What: LUNAFliks
When: Thursday, Aug. 31, 9:30 p.m.
Where: Lost Lake Park
Tickets: $5/$3
How many places in the world can you catch a cutting-edge flick under the stars?
Whistler is home to one of the coolest outdoor adventures. Although instead of hiking boots, you might want to opt for a pair of warm fuzzy slippers.
LUNAFliks wraps up another fabulous summer season of weekly Thursday night movies set in the great outdoors of Lost Lake Park. This Thursday, Aug. 31 closes out the favourite local pastime with a double header: Phil the Alien and V for Vendetta.
Forest on one side, lake on the other and the moon shining down all under one roof: it doesn’t get any better.
The film series is hosted by LUNA (Late and Unique Nighttime Alternatives), a non-profit group dedicated to offering alcohol-free alternative entertainment outside of the usual nightclub circuit. LUNAFliks, presented by Sharp’s Audio-Visual, is only one of the programs LUNA offers. The 2006-07 season begins in October with more events than ever as more and more people take advantage of the cheap, fun offerings.
"It continues to grow and I am loving the support we are getting from people," said Kiran Pal, LUNA coordinator.
Despite unfortunate rainouts, more than 1,300 LUNAFliks film junkies have snuggled under blankets to catch a film outside. This year’s event also saw opening screenings from local filmmakers, including Xandra Grayson, Tom Meraw and Robjn Taylor.
There is nothing run of the mill about this event, thanks to the energy of a dedicated troupe of volunteers headed by Pal and LUNA event facilitator Reggie Tika. Volunteers for this year’s season included Magda Kwaterska, Caleb Faulhaber, Jennifer Abbotts, Sonja Cameron, Tina Kyriakopoulos, Wes Wolfert, DJ Mixmaster Fab, DJ Back@cha! and DJ O-Ryan.
Kwaterska, Faulhaber, Abbotts, Cameron, Kyriakopoulos and Wolfert are participating in LUNA’s community event coordination certificate program. Along with six days of in-class training, volunteers facilitate LUNA programming as well as produce their own event. The last event of the 2005-06 season will be the Harvest Art Festival, a fall equinox celebration showcasing local artists with exhibits, live demonstrations and live music Thursday, Sept. 21 at the Fountain Courtyard behind the Holiday Inn.
Because of these volunteers’ selfless acts, LUNAFliks has good karma on its side. The Environment Canada Weather Office gods declare Thursday good film viewing day with a high expected of 21 degrees.
While you might be donning shorts by day, bundle up at night. Temperatures drop with the sun, so blankets and jackets are recommended.
Make a night of it. DJ Mixmaster Fab spins the evening off with music until dusk, when stars come out on and off the screen.
LUNAFliks closes out with a double bill of Phil the Alien and V For Vendetta.
Phil the Alien, a classic coming of age story, is told through the blood shot eyes of an alcoholic alien. Phil crashes into a Northern Ontario small town, befriends a young boy and an intelligent beaver (voiced by Joe Flaherty), and quickly develops a heavy drinking problem. While Phil surrounds himself with hunters, prostitutes and other Northern misfits, The General, played by John Kapelos, at the Top Secret American UFO base, discovers Phil and sends his agents out to bring him in. The film is screened in cooperation with the Whistler Film Festival.
V For Vendetta is the second film of the night. Set against the futuristic landscape of a totalitarian Britain, the film starring Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving follows the life of a young woman who is rescued from a life-and-death situation by a masked man known only as "V". Ferociously skilled in the art of combat and deception, V ignites a revolution when he urges fellow citizens to rise up against tyranny and oppression. The film is screened in cooperation with videomatica.ca.
LUNAFliks is $3 for LUNA members (people ages 18-29) and $5 for non-members,
Limited parking. Grab the extended Lost Lake bus service for $.50 from 9 p.m. to dusk at the Gondola Transit Exchange.
