Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, November 30, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The Yellowknife Film Festival wraps up tonight after a successful first year.

Chris White, executive director of Western Arctic Moving Pictures (WAMP), played a heavy hand in the organization of the two-month-long event. Screenings took place nearly every Friday at Northern United Place for the city's film lovers.

Though White said he was nervous throughout the festival as it was the first time, he said it turned out well.

"It was spectacular. It was bigger than we were actually anticipating in terms of the number of people we had at the screenings as well as just the reception of the films," said White.

Some of the highlights of the event were the gala events for the films Manufacturing Dissent: A Critical Look at Michael Moore, and Eve and the Fire Horse, for which the directors visited Yellowknife. Those two screenings brought out crowds of more than 100 people, and the smaller screenings had attendance of approximately 35 people.

Even Your Mommy Kills Animals, a documentary touching on animal rights for which White never expected a large audience, brought out more than 30 people.

"Even if you take sort of a more risque film like that there is an audience for it," he said. "Yellowknifers have really given us a mandate to bring a wide variety of films."

Spreading the films out over a period of time as opposed to fitting all the films into a weekend was good for audience participation, according to White. This made it possible for some people from Behchoko to come in for screenings.

"The people weren't required to book off a significant amount of time," he said.

Since the demand for films appears to be high in the city, White said WAMP will try and organize screenings every other week throughout the year. A couple of dates have already been booked for January, but no details about which films will be coming can be released, just yet.

For next year's festival, however, White said it is possible it will be concentrated into a shorter period of time.

The festival will wrap up tonight with screenings of A Collection of Native Shorts, including Life Givers: Honouring Our Elders and Children, First Stories Vol. II and O Mother, Where Art Thou?

The films begin at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Northern United Place.

All access pass holders will be given ballots at the end of the night to vote for their favourite films in the festival.