HIFF Newsletter • October 29, 2020
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
SO PRETTY
dir. Jessica Dunn Rovinelli
November 14 • 7 PM • Available in Nova Scotia
On day three of HIFF 2020, we're proud to present So Pretty, the latest feature from Jessica Dunn Rovinelli about the lives of a polyamorous “proto-utopia” in New York City.
Loosely based around a German novella of the same name, the film concerns itself with the process of translation: of the source material, of language, of geography, and of a stunning host of techniques from a prestigious but hitherto narrow and hegemonic art cinema canon, evoking the work of Akerman, Cassavettes, Godard, and Straub-Huillet.
A Q&A with Jessica Dunn Rovinelli will follow the screening, hosted by HIFF programmer Zack Miller.
Reserve your free ticket here.
"The wonderfully light ebb and flow of this visual poem reflects how ephemeral moments and interpersonal spaces are created, pass by, and vanish."
—Craig Takeuchi, The Georgia Straight
Check out the trailer below:
TAPEWORM
dir. Miloš Mitrovič and Fabián Velasco
November 14 • 4 PM • Available in Nova Scotia
Tapeworm, the shocking debut feature from Winnepeg filmmakers Miloš Mitrovič and Fabián Velasco, is heading to HIFF for a screening on November 14.
A film that defies distinct categorization, Tapeworm falls somewhere between bleak miserablism and absurd comedy, exploring the seemingly mundane lives of several Winnipeg misfits: a depressed hypochondriac in a failing marriage, a stand-up comedian whose jokes are met with apathy, a stoner couple drifting through life, and a brooding man-child stuck at home with his overbearing mother.
Shot in gritty 16mm, Tapeworm boldly and confidently explores themes of existentialism and isolation through portraits of struggling characters stuck in a go-nowhere town.
Stick around after the screening for a Q&A with the directors, hosted by HIFF programming coordinator Heather Young.
Reserve your free ticket here.
"A palpable, almost profound sense of discomfort hangs over nearly every frame of Tapeworm, a Canadian film that seeks out catharsis in the most cringe-worthy of situations."—Nick Rocco Scalia, Film Threat
Watch the trailer here:
Every year, HIFF brings programmers from prestigious Canadian and international festivals to Halifax to take part in the festival, watch local shorts and host one-on-one meetings with regional filmmakers. This year, we’re moving the meetings online! The Programmer Initiative is a unique opportunity for Atlantic Canadian filmmakers to connect one-on-one with programmers from around the world and make meaningful connections within the international film festival circuit.
This year we welcome:
Lisa Haller, Toronto International Film Festival
Linton Melita, Palm Springs International ShortFest
Julian Ross, International Film Festival Rotterdam
Sébastien Simon, Busan International Short Film Festival
Meetings will are also available with:
Lori McCurdy, Feature Film Executive, Atlantic Region, Telefilm Canada
APPLICATIONS FOR FILMMAKER-PROGRAMMER MEETINGS ARE NOW OPEN!
APPLY HERE
CFAT: AUGMENTED REALITY PRESENTATION
THE UNSEEN
What are the hidden things, the unseen spaces, and the lost stories? Are these things considered important or valuable? How is this metric created, and by whom?
Over the summer of 2020, the Centre For Art Tapes teamed up with ARt@LARGE and HIFF to commission five artists to create original augmented-reality projects in Halifax, exploring themes around seeing and exploring the unseen. Considering themes of connection, community, identity, and intimacy, the selected artists have created expansive works that invite viewers to step into alternate worlds, either on-site or from their homes in HRM.
The artists used the augmented reality app LARGE to create augmented reality installations for this exhibition. The works are viewable through the LARGE app (available from the Apple app store or Google Play store). During HIFF, all works can be located and accessed within the LARGE app from within a 10-kilometre radius, encouraging the audience to visit the sites in Halifax and Dartmouth where our artists have planted their work, or view the works remotely from within HRM.
Featured artists: Carrie Allison, Israel Ekanem, Annik Gaudet, Merle Harley, and Wren Morris.
See more details here!
ATLANTIC AUTEURS SPOTLIGHT
Where are you from?
St. John's, Newfoundland.
What was the inspiration for the film you’re presenting at HIFF?
I was inspired by how much fun and freedom residents in a long-term care facility were having on an adaptive bicycle built for two.
What films or filmmakers inspired you to make your own?
I love documentary films and we have some of the best documentary filmmakers here in Atlantic Canada. Kenneth Harvey's It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt and Edward Riche/Steven Palmer's Ghost Artist to name a few.
Last year we asked filmmakers about their most memorable experiences in a cinema. In the spirit of our virtual fest, what’s the most memorable experience you’ve had watching a film at home?
Belting out all the songs from The Sound of Music with my kids.
What's your favourite memory of making this film?
My favourite memory is shooting a piece of footage which I placed at the end of the film in the credits. We had wrapped, and the gentlemen I had interviewed asked if I knew how to dance the jive! I could not but I didn't want to say no to an 85-year-old man so I tried my best. My DP, Martine Blue, tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Mind if I cut in?" I took my iPhone out of my pocket and shot it in one take. While they were dancing I heard a jazzy rendition of "Bicycle Built For Two" in my head.
Where are you from?
Tracey is from Cap-Pelé, NB, and Hyacinthe is from Le Fuillet, France. We are based in Moncton, NB.
What was the inspiration for the film you’re presenting at HIFF?
We wanted to explore a sci-fi feeling in the rural environment of Tracey's hometown.
What’s the pastime that’s saved you during the pandemic?
Watching scary movies and learning woodworking.
What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had watching a film at home?
We set up a projector in our house to recreate part of the experience of going to theatres.
What's your favourite (or worst/weirdest) memory of making this film?
The excavator was an unexpected twist. It was a Sunday so we weren't expecting anybody to be working, and we stumbled on this trail while trying to get closer to the windmill, and there it was!
These films will screen along with eight others made by established and up-and-coming filmmakers from across the region in HIFF's Atlantic Auteurs shorts program, available online Friday, November 15 at 7 p.m. Learn more about the full program here.