Jane Emerick
Special to The Chief
The Brackendale Documentary Film Festivals, Films of the Natural World, will kick off this weekend with adventure sport screenings.
Brackendale Art Gallery director, Thor Froslev said there would be at least four films viewed at the festival, but he was still accepting submissions.
He said the festival, originally planned for one evening, would now take place over several weekends.
"It will be an ongoing thing," he said, "I said to myself, 'Thor We have too much stuff to do just one'."
Froslev said the different festivals would cover four different topics, the natural world, adventure sport, biographies, and travel.
The adventure sport screenings this weekend will include, Derelictica, a snowboard film created by rider, Sean Johnson. Putt Putt, a film about trials motorcycling in the Sea to Sky corridor, created by Rick Styles. Ashlu Kayak Festival, created by Paul Nelsen about river kayaking, and The Collective, presented by the Squamish Wind Surfing society about kiteboarding, round out the offerings.
Froslev said the films are part of the art gallery's mandate.
"We are focusing on art of the natural world," he said. "I am very excited, I've found a focus that feels right to me."
Froslev said the idea came to him while on Salt Spring Island with performer Valdy and artist Robert Bateman.
"I knew I wanted to do something with wildlife but I couldn't put a handle on it," he said.
The suggestion of art of the natural world came from Bateman and Froslev thought it encompassed what he wanted to do.He admitted the films in the festival this weekend aren't exactly art of the natural world, because they involve humans. However, he said he is still excited about them and doesn't think art galleries are places for rules and guidelines.
"Sometimes when you want to be tight, you got to be loose," he said.
The screenings will take place at the Brackendale Art Gallery on Saturday (March 4) at 8 p.m. Admission is by donation.
