Productions like September 5 (Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch), Queer (Daniel Craig, Jason Schwartzman) and opening night main event The Last Showgirl (Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis) are expected to vie for an Academy Award this year, and all three will be part of the 2024 Whistler Film Festival (WFF) alongside many other movies.
"We are excited to be screening 118 films, including multiple world premieres, Oscar contenders, documentaries by renowned filmmakers,” says WFF executive director Angela Heck, who cites 47 features and 71 shorts in a press release. "We have an unprecedented number of celebrities coming out this year in support of their films, as jurors and as key speakers. We’re really feeling like our cup runneth over in 2024."
Celebrated dramas such as In The Summers (Residente, Sasha Calle) and The Summer Book (Glenn Close, Anders Danielsen Lie) are on deck as well, not to mention Canada's entry into the Academy Award race: Universal Language. Other highlights include lively musical flicks, a smart selection of feature-length documentaries from various nations, an expanded shorts program with nine different strands, and the high-quality mountain culture programming locals now expect.
For those who love the Sea to Sky being represented in movies beyond the outdoor genre, there’s Heretic. Starring Hugh Grant in perhaps his most unique role to date, this novel suspense thriller was filmed primarily in Squamish.
The WFF will once again activate the defunct Village 8 theatres in the heart of Whistler Village, with additional screenings taking place in the Whistler Conference Centre’s Rainbow Theatre, Maury Young Arts Centre, and Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC).
“It’s been a thrill working my first year at the festival and I’ve been fortunate to be alongside such a talented team of programmers and staff,” remarks Robin Smith, who joined WFF as director of film programming in June. “This year’s festival has been all about listening to our team’s experience, our community’s needs, and being reflective of where our industry is at present while still maintaining a vibrant variety of programs that will engage both our local community and audiences across the country.
“We have an exciting mix of fun and playful, and also thought-provoking and diverse films programmed across 10 program strands,” added Smith. “We are screening more films than ever by expanding popular programs such as ShortWorks, Mountain Culture, and World Documentary while adding in new themes like Play It Loud!, Country Of Focus, Films On Tap and Movies You Missed to give an increased range of films to our audiences. I truly believe that we are offering a selection unmatched anywhere in Canada.”
Speaking of Play It Loud!, this is a new music-themed event slated for Dec. 5, highlighting the world premiere of Blue Rodeo: Lost Together. Band founders Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy plan to attend with director Dale Heslip.
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