Offering more than 50 tastings, seminars and parties in the
span of just five days, the 12
th
annual Cornucopia promises plenty
of food, wine and fun.
This is the first time Watermark Communications has organized
the annual festival, and they’re making a few changes to the favourite local
event.
Sue Eckersley, president of Watermark, said they received
feedback from previous years that indicated people wanted to see more local
participation in the event. So this year, they’ve shifted the focus to involve
more establishments from within Whistler.
In previous years, the popular Crush! tasting events have cost
$100, and food tastings were offered alongside the wine tasting. But Eckersley
pointed out that much of the food was actually provided by restaurants from
Vancouver, because local restaurants were too busy catering to crowds who came
to town for Cornucopia.
“We’ve created this program where you can go into a restaurant
before Crush! or after Crush!, and it’s all packaged in,” Eckersley said,
explaining that the new approach actually offers great value for your money.
Tickets range in price from $100 to $130 and offer various
levels of tasting or full menus from select restaurants throughout the village.
“The purpose being is really to expose people to the Whistler
experience, not just the conference experience,” Eckersley said. “… So this way
it’s really injecting the Whistler flavours into the event.”
They’ve also changed up the seminar schedule, introducing quite
a few new events geared towards people looking for an introduction to the world
of wine, with topics like creating your own wine cellar, and selecting wines to
age. Organizers are also offering eco-friendly options; in addition to the
favourite Chef’s Trip to the Farm, they’ve added seminars on organic and
biodynamic wines, and a session entitled Dr. Farrell’s Green Tea, Red Wine And
Chocolate Diet.
But don’t panic — they’re holding on to the popular
events, like the winemakers’ dinners and the Battle of the Sexes.
Organizers are also ensuring that the Westin’s Artisan Market
is included in this year’s Cornucopia celebrations, as the market features
wares from throughout the Sea to Sky corridor, and again emphasizes local
works.
Ready your taste buds — tickets to Cornucopia: Whistler’s
Celebration of Wine and Food, which runs from Thursday, Nov. 6 until Monday,
Nov. 10, are now available on a new website:
www.whistlercornucopia.com
.
Docs are all the talk
Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has partnered with Hot Docs to
launch the popular Doc Soup screening series in Vancouver this fall. The series
will showcase the latest Canadian and international documentaries once a month,
from October until March, at Vancouver’s Pacific Cinémathèque.
Started in 2001, Hot Doc’s monthly Doc Soup screenings have
become increasingly popular with the film-loving public in Toronto, premiering
notable Academy Award-nominated films like, Capturing The Friedmans, Jesus Camp
and No End In Sight. Guest directors are also in attendance at the event to
introduce their films and participate in post-screening Q&A sessions.
The films selected for the upcoming Doc Soup in Vancouver will
be local premieres, with guest directors present at some screenings. For more
information on the series, visit
www.docsoup.ca
.
WFF is also calling on documentary producers from Western
Canada to throw their hat into the ring and participate in Pitch Fest West, the
key event of DOC TALK at Whistler.
“DOC TALK provides a unique opportunity for western Canadian
documentary producers to cultivate relationships with key buyers, distributors
and broadcasters, as well as to develop their craft,” Director of Programming,
Bill Evans, said in a recent press release. “Building on the success of last
year’s Pitch Fest West, we are looking for strong projects and unique pitches
that producers can present to broadcasters.”
This two-day industry forum takes place on Dec. 3 and 4 during
the 2008 Whistler Filmmaker Forum. In the past, several projects from this
event have received broadcast and distribution deals, including 65_Red Roses
and The Paralympics Project.
For more information on DOC TALK and Pitch Fest West, visit
www.whistlerfilmfestival.com
.
Finding the new face of Whistler
If you’re comfortable on camera, have an energetic on-air
personality, and love this town, you could be one of Resort TV’s new hosts.
The local station is looking for people who are interested in
becoming a host presenter for a segment that introduces resort visitors to the
community, engaging them through guided video tours of restaurants, activities,
nightlife hotspots, and retail venues.
“What we are looking for is someone who is passionate about
Whistler, and can show off everything this town has to offer to guests,” Don
McQuaid, president of Resort TV, said in a recent press release. “You don’t
need any experience to be a Resort TV host, just a great personality, charisma,
and a lot of energy!”
Open call auditions will be held at the Town Plaza gazebo, outside of Seven Restaurant, on Sept. 3 and 4 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. To schedule an audition time, or find out more, e-mail casting@resorttv.net or call 604-905-0504.
