Despite running for just five days, the Whistler Film Festival isnt short on high-profile events. Whether its hosting the high stakes ($15-million in film financing) China Canada Gateway for Film Script Competition or having Harry Potters Daniel Radcliffe plant himself in a chair for a public conversation, the festival has a knack for grabbing headlines.
As Whistlers new director of programming, Paul Gratton bears the responsibility of ensuring that the festivals films can back up the buzz generated by such events. And while this may be Grattons first year programming a festival, he sees it as a natural extension of his years in television overseeing channels such as Bravo and Space.
Ive spent my career trying to share the movies that I get enthusiastic about, says the self-avowed film buff. Whether its booking television or theatres or festivals, the venues are different but the skill set and desire to match appreciative audiences with movies youve discovered is kind of a constant.
After some badgering, Gratton shares a few selections that he takes personal pride in programming, including Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»products Hit n Strum and Bird Co. Media. However, he also acknowledges that hes very willing to cater to the atmosphere that the festival has spent the preceding 11 years cultivating.
The vibe here is very young and kind of a party-going crowd by film festival standards, he suggests. I very consciously tried to program some music-themed stuff and some late-night horror stuff that I thought would have appeal to young people, as opposed to the traditional auteurs festival crowd. Having said that, I still think there are some extraordinary titles that would fall into that traditional auteurs festival mode.
While admitting that hes experimenting a little in his first year, Gratton maintains a clear vision of where he sees the Whistler Film Festival headed.
One of the reasons I agreed to program this film festival is because I think its a rising star amongst the literally hundreds of festivals that are in existence in Canada, he explains.
I suspect that, even in its present incarnation, its amongst the top five film festival in Canada right now. Our goal is to fight our way to close to the top.
Already boasting Variety the film industry bible as a sponsor and offering the second largest cash prize available to Canadian filmmakers, the festival seems well positioned to take the next step.
And to Grattons way of thinking, not even its relative isolation should prove an impediment.
If you look at some of the great world festivals like Sundance and Cannes, theyre in kind of remote resort areas. And yet, theyve taken off despite all geographic odds. I feel the same way about Whistler. Its a two-hour drive from Vancouver. So, the entire BC industry can and should come up here.
After pausing, he emphatically repeats, Its a two-hour drive... It would be silly not to come up.
The 12th Annual Whistler Film Festival runs Nov. 28 - Dec. 2. Full details at .
