Thanks to all for sharing the journey to London with us and our discovery of the Chocolate Revolution in the UK. I could go on about it, but will save that for the print version of Chocolatour, where your chocolate experience will be greatly enhanced.
It’s time to head back across the pond and I invite you to join me on a diversion in my own backyard. You won’t find fine chocolate at the Gimli Film Festival (GFF), but you will find an amazing array of more than 120 films to nurture your spirit, entertain, educate and challenge you.
Last year I was privileged to attend the Opening Reception in celebration of the festival’s 10th year of operation, and stayed for the beach screening of the Weakerthans documentary. I can’t believe it took me 10 years to get to this amazing event!
This year, I plan on attending the afternoon screening of a documentary on El Bulli, said by many to be the world’s best restaurant. I missed the opportunity to visit this landmark eating establishment last year when I was in Barcelona. It’s located 177 kilometres from Barcelona airport, but we just didn’t have the time to make the journey.
Now I hear that El Bulli is closing, and will reopen as a new entity. We’ll see what master 3-star chef, Ferran Adria will come up with! Either way, it will be fascinating to watch the documentary of how this culinary mastermind works. I’m sure all mouths in the room will be watering as we watch a film documenting his sources of inspiration.
the setting for beach screenings at the Gimli Film Fest includes an 11-metre movie screen suspended above the waters of Lake Winnipeg
I’m also looking forward to the beach screening of Barney’s Version on Friday, July 22nd. As I recently returned from Montreal, it will be lovely to watch this movie based on Mordecai Richler’s prize-winning comic novel of the same name. The film won 7 Genie Awards and is said to show off Montreal most beautifully.
Something new that has been added this year is live music on the red dock by the beach screen at 8:30 pm before the 10 pm movie screenings. Looking forward to that!
And the GFF also offers free transportation from Winnipeg for festival goers with an “All Access Pass.” The GFF shuttle service is available to all others for a fee of $10 return trip. You can’t beat that!
So please join us in Gimli from July 20-24th for the 11th Gimli Film Fest. You’ll be glad you did! There are 3 indoor venues in addition to the beach venue. And something to please the palate of absolutely any film buff.
We’d love to hear your best GFF memories, or any experiences you may have had at other film festivals around the world. Please share your thoughts, and join us back here the week of August 2nd, when we’ll talk Montreal.
I look forward to joining you on the Gimli beachfront this Friday to take in Barney’s Version.
I love the audacity of an event like the GFF for blending the best of the geographical features of Gimli along with the brilliance of a movie screen that’s set in the water. It’s so wonderfully absurd and brings people together in a way that makes for uniquely joyful memories.
While not a film event, last summer’s Barge Festival at the Forks last August was similarly outrageous with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Chic Gamine and Sierra Noble presenting their talents on a huge barge at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers to the evening crowd assembled on the river docks. Meanwhile, motor boats gently passed by along with the occasional canoe and a passenger train chugged by overhead on the trestle leading to Union Station. It was an amazing event and one that will stay with me forever.
It was awesome and it sounds like GFF has the same kinds of ingredients to fabricate a great memory! So see you on the Beach this Friday.
Thanks for your comment, Margaret.
Yes, it is truly a fun experience so sit on a lawn chair (or blanket) beneath the stars and watch a movie outdoors on the beach. Last year, it was a clear, warm night when I was there, and practically no bugs. Let’s hope we’re as lucky this year.
It’s funny you should mention the Barge Festival! I have it marked on my calendar for Friday, Aug 19th at 8 pm at The Forks. Hope to see you there! We are so fortunate to have so many amazing outdoor happenings in Manitoba in the summer.
HI Doreen,
Thanks for getting the word out about the Festival. Tonight, the Illusionist plays on the beach at 10 pm. This animated features is by the creators of The Triplets of Belleville, one of my favourite movies of all time. Can’t wait to see it while sitting on a beach outside (in the hopefully slightly cooler weather.) Also, on Thursday night, it’s Bill Cunningham New York, a doc about a New York photographer who’s been shooting street fashion for roughly 60 years. It’s absolutely wonderful and gives a little look into the nature of one man’s passion for fashion.
Ciao for now!
Greg
Sounds awesome, Greg. I just might have to take in Bill Cunningham’s NY. I believe I’ve seen some of his photos and he is an amazing photographer. See you at the GFF!
Sounds great, wish I could attend. Way back in the 20th Century when I served as president of ACTA I was a regular attendee of TIFF (The Toronto Intern’l FF) but I found that I had too many meetings and policy sessions to attend to allow me to see more than a handful of films. The same pattern emerged wile I was an official at HotDocs as then exec.director of the Documentary Organization of Canada. Now as Exec. Dir. of PWAC I find that I can never read as much as I’d like to. As they say, the cobbler’s children never have shoes…
Well, Sandy, you’ll just have to plan a vacation to the beautiful lakeside community of Gimli! Next summer, come out for a week and explore the Interlake! There are so many amazing festivals going on in Manitoba during the summer. And there will be a free dinner in Matlock in it for you!
I really liked Barney’s Version, and had fun spotting some Montreal locales. Like many others, I had mixed feelings about the location of the flashbacks being changed from Paris to Rome, but in general, I think it worked.
When a movie is made of a book I loved, it’s always a bit of a mixed blessing. You can pick a million holes in the changes that are inevitably made to turn a book into a movie. I was really surprised that the only Oscar nomination Barney’s Version got was for makeup, though. I thought Paul Giamatti was a good choice to play Barney.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the movie, Kathe. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see Barney’s Version last night as the beach screening at the GFF was cancelled due to high winds. Our weather in MB is psychotic! We had record-breaking highs this week followed by a cold front moving in and making it feel like fall! Hopefully, Sunday will be better.
I do hope to see Barney’s Version at some point as Paul G is indeed a fine actor. Loved him in Sideways!
Hope you’ll join us here again when we talk about Montreal in the next post. Cheers!
I’m trying to envision Montreal floating above Lake Winnipeg. LOL. Too bad it was cancelled. :o( It would have been quite an experience!
Indeed, Elizabeth! The Gimli Film Fest is really quite the event! Perhaps you can plan to take it in next year! We’d love to welcome you to Manitoba, and I only live 20 minutes from Gimli! Cheers!
Update on El Bulli: I really enjoyed the documentary, and was pleased to see it was a sell-out. Very interesting film. It was amazing to see the approach taken by eccentric chef owner, Ferran Adria, and his creative team. Alas, none of us will get the chance to try the infamous restaurant as it has now closed and will open in another format in 2014 under the direction of a Foundation. More on that at: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Venues/Goodbye-El-Bulli-the-World-s-Best-Restaurant-closes.
I have pleasant memories of Gimli!
I hope the mosquitoes found another venue to attend! 🙂
Yes, Marianna, Gimli is great! The Icelandic Festival is happening this wkend. Great stuff all summer long.
And there are NO mosquitoes! We’ve had a very hot July, so there haven’t been any mosquitoes for a couple of weeks. It’s been an amazing summer. Hope you are faring as well.
Hi Doreen,
Thanks for checking my blog and what a great blog you have. This festival sounds great and I also loved the one about Amsterdam. I have actually never been to Sucre so I’ll have to check that one out.
Cheers,
Sharmin