Hello Blackcomb Peaks Friends!
First of all, let us tell you that Whistler is incredibly snowy these days! That is good news not only for the mountain but also the Cross Country Locations, the Callaghan Valley located at the Olympic Park and the Lost Lake Park in Whistler Village. Those of us who have Nordic skiing season tickets can’t wait to hit the trails!
Anyhooooooo – we have done some movie watching this week. The Whistler Film Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary, featuring original films from all around the world, with the majority of the films coming from Canada.
The opening Gala took place at the Whistler Conference Centre on December 2nd and the movie of the night was called CAROL – a truly touching work, but more on that in a while. The doors opened at 7pm and all guests had the opportunity to view artwork from 15 artists coming from the Sea to Sky corridor, before the show started. Here is a sample of what was there to see:
PENNY EDER | WHISTLER | SCULPTURE
ALICIA CLARK | WHISTLER | PAINTER
DERRICK HIGGINS | VANCOUVER | PAINTER
Coming back to the opening movie “CAROL” it is a must see for anyone who wants to be touched and overwhelmed with emotions. CAROL is a story of two lesbian lovers, a romance between a department store clerk and an older, married woman, set in the 1950s. Movie stars are a Winner of the Best Actress award (Rooney Mara) at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and the amazing Cate Blanchett, known from the Benjamin Button Movie.
During the 5 festival days, not only movies are being presented but also Canadian and international documentaries, like Amerika, which is the first feature-length documentary from Czech filmmaker Jan Foukal that follows Vancouver resident Barbara Adler as she travels to the Czech Republic to search for her Eastern European roots. And of course, it would not be a proper festival without some mountain style fun! The Celebrity Challenge Ski Race invites each year some of the festival guests to race in teams for charity. This year’s special guests included Norman Jewison or Jason Priestley.
And finally, every festival needs some great music! The WFF Music Café is a unique showcasing opportunity for British Columbian musical artists to perform for music supervisors & professionals that are looking for music for their next project, and film fans who love music. Ten songwriters and artists from across the musical spectrum have been selected to play a live 20-minute set and meet with key international music and film executives and delegates attending the festival.
The closing Gala features Canadian movie called “NUMB”, set in a BC winter mountain location, taking you on a survival thrill ride!