CIFF 2016: Opening Gala

This was my first year covering the Calgary International Film Festival or well CIFF 2016 for a much shorter title. This being in that it was the first year we've begun covering movies on the site so it was nice to already check out an event based within the industry. Aside from some early screenings for films in the event it was nice to get out there and engage with others that were partaking in the festival. The opening gala was rather elegant featuring a special carpet and a classy open lobby that everyone gathered in before the screening. This was incredibly nice to attend as it was even fancier than I expected with some lovely live music in the background, a fine selection of drinks and some great drinks from Big Rock Brewery. I personally got one of their beers before as part of the ticket and definitely enjoyed that while waiting for the film to begin.

The choice of using the Jack Singer Concert Hall as the venue was perfect and provided a great atmosphere. It was also interesting to see so many others that were either a part of the film show up along with many that were fans of different films as this wasn't your typical theater film. This is of course true with the majority of the films present in the festival so it's nice to see some variety. The movie of choice for the evening was Maudie, based on a Canadian folk artist and it was nice to enjoy a film in this sort of ambience. I personally thought the film was decent and it did a fine job of shining a light on the life of this artist that I hadn't heard of previously. While the event is now over I'd most certainly suggest checking out the CIFF 2017 in general and the Opening Gala event as they put on a good kick-off party.

Read our Maudie Review
Our CIFF 2016 Hub