Lovers of homegrown cinema, rejoice! The 35th Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is mere weeks away, and its line-up includes 10 locally produced feature films.
Vancouver’s largest film fest has yet to unveil the entire line-up for its 2016 edition (which runs Sept. 29-Oct. 14), but it has announced the 10 documentaries and narrative feature films that comprise its wildly popular BC Spotlight series.
Since its inception in 2013, the BC Spotlight series has earned the highest attendance ratings in VIFF’s history. This year, the BC Spotlight films will screen as part of the inaugural Ignite Programming Stream, which VIFF’s Aug. 18 press release describes as “a showcase of the inspired works emerging from the creative nexus that is British Columbia.”
World premieres in the BC Spotlight include Peter Benson’s Marrying the Family, Vic Sarin’s Keepers of the Magic, Linda Ohama’s A New Moon Over Tohoku, Jeff Chiba Stearns’ Mixed Match, and Alex Lasheras’ Cadence.
These world premieres are joined by Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses (The Poetic Persian Epiphany of Rosie Ming), Geoff Redknap’s The Unseen, Pete McCormack’s Spirit Unforgettable, and Nettie Wild’s KONELĪNE: our land beautiful (which won Best Canadian Feature Documentary at Hot Docs).
Hello Destroyer, the debut feature from Kevan Funk (who’s had six shorts play VIFF), will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival before screening for the hometown crowd.
The full lineup of films in the BC Spotlight film series includes:
Cadence (dir. Alex Lasheras)
Alex Lasheras' debut feature is a unique psychological thriller dealing with notions of self-identity. When the eponymous Cadence (Maxine Chadburn, excellent in a demanding role) begins to experience hallucinations during a romantic getaway with her pop-star boyfriend (Charlie Kerr), fear and confusion test her ability to distinguish reality from the nightmare unfolding before her. Cadence is a thoroughly entertaining rumination on memory, trauma, and the psyche’s efforts to protect itself.
Hello Destroyer (dir. Kevan Funk)
Embarrassed by the scoreboard and emasculated by his coach, a junior hockey player (Jared Abrahamson) attempts to uphold the game’s unwritten code by sending a message to the opposition. Instead, his recklessness sees him banished from his band of brothers. Boasting all the white-knuckle tension of a prison drama, Kevan Funk’s debut feature is an involving character study that illustrates the cruel disposability of on-ice warriors and the psychological ramifications of cultures of violence.
Keepers of the Magic (dir. Vic Sarin)
Vic Sarin’s ground-breaking documentary explores our fascination with moving images and provides insight into how cinema’s most iconic moments came to be. Most of all, it honours the great masters of cinematography, unsung heroes whose vision and talent was always right before our eyes. The all-star interviewees include Vittorio Storaro, Bruno Delbonnel, Roger Deakins, John Seale and the late Gordon Willis.
KONELĪNE: our land beautiful (dir. Nettie Wild)
In Nettie Wild's stunning magnum opus, a mining company helicopter hovers above the pristine land of the Tahltan First Nation in northern BC, carrying a huge electric transmission tower, casting patterned shadows. This conflict between man-made geometries and nature’s vortices is at the film’s heart. Marking a tonal departure from her earlier documentaries, Wild creates a balanced profile that’s free of polemics and a feast for the eyes. “Subtle, beautiful and remarkably even-handed...”--Globe & Mail
Winner, Best Canadian Feature Documentary Hot Docs 16
Marrying the Family (dir. Peter Benson)
If you were wondering whether the creator of the zany dance satire Leap 4 Your Life (VIFF 13) could get any wackier, we present the answer. This time around, screenwriter/star Taylor Hill has focussed her funny on the foibles of weddings: the planners who attempt to instill order on matrimonial chaos and the comic comeuppance that awaits. Director Peter Benson herds this cast of crazy cats and turns in a scene-stealing supporting turn in this off-the-wall ode to putting a ring on it. Or not.
Mixed Match (dir. Jeff Chiba Stearns)
This film could save your life. Jeff Chiba Stearns unveils the desperation of people waiting for a suitable match for a bone marrow donor. Unlike blood donations, which are generally suitable for anyone of the same blood type, bone marrow donation requires an extremely close genetic match, leaving multiracial blood cancer patients to draw from a small pool of donors. Incorporating animation to great effect, Chiba Stearns lets us know what we can do to address this critical situation in cancer treatment.
A New Moon Over Tohoku (dir. Linda Ohama)
Linda Ohama (Obaachan's Garden) returns to VIFF after spending two and a half years on location in Iwate, Miyage and Fukushima, and brings with her this compassionate documentary concerning the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident which devastated the coastal Japanese region of Tohoku. In this thoughtful film, Ohama wisely opts to focus on the natural cycle of life, suggesting hope for Tohoku in the symbol of a new moon, an unseen but guiding presence of rejuvenation and new beginnings.
Spirit Unforgettable (dir. Pete McCormack)
Director Pete McCormack (Facing Ali, VIFF 09) brings us the story of John Mann, lead singer of the iconic Vancouver band Spirit of the West, and his struggle with early onset Alzheimer's. McCormack has built a compelling and emotionally powerful narrative around archival clips and intimate interviews that reveal Mann, his wife Jill and his bandmates to be endlessly engaging and surprisingly candid. This affecting documentary builds to the sort of riveting performance that’s made the band local legends.
The Unseen (dir. Geoff Redknap)
Drawing inspiration from both H.G. Wells and macabre headlines, Geoff Redknap’s audacious debut is a narratively rich and psychologically complex thriller. When a reclusive man with an uncanny affliction (Rectify’s Aden Young) emerges from self-imposed exile to make amends with his teenage daughter (Julia Sarah Stone), he’s drawn into a dark underworld involving drug dealing, animal poaching and organ trading. “Exceptional... The best of its kind to come along since Unbreakable."--Screen Anarchy
Window Horses (dir. Ann Marie Fleming)
Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses, a beautifully narrated and colourfully animated story of a young girl’s journey, employs poetry, music and illustration to celebrate the value of self-discovery. After being invited to a poetry festival in Shiraz, Iran, by a mysterious figure, Rosie Ming faces challenges that ultimately lead to her self-realization. The film’s superb voice cast includes festival veterans Sandra Oh, Don McKellar and Ellen Page.
MORE FROM VIFF’S BC SPOTLIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT
-The Ignite Programming Stream is supported by VIFF’s new Premier Partner, TELUS. From VIFF’s release: “TELUS joins forces with VIFF to showcase standout BC made films in the BC Spotlight film series, offer essential professional development sessions for emerging filmmakers, and present a new award to celebrate female creators.”
-All films in the BC Spotlight will compete in the #mustseeBC competition. Launching on Sept. 12, the campaign invites film fans to preview these titles, promote BC filmmakers across social networks and vote online to determine this year’s most anticipated local films. By successfully engaging thousands of fans through social media, the winning film receives a special red carpet screening following the festival. All details will be hosted at mustseebc.viff.org.
-New this year is the Ignite Award, presented by TELUS. The $20,000 prize will recognize the outstanding work of one female key creative on a BC-produced feature or short. The awarded prize money can be used for a future production or towards customized training that will further advance the creator’s career.
-Additional awards in the Ignite stream include Best BC Film (a $10,000 development bursary provided by the Harold Greenberg Fund and $15,000 post-production services credit supplied by Encore Vancouver), and BC Emerging Filmmaker award (a $7,500 cash prize sponsored by the Union of BC Performers and ACTRA Fraternal Benefits Society, and a $10,000 equipment credit supplied by William F. White). Winners will be determined by the members of the Ignite jury and announced at an awards ceremony on Oct. 8.
-Rounding out the lineup of films and awards is the tent pole industry event in the Ignitestream: Totally Indie Day, presented by STORYHIVE. Totally Indie Day supports emerging content creators through targeted business, creative and personal development opportunities. Rising feature film directors, creators of a successful Canadian web series and others will be on hand to share their industry learnings. Attendees also have the chance to meet with Canadian and US distributors and network with industry professionals.
-Screening tickets start at $15. Passes and ticket packs are available online on Sept. 1, with single tickets available online Sept. 8 and in-person Sept. 15. Tickets for talks and events will also be available at this time. All tickets will be available for purchase at viff.org. More information will be available at viff.org on September 8.
Reel People will be all over VIFF 2016. Watch this space for previews, profiles, and red carpet coverage.
