Scott Amos and others ConVerging in 2009

Rogue Cinema

Feel like taking in some cinema on a scooter? How about inside a shipping container, or as broadcast from a baby carriage? The Victoria Film Festival's ConVerge, now in its second year, invades Old Town on Saturday for three hours of quirky short films in even quirkier venues.

"We wanted to bring people back to old Victoria and something related to the history Victoria," says VFF's special events liaison Andrew Forshner, who helped organize ConVerge. "One of the venues is the old B.C. courthouse in the Maritime Museum, another is Helmcken Alley where criminals used to be marched to work labour for the day."

In order to particpate, ConVergers buy a ticket, which they then trade for a wristband and a USB flash drive—containing two short films by Scott Amos—at one of the downtown box offices (Serious Coffee on Broad or Lido Waterfront Bistro) starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Then at 2 p.m., they can then hit up various venues (see the VFF program guide for a full list) to catch some short-film programs.

"A lot of [the films], the ones I chose, anyway, they're categorized as experimental but they're far more accessible than that, really," says Amos, who helped program the shorts. "One I can describe as 'brain-melting."

After it's all said and done, ConVergers can head to the Victoria Event Centre for a wrap-up party at 5 p.m., where they can compare experiences and see some of the films they may have missed.

"The whole event is about the scavenger hunt to see the films that you want to see and you're always going to miss something," says Forshner. "So if you couldn't make that one film, there's a good chance, if it's in our top picks, that you'll see that at the venue."

Visit victoriafilmfestival.com for more ConVerge info and to order tickets, which will set you back a measly $15.