The count down is on to the Okotoks Film Festival and one local film maker is very excited.

Margot McMaster from the Millarville area, is a local director and her film 'The Caravan' is being featured this Friday June 2nd.

The Caravan has won numerous awards world wide including; Best of Festival at the Equus Film Festival in NYC, Grand Prize of the Jury at the Amsterdam Film Festival, and has even won the Best Documentary Feature at the London Film Awards in London U.K.

McMaster says her film will take the audience on a once in a lifetime journey. 

"The film is about a group of people who traveled from California to Florida with their horses and carriages.  It's not like a parasol carriage ride, these caravans have full disk brakes, a fifth wheel etc."

1.The Caravan Bolivar laurels
Photo Courtesy of Margot McMaster: thecaravanfilm.ca

She says it was an arduous yet fun trip to follow the adventurers across the U.S. and she feels it's important to celebrate the arts in smaller centres.

"Okotoks is right beside their big cousin Calgary, and they get a lot of the spot light when it comes to the arts." McMaster feels it's important to spread the arts culture to rural communities as well.  "So I think in the M.D. of Foothills in particular, it's really nice to see an arts festival happening in a more rural location."

The Okotoks Film Festival is featuring both local, and international films.

McMaster feels that showcasing the enormous amount of talent that's local to us, is important to the industry and the community.

"We have tremendous talent, I mean we have academy award nominees, and Emmy Award winners." She says "There's a local sound recordist who has won an Emmy, he lives in Okotoks. This area is a tremendous resource that we have in the arts."

Click here for a link to 'The Caravan' trailer.

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