The Politics of Pride
This was my favourite for atmosphere and reception. It was also, in my opinion, the best documentary of the film fest. Though it was followed closely by Most Dangerous Man in America.
The theatre was packed. Absolutely to-the-rafters packed with every shape, size, colour and sexual preference you could think of. The director, producer, and star were all at the screening and gave a wonderful Q&A session after. The film was beautifully crafted and though it was deep and emotional at times, made sure to leave on a more light-hearted, optimistic tone. People clapped all throughout the film for various, deserving things that happened on the screen. It also got a standing ovation, the only one I've seen in my film fest experience.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
I almost feel bad for liking this one so much, because it's got famous people in it. But still, it was a beautiful, touching, emotional film that had brilliant acting and cinematography. The theatre was full of enthusiastic patrons. I also met an amazing woman, who plunked herself right next to me even though there were plenty of empty seats without neighbours attached to them at the time, and struck up an immediate conversation. Viola, I didn't even catch her name until after the movie was over and we were leaving, told me stories about how she volunteered as a driver and had shown several actors and a couple of producers around for the week. And a lovely pair of women who sat next to us shared their goodies from the Dutch bakery down the street. An all around A+ experience.

The Wild Hunt
This film mind-slapped me. It took a turn from a light-hearted comedy to a dramatic, emotional plunge into death and suicide and revenge. A complete 180 in about three minutes. I felt like someone had pulled my feet out from underneath me. While it was happening, I hated it and felt uncomfortable, but after it was over, and the more I thought about it, I realized that the film evoked such emotion and had tricked me into believing it would stay light-hearted, and that had to count for something.. And when the film was over, and the credits started to roll, the entire audience breathed a nervous sigh of disbelief. No other film made an audience do that, that I saw.

I Killed My Mother
An overall well-crafted, well-acted, well-written film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Oh, and it was Canadian. All good things.

Now, I'm exhausted. My ass is in a state of perma-sleep from so much time in theatre seats, and my body is fairly upset that I've survived off pizza and snack foods for the weekend. I'm behind in my homework, I've messed up my sleep patterns and I spent too much money parking my car.

I can't wait to do it again next year, and maybe submit a film of my own.