Every year as I make my annual pilgrimage to the Whistler Film Festival in British Columbia, I vow to take up some wintry pursuit such as skiing (or bobsled racing!), in between screenings, but sure enough, each time I get easily sidetracked by the films, industry panels, parties and misadventures. Can you really blame me? One of the festival’s virtues (and vices) is how casual it all feels, even as it manages to attract industry leaders like Voltage’s Nicolas Chartier and Cineplex’s Michael Kennedy. Whistler, known as a perennial home to ski bunnies, mustachioed muscular men, and a disproportionate number of Australians, has been home to the Whistler Film Festival for 15 years. This December, the festival opened its five days of festivities with a gala screening (and Canadian premiere) of Oscar contender Carol, written by Phyllis Nagy, herself one of last year’sVariety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch.

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