Posted Date: Friday, July 22, 2011
Director Thom Fitzgerald’s CLOUDBURST, starring Academy Award® Winners Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker, to open 2011 Edmonton International Film Festival.
Organizers of the Edmonton International Film Festival are thrilled to announce the selection of CLOUDBURST – the latest film from director Thom Fitzgerald (‘The Hanging Garden’, ‘3 Needles’) – as their 2011 Opening Night selection. Filmed on location throughout the beautiful province of Nova Scotia, CLOUDBURST stars Academy Award® Winner Olympia Dukakis (‘Moonstruck’, ‘Steel Magnolias’) as Stella, a tough-as-nails rebel who breaks her longtime partner, Dot (Academy Award® Winner Brenda Fricker, ‘My Left Foot’, ‘A Time to Kill’), out of the retirement home where she’s been admitted against her will, for a wild and woolly road trip to Canada.
Kerrie Long, Festival Producer of EIFF, loves the ‘bold’ choice they’ve made with this selection. “Opening Night is always a challenge for our programming team, as the film selected must set the ‘tone’ for the week to come. This year more than ever, our entire lineup is filled with some of 2011’s boldest new independent films, and I can’t think of a better opening night kick-off than this! As an organization, we’re absolutely honoured to be sharing Mr. Fitzgerald’s vibrant new film with local audiences.”
Guy Lavallee, Festival Programmer, says this was, ultimately, an easy decision to make. “After sitting through literally hundreds of feature films throughout the course of the year, sometimes I’m lucky enough to receive a gift from the movie gods like this. Funny, raunchy, and incredibly moving, Thom Fitzgerald has crafted a new Canadian movie classic, and he’s directed his actors to some of the finest performances you’ll see this year. Plus, this film is one heck of a crowd-pleaser!”
As for the director of CLOUDBURST, himself? Mr. Fitzgerald had this to say: “Thank you both for your enthusiasm about the film and for your kind invitation. There is little in the life of a story teller more thrilling than to be given a truly great platform to reach an audience, and I'm very grateful to you both”.
CLOUDBURST will screen as the Opening Night Selection of EIFF 2011. Full screening details, including showtimes, pricing, and venue, will be announced online September 6th, at www.edmontonfilmfest.com.
2011 Festival Passes will go on sale, at special ‘Hot August Deals’ pricing, on Monday, August 8th. Details on how and where to purchase tickets will be announced in early August, on the festival’s website, at www.edmontonfilmfest.com.
