Calgary International Film Festival confident attendance will be good despite downturn

After a record attendance year in 2015, the Calgary International Film Festival hopes it can buck the current festival trend around the province and keep ticket sales solid.

Attendance at theCalgary Folk Festival and Calgary Stampede had much lower turnouts, due in part tothe economic climate, and for the Stampede the rainy weather.

Though anything can happen over the next couple of months, CIFF executive director Steve Schroeder saidhe'sconfident the festival, held from Sept. 21 to Oct. 2, will be a success.

"We know it's difficult times across the arts ... there are a lot of great festivals across the province having a hard year no one is immune to that," said Schroeder.

But there have been some indicators that allow him to make the prediction the festival will attract people.

"We have been successful at keeping our sponsors on board with us for the most part, and in terms of other public support, we've been very fortunate to able to maintain that."

Keeping prices affordable

Schroeder says ticket prices will be $15 for regular shows, while gala prices range from $25 to $45 and include a show and after party.

"If we can be an affordable way for people to celebrate and have a good time, maybe that helps them have a nice time when the economy is trying to get back to its normal health."

In a slight departure from its usual all-film lineup, CIFF will premiere and celebrate a decade of CBC-TV's Heartland at Flames Central on Oct. 1. Shot in the Alberta foothills, Schroeder says it's the longest running one-hour TV drama in Canadian television history and watched in more than 100 countries.

"It's a major, major success story, not just for Alberta but Canada."

The premiere of the 10th season will be part of a new, annualfeature of the festival called Alberta Showcase.

"We have always had a very strong component of Alberta films and other types of content, but we know the general public and the fans are really curious about filmmaking and other kinds of screen media like television shows," saidSchroeder. He saysAlberta films have the most Academy Awards by jurisdiction in Canada, including multi-Oscar winning 2015 movie The Revenant.

According to Schroeder, film fests around the world have been introducing television shows into their lineups because "the lines between TV and film have been blurring for a long time."

But the festival will also continue to showcase all types of media made in Alberta, past and present,he says.

The opening of the newCalgary Film Centre has given a big boost to the film industry, says Schoeder and is contributing to a growing interest in the province's film industry.

"We think the local film festival should celebrate that."

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