Defining the Fantasia Experience

Fantasia, what is it that makes you so cool?

There is a very special vibe about this three-week long annual film extravaganza that makes me feel very attached, so attached that I can't let go. It's difficult to pinpoint a single word to how to define it. I thought the notable joie-de-vivre tagline would do just fine, but then, then I was wrong. Very wrong. Neither one word, nor three sentences, or even 140 characters are not even enough for me to describe how and why The Fantasia International Film Festival is a must-see event to check our every summer, so I decided to spew it all out in an easy to digest (and hopefully fun to read) bulleted list that explains why:

• The anticipation of finding out which films have made it to the Festival!
• The anxiety of deciding what films you want to watch.
• When you tip-toe around your entire schedule just to find a movie you want to see!
• When your favourite actor/director/film maker is coming!
• When you find excuses to get the discounts for your selected ten films! 
• The fear of seeing your favourite film get sold out!
• When your film gets sold out and you curl into a little ball and cry. 
• When you drag your friends along to see a movie you're too scared to watch alone!
• When you live off endless bags of cheap popcorn, cans of energy drinks to get you through the day. 
• Fandoms.
• When you don't mind waiting in line around the Hall outdoors or inside De Seve at 8:00 AM for a noon screening (the same for night-time screenings too).
• When you know that particular song the CJLO DJ is playing before the movie begins! 
• When you're too shy to talk to the DJ.
• When you say "Hi" to the DJ, thanking them for playing that cool song you just heard.
• When months later, you find out that song the DJ played becomes a worldwide hit (it was "Gangnam Style" by Psy).
• When you tell your friends you knew that song before that became so mainstream (lol).
• When you become friends with the DJ (I look forward to that this year, so come say hi)!
• When Daniel turns off the lights at the Hall Theatre 
• When people made random noises on purpose and you start to laugh (re: Meow, woof, shush). 
• When people laugh at the trailers.
• When people DON'T laugh at the trailers even when they're funny.
• When people talk over the trailers and someone else gets pissed off!
• When everyone screams for no reason! 
• When everyone roots for the protagonist kicking the enemy's ass. 
• The moment when you see people around you crying after an emotional film. 
• That awkward moment when many people are walking out of a movie after 10 minutes (true story).
• When you find yourself sleeping through the movie through a midnight screening—only to wake up finding out it's done. 
• When you're scared to go home late at 2:00 AM after a zombie movie because you're scared that zombies might be on the night bus. 
• When you lose all your belongings—including your movie tickets, pass and gadgets (again true story, which means: be careful of your stuff)!
• When you walk out of a theatre with your friend and you find yourselves stuck in the middle of a protest with police on the streets (true story, happened two years ago).
• You literally move from theatre to theatre all day as an excuse to avoid the summer heat.
• When you tweet about the movie you just watched.
• When someone else retweets your tweet. 
• When random people follow you on Twitter because of that tweet. 
• The random lifelong friends that you meet when you're waiting in line. 
• When someone from the press stops you outside the theatre to interview you (true story). 
• When the film that you watched becomes a hit and wins jury awards.
• When Fantasia finishes and everything becomes really dark, gloomy, and sad.
• When you begin to crave for more cool movies. 
• When you scramble to save up for the next Fantasia.
• When you miss Fantasia.
• When you look forward to next year's and experience the craziness all over again! 
• When words are not enough to describe how awesome Fantasia is.
• When you know that Fantasia will always be a special event in your heart (it will be)! 

--Saturn De Los Angeles hosts Shibuya Crossing, Wednesdays at 1-2 PM only on CJLO.