Hey Bill Murray, Halifax wants you

The organizers of Halifax's Summer of Murray film series say it just won't be complete unless Bill Murray himself shows up.

The people behind the annual Al Fresco outdoor movie festival are trying to lure the elusive actor to the city.

"It was one of those things where a random thought in a meeting becomes kind of a snowball of awesomeness, I guess you could say," said Mark Flindall, program co-ordinator.

The festival will feature only Bill Murray movies. Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day are among the six that will be screened on the waterfront.

Organizers have set up a Facebook page to catch Murray's attention. But they know it's a longshot to get him to Halifax.

For one thing, the actor doesn't have a manager. Years ago, he set a phone number that people could call to leave messages about projects.

Flindall said the festival's director spoke with the Montecido Picture Company, which is owned by Ivan Reitman, who directed Murray in Meatballs and Ghostbusters.

"When someone like Ivan Reitman even says they have a hard time getting a hold of Bill you might have a little bit of a try on your hands. But we're going down every way that we can to make this happen," said Flindall.

They're even trying to capitalize on Murray's well-known love of golf.

They point out that Nova Scotia has the Highlands Links, which is regularly listed among the top 100 courses in the world by Golf Digest. In addition, Cabot Links will open in two weeks. It's backed by the developer of the Bandon Dunes resort in Oregon.

The Al Fresco festival begins July 22 with a screening of Meatballs.