Featured Member
Central Alberta Film Festival – A
showcase of local talent with a growing audience
What started as one man’s cinematic vision has become a four-day arts and culture event for Red Deer audiences and filmmakers.
The third-annual Central Alberta Film Festival will celebrate Albertan, Canadian and international filmmakers — focusing on local talent — from February 20 – 23, 2019 at Carnival Cinema.
Communications Director Tanya Mullakady promises screenings for every taste — from comedy shorts to documentaries, inspirational features and horror flicks.
As usual, CAFF’s motto is “if you have a film, we have an audience,” says Tanya, who credits her core group of organizers and movie aficionados for making festival planning a joy rather than a daunting experience.
CAFF sprang from her husband’s love of film. The festival’s other co-founder, Ranjit Mullakady, grew up in Bombay (Mumbai), India. As a boy, he saw Gone With the Wind and was transfixed. Ranjit recalls trying to figure out how they made the burning of Atlanta seem so real.
He eventually got a job as a production assistant in Bollywood, but always dreamed of making his own films.
After marrying Tanya and moving to her native Central Alberta, Ranjit realized the challenges he faced in trying to become a filmmaker in a place so far removed from the movie industry.
Thinking that perhaps other Red Deer-area filmmakers would feel the same way, Ranjit decided the best start was to provide a platform to showcase local film works. This resulted in the formation of Central Alberta Film Festival Association in January 2016. Tanya praises her core group for helping make this dream a reality. “The right people seemed to be right in front of us, at the right time.
”The festival that started as a two-day event has grown by a day every year, and is now attracting more films and higher calibre selections, says submissions coordinator Heather Thiessen, who enjoys the “creative energy.”
This year, CAFF action team members Niek Theelen and Shanna Doupe helped kick off some new excitement with 48-hour and smartphone filmmaking challenges. The resulting films will be shown at the kick-off on Wednesday February 20th at 6pm. For more information about tickets and films, please visit www.CAfilmfestival.ca.
We are the Arts
Central Alberta Film Festival is passionate about the movies
We believe in giving independent filmmakers a chance to screen their features and shorts — especially local works.
We feel Central Alberta’s cultural life is enriched through the experience of seeing independent films.
Come check out what CAFF has to offer from February 20-23 at Carnival Cinema.
Heather Thiessen, Tanya Mullakady, and Shanna Doupe working together at CAFF Headquarters
