Okotoks’ own film festival reached new heights this year.
Growing incrementally since its inception seven years ago, the Okotoks Film Festival ran five days last week, selling out the opening night feature and filling the Okotoks Cinemas’ theatre for multiple sessions.
“Our average audience size was either maintained or bigger, and we almost sold out the opening night screening, which we’ve never come close to before,” said Katie Fournell, Festival Director with the Okotoks Film Society (OFS). “We did really well on the youth screening, then on the (screening of the) 48-Hour Challenge, we did almost sell out both theatres, because we used two screens for that one.
“That’s always been our biggest event, but its growth was double what it was last year. It’s really exciting to see this kind of expansion of the festival.”
As the following and notoriety has grown for the Okotoks Film Society, so has the community close to it.
“It just felt like there was more community building," Fournell said. "I got to actually watch filmmakers decide they were going to make a film together based on their two films."
The fruits of that collaboration may be seen, as the filmmakers were accepted into the society’s new mentorship program.
“I believe we’re actually going to see a growth in that,” Fournell said. “So we get to see filmmakers not only inspired to make a film this year, and we never hear about it until later, but we actually get to see the seeds of the idea planted, and them start to talk about their next project.
“Which is what we’ve always wanted to be, is a place for inspiration for filmmakers, and we definitely saw that.”
For filmmaker Casey Williams, new to the community and having just discovered the festival, that inspiration was palpable.
“It blew me away that one, Okotoks had such a wonderful film festival and two, the quality that came through it,” Williams said.
“The whole festival blew me away. I’ve been a panelist for bigger festivals and the quality of every intricate detail is miles ahead of anything I’ve been able to take part of.”
Having attended Vancouver Film School before having to leave to take care of a dying parent, the arts scene in Okotoks struck her.
“So much arts and culture in this little area, I can’t believe it,” said Williams, adding the joy finding the small-town theatre, Okotoks Cinemas, was no small part of that. “You can still go to the movies for under 20 bucks here, it’s unbelievable, and everybody is so friendly.”
While hard-pressed to pick a favourite, Williams enjoyed seeing what the young aspiring filmmakers cooked up in the Zooom Youth Film Festival segment.
“There were so many good shorts. I loved what the local kids have put out and the talent, just such young funny awesome human beings," Williams said.
“Just going to the festival really reignited my passion for film and storytelling in general.”
For more information, visit okotoksfilmfestival.ca.
