On its 3rd year in the St. Lawrence Market community area, Commffest is already spreading out to satellite locations in St. Stephen's House in Kensington Market, Cyril Theater in Brampton, and Malvern Library in Scarborough. It usually takes years to grow a festival and lots of funding and support from volunteers, government, businesses, and media until the public pays attention. This year, an advance Launch Party for media, filmmakers, performers was hosted generously by Novotel Hotel in the neighbourhood. It was a success and attended by the guests who enjoyed free drinks and appetizers, courtesy of Novotel. The performers were the Legendary Ink Spots with pleasant music and Silver Elvis who posed Elvis style to his techno film short as cameras snapped away. Tv cameras from OMNI tv and Minerva tv, as well as publicity c/o studio i/Acanac vlog, and other filmmakers and photographers wandered around the bar lounge of the hotel through the other guests to record the action. On a big screen, trailer previews of the films selected for Commffest looped in view showing the international and local scenes and peoples. Brief thank you and welcome speeches by Sandie DeFreitas and Norm, the organizers of Commffest, and announcement of prizes and 15% discounts by the Novotel hostess were applauded. Volunteers for the festival and hotel staff helped make this party a community success. Every festival depends on volunteers to spread the word and make it bigger each year and Commffest is aptly named to symbolize how films can be from and about communities globally. With the multicultural mosaic in Canada, each film from another country can still address the same social issues faced in the various ethnic communities here: economic poverty, racism, gang violence, relationship problems, loneliness, intercultural exchange, government and public interaction. Art reflects reality and vice-versa through the films. Media definitely know how true this is when they present news from the communities using their cameras and writing articles and film makers are the same with documentaries. Actually film is another mass medium, just as newspapers, television, radio and internet are and can show reality on a large screen. Come to Commffest from September 26 to 28 and view the films for and about global communities!
