Metro Cinema Society: Creative Age Festival presents: Young@Heart

Creative Age Festival presents: Young@Heart

UK 2007, 107 min, Dir: Stephen Walker

Prepare to be floored by the inspiring individuals of Young@Heart, a New England senior citizens chorus that has delighted audiences worldwide with their covers of songs by everyone from Led Zeppelin to Coldplay. As Stephen Walker’s documentary begins, the retirees, led by their strict musical director, are rehearsing their new show, struggling with a discordant Sonic Youth number and giving new meaning to James Brown’s I Feel Good. What ultimately emerges is a funny and unexpectedly moving testament to the simple things these seniors value: old friendships, new challenges and a little time in the spotlight.

Creative Age Festival

The Creative Age Festival celebrates the contributions that senior artists have made in the arts and also encourages seniors to become more involved in arts programs. Building on last year's success, this year’s festival runs from June 9 to 16 at various venues.

The Festival will be launched with performances and displays by seniors in the areas of visual arts, photography, theatre, music, creative writing and film. Arts workshops and events will also be organized throughout the city involving many community organizations.

An Arts Café featuring arts performances by local talented seniors will be held at the Central Lions Seniors Centre. A two-day Festival of Edmonton Seniors Theatre will showcase seniors' work as playwrights and theatre performers at the Timms Centre for the Arts.

A feature of the Festival is the Creating Creative Futures Symposium featuring Dr. Gene Cohen, MD, PhD, Director, Centre of Aging, Health & Humanities, George Washington University as the keynote speaker. Dr. Cohen is the author of The Creative Age: Awakening Human Potential in the Second Half of Life. His presentation will describe the benefits of the arts, including how artistic engagement enhances the function of the aging brain. He will also highlight how research and other approaches and structures can help to create a creative future for seniors in the millennium. For more info go to the Festival website at CreativeAgeFestival.ca.

This screening is sponsored by United Active Living Inc, and the Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine Program.

Pay What You Can. All donations will help to support the Creative Age Festival.