Tired of the long lines at the theatres?  Had it with the same romantic Cinderella comedy chick flicks and blow ‘em up Hollywood blockbusters? Is there an alternative out there? You bet and you can support some local filmmakers who rubbed two coins together and possibly came up with some cinematic gems.  It just takes a little research.

Every city with a film community, these days, has a film society of some sort. Here in Vancouver The Celluloid Social Club meets once a month. For five dollars or so, you can see a slate of short films created by local talent trying to make it big.  The filmmakers are always available afterward for a little Q and A and who those people are, can sometimes surprise you.  You might already know them from some big time productions.

The night I went to a screening, Jennifer Halley who plays “Hardball” on Battlestar Galactica, showed her award winning short film, Sarah In The Dark.  It was a cute comic turn that was definitely the crowd favorite of the night.

There is one “but”. And that is the seating. There isn’t much of it and it isn’t cushy. Get there early if you don’t want to stand. The upside, however, is that the event takes place at The Anza Club, so feel free to go downstairs and purchase a draft of choice to enjoy while watching the films.

If your hometown doesn’t have an event like this, but has a film school, see if they have nights where the student films are exhibited.  Who knows, maybe you can say you knew him/her “when”……

Looking for more tips to save some cash?  Then be sure to visit the Saving Tips section of this website.