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COLUMN: Help decide Growler award Thursday night at The Civic

Craft Brews of the Columbia Basin 2019 screens in Nelson
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You can watch locally crafted beer commercials for local craft breweries Thursday night at The Civic. Photo submitted

JASON ASBELL

Large Popcorn, Extra Butter

It may not the birthplace of punk rock, but the CBCB Film Competition does share some of that rebel spirit of CBGB, the East Village, New York City club that introduced the world to The Ramones.

While our rebels are more likely to sport a beard and flannel plaid than long hair and leather, they too are eschewing the trappings of the mainstream. Rebelling against the corporate beer commercial in this case, to make odes to individuality and the Columbia Basin craft breweries that are as unique as they are.

Introduced as a Nelson only mini-program, Fermenting Awesome, at Nelson’s Kinesis Film Festival in 2017, the film competition grew to include craft breweries along the West and East Kootenay BC Ale Trails in 2018 under the handle Craft Breweries of the Columbia Basin Film Competition. Now in 2019, the festival is set to tour the communities with participating breweries following the Nelson premiere Thursday night at The Civic Theatre at 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 9 p.m.)

Whether already media professionals, or aspiring to that status, or simply a video hobbyist, these filmmakers all appreciate a good beer and spinning a good yarn. You won’t find this creative work on TV next to ads for Molson, or even our sasquatch neighbour at Kokanee; so in the community spirit of this challenge, you will have to come together as a group to see the collection in the collective living room, your local cinema. Your voice will help decide who will win the Nelson leg’s audience choice Growler award.

The collective Growler awards throughout the tour will determine the Golden Growler award, which comes with a tidy $1,500 cash prize. Aside from the Golden Growler, jury-awarded cash prizes of $1,750, $1,000 and $750 will be awarded at the end of the tour to the top three films in the competition.

Aside from the support of Columbia Basin Trust, Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, Tourism Revelstoke and other regional Tourism organizations, the cash prizes are made possible by ten participating breweries.

CBCB Film Competition is a 19-plus event. Enjoy a craft brew with your popcorn at The Civic Theatre. For more information on Craft Brews of the Columbia Basin, visit cbcbfilmcompetition.civictheatre.ca

Jason Asbell is The Civic Theatre’s programming director