Yesterday was the kickoff to the Vox Popular Media Arts Festival which normally takes place here in Thunder Bay every September. Ostensibly, it’s a film festival, but it’s a lot more than that. It’s a celebration of the art of film making, whether it’s a short film, a documentary or a feature length piece. This year, due to Covid-19 the festival has moved to being strictly online and, good news for you film buffs, it’s free! You can head to the Vox Popular website here, choose which of the 5 showcases you’d like to watch (Identity, Awareness, Drama 1, Drama 2 or Experimental) and simply enter the password ‘freevirtualfestival’ to watch! You don’t need to watch every film, you can still pick and choose what interests you within the showcases. Trust me, there is a LOT to choose from! In many cases, there are pre-recorded Q&A’s with the film creators as well that you can check out before or after the films!
My personal favourite so far (I will be watching this tonight most likely, I was too tired to watch anything last night) is 5 Bucks At The Door. The film can be found within the ‘Identity’ showcase and is the history of local Thunder Bay venue ‘Crocks N’ Rolls’ shot by local film maker Kirsten Kosloski. I’ve seen the trailer several times, and knowing both the subject and the film maker, I know it’s going to be incredible! If you love live music, I HIGHLY recommend you check it out. You may be surprised who shows up!
Check out the trailer for 5 Bucks At The Door below, and you can find more information about the film itself here.
