What the Forest City Film Festival brings to London

Last year, the tenth anniversary of the Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) brought together film fans, popcorn enthusiasts, and budding filmmakers from all around London for 10 days of celebration, artistry, and creation. 

As we approach the festival’s 11th year, Antler River Media reflects at what having a festival like FCFF means for people here in London.

Amidst many long-time fans, there were first-time attendees, like Elliott Cooper, who vowed to return for future editions. 

“It’s cool to be able to just go see something that’s not out in most theaters yet,” said Cooper. “You can also help support local film students who have films.”

Elliott Cooper, new to both the city and the festival, further appreciated the affordable tickets, especially considering the limited release of most films being shown. For him, FCFF brings a new light to what filming in Ontario can mean, and nurtures London into a blossoming film scene.

“There’s more and more casting calls coming through London,” he said. “I think it’s good that the film industry is finally looking outside Toronto for locations and for talent.”

This year the festival brings three different venues together for more than 50 screenings. Whether downtown at the Imagine Cinemas in CitiPlaza or the Wolf Performance Hall at Central Library, or further west at the Hyland Cinema, film lovers across London will get to see all sorts of international and local films. 

Last year, the festival also brought the Ontario Screenwriters Conference to London, showcasing a variety of locations in the city, and bringing industry professionals and students alike to view pitches, learn production tips and network.

The festival’s intrigue brings filmmakers from all over southwestern Ontario and beyond, like Willow Van Rootselaar, who is from Parkhill up in North Middlesex.

“It’s opened up a lot of opportunities for filming that I didn’t really think maybe existed,” says Van Rootselaar, “I’ve made a lot of really great connections and it’s kind of just opened up a whole other door for filmmaking in this region.”

A film production student at Concordia University, Van Rootselaar attended numerous panels and seminars at the Ontario Screenwriters Conference. Following the festival, she hopes to see London shine on the big screen. “That kind of, like, smaller town flair I think is something that you don’t get in bigger cities like Montréal or Toronto,” she said.

Perhaps the most celebrated partnership the FCFF has is with London’s Hyland Cinema, a partnership cherished by the theatre’s programmer Mike Klassen. 

“Anything that brings film people, not just filmmakers, but film fans, to the London core and the London area is super, super important,” says Klassen. “The more people that we have interested in film, the better. They can discover other things that are around London that can help support them.”

The only independent theatre between here and Windsor, the Hyland offers a unique and classic feel, cherished by local film lovers but also heralded for its programming of international films and genre-runs. 

“The significance of what we do is to provide an experience that isn’t like a normal movie theater,” said Klassen. “What we provide is something a little bit more personal.”

Last year, the Hyland installed 70mm film capabilities, enabling both 35mm and 70mm films to be screened. The theatre brings special event screenings for fans of the iconic film roll.

“A lot of times, we are the only theater to program certain films, and that’s really important. Like, if you wanted to see a film maybe that’s not from Canada or not from North America, or if it’s every single Best Picture nominee before the Oscars — you’re going to get a chance to see that at the Hyland.”

For Klassen and Cooper, the biggest value that offered by a festival like FCFF is its ability to create new film fans.

In an era where streaming has taken over a lot of the viewing experience, many studio executives and theater owners ask: “How do we get people back in the cinema?” 

But Klassen believes that’s the wrong question.

“The question you should be asking is, how do we create fans of cinema?” said Klassen. “If you create a movie fan for life, you don’t have to worry about that person. That person’s coming to the movies.”

Whether it’s sponsoring new productions in London, hosting 48 hour filmmaking challenges, helping youth across the region platform their projects, or just a week of bringing new films to London, the Forest City Film Festival is making fans for life.

This year’s festival runs from October 15 to 25, with tickets currently on sale.