Documentary about Calgary gaming store to make worldwide premiere at CUFF
In the heart of Calgary’s Sunalta community, there is a massive mecca for gamers of all ages, and now the city staple is the subject of a documentary.
"It was definitely flattering," said Gordon Johansen, the owner of game store The Sentry Box. "It was a lot of fun to do."
The store opened more than four decades ago with Gordon Johansen at the helm.
"I wanted to get cheap games for myself, which is the real reason for (buying the store)," said Johansen. "I always wanted to run a game store."
At over 19,000 square feet and with more than 100,000 items on its shelves, Johansen claims his game store is one of the largest in the world.
"Nobody's ever claimed to be bigger than us," he said.
Size aside, Johansen says the store’s collection is one of a kind.
"There's 100,000 different items in here," he said. "We just don't normally get rid of things, so people can find a lot of stuff that you just won't find anywhere else."
Johansen shares the story of his business in the movie Friendly Local Game Store, which will have its world premiere at the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF) at the end of April.
The film is the brainchild of Garry Snow, a local director and producer.
"Like many other people, I found myself without a job in the middle of the pandemic, and I thought ‘What are those things that I always wanted to do that I just never got a chance to do?’” said Snow.
After pitching the idea to Johansen, Snow began filming in June.
"I grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons, and so when I looked at the projects I wanted to do, I thought 'I can combine all my passions of filmmaking and games in general into one project,'” Snow said. “It just made complete sense to me.”
Snow got his first swing at filmmaking while participating in the 48-Hour Movie Making Challenge at CUFF, which is returning to the festival this year after a hiatus.
Friendly Local Game Store will be Snow’s debut documentary.
"There's employees, former employees, there's customers that have been coming here for 40-plus years," he said. "It was really humbling to actually be able to share their experience and showcase the community that surrounds The Sentry Box."
Snow says that community is one he's very grateful for.
“You see so many people coming in that you've watched grow up,” he said. “I never thought it would get this big, or this popular.”
Friendly Local Game Store will be showcased at CUFF on April 28 at the Globe Cinema.
More information, and the full lineup of films, can be found on CUFF’s website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.