The Yorkton Film Festival is fast approaching, and the final itinerary has been announced. This year's event, which takes place on May 26-29, will see some successful former Yorkton residents return, and feature the usual mix of top short film.
Festival Executive Director Randy Goulden says that the event will be a weekend filled with a wide variety of entertainment and information, something for everyone from the casual fan to the budding filmmaker.
The festival will kick off with a barbecue in Western Financial Group City Centre Park. The event will have a football theme, and feature the CFL Commisioner's Fan Award, which was presented to fans of the Saskatchewan Rough-riders at the 2010 Grey Cup. Goulden says that the event brings together culture and sport.
The football theme will continue to the first screening of the festival, On Roughriders: A Century of Saskatchewan Roughrider Football, by Partners in Motion. The screening, which takes place at the Painted Hand Casino, will begin the festival with a Saskatchewan produced film about a provincial icon, Goulden notes. Through the weekend there will be a raffle for a game jersey signed by participants in the film.
Yorkton has produced some top talent over the years, Goulden notes, and some will return to do sessions during the festival. Paul Dutton, Assistant Director of Academy Award nominated film The Illusionist, will do a session on Saturday. Director Kenton Vaughan will be returning as well, and will be one of the presenters.
"One of our highlights is the fact that we have local Yorkton people who are working in the industry who are coming back," Goulden says.
The focus of the many panels and sessions throughout the weekend is on helping emerging filmmakers create, and that involves helping them understand new requirements to get funding and distribute content.
"Our priority is on emerging filmmakers, and the other thing we are in tune with is multiple platforms. We recognize that content creators have to create for all different platforms. Just putting a film on DVD isn't appropriate anymore, with any of the funding partners you have to put your content on at least two platforms," Goulden explains.
As usual, the weekend will also have ample opportunity for people to view screenings of films entered, over 300. In the Godfrey Dean Cultural Centre, programmed screenings will be taking place all weekend, and the mini-cinema, where viewers can select any of the films entered, will take place in the Land Titles building. During programmed screenings, Goulden says the filmmakers will be in attendance.
"This is something filmmakers love, because they really get to talk to their audiences and get the feedback from what the audience sees and feels," she notes.
Friday night will feature the famous LobsterBlast, which Goulden says is a favorite and something that filmmakers look forward to all year. The annual awards gala will be on Saturday, May 28, hosted by Sheila Coles, host of CBC Radio 1's Morning Edition. All of the winning films will be screened on Sunday morning.
To learn more or see a complete schedule of events people can visit the Yorkton Film Festival's website at www,goldensheafawards.com.
