Yorkton's Lobsterfest welcomes filmmakers from across Canada for a taste of Saskatchewan and the Maritimes
One of the Yorkton Film Festival’s (YFF) premier events has come and gone, as “Lobsterfest” kicked off Friday night from the Yorkton Wildlife Federation Clubhouse.
Cancelled for two years due to the pandemic, the event is usually hosted yearly by the Yorkton Lions Club. Over 500 tickets were sold for the event, with guests able to choose between lobster and steak.
The event allows for a more laid back setting where industry executives and filmmakers from across Canada get to kick back and spend time together, getting a taste of Saskatchewan along with the Maritimes.
Fresh lobster is always shipped in from the east coast for those attending YFF, along with many from Yorkton and area taking in the festivities.
Rebeca Ortiz is a filmmaker from Toronto. 2022 is her first film festival, and she already had a positive outlook on the community and the festival just a few hours after arriving by plane.
“I love it. It’s got a lot of beautiful greenery. Everything's great. Everything's beautiful. I love to be here in springtime. This lobster fest is amazing,” she said. “This film festival is a great way to meet other filmmakers across Canada.”
Ortiz’s “Abuela” is nominated for the Emerging Filmmaker Award at Saturday’s Golden Sheaf awards.
Her experience at Lobsterfest though, it’s something she says she won’t forget.
“(It) seems like everyone knows each other here. It's a really good community. Everyone's really into everything that's going on, across the city … The festival seems like everyone's involved in different ways. And I love it,” she said.
This event, and the YFF as a whole, has quite the following. Many filmmakers make it an annual trip out to Yorkton to take in the event, along with the local culture.
Richard Wright is at his second film festival, and represented Saskatoon’s Alchemy Animation.
“This kind of event adds a lot to (the students’) education because with people that are doing this for a living and get to meet people, you get to figure out how to like make this a career,” he said.
“We are just lucky (the film festival) exists here in Saskatchewan. That (students and young filmmakers) can come to you on a yearly basis. And more importantly, it's the longest running film festival in North America. So it's just a gigantic opportunity for (the) up and coming filmmakers.”
Skeet shooting was offered at Lobsterfest, with trained professionals showing the filmmakers the ins and outs of it. It drew a crowd, with many of the filmmakers trying it for the very first time.
The Yorkton Film Festival wraps up Saturday night with the Golden Sheaf Awards at 8 p.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Police investigating shooting outside of Drake's Bridle Path mansion: source
Toronto police are investigating a shooting that took place outside of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion early Tuesday morning, a source tells CP24.
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
3 Indian nationals accused of murdering Hardeep Singh Nijjar facing court in B.C.
Three Indian nationals accused of murdering Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are due to face court Tuesday over the killing that triggered a major diplomatic rift with India.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.