A lineup of festive flicks should shake off the holiday ‘humbugs’.
The Okotoks Film Society’s (OFS) Festive Film Festival is returning for a second year on Dec. 2 at Okotoks Cinemas.
“It’s a short film collection from around the world that are all themed around Christmas,” said festival director Katie Fournell.
“I’m really excited – I love Christmas movies and it’s always so hard because our festival is in June and if we get a holiday-themed movie submitted it doesn’t really make sense in the June festival.
“So adding this festival is just a way to be able to celebrate more films and more filmmakers.”
The lineup is a mixture of flicks Fournell is sure will lift up film-goers.
“When we program this festival, we kind of let the filmmakers direct how it’s going to go, because it depends on what we get submitted,” she said. “Last year was a little bit more ‘fringe’ stuff, and it was really fun, and we still have one or two films that hit on that fringy area of things, but this year overall is far more ‘Christmas Spirit.’
“Even though it still has a couple of films that deal with kind of serious subject matter, it leaves you warm and fuzzy inside.”
Film festivals focused on the holidays are a rarity, and the warm and fuzzy ones even more so.
“We’re actually one of the few in the world. Holiday-themed festivals are way fewer and far between,” Fournell said.
Within the already small niche, she said most are more in the style of holiday horror, with ‘Krampus’-style flicks.
Beyond the films, the event will offer a rounded festive experience.
“Because we always try to do more than just a film screening, we’re also going to have pictures with Santa on the red carpet and a special holiday treat from Bretzel King, a local caterer here in Okotoks," she added.
“Bretzel King came and we met them last year at the festival and they said, ‘One of the biggest things in Germany is our Christmas food,’ and this company lives right here in Okotoks.”
The German caterers will also be offering up non-alcoholic mulled ‘wine’, Fournell added, so all can partake.
Also on the docket is an in-person Q&A with filmmakers.
While last year also featured a Q&A, it had to be remote due to logistics and uncertainty with the pandemic.
“It’s the first time we’re actually going to have filmmakers in the building with us, because last year we didn’t have the ability for all the filmmakers to make it down, we had them join us via Zoom,” Fournell said.
“This year we’re going to have some join us via Zoom, but we are also going to have a couple of filmmakers from Edmonton and a couple of filmmakers from Italy both join us in theatre to talk about their film and present it to people.”
Screenings take place at Okotoks Cinemas on Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. and while there are no age restrictions, the recommended age for the festival is 13 and up.
For tickets and information, visit OkotoksFilmFestival.ca.
