Cinefest Sudbury 2016 got off to a big start Saturday night with people lined up outside SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas to see the opening film, Maudie.
Susan Lynch was first in line, with a few of her friends, and had to arrive two hours early for the honour.
Lynch said she has been attending Cinefest for the past seven or eight years, and enjoys seeing familiar faces and discussing the films she has seen.
“I love being able to watch films and discuss them with other people,” she said.
She said she especially enjoys the late night horror movies, which she has watched with her daughter in the past.
Tammy Frick, Cinefest’s executive director, said it was wonderful to see the long line-ups, and wanted to assure people they can always find seats, even if they have to start waiting outside.
“It’s so wonderful to work all year and just see it culminate and come together,” she said.
Frick said Maudie, which stars Sally Hawkins and Ethan Hawke, and tells the true story of Nova Scotia’s Maud Lewis, is the perfect opener because it features drama, romance and even some comedy.
Frick said she also expects the film Denial, about writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt’s libel battle against Holocaust denier David Irving, to resonate with audiences.
She added the closing gala film, The Dressmaker, has been doing well on the festival circuit, and should also be a hit at the festival.
