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A 5-Star |
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Maryam is accepted into a university but can’t afford the fees. Her mother finds her a job as a maid in a five star hotel, where she herself works. Mother and daughter navigate the mundane politics and pettiness of their fellow workers until a big Bollywood star checks in. When his Rolex goes missing the hotel administration must interrogate the staff. As the most recent person hired, Maryam is a prime suspect. Funny and tragic in turn, the broad range of complex female characters working at the hotel result in a film that is filled with warmth, depth and desperation. Saturday, March 7th at 9:30 PM
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All The Time In The World |
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A family, including three young children, pack up and move to the remote wilderness of the Canadian North. For nine months they live in a small cabin. No road access, no electricity, no running water, no internet and not a single watch or clock. Sunday March 8th at 3 PM
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Bedbugs: A Musical Love Story |
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Just when flannel-clad Tracy Polokowski thinks her 'Yes' day has come, her hipster boyfriend breaks up with her. She also discovers she has bedbugs and is shunned by everyone because of it. But her bedbugs are not the ordinary kind. They are musically inclined, and through a night of song and dance, they help her to see the love she’s been seeking. Friday March 6th at 9:30 PM
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Behind Closed Doors (Une Histoire Banale) |
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Nathalie is a young Parisian woman who passionately enjoys life. She likes her job, adores hanging out with her colleagues, and is about to move in with the man she loves. But then, in a matter of a few minutes, everything changes. Marie Denarnaud convincingly captures Nathalie’s transformative experience. This is a powerful and thought-provoking film. Thursday March 5th at 9 PM
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Chanterelle Rain |
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This brief animation is a love song to the summer rains that bring forth the culinary gift of these treasured mushrooms. Unconventional materials such as dryer lint, flowers, leaves, wild berries, coloured sand, beads and insects are all animated to capture the fecund spirit. Friday March 6th at 6:30 PM
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Entrain |
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Language barriers are broken when two strangers, packed on a subway car, realize their shared passion for music. Friday March 6th at 6:30 PM
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Flash |
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A young woman on a bicycle, with a dangerous curiosity, takes an unexpected detour through a magical fantasy on her usual ride home from work. Friday March 6th at 4 PM
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Freedom Babies |
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This documentary follows a First Nations woman over the course of a year Saturday March 7th at 12 PM (noon)
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Galus Galus |
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Anything can (and does) happen in this rollicking, colourful, surprising animation. Set in Caracas, the film weaves a story that speaks to survival, loyalty, family, culture, spirituality, misery and more, all by examining the relationship between a man and his rooster. Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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Glinda |
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An older womangoes through life seemingly free of emotion until the reality of her loss pierces her. Summoning hidden strengths she dances her way towards acknowledgment and acceptance. Tovah Feldshuh's performance is subtle and spot-on. A joy to watch. Friday March 6th at 6:30 PM
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Highway Of Tears |
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Since the late 1960s, many young women have disappeared or been found murdered along the 724-kilometre stretch of Highway 16 in northern British Columbia. Most of these women are from First Nations communities and are victims not only of murderous predators but of the systemic racism of governments that have shown little interest in apprehending their killers. The film not only movingly relates the personal stories of the victims and their families, but investigates how the legacy of colonialism contributed to their tragic fates — and how contemporary First Nations leaders are striving to change that legacy. Saturday March 7th at 12 PM (noon)
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In The Deep |
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Jodi’s mother passed away five years ago. Her father pretty well stopped living at the same time. But then Jodi, wanting to come to terms with her own mortality, seeks out her father for another chance. This is a touching portrait of a father and daughter moving through grief towards a new and more satisfying understanding of themselves and their relationship. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Instance |
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A police detective kills a student during a shooting at a school. Triggered by PTSD, she begins to doubt herself and her actions, but then a crisis at another crime scene illuminates her fateful judgement. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Jaya |
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Young Jaya survives brutal gang life on Mumbai's unforgiving streets by posing as a boy. When she encounters a wealthy businessman who may be the father who abandoned her, she sets out to reclaim her identity. Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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Juliette |
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Juliette, a successful lawyer, snubs an invitation by her husband and friends to go to a cabaret. Becoming obsessed with what she had rejected, she goes alone to the cabaret and is delightfully surprised and transformed by what she sees. Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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La Despedida (The Farewell) |
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In the waiting room of a train station, Susana and Pavel share a lovers' goodbye. She tells him everything he wants to hear, but at the moment of his of departure, her real purpose becomes clear. Saturday March 7th at 3:30 PM
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Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women in Jazz |
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Women instrumentalists have made major contributions to American jazz, and this film captures many of the lost stories, from the early 1920s to the 1970s, including the development of numerous all-female jazz ensembles. Join Peggy Gilbert, Marian McPartland, Carline Ray, Quincy Jones, Jane Sager and many others in this important remembering of our musical past. Musician/composer Patrice Rushen is our guide though the era. Using historical photos, provocative and often wildly humorous interviews with musicians, big band leaders, jazz authors and historians, this textured film is balanced with rare recordings and forgotten footage, both television and film. Like the stories of those who made it, the music is always engaging, often uplifting, and sometimes heartrending. Friday March 6th at 6:30 PM Purchase Tickets (including access to a jazz reception with performer Jillian Lebeck)
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Margarita, With A Straw |
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A young woman with cerebral palsy lives with her family in Delhi. Her efforts towards romance and self-expression are frustrated until she receives a scholarship to study creative writing and moves to Manhattan. There she falls in love with a fiery young activist and embarks on a journey of sexual and self discovery. When her new relationship upsets her parents, and dramatic events occur, she is challenged to meet new responsibilities while remaining true to herself. Kalki Koechlin delivers a powerful performance in this inspirational story of love, independence, and determination. Wednesday March 4th at 7 PM Purchase Tickets (include access to opening night party)
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Mattress |
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Sometimes life's most embarrassing moments can also be life's greatest triumphs. Follow the youngest of the Lee family as he rights a wrong, averts a neighbourhood war, and makes his mother proud. Sunday March 8th at 3 PM
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My Favourite Leg |
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Spend a day with Andrea – an amputee Paralympian who values fitness and fashion in equal measure – and you won't look at life the same way again. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Nostalgia |
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This is an original and moving story about two children who, abandoned in a harsh world, rely on each other and their shared memories for comfort. Tenderness can express itself in unexpected ways. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Oh Lucy |
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Setsuko, a 55-year-old woman living in Tokyo, signs up for English lessons. Her teacher gives her the name Lucy and suggests she wear a blonde wig in class. Carrying this new identity beyond the constricting confines of the classroom, Setsuko engages in surprising new behaviour. Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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Ramona |
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A darkly sweet comedy about Ramona, an 80-year-old woman who announces that she is going to die. While her son gets together the money for the coffin, and then waits for her to die, Ramona is kept active and alive by friends and family who give her messages to pass along to their deceased loved ones. Saturday March 7th at 3:30 PM
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Relative Happiness |
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Plus–sized and 30 years old, Lexie is a feisty Bed & Breakfast owner who desperately needs a date to her sister’s wedding. In small town Nova Scotia, that’s no easy task. When a handsome and charming Friday March 6th at 9:30 PM
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Royal Migration |
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In this animated short set in a caterpillar kingdom, the faithful follow their royalty on a migration to paradise, though not quite grasping the whole picture... Sunday March 8th at 3 PM
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RÚBAÍ |
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First Holy Communion is fast approaching for eight-year-old Rúbaí, but as a self-proclaimed atheist she doesn’t see the point. Despite her mother’s protestations and the disapproval of her teacher, Rúbaí refuses to participate. This is a quirky comedy where emotional blackmail, religious and philosophical browbeating, and out-and-out intolerance are part and parcel of in today’s ‘diverse’ and ‘modern’ Ireland. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Seguir Viviendo (Go On Living) |
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When two young teenagers lose their mother to gang violence, they have to flee the only home they've ever known. A journalist reluctantly agrees to take them on the long drive to Mexico City, where they will catch a flight to Vancouver. On the road, sharing their remembered loss and encountering current fears, their wounds begin to heal and an unlikely new family emerges. Featuring the real siblings upon whom this moving story is based, the film accomplishes a rare and satisfying fusion between fiction and reality in a work that is surprisingly uplifting. Saturday March 7th at 3:30 PM
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Skin |
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Attitudes about sex and self-awareness are challenged in this story about two strangers who, despite their misgivings, find themselves drawn to each other. SKIN is an insightful commentary on being open to what you need, not what you plan. Wednesday March 4th at 7 PM Purchase Tickets (includes tickets to opening party)
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Taxistop |
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Antoine is scheduled to deliver a seminar on ‘Team Building’ in Geneva. He is forced to put his theories to the test as he and his fellow car-pooling companions meet the unexpected. Outcomes aren’t exactly as predicted, yet he and his young daughter find an unexpected and suitable resolution. This is a delightful road movie with a satirical purpose. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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The Goodbye Girl |
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This film succeeds in creating a magical experience. It is a surreal tale about the relationship of a lonely ‘reaper’ – who escorts the newly deceased into the afterlife – and a neglected young boy. The production design is particularly well considered and effective. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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The Lesson |
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An honest, hard-working schoolteacher in a small Bulgarian town is driven to desperate measures to avoid financial ruin. This is an austere and well-composed film that builds dramatic tension through the main character’s shifting moral perspective. A disciplined performance by Margita Gosheva beautifully captures the specificity of time and place. Friday March 6th at 4 PM
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The Timekeeper |
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What if time was a commodity that could be bartered and pawned? Would we value it any less, or any more? Stunning cinematography and subtle performances highlight this 2013 Hot Shots Short Script contest winner. Saturday March 7th at 9:30 PM
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The Underground |
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Inspired by the story written by bestselling Canadian author Rawi Hage, this is a visceral portrayal of an Iranian man’s struggle to fit into western culture. Anticipating a fresh start, he discovers Canadian life is not what he had dreamed. In a struggle to overcome poverty and isolation, battling past demons, Araz turns inward in hopes of experiencing the life that eludes him. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Thresholds |
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The year is 1992. War is raging in Croatia. The new government carries out forceful evictions of ‘unfit’ occupants from their apartments. What will the neighbours do as this is happening? Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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Through The Pane |
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Annabelle and Lewis meet through their facing apartment windows. A romance blossoms through hand written notes. However, wrong assumptions about love and each other may sabotage this chance for a real connection. Thursday March 5th at 9 PM
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Un Peu Comme Simone |
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Simone, a young university student, is frustrated with the world and the people around her. A series of encounters throughout the day only confirm her sense of growing alienation. This is a charming and quirky film about the deepening of an existential crisis. Thursday March 5th at 6:30 PM
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Very Good Dirt |
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The film sifts through the memories of a long-lost prairie town, exploring the empty spaces that past lives inhabited. Stunning photography and lyrical pacing make this a poetic meditation of memory and place. Saturday March 7th at 7 PM
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