HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-08, Page 11Spring Fling a hit with cinema lovers
Dominique Milburn
signal -star staff
A weekend filled with a power
outage and a blustery blast of snow
wasn't enough to bring down the ex-
citement of the Livery's Spring Fling
Film Festival.
The lighting inside Goderich's Park
Theatre threatened audience mem-
bers with a slight flicker on Friday
evening as the fifth annual cinematic
installment opened with The Stone of
Destiny.
"We got lucky and dodged a bul-
let," said festival committee member
Brigitte Wolf, noting that unlike many
Goderich homes and businesses, the
theatre retained its electricity during
the Friday evening outage.
With the lighting dimmed, but
working, the festival officially got
underway and according to Wolf,
enjoyed one of its best years yet. It's
thanks in no small part, she added, to
the attendance of feature One Week
director Michael McGowen, who sat
in on the film's screening and took
part in a lively 20 -minute question
and answer period immediately fol-
lowing the film. '
How did he get the big -name ac-
tors? How did he finance the feature?
Was that really the Stanley Cup?
Photo submitted
Henry and Michael McGowan with
Livery Film Fest committee members
Brigitte Wolf and Nina Reynolds.
Audience members were privy to
the answers to these questions and
more as McGowen offered an inti-
mate peek inside the the film.
"It was amazing to see the film fea-
ture so many recognizable things and
places that are. truly Canadian," said
Wolf. "It's almost as if it was his hom-
age to Canada and the landscape that
really hung on the story, and I think
that inspired some great spontaneous
questions from the audience."
McGowen and his son, 10 -year-
old Henry, both stuck. around after
the festival to attend the wrap party,
where Wolf said Henry was thrilled
to have been recognized from his bit
parts in the film.
While ticket package sales were
slightly down this year, Wolf said that
the overall attendance was good. The
top three drawing films of the festival
were One Week, The Stone of Destiny
and The Reader.
"I thought things went really well.
We had good feedback, the gala was
great, and One Week was our best
attended film yet," Wolf said of the
weekend. "I heard from a lot of peo-
ple, including Michael McGowen,
that it was nice to attend such a well -
organized festival, so that's a nice pat -
on -the -back for the committee."
The Livery's FilmFest commit-
tee works in partnership with the
Toronto International Film Festi-
val's Film Circuit Board to pres-
ent current, award winning films
from the film festival circuit to
rural Ontario audience.
Director aims to promote rural film festivals
Denny Scott
signal -star staff
If you had one week to live, would
you take a chance at treatment or do
- something memorable with your re-
maining time?
That's the question director Michael
McGowan attempted to answer in his
film One Week; and the answer he
came up with was to take a trip across
Canada on a Norton motor cycle.
One Week, was written and di-
rected by McGowan, and stars Joshua
Jackson. He was invited to attend
Goderich's Livery Film Fest and came
to promote his film and help promote
film festivals.
"1 was invited here and I came. The
film circuit has helped [get the film
Sava lip to
300
In Manufacturer's Rebates
\VI\ G.\�
I.( )k .\
Beauty that is blinding
out there], so I'm doing a lot of these
festivals to help out," McGowan ex-
plairied.
The film's story -line focuses around
a trip that Jackson's character takes
across the country from Toronto to
Tofino, B.C.,. Having made more than
20 stops, and having travelled across
the country multiple times, McGowan
could claim to know the trip well.
The film took about five weeks to
shoot according to McGowan, and
cost $1.9 million (Canadian).
"If I had more money, we would
have had a bigger crew, but smaller
turned out to be better, we were able
to get a lot of places and get a lot of
shots we wouldn't have been able to
get," he said.
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shows the Canadian countryside in
what the director hopes is a unique,
trip -inspiring way.
The film features a soundtrack that is
completely Canadian, with performers
Sam Roberts, Great Lake Swimmers,
and Joel Plaskett Emergency. The
film's success is an unexpected, but
welcome result for McGowan, as his
greatest hopes were to have the film
find a life in Canada, which it has. It
has also been well received in Europe
and the United States.
The film's inspiration comes from
two things; the first to demonstrate
Canada, and show it in all its' glory.
Secondly,he wanted to inspire hope.
He wanted audiences to feel that, even
in the face of insurmountable odds,
hope will continue on.
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 8, 2009 - Page A l 1
PUBLIC NOTICE
RE: 2009 Municipality of Central Huron Budget
The 2009 Municipality of Central Huron Budget will be
presented for consideration and adoption at the Regular •
Meeting of Council, Tuesday, April 14, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in
the Council Chamber, 23 Albert Street, Clinton, Ontario.
Brenda Maclsaac, Clerk
Municipality of Central Huron
f
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
• SHOW & SALE
MAY 2 - 15, 2009
AT THE GODERICH LIBRARY
Cash Prizes for 12 & Under
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Theme: Landscape & Nature
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Category: Landscape Nature
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