WITH SPARKLING lounge, state-of-the-art sound, cushy seats and a red carpet, it was a pleasure to view some of the top web series from around the globe on Saturday.
The
international festival was held at the Imperial on Main Street in Vancouver’s eastside. The décor in this recently rejuvenated multi-purpose facility reflected its Asian roots.
When Kung Fu movies were the rage in the early 70s they were shown at what was then called the
Golden Harvest Cinema.
Since then, the theatre (located near Vancouver's historic Chinatown) gained increased functionality along with its new name.
This was the perfect venue for a new generation of storytellers developing content innovatively through
webisodes. A large screen showed off their selected works with elegant flair.
Modern technology and video streaming opened the door to a community of independent artists, producers and directors.
Although creative pioneers can now use digital palettes to help the process bloom, age-old challenges all moviemakers have faced still exist. Topics of financing and marketing were included during a question period after the screenings. The background screen (photo below) showed some sponsors of the festival.
This was mostly a laugh-filled Saturday since comedies were the focus during my visit to the inaugural event. Outside it was raining and a more dramatic performance was going on.
A man took off his shirt and tried to start a confrontation near where I parked the car at Main & East Hastings. Thankfully, no Kung Fu kicks ensued because the larger men did their best to ignore the man who eventually settled down.
Similar scenes possibly happen regularly in this small corner of the city where the neglected past struggles to transition into a more hopeful future.
Personal stories that make you laugh or cry can be discovered anywhere. They are great fodder and inspiration for the movies.
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Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.
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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms
