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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.