THUNDER BAY - Movie goers were eager to get tickets for some world class films not normally available in the city as the North of Superior Film Association 2018 Film Fest pulled back the curtain on its 25th year.
The festival got underway on Sunday at Silver City, with 12 films being screened. According to Marty Mascarin, president of NOSFA, early ticket sales this year indicate it’s going to be another successful festival.
“It was a busy morning,” he said. “Our titles seem to be very well attended. I think we are doing very healthy in terms of six-packs. Those sales have gone very well. It looks like a nice optimistic start to the festival.”
“We are working with a niche product,” Mascarin continued. “Not everyone is interested in subtitled films and so on for different reasons. It’s not that we are elitist, but it is that chance to see something from around the world on the big screen here in town that you wouldn’t get to otherwise.”
The Film Fest is offering more than 25 films this year, from foreign films, to indie hits, to Oscar nominated movies like Ladybird, which is set to screen on Thursday, Apr. 19 before the gala event at Bight Restaurant that evening.
“It did play here, but a number of us here for screening saw the turnouts weren’t very great,” Mascarin said of Ladybird, which was nominated for five Academy Awards.
Following such a strong showing during award season and a 100 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Mascarin said the film will be a nice way to lead into the gala party.
For those interested in attending the Film Fest, Mascarin said it is important to remember that individual tickets should be purchased just before the screening of the movie you want to see.
“We always like to specify if people purchase an individual ticket about an hour and a half or two hours prior to the film of their choice,” he said. “It’s not as if they can come here at 10 a.m. and buy a ticket for 4 p.m. We apologize for the inconvenience but such is the limited resources of a volunteer organization.”
And even though an early spring snowstorm is expected to hit the city on Sunday, Mascarin doesn’t think that will deter too many people.
“I think our patrons are pretty loyal and resolute,” he said. “We had a very severe storm a couple of years ago on a Thursday night. It was a bad blizzard and about 100 people came out to see Nebraska. We have to take our hats to the bravery and loyalty of our patrons. Fingers crossed that won’t be too much of a deterrent. Gloomy weather is ideal weather for movie going.”
For more information and a complete list of films, visit the North of Superior Film Association website.
The 2018 Film Fest Lineup:
Thursday, April 12
- Their Finest: 6:30 p.m.
- The Disaster Artist: 8:40 p.m.
Sunday, April 15
- Novitate: 9:45 a.m.
- En Pere Du Flic 2: 9:50 a.m.
- Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story: 10:15 a.m.
- In the Fade: 12:10 p.m.
- A Fantastic Woman: 12:15 p.m.
- Tulipani: 12:20 p.m.
- Back to Burgundy: 2:25 p.m.
- Finding Your Feet: 2:30 p.m.
- The Insult: 2:35 p.m.
- The Midwife: 4:55 p.m.
- Loving Vincent: 5 p.m.
- Foxtrot: 5:05 p.m.
Thursday, April 19
- Ladybird: 6:30 p.m.
- Gala Party (Bight Restaurant): 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 22
- In Between: 9:50 a.m.
- God’s Own Country: 9:55 a.m.
- Brigsby Bear: 10 a.m.
- The Leisure Seeker: 12 p.m.
- Good Time: 12:10 p.m.
- The House by the Sea: 2:20 p.m.
- The Divine Order: 2:25 p.m.
- The Breadwinner: 2:30 p.m.
- Loveless: 4:35 p.m.
- Sami Blood: 4:40 p.m.
- Faces/Places: 4:45 p.m.
