Celestial Cinema joins Whistler's summer of entertainment line-up

July 24, 2012, 2012: Whistler, BC – Film lovers have another place to watch movies this summer - on the Great Lawn, in the open air, and under the stars at Whistler Olympic Plaza.

As part of the “Whistler Presents” summer entertainment program and programmed by the Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS), Celestial Cinema will take place at the Whistler Olympic Plaza, the site of the Whistler medals ceremonies for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The movie line-up has been hand-picked by the WFFS, resulting in a unique mix of films for the whole family to enjoy this summer.

“There's something special about watching a great movie outside under the stars,” says Paul Gratton, Whistler Film Festival Society’s Director of Programming. “We look forward to presenting films that are a mix of crowd pleasers, audience and critic favorites this summer in Whistler as we gear up for our twelfth edition of the film festival.”

Celestial Cinema at the Whistler Olympic Plaza features free, family-friendly films on Wednesday nights during August. The screenings will begin each night around 8:00 p.m. and end by 10:00 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and snacks, or to pick up something from the fabulous eateries in the Village. All ages are welcome and all films will be rated PG (Parental Guidance). Smoking and alcohol will not be permitted.

The series is weather-permitting and in the event of rain will be moved to Millennium Place with seating available on a first come, first served basis.  The decision to move to the indoor venue will be made at 6:00 pm on the evening of the screenings.
 

August 1:  MIDNIGHT IN PARIS

Written and directed by Woody Allen, his 41st movie and biggest commercial hit ever is the perfect summertime flick: a love letter to the charms of one of the world’s great cities. View trailer

August 8:  THE WHALE

Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, THE WHALE tells the true story of a young, wild killer whale - an orca - nicknamed Luna, who lost contact with his family on the coast of British Columbia and turned up alone in a narrow stretch of sea between mountains, a place called Nootka Sound. View trailer

August 22: MARLEY

Bob Marley's universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. MARLEY is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. View trailer

August 29: SCORE! A HOCKEY MUSICAL

Featuring a long list of famous Canadian cameos, Score: A Hockey Musical is a love letter to Canada that is a wry celebration of all the qualities that define us as a people – kindness, politeness, self-effacement and an ability to poke fun at ourselves.  View trailer

About Whistler Presents

The “Whistler Presents” Festivals, Events & Animation (FE&A) program is an investment in Whistler’s future with the goal to grow room nights and help enhance the visitor experience through an exciting program of arts, culture, sport and entertainment. The program is funded by the Province of British Columbia’s Resort Municipality Initiative (RMI), monies set out to build tourism in the province.

The Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) FE&A program includes original programming, animation and street entertainment, programming that extends the core program of a variety of third party events, as well as investment in event testing and development.

Although the RMOW is the steward of the RMI funds, the program will be delivered by various festival and event producers.  The Whistler Arts Council will produce the street entertainment program; independent producers will produce concerts, while the FE&A team will work with third party event producers to develop the incremental content to extend their programs.

About the Whistler Film Festival Society
The Whistler Film Festival Society (WFFS) is a charitable cultural organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. WFFS produces one of Canada's leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering project development programs for Canadian filmmakers. Find out more at www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.

Photo credit: Matt Walker