March 5 to 10 at the VIFF Vancity Theatre
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Are You My Mommy |
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Wednesday, March 6, 8:30 pm |
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15 Min
Gavin Michael Booth
USA/Canada
Canadian Premiere
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While filming his latest blockbuster, Hero, a famous action star, is badly wounded. To the rescue comes Heroine, but Hero is confused by this utterly average, late-40s woman, not the young heroine he imagined, and resists her efforts to save him. As the bad guys close in, we learn that both Heroine and the movie aren’t quite what they seem to be. Performers Paula Jean Dixon and Neil Napier will be in attendance for a post screening Q&A. |
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Credits: | Director: Gavin Michael Booth, Producer: Paula Jean Hixson, Neil Napier, Sarah Booth; Writer: Paula Jean Hixson; Editor: Gavin Michael Booth; Cinematographer: Seth Wessel-Estes; Performers: Paula Jean Hixson, Neil Napier; Composer: Adrian Ellis |
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Biidaaban (The Dawn Comes)LOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Tuesday, March 5th, 7:00 pm |
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19 Min
Amanda Strong
Canada
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Accompanied by 10,000-year-old shapeshifter and friend known as Sabe, Biidaaban sets out on a mission to reclaim the ceremonial harvesting of sap from maple trees in an unwelcoming suburban neighbourhood of Ontario. Driven by the words of Anishinaabe writer Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Amanda Strong’s mesmerizing stop motion animation intricately weaves together multiple worlds through time and space, calling for a rebellion. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Amanda Strong; Producer: Amanda Strong; Writer: Based on the stories of Leanne Betasamosake Simpson “The Gift is in the Making”, “Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories” and “Plight” by Amanda Strong, Bracken Hanuse Corlett, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson; Editor: Amanda Strong, Marcus Kliewer; Cinematographer: Terrance Azzuolo; Performers: Poem Narration by: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson - "Caribou Ghosts and Untold Stories"; Composer: Cris Derksen, Jeneen Frei Njootli, Menalon, Ziibiwan Rivers |
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C Sharp and D Suspended |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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14 Min
Tamara Segura
Canada
BC Premiere
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Margaret receives a 24-hour pass from the prison in which she is incarcerated to attend her grandson’s performance as a classical guitarist. The two share a deep bond and enjoy each other’s company. When Daniel presents her with a difficult choice, they discover that they have different ideas of freedom. |
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Credits: | Director: Tamara Segura; Producer: Justin Simms; Writer: Tamara Segura; Editor: Victoria Wells; Cinematographer: Becky Parsons; Performers: Deidre G. Rowlings/ Andrew Tremblett; Composer: Duane Andrews |
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Chasing the Sublime |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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6 Min
Amanda Bluglass
United Kingdom
World Premiere
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A mesmeric look at open water long distance swimming – the physicality, the beauty, the accomplishment - from the perspective of two women who swim together. |
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Credits: | Director: Amanda Bluglass; Producer: Amanda Bluglass; Writer: Kate Rew; Editor: Michael Clark; Cinematographer: Danny Cooke; Underwater Photography: Neil Hope; Performers: Kate Rew & Kari Furre |
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CheckLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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11 Min
Meeshelle Neal
Canada
Canadian Premiere
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A woman's thoughts become obsessive, dark, and all-consuming, threatening to overtake her unless she can find a way to accept them. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Meeshelle Neal; Producer: Tracy Varju; Writer: Tracy Varju; Editor: Aerlan Barret; Cinematographer: Kenrick Block; Performers: Tracy Varju, Taylor Hastings; Composer: Diego Rojas |
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ClinchLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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14 Min
Tricia Collins
Canada
North American Premiere
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Clinch explores the connection between Shawna and Rudy, two professional boxers. As they train together, they fall in love and develop a tender romance that forms a sharp contrast to their competitive relationship in the ring. Will the sport that brought them together be their demise? Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Tricia Collins; Producer: Ryan Bergmann, Aidan Maxted (Executive Producer), Robbie Della Penna (Executive Producer); Writer: Tricia Collins; Editor: Mike Reisacher; Cinematographer: Jack Yan Chen; Performers: Tricia Collins, Murry Peeters, Bryce Hodgson, Stephen Roberts, Natalie “Sugar” Brown; Composer: Dalton “d10” Tennant |
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Dear Hatetts |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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7 Min
Kerry Barber
Canada
Vancouver Premiere
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There is a long and tragic history of women not being believed when they tell the truth about their lives, especially about the lives of their bodies. Dear Hatetts is an intimate take on that injustice, so intimate, the filmmaker even takes us inside her own body. Told in the form of a letter to a family, it is accompanied by documentary images from the filmmaker’s life. |
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Credits: | Director: Kerry Barber; Producer: Kerry Barber; Writer: Kerry Barber; Editor: Syafiq Jaafar; Cinematographer: Jimmy Lippi Pinna; Composer: Digits |
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Dust in the SkyLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm
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11 Min
Iris Moore
Canada
North American Premiere
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A short animation about Life, who crafts beautiful creations with love and care, and Death, who repeatedly takes them away. When Life convinces Death to leave, she discovers an important truth. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Iris Moor; Producer: Iris Moor; Writer: Iris Moor; Editor: Dylan Davies |
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ÉG/(I) |
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Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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15 Min
Vala Ómarsdóttir & Hallfríður Þóra Tryggvadóttir
Iceland, Lithuania
International Premiere
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A young trans person living in a small town travels to the city searching for the freedom to be themself. Made in collaboration with Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir, whose story inspired the film. |
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Credits: |
Director: Vala Ómarsdóttir & Hallfríður Þóra Tryggvadóttir; Producer: Hallfríður Þóra Tryggvadóttir & Vala Ómarsdóttir; Writer: Vala Ómarsdóttir & Hallfríður Þóra Tryggvadóttir; Editor: Vigdís Eva Steinþórsdóttir; Cinematographer: Erla Hrund Halldórsdóttir; Performers: Snæfríður Ingvarsdóttir, María Thelma Smáradóttir, Kristbjörg Kjeld, Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir; Composer: Jófríður Ákadóttir |
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Fat Hiking ClubLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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15min
Layla Cameron
Canada
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A woman seeks to make the outdoors more accessible for fat people – just as they are and without shame. Armed with her slogan “Trails Not Scales”, she soon finds herself hosting events all over North America. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Layla Cameron; Producer:Layla Cameron; Editor: Danie Easton; Cinematographer: Danie Easton |
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Girl in the Galactic SunLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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11 min
Heather Perluzzo
Canada
Vancouver Premiere
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The Gemini are a genderless alien species who have discovered they’ll become extinct if they don’t find a way to reproduce. After years of searching, they encounter humans and their reproductive method. This, in addition to their Gemini similarities, has brought them hope. However, the female metamorphosis from Gemini to human causes an unexpected difficulty. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Heather Perluzzo; Producer: Erika Sol Lopez; Writer: Heather Perluzzo; Editor: Jeremy Chen and Fred Imbach; Cinematographer: Sagar Deol; Performers: Hannah Henney, Cassandra Naud, Brenna Llewellyn, Isabella St. Clair, Valdemar Wredler Wennstrom, Heather Perluzzo; Composer: Andrew Burke |
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Good Girls Don’tLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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15 Min
Ana de Lara
Canada
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A comedic short film about a Filipina-Canadian girl who defies her mother’s warning that she will turn into a boy if she plays basketball. (Spoiler Alter: She doesn’t!) Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Ana de Lara; Producer: Michelle Morris, Anita Reilly McGee; Writer: Ana de Lara; Editor: Ana de Lara; Cinematographer: Sean Seifert; Performers: Evryle Ebora, Jane McLean; Composer: Red Heartbreaker |
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Hearth |
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Screening time: |
Saturday, March 9, 9:30 pm |
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11 Min
Sophie B. Jacques
Canada
North American Premiere
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A tension filled drama that follows Emillie as she returns home after renting her house to strangers. Will she discover what actually happened during her absence? |
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Credits: | Director: Sophie B. Jacques; Producer: Sophie Ricard-Harvey et Charlotte Beaudoin-Poisson; Writer: Sophie B. Jacques; Editor: Richard Comeau; Cinematographer: Jean-Philippe Bernier; Performers: Marilyn Castonguay, Marianne Farley, Joel Marin, Guy Richer |
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La QuinceañeraLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Saturday, March 9, 9:30 pm |
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70 Min
Gigi Saul Guerrero
Canada
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Alejandra’s life is about to change forever on the night of her quinceañera, a coming of age ceremony held on a girl's fifteenth birthday. In this daring revenge tale, a young girl will learn the limits of resilience and strength as she is thrust into the most extraordinary of situations over the course of 24 hours. The director has been praised for innovative work in the horror genre and this work reflects her recognizable style of Tex-Mex grit with a touch of grindhouse and gore. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Gigi Saul Guerrero; Producer: Amy Fox, Raynor Shima; Writer: Gigi Saul Guerrero, Shane McKenzie; Editor: Alex Marquez; Cinematographer: Luke Bramley; Performers: Mia Xitlali, Gabriela Reynoso, Mauricio Mendoza, Gustavo Gomez, Veronica Diaz Carranza, Patricia De Leon |
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Lab Rat |
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Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm |
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16 min
Nour Wazzi
United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
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In the near future, a group of scientists trapped in a room learn that one of them is an A.I.. They cannot escape until they figure out who it is. |
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Credits: | Director: Nour Wazzi; Producers: Neil Chordia, Amanda Brennan; Writer: Matt Brothers; Editor: Julie Buckland; Cinematographer: Mark Nutkins; Composer: Nanita Desai; Lead Cast: Kirsty Sturgess, Abeo Jackson, Matt Harris, Sian Hill, Max Williams |
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Marziyeh |
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Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm
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25 Min
Dornaz Hajiha
Iran, United Kingdom
Canadian Premiere
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Marziyeh and her husband drive to the wake of a relative. She prepares her appearance to meet the satisfaction of her strict religious family. During the wake, Marziyeh’s husband, who is in the men’s only section, learns that Marziyeh has described a dream that is taken seriously as an omen by the deceased’s family. |
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Credits: | Director: Dornaz Hajiha; Writer: Dornaz Hajiha & Morteza Farshbaf; Producer: Mastaneh Mohajer & Tayub Hussain; Editor: Mastaneh Mohajer; Cinematographer: Moien Motalebi; Lead Actors: Sepidar Tari, Diba Hajiha, Shahdiyar Shakiba |
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Miracle |
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Friday, March 8th, 6:00 pm |
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91 Min
Egle Vertelyte
Lithuania, Bulgaria, Poland
BC Premiere
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Shortly after the fall of communism in Lithuania in 1992, Irena, the manager of a model swine farm of the Soviet era, makes every effort to adapt it to the new capitalist system. The very demonstrative arrival of Bernardas, an American businessman with orange hair, is perceived by Irena, as the answer to all her prayers. But as pigs are slaughtered, the animated rescuer with pockets filled with dollars reveals interests much less noble. Irena must look elsewhere to find the hope she needs to survive. |
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Credits: | Director by: Egle Vertelyte; Writer: Egle Vertelyte; Editor: Milenia Fiedler; Cinematographer: Emil Christov; Producer: Lukas Trimonis; Performers: Egle Mikulionyte, Vyto Ruginis, Andrius Bialobzeskis, Daniel Olbrychski, Valerijus Jevsejevas, Valentinas Krulikovskis, Jelena Juscenko-Kirijeva, Vera Stasenia, Sonata Visockaite, Gabija Jaraminaite |
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My Boy |
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Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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12 Min
Sarah Pellerin
Canada
BC Premiere
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As he takes part in his brother’s bachelor party, Louis (17) is confronted by this ritual that both celebrates and denigrates commitment and masculinity. |
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Credits: | Director: Sarah Pellerin; Producers: Fanny-Laure Malo, Annie-Claude Quirion; Writer: Sarah Pellerin; Editor: Charles Grenier; Cinematographer: Ariel Methot; Lead Performers: Henri Picard, Simon Larouche, Philippe Boutin, Alexandre Landry, Guillaume Laurin, Maxime Dumontier, Sophie Desmarais, Marilyn Castonguay, Joanie Guérin, Sarah Anne Parent, Agnès Bouchard, Maya Gosselin |
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NîsowakLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Wednesday, March 6, 8:30 pm |
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36 Min
Petie Chalifoux
Canada
Canadian Premiere
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After the sudden and mysterious death of her father, Mêkwan, a young Indigenous woman, discovers that the ancient power of shapeshifting has been transferred to her. She must master it in order to save her bloodline from “The Whip Man” a creepy hunter whose ultimate goal is to eliminate her kind. New to shapeshifting, Mêkwan must choose - Fight or Flight! Nîsowak is a drama full of action and elements of a graphic novel style. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Directed: Petie Chalifoux; Written: Petie Chalifoux; Produced: Petie Chalifoux Micheal Auger; Edited: Michael Morin Petie Chalifoux; Director of Photography: Micheal Auger; Cinematographer: Cuyler Frink; Lead Performers: Ashley Nichols, Stan Isadore; Composer: Micheal Auger |
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OChiSkwaChoLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm |
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16 Min
Jules A Koostachin
Canada
BC Premiere
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Ochiskwacho is a sacred being, known to many Indigenous people as a spiritual messenger. Kokoom, an elderly (spiritually ailing) two-spirit woman has to decide whether to stay with her grandchildren or follow the Ochiskwacho. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director, Producer, Writer: Jules A Koostachin; Editor: Jessica Dymond; Cinematographer: Martin Reisch; Performers: Gloria Eshkibok, Giselle Pare-Ramirez, Tapwewin Koostachin- Chakasim, Pawaken Koostachin-Chakasim, Mahiigan Koostachin; Composer: Dave Chick |
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Once There Was a WinterLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 6:00 pm |
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86 Min
Ana Valine
Canada
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This dramatic thriller portrays a young woman, Lady, dangerously treading the delicate line between defiance and disappearance. Working in the frigid and desolate North has its challenges so when an invitation for drinks with new friends in a cozy cabin is presented, Lady readily accepts. Unknowingly she becomes the pawn in a game fueled by isolation, loss and jealousy. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Ana Valine, Producer: Lori Lozinski and Seanna McPherson, Writer: Ana Valine; Editor: Ana Valine; Cinematographer: Michael LeBlanc; Performers: Kate Corbett, Teach Grant, Juan Riedinger, Kris Demeanor |
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Period Piece |
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Wednesday, March 6, 8:30 pm |
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15 Min
Heidi O'Loughlin
United Kingdom
North American Premiere
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A dark comedy about a bartender who, fed-up by the harassment she must endure, delivers a surprising piece of performance art during a stand-up night at the bar. |
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Credits: | Director: Heidi O'Loughlin; Producer: Katie Hildreth; Writer: Karis Halsall; Editor: Josie Farrugia; Cinematographer: Drew McCrary; Lead Performers: Georgia Groome, Gwyneth Keyworth; Composer: León Felipe Tapia |
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She Is The OceanFree Screening |
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Screening time: |
Friday, March 8, 1:00 pm |
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102 Min
Inna Blokhina
Russia
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She is the Ocean examines nine extraordinary women from the four corners of the globe. Starting with three women who engage in the thrill of ocean sports, to a famed scientist who plunges into the deepest depths on the edge of human survival, to a cliff diver who is hailed as “The bravest woman in Germany” the film captures the one thing they all share in common: a profound love for the Sea. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Inna Blokhina; Producer: Inna Blokhina; Writer: Inna Blokhina & Matt George; Cinematographer: Eugenii Mitrushkin, Alex Berger, Erik Ippel Performers: Cinta Hansel, Coco Ho, Anna Bader, Ocean Ramsey, Keala Kennelly, Andrea Moller, Rose Molina, Jeannie Chesser, Sylvia Earle |
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SonderLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm |
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14 Min
Mia Fiona Kut
Canada
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Aveline, a young competitive aerial silk artist, struggles to return to her sport and everyday life after a devastating freak accident. Longing for companionship, she turns to an online dating app, methodically tracking her chemistry with each candidate. She meets an equally lonely stranger, and an unexpected journey begins. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Mia Fiona Kut; Producer: Nick Malcolm, Ingo Lou, Kris McRonney; Writer: Mia Fiona Kut; Editor: Mia Fiona Kut; Cinematographer: Stirling Bancroft; Performers: Mia Fiona Kut, Dawn Yamamoto; Composer: Ola Kostet |
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TayybehLOCAL FILMMAKER |
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Screening time: |
Saturday, March 9, 3:30 pm |
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10 Min
Eva Brownstein
Canada
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“Tayybeh” is an Arabic word meaning both ‘kind’ and ‘delicious’. The word embodies the spirit of the Tayybeh catering company – a group of female Syrian refugees who support their new lives in Vancouver by cooking Syrian food for the community. This short documentary is an intimate portrait of the struggles and triumphs of the women of Tayybeh, as they learn to navigate life in Canada while grappling with the grief and loss of leaving their homeland. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director, Producer, Writer: Eva Brownstein; Cinematographer: Eva Brownstein; Additional Cinematography by Matt Miles and Jason Mannings; Editor: Eva Brownstein; Composer: Emad Armoush |
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Thank You For The Rain |
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Wednesday, March 6, 5:30 pm |
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87 Min
Julia Dahr
Norway / U.K. / Kenya
Canadian Premiere
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A Kenyan farmer, Kisilu, struggles to adapt his farming methods to an ever changing climate. The film captures his hope and despair as his ongoing struggle leads him to become a community leader and a climate change activist on the global stage. The film addresses a range of issues linked to climate change, including climate justice, urbanization gender equality, education, access to water, climate refugees and adaptation. |
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Credits: | Director: Julia Dahr; Producer: Hugh Hartford, Julia Dahr; Writer: Julia Dahr & Kisilu Musya; Editor: Adam Thomas; Cinematographer: Julie Lunde Lillesæter; Composer: Chris White |
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The Apartment |
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Thursday, March 7, 3:30 pm
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12 Min
Justine Gauthier
Canada
BC Premiere
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Between tension and tenderness, a mother and her two children make the best of their somewhat disappointing new apartment. |
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Credits: | Director: Justine Gauthier; Producer: Audrey Fallu; Editor: Catherine Perreault; Cinematographer: Sarah Baril Gaudet; Performers: Monia Chokri, Shanti Corbeil-Gauvreau, Raphaël Bergeron Lapointe |
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The Day I Lost My Shadow |
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Saturday, March 9, 3:30 pm |
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95 Min
Soudade Kaadan
Syria, France, Qatar, Lebanon
BC Premiere
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In Syria, 2012, during the coldest winter the country has witnessed, Sana tries to create a normal life for her son and to ignore the conflicts raging around her. She dreams of making a hot meal but has no cooking fuel. She takes a day off from her job to search for a gas cylinder and suddenly finds herself stuck in the besieged area. It is then that she discovers what it means to lose your shadow. |
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Credits: | Credits: Director: Soudade Kaadan; Writer: Soudade Kaadan; Cast: Sawsan Ercheid, Reham Al Kassar, Oweiss Moukhallalati, Samer Ismael; Cinematography: Eric Devin; Editing: Soudade Kaadan, Pierre Deschamps; Producer: Amira Kaadan; Original Score: Kinan Azmeh |
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The Egg and The Thieving Pie |
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Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm |
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19 Min
Lola Blanche Higgins
United Kingdom
International Premiere
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Community Police Officer, Shona, finds herself battling the call of the ocean when investigating the theft of a precious egg. Whilst interviewing the local residents she comes face-to-face with their animalistic traits and becomes entangled in a series of surreal exchanges. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Lola Blanche Higgins; Producer: Reshma Makan; Writer: Lola Blanche Higgins; Editor: Zsofia Talas; Cinematographer: Alvilde Naterstad; Performers: Anna Maxwell Martin, Noma Dumezweni, Ralph Ineson, Gemma Jones; Composer: Hollie Buhagiar |
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The FeministFree Screening |
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Friday, March 8, 3:30 pm |
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92 Min
Hampus Linder
Sweden
Canadian Premiere
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Gudrun Schyman has been one of the most influential Swedish politicians of the past decades. From humble beginnings in a blue-collar family grappling with her father’s alcoholism she rose to lead the Leftist party to record election results but then was publicly shamed for her own struggles with addiction. Overcoming her demons, she found Europe’s first feminist party and has remained fiercely, unapologetically feminist, constantly working to raise the bar for equality in Sweden and internationally. Followed by a discussion with the film’s producer, Helene Granqvist as well as local documentary film director Moira Simpson and screenwriter and WIFTV’s First President, Peggy Thompson. |
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Credits: | Director: Hampus Linder; Producer: Helene Granqvist; Editor: Amalie Westerlin Tjellesen; Cinematographer: Hampus Linder; Composer: Katharina Nuttall & Linus Andersson |
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The True History of Billie The Kid |
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Wednesday, March 6, 8:30 pm |
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8 Min
Leticia Caceres
Australia
Canadian Premiere
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Billie pays a visit to her ageing father in jail. While he reminisces about her childhood, it becomes clear that she doesn’t remember it in quite the same way. It wasn’t the safe and happy place he describes and where was he when she most needed his protection? Will this visit bring reconciliation…or revenge? |
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Credits: | Director: Leticia Caceres; Writer: Angela Betzien; Producer: Christina Radburn; Cinematographer: Ryan Alexander Lloyd; Editor: Nikki Stevens; Cast: Dusty Bursill, Eva Seymour, Hayden Spencer and Mark Leonard Winter |
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The Warrior Queen of Jhansi |
Screening Time: | Sunday, March 10, 2:30pm |
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98 Min
Swati Bhise
USA
World Premiere
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This epic dramatic narrative is set in India in 1850. Ruled by the British and the pernicious East India Company, discontent and rebellion stir amongst the Indian people. In the province of Jhansi, the Rani seeks peaceful solutions, but to no avail. As the British grow more aggressive, she has no choice but to fight for her kingdom becoming a powerful symbol of resistance. Gathering alliances, she must lead her people into a battle that will ultimately change the shape of history. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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This Changes Everything - Special Presentation with the DGC |
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Screening time: |
Saturday, March 9, 12:00 pm |
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97 Min
Tom Donahue
USA
As a special presentation with the DGC, this film is not an official selection at VIWFF 2019
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This documentary film examines the systemic sexism in Hollywood. Weaving interviews with some of the industry’s leading voices, including Geena Davis, Meryl Streep, Yara Shahidi and Sandra Oh, it takes an incisive look behind and in front of the camera. The film exposes the historical and empirical evidence and the systemic forces that foster gender discrimination and reinforce disparities in our culture. The film is followed by a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Amanda Coles (Arts and Cultural Management and Employment Relations, Deakin University) with special guests Tom Donahue (director, This Changes Everything) and others to be announced. |
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Director:Tom Donahue; Producers: Ilan Arboleda, Kerianne Flynn, Tom Donahue; Cinematographer: Stefano Ferrari; Composer: Leigh Roberts; Editor: Jasmin Way; Cast:Geena Davis, Meryl Streep, Chloë Grace Moretz, Yara Shahidi, Natalie Portman, Taraji P. Henson, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett, Jill Soloway, Shonda Rhimes, Alan Alda, Sandra Oh, Anita Hill, Jessica Chastain, Rose McGowan, Judd Apatow, Rosario Dawson, Maria Geise, Amandla Stenberg |
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Tina |
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Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm |
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10 Min
Gayatri Bahl
USA
World Premiere
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A fantastical drama about Tina, a woman who tries alternative therapy to develop a stronger sense of self. But then, she starts hearing and seeing things - and being followed by an Indian Classical Dancer. Is this therapy really helping? Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Gayatri Bahl; Producer: Gayatri Bahl, Anuj Goya; Writer: Gayatri Bahl; Editor: Gayatri Bahl, Anthony Dimeri, Vick Krishna; Cinematographer: Brian Hollars; Performers: Gayatri Bahl, Shalini Bathina, Sarah Baskin, Surina Jindal, Composer: Rushi Vakil |
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Tshweesh |
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Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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25 mins
Feyrouz Serhal
Lebanon, Germany, Spain, Qatar
BC Premiere
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The day of the World Cup - satellite dishes, antennae and wires clutter the rooftops where children play, laundry is hung, lovers tryst and an old couple sips their coffee. A woman walks through the streets. But there is a disruption in the audio visual signals. The game is cut out. The still of the hot summer’s day is torn apart by an air attack – another interruption to be absorbed, another minor irritation to resist as Beirut refuses to have its’ spirit quashed. |
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Credits: | Director: Feyrouz Serhal; Producers: Stefan Gieren, Felipe Lage Coro, Feyrouz Serhal, Lara Abou Saifan; Writer: Feyrouz Serhal; Cinematographer: Bassem Fayad; Sound: Victor Bresse; Editor: Maria Malek; Lead Performer: Petra Serhal |
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Turning Tables |
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Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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16 Min
Chrisann Hessing
Canada
BC Premiere
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Joshua DePerry, also known as Classic Roots, is a Toronto-based music producer and performer pioneering “PowWow Techno.” Redefining what it means to be urban and Indigenous, he prepares to start the next chapter of his life as an artist and educator in the world's techno capital: Berlin. Filmmaker in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Chrisann Hessing; Producer: Tanya Hoshi, Chrisann Hessing; Writer: Chrisann Hessing; Editor: Ryan J. Noth; Cinematographer: John Minh Tran |
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Warrior Women |
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Tuesday, March 5, 7:00 pm |
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64 Min
Christina D. King and Elizabeth A. Castle
USA
Vancouver Premiere
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Warrior Women tells a story about Madonna Thunder Hawk, a leader in the American Indian Movement who cultivated a group of activist children - including her daughter Marcy - into the "We Will Remember" Survival Group as an alternative to government-run boarding schools. With Marcy now a mother herself, both women fight against the environmental devastation of the Dakota Access Pipeline and for indigenous cultural values. Warrior Women's Elizabeth Castle and Marcella Gilberta will be in attendance. |
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Credits: | Director: Christina D. King and Elizabeth A. Castle; Producer: Anna Marie Pitman; Producer: Christina D. King & Elizabeth A. Castle; Directors of Photography: Andreas Burgess, John G. Larson; Editors: Keiko Deguchi, A.C.E., Kristen Nutile; Original Score: Giulio Carmassi, Bryan Scary |
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Wild |
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Saturday, March 9, 6:45 pm |
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17 Min
Morgana McKenzie
Canada
Vancouver Premiere
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It’s the summer of 1937. Something is living in the cornfield. Young Ida doesn’t know what it is, but it seems to understand her better than anyone else on her uncle’s farm. |
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Credits: | Director: Morgana McKenzie; Producer: Emily Ramsay, Morgana McKenzie; Writer: Morgana McKenzie; Cinematographer: Morgana McKenzie; Performers: Nève Guénette, David Dacosta, Sadie Laflamme-Snow, Paul Ahmarani, Penelope Goranson; Composer: Lora Bidner |
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Work |
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Friday, March 8th, 8:30 pm |
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11 Min
Claire Allore
Canada
BC Premiere
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Two sex workers in Toronto share experiences relating to race, gender, and emotional labour in their profession. |
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Credits: | Director: Claire Allore; Producer: Vivian Toth; Editor: Rick Bartram; Cinematographer: Nyssa Glück; Lead Performers: Malcolm Lovejoy and Vixen Vu; Composer: Orthicon |
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