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Gimli Film Festival sets attendance record at beach screening
The Gimli Film Festival set an attendance record on the beach Friday with fantastic weather and the family favourite ET on the screen. Now organizers are keeping an eye on the sky for tonight’s grand finale and a severe thunderstorm watch in effect.
"We’re very cautious," said festival director Cheryl Ashton. "If there’s any chance of lightning, we won't go ahead," she said at midday. Tonight, festival organizers hope the winds will be calm and the skies won’t threaten as they lower the screen for Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii at 10 p.m.
Last year’s screening of Jaws at the Sunday night finale drew a crowd of 3,400, said Ashton. "That was the largest beach audience," she said. "Friday night was even bigger." The Gimli Film Fest had a record crowd of between 4,500 and 5,000 for the screening of ET, she said. "It was very exciting."
An Elvis impersonator entertaining the festival-goers before the beach screening tonight won’t need much help warming up the crowd.
"It’s hot and humid and you can feel the stuff is building," Ashton said. "It's still clear here," she added, and said she hopes it stays that way until the closing credits of Blue Hawaii.
"It's been a great festival," said Ashton. "We want to keep it that way."
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