The red-carpet runway adorned the floor of Reel Attractions in Humboldt for the opening of the third annual Saskatchewan International Film Festival on Saturday. Dignitaries, festival organizers and movie lovers rubbed elbows in the lobby and greeted everyone at the photo gallery outside the theatre. The energy was high for Humboldt’s first foray into a film festival of this kind.  

The festival has grown in a big way since its inception. This year, 60 entries from 17 countries vied for 32 final spots to be screened over the three-day festival. The roster includes long and short forms, documentaries, works by Indigenous filmmakers, animations, among others.  

The opening ceremonies were followed by the trailers, MCed expertly by the SIFF team – a taste to whet the appetite for what would come on Sunday and in the days following. Some films promised a look at lives in faraway places and new perspectives from locales like Europe and Asia. Others would provide a glimpse closer to home, but always with an eye to strong messages and passionate performances. 

 “Today gives us a great opportunity to celebrate the art and science of filmmaking by watching stories from around the world,” said Carlton Trail – Eagle Creek MP Kelly Block during her opening comments. “This festival breaks cultural boundaries by telling compelling stories from many different languages.” 

Block said it was inspiring to see the support and the interest grow after only three years. 

Local MLA Donna Harpauer reflected on being able to enjoy festival films in the theatre that she recalled from her youth. 

“The festival’s theme is ‘Make It Happen,’ which is very fitting as we’re know in this province for our resilience and initiative-taking,” Harpauer commented. “The festival succeeds in bringing people together from all backgrounds using film and storytelling to encourage inclusion connection and education.” 

Mayor Michael Behiel echoed the sentiments about the importance of the theatre in Humboldt and an entertainment and social outlet. He said that the economics have changed for the average theatre goer, but the excitement of attending a cinema event in a theatre had not. Gone are the days when two bucks would get you admission, popcorn, a drink and some candy, with change, but the draw of film arts endures.  

“We couldn’t be more excited to join in this celebration of identity and culture through film. This is an opportunity to experience firsthand creative expression and outstanding film entertainment. Film has a uniquely powerful presence within human existence and has become a vehicle for culture, education and leisure. Films are different things to different people, and that’s what’s so incredible about them.” 

For first-time filmmakers seeing their work on the big screen, the excitement eclipsed that of the patrons. A finalist in the short film category, Jett Kowalchuk of Moose Jaw talked about his entry, Synthesis. A student in creative technologies, Kowalchuk applied his skills to a film treatment. 

“The film deals with the introduction of artificial intelligence into the creative world. I work with different graphic media where I think people are a bit intimidated by AI and don’t know whether it will jeopardize jobs. This film is more of a question as to what it means.” 

Chamber of Commerce representative Joe Von Doellen sees the event as a special chance for Humboldt to shine on a provincial and international stage.  

“Any time a community is fortunate enough to be chosen for this event, I think it’s quite an honour. Not every city gets this opportunity to showcase some of the young filmmakers and local filmmakers in the industry, I think it’s opportunity for the city and the businesses in Humboldt.” 

As co-owner of Reel Attractions, Shannon Yeager welcomed all to the theatre and impressed on the crowd the longevity of the historic business. For SIFF President Danny Baliad, the opening represented an excellent start on this year’s festival mission – to break cultural barriers and to put Saskatchewan on the map in a new way. “Make It Happen” is the philosophy, and the organizers, filmmakers and lovers of cinema were living up to the theme in Humboldt. 

The event continues through Tuesday evening. Tickets for the showings and to Saturday night’s awards ceremonies at Saskatoon’s TCU Place are available at Reel Attractions. 

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