Media Releases
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Whistler reaches for the stars with annual Film Festival
Tourism Whistler media release
For immediate release – November 26, 2013
Whistler reaches for the stars with annual Film Festival – five days of film screenings, tributes, events and parties attracting industry insiders and celebrities alike
Suggested tweet: Richard Dreyfuss this year’s Tribute honouree at #WhistlerFilmFestival; more than 160 filmmakers to take part in this year’s event Dec. 4-13
Whistler, B.C. – The resort is the place to see and be seen as the annual film festival rolls into town with a full schedule of film screenings, red carpet galas, parties and special events.
The thirteenth annual Whistler Film Festival welcomes more than 160 filmmakers, actors, producers, writers and directors to the resort over five days in December. The WFF has become a mainstay on Whistler’s calendar of signature festivals and events.
New to this year’s event is the Whistler Film Festival Feature Project Lab – a business and marketplace immersion experience for six producers. The Whistler Summit brings together industry insiders to explore the evolution and convergence of the art, technology and commerce of cinema over three days of networking and business opportunities. The China Canada Getaway for Film Script Competition matches experienced writers and producers with Chinese studios and results in three projects receiving financing and support.
The festival kicks off December 4 with the Western premier of Jason Priestley’s Cas & Dylan at the Rainbow Theatre. Closing the festival will be The Crash Reel, directed by Lucy Walker. The Crash Reel is a documentary about the lifelong rivalry between two athletes preparing for the Winter Olympics and the events that unfold when one of the two has a near fatal crash. Kevin Pearce, one of the two athletes featured in the film, is expected to attend the closing night gala and screening event.
The festival features 84 innovative and original films representing a wide range of genres. The full schedule is available here.
The film industry is competitive by nature and the WFF delivers in this arena as well. Film competitions and awards include the Fashion Film Competition, the
Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature Film, World Documentary, Mountain Culture, Best ShortWork, Best BC Student ShortWork, MPPIA Short Film Award and the Audience Award.
This year’s festival will honour Richard Dreyfuss as the Tribute honouree. Dreyfuss, whose career has spanned more than 40 years, will participate in an intimate conversation with Variety’s Vice President and Executive Editor, Steven Gaydos, on December 6 while the WFF’s In Conversation features Canadian-born actor and director Jason Priestley with Canadian television and radio personality George Stromboloupolous on December 7.
WFF’s Spotlight On, presented by Elle Canada, showcases Melissa Leo as this year’s Luminary honouree on December 5 while Spotlight on Stars to Watch includes actresses Ali Liebert and Emily Hampshire.
Variety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch takes place December 7 with a slate of screenwriters sharing their personal stories and challenges in succeeding in today’s film industry.
This year’s Borsos jury is made up of producer Luc Déry, writer and film critic Brian D. Johnson and Hampshire who will present the $15,000 Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature and the award for Best Performance in a Borsos Competition Film.
Whistler Film Festival accommodation rates start at $89 per night for moderate rooms.
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Media can visit www.whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.
Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America for the past 12 years in a row, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 9,000 permanent residents.
Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.
Media Contact
Patricia Westerholm
Manager, Corporate Communications
Tourism Whistler
T: 604.938.2748
E: pwesterholm@tourismwhistler.com
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