fantasia = fantastic fans, a wicked city and a great party
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by
Creature22
| Posted on
07-13-2010 5:19 AM
I'm back from Montreal and in one piece. What a long, fun-filled opening night event. The Fantasia film festival kicked things off with the Canadian premiere of The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Although not usually the type of film I'd go for, it was still a nice bit of overly produced Disney fun for the family. It did have its moments of darkness and some great imagery, but it could have been darker. It did fit the festival as The Sorcerer's Apprentice is based on the original Disney film in which the festival shares its name: "Fantasia."
I arrived at the theatre nearly two hours before the film, and the line-up was already around the corner! Thankfully I learned my tickets were set aside for me, so I left and grabbed a bite to eat. I guess DUSK being a sponsor of the festival does have its benefits. At 6:30 pm when I was entering the theatre, Jay Baruchel, the star of The Sorcerer's Apprentice also arrived to introduce the film. Apparently Jay is a local boy and has been coming to the Fantasia Film Festival since he was 14 years old. Kinda cool.
When the festival organizers hit the stage the crowd roared with anticipation. After a translation from a French colleague, (yes the intros were primarily done in French) I found out that Fantasia is a film festival for the fans, truly getting bigger and evolving as its fans evolve. By the time Jay Baruchel hit the stage, the fans were crazy. As for the film - I'll let the real reviewers say what they will. It was enjoyable and could spin off a few more provided it makes the right kind of cash.
The Fantasia after-party (sponsored by DUSK) was a blast complete with fire acts, a trapeze act, dancers, multi-media projections and DJs. Pictures and words just don't do it justice, but it was a blast. I had the fortune of meeting all the Festival organizers, and everyone looked like they had a great time. It was approaching 2 am when I had to call it quits, but the patio was still full of people.
The Fantasia festival goes until July 28th, so there is still lots to check out. If you're in Montreal, you have to attend.
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