HIFF Newsletter — May 24, 2022
The 16th annual Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival makes its triumphant return to in-person screenings and events from June 9–12, 2022, with four jam-packed days of artist panels, parties, and daring films from near and far.
Our in-person screenings take place at the Light House Arts Centre (1800 Argyle Street), with one special late-night presentation of We're All Going to the World's Fair at Good Robot Brewing (2736 Robie Street).
Canadian presentations will also be available to stream online through Eventive for 48 hours following their in-person screenings.
You can see it all with a HIFF Festival Pass ($35/$25 for AFCOOP members, including full access to online screenings) or catch films with individual tickets for $10. Plus, all in-person screenings are FREE for students (with a valid student ID)!
Here's a glance at what's screening on Day Two:
DAY TWO SCREENINGS
EL PLANETA
DIR. AMALIA ULMAN
USA/SPAIN / 2021 / 80 MINS
SCREENING IN-PERSON: JUNE 10 at 7 PM
@ LIGHT HOUSE ARTS CENTRE
On HIFF Day Two, we’re thrilled to present EL PLANETA, Amalia Ulman’s stylish debut drama, which hearkens back to the pre-code comedies of the 1930s while carving out a fresh, effervescent filmic sensibility that's entirely its own.
EL PLANETA was filmed in the city of Gijón, in the Asturias region of Spain where she grew up, and stars Amalia alongside her real-life mother, Ale. Their warm, deeply rooted dynamic colours the film with a unique beauty that sticks with you long after viewing.
HIFF FESTIVAL PASS ($35/$25 for AFCOOP members)
"Honouring the imagined glamor of its characters even as it harshly undermines that illusion, El Planeta finds a strange kind of grandeur in the everyday and the unfamous." —Guy Lodge, Variety
Click below to view the trailer:
RYAN STEEL RETROSPECTIVE
SHORTS PROGRAM
SCREENING IN-PERSON: JUNE 10 at 9 PM
@ LIGHT HOUSE ARTS CENTRE
Up next on Day Two is our Ryan Steel Retrospective, an eclectic mix of short films from the mind of the prolific Winnipeg-based filmmaker. Steel’s work completely disregards genre boundaries, exploring the intersection between experimental, documentary, and fiction filmmaking. From bus commutes to mall culture to Peter Nygard, Steele’s significant output of films highlights the tedious beauty of the mundane. With a clear respect for DIY and analogue aesthetics, this retrospective will be sure to inspire every indie filmmaker who sees it.
HIFF FESTIVAL PASS ($35/$25 for AFCOOP members)
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ($10)
Click below to view the trailer:
WE'RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD'S FAIR
DIR. JANE SCHOENBRUNSCREENING IN-PERSON: JUNE 10 at 10:30 PM
@ GOOD ROBOT BREWING (2736 Robie Street)
Day Two closes with a very special late-night presentation of Jane Schoenbrun's unforgettable coming-of-age horror gem We're All Going to the World's Fair.
NOTE: This screening will take place at Good Robot Brewing (2736 Robie Street), not the Light House Arts Centre.
Anna Cobb plays Casey, a teenager in her attic bedroom, documenting the erratic changes taking place in her after participating in the online role-playing horror game The World’s Fair Challenge. She adds her videos to the roster of auto-playing YouTube videos about the game, leading to one mysterious player reaching out to her. World's Fair presents a precisely built, tender and truly frightening world, made all the more haunting by its unflinching, thoughtful character portrayals.
HIFF FESTIVAL PASS ($35/$25 for AFCOOP members)
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS ($10)
"We’re All Going to the World’s Fair feels like a weird piece of internet ephemera one might accidentally discover while browsing late at night. The film will resonate with anyone who’s gone down a macabre digital rabbit hole." —David Sims, The Atlantic
Click below to view the trailer:
HIFF TWO-SHOTS
In the weeks leading up to our 16th annual fest, HIFF is offering a free online series for our filmmaker audience. In HIFF Two Shots, our fest coordinator Tara Thorne will meet with a film funder, maker or programmer to discuss everything you need to know to prep for festival season. We get things started with back-to-back chats next week!
Register below and get your questions ready:
TUESDAY MAY 24, 6 PM
FESTIVAL APPLICATIONS WITH LOUISE MOREL
Coordinator of Short Films, Festival du Nouveau Cinema Montréal
So you’ve got this short film. And you’ve got a Film Freeway login. Now what? There are hundreds of festivals (and associated fees)—how do you pick? What should your approach be? What should you not do? And what happens once you’re accepted? Find out here!
WEDNESDAY MAY 25, 6 PM
A TELEFILM PRIMER WITH LORI McCURDYFeature Film Executive, Telefilm Canada
Everyone knows the name in front of almost every Canadian feature: Telefilm. You know it’s the main funder in this country, but did you also know Telefilm offers festival support? And options for shorts filmmakers? And screenwriters? Come get acquainted with your Atlantic executive!
TUESDAY MAY 31, 6 PM
FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION WITH JACQUELYN MILLS
Filmmaker (Geographies of Solitude)
You’ve accepted the invite, travelled to the city, picked up your badge. Now for the networking! How do you work the various rooms you’ll be in and get the most out of attending a festival? Where’s the line between charismatic and annoying? How do you turn this appearance into the next one?
ATLANTIC AUTEURS CLOSE-UP
Where are you from?
I was born in South Korea, and I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia!
What was the inspiration for the film you’re presenting at HIFF?
Baduk was inspired by my evolving relationship with my parents over time. When you’re young, you only have your own perspective, but as you get older, you learn the ability to see others’ perspectives in your relationships. This film is about that.
What was the most challenging part of making this film?
The most challenging part about making this film was having to pivot during the pandemic. This story was initially a story about a father and son but because we were unable to bring in actors into the province, I rewrote the script so that I could cast Korean women that I knew in my personal life. It was an unexpected change in the story, but I think it made it better and more personal to me.
What would be the dream feature you’d pair with your short and why?
Do I dare say a Yasujiro Ozu film? The way he captures quiet yet intimate moments in a family home was a big inspiration for this film. I don’t think I achieved it half as beautifully as he has, but one can hope to get there eventually.
What's surprised you about people's reaction to your film?
People always think that this story was based on my personal experience playing baduk with my mother. That part is completely fictional so it’s been pleasantly surprising to hear that response. I’m happy that the film evokes a very personal feeling to the audience.
Where are you from?
I'm from Indian Island First Nation, New Brunswick, Canada.
What was the inspiration for the film you’re presenting at HIFF?
My film was a collage of old footage I shot when I was 18 years old to 22 years old. When COVID-19 hit, I had nothing to do and began to look at it all, and I found so many shots that I couldn't believe I discouraged myself away from, and began to edit them all into a non-narrative short film. It really became a form of therapy and allowed me to let go of my past and the people I held on for too long.
What was the most challenging part of making this film?
I think the most challenging part was looking back at my depression and having to face those memories. I have difficulty with memory, and time has always been different for me, where sometimes slow cinema is the only thing that can let me live real time.
What films or filmmakers inspired you to make your own?
I think the film Cameraperson by Kristen Johnston inspired me to edit this after she created a whole film of footage she never used for 20 years, filled with unedited sneezes and talking. She made me realize I didn't have to present something that was artificial and to let the footage be what it is. Chantal Akerman's Down There is another huge contender along with No Home Movie.
What are you working on next?
My next project is actually a feature film eight years in the making! The Green Waterways is a semi-autobiography, which has been funded by Telefilm Canada Talent to Watch. We go behind camera this August! I cannot wait to finally get this film off the ground!
These films will screen along with a selection of others made by established and up-and-coming filmmakers from across the region in HIFF's Atlantic Auteurs shorts program at the Light House Arts Centre on June 11 at 9:30 p.m., and will be available online for the following 48 hours.
Learn more about the full program here.