The first Okotoks Film Festival was a hit with residents last weekend.

The Festival included over 60 screenings, workshops for up and coming film makers, and even hay rides.

Katie Fournell, Festival Director, says the festival was more successful than she had anticipated.

"It went better than I expected it was going to. I expecting a very light audience, probably just film makers and stuff, but we had roughly 40 people at each screening so that was awesome."

There were a few submissions from the Foothills into the Festival this year, and one even managed to take an award home.

"A film called Mongoose by Chantal Beaulne won Best Art Direction. She used two different types of animation to tell her story, and had a great eye for detail, she was our Okotoks award winner."

The Best Picture Winner selected by jury wasA Whole World for a Little World by Fabrice Bracq.

As for who won the festival overall, Fournell explains it really depends on what one would percieve as important.

"The other big winner besides Best Picture is the Audience Choice, which in some ways is almost the more pretigious award, because why do you make movies other than to entertain people? The Audience Choice winner is a film called taking the Plunge by Nicholas Manfredi, Elizabeth Ku-Herrero, Thaddaeus Andreades, and Marie Raoult. It's a wonderful animated children's film that we're really excited won."

There's no need to worry if any residents may have missed out on OFF this year, as there's a good chance the event will run again in 2018.

"100% yes we're already talking about it" Fournell shares.

She says for the next film fest she'd like to see more content from Okotoks, and encourages residents to give film making a try.

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