Tag: festivals

The Edmonton International Film Festival: “Rachel Getting Married”

The Edmonton International Film Festival, arguably the most accessible festival in Edmonton’s catalogue (“we’re going to…a movie”), began last week, screening independent and light-Hollywood films for nine days. I usually take in at least one fairly mainstream movie per festival, and this year was no different.

We chose Rachel Getting Married, an Anne Hathaway-feature that garnered much praise after it screened earlier this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. After reading the synopsis, I figured the wedding would be simply a backdrop to the real drama, but in actuality, the ceremony and everything that surrounded it (the rehearsal dinner, the reception) was showcased in full glory. This was both a strength and weakness of the film: while the scenes appeared so emotionally genuine (to the point where I wanted to be invited to be a part of the family), I think Mack was right in saying certain scenes could have used more liberal editing (was listening to a dozen rehearsal dinner speeches necessary? Or watching a lengthy dance floor montage?).

The core of the story, however, focused on Hathaway’s character Kym, a young woman returning home from rehab on the occasion of her sister’s marriage. Over the course of the movie, it is revealed that when Kym was sixteen, while high on drugs, ended up causing an accident that killed her younger brother. Each member of the family coped with this tragedy in a different way – Kym with her addiction, Rachel in studying psychology (an area that allows her to learn about human behavior) and the mother with separation and denial. How each member of the family related to each other was fascinating to watch, and in light of all of the wedding fun, I wished for more moments like the quiet one between Rachel and Kym preparing up for the ceremony.

The shaky camera (and seemingly unnecessary close-ups) had thankfully dissipated for the most part by the end of the movie, but I know Mack was happy when the film was over for this reason. While it’s not a must-see, Rachel Getting Married is an interesting window into a fictional family doing its best to move forward from a past tragedy.

The Film Festival runs until Saturday.

The Big Kahuna: Day 7

My final show at this year’s Fringe was the second of my two wild cards. Big Winner is about one woman’s quest at winning the grand prize in Tim Horton’s Roll-up-the-Rim-to-Win contest, and enlists Jackson, her friend, to help her. Over the course of the play, Jackson uncovers a little-known alternative route to $20,000 in the contest rules – awarded to the person with the most “Try again” cups. Big Winner, besides being a tale of small town (Red Deer of all places) Canadian life, is also a romantic one, as feelings between the two are acknowledged. It was obvious that the two actors were having a blast, but the show just didn’t do it for me. A decent effort with likable characters, but not my cup of coffee.

The Big Kahuna: Day 6

On Tuesday I introduced Mack to the manic energy of Charles Ross, aka the man behind The One Man Star Wars Trilogy. A sold-out crowd, packed into the cooker of a stage at the Strathcona Community League, provided ample enthusiasm to feed Ross’s one and half hour whirlwind tumble through Episodes four through six. There were a few differences between this version and the one I saw five years ago (notably, the “special effects” signifying the explosion of both Death Stars), and Ross this time wore a microphone, wise given the fact that he is performing two different shows this time around (his other, Sev, has nothing to do with a Hollywood film of any kind). Again, though the feat of cycling through the films is a testament to Ross’s personal zeal, much of the enjoyment of the show is provided by his character attributions (“schwing”, Luke’s whiny temperament), impersonations (I had forgotten how much I adore his imitation of R2-D2), and side commentary (“I’ll never work in film again!”). Like it did the first time, the show makes me want to watch all three movies over again. After the applause, Ross took a moment to implore the audience to follow through with any great ideas they may be sitting on. This is something he has done after every performance I have seen, so it was slightly less off-putting and seemingly more genuine to me than I have regarded it in the past.

I’m not sure if tickets are still available to the show, but there are, be sure to snap ‘em up.

On a different note, Fringe festival head Julian Mayne is optimistic about breaking the ceiling of the 77,000 indoor performance ticket sales tallied in 2006. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Also, online ticket purchases are up 20% – definitely good news for Mayne, who took a lot of flack for introducing the system last year. Still, it’s hard to see why everyone who has access to a computer wouldn’t pre-buy their tickets – the “Will Call” line is always shorter and faster at the Central Box Office.

Food at the Fringe

  • Though Starbucks shouldn’t count strictly as food from the Fringe, coffee is such a festival necessity to me that it bears inclusion on that ground alone.

 

My Fringe ritual: Journal reviews and coffee

  • Annie bought a cup of IttiBitz ($3.75) at the Fringe over the weekend. I’d always been intrigued by the tiny rounds of pastel-colored ice cream, but had never tried it myself. Turns out, it is just frozen pellets of ice cream; nothing special at all.

 

Annie with the IttiBitz sign

 

Cookies and Cream IttiBitz (vanilla ice cream pellets and crushed up chocolate cookies)

  • Intrigued by Funky Pickle‘s idea of “Butter Chicken Pizza”, I just had to try it. At $5 for the slice, however, it wasn’t what I was expecting, nor was it worth it. A curry sauce was used in place of the usual tomato base, and though the chicken may have been cooked in a tandoori oven (it was dry as heck), everything else about the pizza was decidedly ordinary. Supposedly created in collaboration with New Asian Village, one would imagine a final product with more flavour and originality behind it.

 

Butter chicken pizza from Funky Pickle

  • The vegetarian samosas (2 for $3.50) from India Palace was definitely the better deal when compared with the pizza – fried to a crisp perfection, they were filled with a lovely concoction of potatoes, peas, and a hint of chili. Carbolicious, they were way more satisfying than the pizza by far.

 

Samosas from India Palace

  • I wouldn’t be surprised if all restaurants in the immediate vicinity of the Fringe grounds had festival-specific menus, but Packrat Louie‘s is the only one I’ve had the personal opportunity to test. They’ve added a few special entrees, including ostrich fan steak, a “Mushroom Steak Fringe”, and a Hawaiian pizza dubbed “The Kahuna”.

 

Fringe-themed menu

 

The Kahuna

Happy eating at the Fringe!

Notes from the Fringe

  • I remember complaints last year about the reduced number of vendor permits distributed; it seems they are back in numbers to spare. The layout, which they usually change every year, is very clean this year. The alley behind the Strathcona library is usually uncomfortably crowded, but this year, pedestrian traffic is alleviated with vendors distributed along with side of the library as well.
  • Unlike last year, the location of the ticket booths is absent from the map in the centre of the program. Because of this, I think many patrons who need to purchase tickets aren’t aware of the “satellite” box offices, and thus the log jam at the Central Box Office during peak times. The Fringe administrators need to do a better job of advertising alternative places to obtain tickets.
  • I love the idea of the Fringe midway. While I haven’t had the time to watch any of the shows, I have walked through several times and just drink up the atmosphere of carney-like hawkers peddling their shows to the public. It’s a wonderful thing, and like being flyered on the grounds, the most honest means for artists to attract audience members to their production.
  • Perhaps I hadn’t paid attention in past years, but the food choices on site (although expensive), seem to be better this year. I had the usual green onion cakes, but am eying the Butter Chicken Pizza from Funky Pickle for later this week.

Two Days to the Fringe!

For those who watch the critics’ every move, the reviews from the Winnipeg Fringe are sometimes a good indication of what will make a splash at Edmonton’s own festival (though again, you never really know what will strike the fancy of a particular reviewer on any given day).

The Winnipeg Free Press lists the following shows (who will be making their way to Edmonton) as top-drawing acts: Die Roten Puntke, Kenneth Brown’s Spiral Dive (awarded 5 stars), The Official Napoleon Dynamite Dance Class, Killing Kevin Spacey, and Keir Cutler’s Teaching the Fringe. On a side note, I loved the theme of their 2008 festival, Viva Las Fringe, and the accompanying “What happens at the Fringe, stays at the Fringe” slogan. Cheesy, but effective. Though new Executive Director Chuck McEwen wanted to surpass Edmonton’s 2007 attendance of 74,963 indoor show tickets, they were short, reaching a paid attendance of 72,699, up 774 from last year’s record of 71,921. If you’re an Edmonton Fringe die-hard, you’re breathing a sign of relief right now.

Some news: the Frequent & Double Fringer passes have sold out. They only made 200 of each available; I seem to remember more being offered in past years, but I could be wrong.

Also, the website lists some schedule changes. Good news for those that missed Charles Ross’s sold-out One Man Star Wars Trilogy three years ago – he’s been given a full slot as a result of a show cancellation. I remember being in the front row at the Legion, watching the sweat just drip off the man’s face – he is a tour de force, and his imitations are spot on. Check out a clip here.

If you’re still not sure what show you’d like to see, the Free for All, an annual event that allows artists 5 minutes to showcase their production, takes place in McIntyre Park from 8-10pm on Thursday, August 14.

See you in Old Strathcona!

Food Notes

  • Edmonton’s Expo Latino descends on Churchill Square this weekend, August 16-17. I couldn’t locate a website, and from what I hear, it pales in comparison to Calgary’s version. In any case, music, memorabilia, and food will liven up the pavement.
  • Next weekend, Churchill Square will host the Edmonton Turkish Festival. Entertainment, demonstrations, and food, glorious food (and Turkish coffee) will be on tap.
  • My paltry participation in 2008’s 24 Hours of Flickr event, this year called Flickr 888, can be seen here.The first edition of Fresh in the City, the City Centre Market‘s e-newsletter, went out last week. I like the “Meet the Market” section, where a Q & A is done with a vendor. Sign up here.
  • While Mack snacked on a Fat Frank at the City Centre Market on Saturday, I headed to the Holy Guacamole trailer to try Chorizo on a bun. I didn’t expect ground sausage, but it was fine, though I would have preferred a little less orange grease residue…

 

Holy Guacamole trailer

 

Chorizo and mozzarella on a bun

  • We also had a quick bite to eat at the Jasper 104th Bistro in the Sobeys Urban Fresh on the weekend. Lured by this sign, Mack couldn’t resist their macaroni and cheese ($10). Made with mornay sauce, shitake mushrooms, pancetta, panko and truffle oil, it wasn’t a version one would see on the corner diner. I thought it was a bit dry, but Mack disagreed.

 

Jasper 104th’s Mac and Cheese

Early Thoughts on “The Big Kahuna”

After picking up a copy of the 2008 Fringe program over the weekend, I’ll be darned if it isn’t already marked up with post-its and incoherent scribbles. The 27th edition of the festival, “Fringe”-less in its name The Big Kahuna, begins on August 14 – just over a week away. As such, my personal countdown to my favourite time of year in Edmonton has begun.

The electronic ticketing system introduced last year to a boon of complaints remains, with the $2 additional fee that supports the still undefined “Box Office operating costs” left intact. While no tickets will again be sold at the venues themselves, Bring Your Own Venues (more commonly known as BYOVs), have been issued a grace this year, as tickets will only be available at the venue door when the clock hits two hours prior to showtime. Given the location of some of the peripheral venues in Old Strathcona, and the addition of New City, a lounge/bar located in Downtown Edmonton as a BYOV this year, it makes geographic sense for venue distribution of tickets. The obvious question, of course, is why a non-Old Strathcona venue was permitted to be a BYOV at all? As for the other suggestions collected in the January Town Hall meeting I attended – none appear to have been implemented, or at least can be gathered from the program itself (I wonder if Kenneth Brown’s veiled threat of producing his “gems” elsewhere if changes aren’t made will stick with his proposed plan to present his war trilogy over the next three years?).

New to the festival this year is the Fringe Midway – an extension of the $2 optical illusion sideshows of Fringes past. Quick and dirty serials, shorts, and this year’s Weed Woman sideshow are an addition great on paper at least – quick treats for those looking for a brief show or those short on cash but still looking for something other than outdoor buskers or antics.

My peripheral glance at the program so far has yielded a number of “repeat offenders”, so to speak. TJ Dawe, for example, is producing/directing/starring in/wrote five shows on tap this year. Daniel McIvor, whose A Beautiful View (at Theatre Network) was loved by the media last year, has three plays up at the festival.

Ones to bank on, based on name-recognition and critical favourites:

  • Teatro la Quindicina’s return to the summer festival – Happy Toes;
  • anything TJ Dawe is involved in (his own Maxim & Cosmo, Keir Cutler’s annual Shakespearean tirade, one-man-everything Charles Ross’ show);
  • musical marvel Rainer Hersch; and
  • Fringe darling Jon Stewart’s edgy new work.

I succumbed to the great deal of the Frequent Fringer pass (which allows me to bypass the aforementioned $2 Box Office fee), but it also means I’ve saddled myself for 10 shows in 6 days because of a late-August sojourn to Vancouver.

It will be an intense ride, but I’m ready for it. 9 days and counting…

Heritage Days 2008

Despite the draw of a world of food, our visit to the Heritage Festival this year was much like those in years past – a nice mix of visual and aural performances, scanning for cheap trinkets, and seeing where our next sample plate would come from.

In Hawrelak Park

Mack is a nesting doll!

The skies did threaten rain, but with the exception of a few rain drops, the clouds held up. This may have been one of the reasons the crowds were unusually small on Saturday; there was virtually no line at the ticket booths or at the food vendors themselves.

Getting my Hungarian Langos (fried bread) iced – the best deal of the day for only 3 tickets!

Mack with his plate of (very oily) perogies

Injera with mild chicken sauce from the Ethiopia booth – I’ve tried injera a few times now, and I can’t get used to the sour taste of the bread

Empanada (we should have brought our own plates/cutlery like we did for Taste of Edmonton, but it totally slipped our minds)

We made sure to get to the grounds on time to watch Dickson’s Mum’s dance troop perform in front of the Chinese pavilion. The group of 3-4 year olds were especially cute! Of course, the most notable outcome of watching the performance was a priceless photo op.

"Playing in the Rain" dance

Andrew, Mabel and Mack

We met up with Jane, Yi-Li, Megan and Greg to wander around further.

All smiles with Jane

Clogs!

Yi-Li doing his best to win Jane her plastic bubbles in the Taiwan tent

 

"English" garden

Enjoying mango-on-a-stick

Me & Mack

Thanks for a fun afternoon, guys! Pictures here.

August in Edmonton is for Variety

Better late than never?

  • Why not spend an afternoon exploring Edmonton’s outdoors? The City of Edmonton has a few interesting walks that can be printed out to be used as guides (including art downtown and notable Edmontonians in local cemeteries), and the Government of Alberta has a “Rock Walk” map available – noticing the unique rocks and minerals that make up some of the stalwart buildings in the city centre.
  • August 8-10, the annual Animethon takes place at the MacEwan City Centre Campus.
  • Doors Open Alberta is an event that celebrates the history of public buildings and spaces. Edmonton’s events take place August 9 & 10, and include walking tours, self-guided tours of notable buildings, and a resurrection of last year’s popular Capital Modern Bus Tour.
  • My absolute favourite festival of the entire year – the Edmonton International Fringe Festival – kicks off on August 14 and runs until August 24. Head to Old Strathcona for the outdoor buskers, food and craft vendors, and of course, amazing theatre!
  • City Farm‘s last Open Gate event of the summer takes place on August 16. Family fun farm activities for free!
  • Another family-friendly venue, the Rutherford House is hosting its annual Penny Carnival on August 17.
  • Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival is billed as Western Canada’s Premiere Blues Event and runs August 22-24.
  • Concurrent to the Blues Festival is the Dragon Boat Festival, also August 22-24. Watch the excitement from the banks of Louise McKinney Park!
  • The city’s newest (or more accurately, most high profile new festival) is Sherwood Park’s Under the Big Top, with magic shows, puppetry, and physical theatre. Check it out August 25-30.
  • Drive-ins may be hard to find, but Churchill Square has been frequently hosting Movies on the Square – family-friendly films projected onto a large inflatable screen. Mack and I went to a screening this weekend, but there are three more opportunities to do so this month: August 29-31, movie titles TBA.
  • Hawrelak Park, home of the annual Symphony Under the Sky, will again be filled with the songs of the masters August 29-September 1.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

EDIT:

  • Fragapoolza, the largest gaming event/Massive LAN party in Canada is being held at the Northlands Sportex August 7-10.
  • Cariwest, another stalwart Edmonton festival, is on this weekend, August 8-10.
  • Looking to volunteer? Check out the non-profits and organizations seeking help at Everyone for Everyone, an event free of charge to attend at the Shaw Conference Centre on August 23.