The 35th Atlantic Film Festival will run Sept. 17- 24 in Halifax, NS
The 35th annual Atlantic Film Festival announces its full festival program, featuring over 200 films and a full slate of special events, to be presented over eight days in Halifax, Nova Scotia, September 17-24.
"Our audience will find that in this year’s program in particular the diversity of culture and community is on display like never before”, said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “As new technology changes allow filmmakers to create their stories in more austere circumstances the incredible effect is the ability to hear a broader range of voices from around the globe. "
The Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala Red Carpet Opening Night returns to the Dalhousie Arts Centre’s Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on Thursday, September 17. Sponsored by CTV, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this star-studded evening will feature the Opening Gala presentation of Hyena Road, written, directed and starring Paul Gross (Passchendaele).
A sniper (Rossif Sutherland) who has never allowed himself to think of his targets as human, becomes implicated in the life of one. An intelligence officer (Paul Gross) who has never contemplated killing, becomes the engine of a plot to kill. A legendary Mujahideen warrior (Neamat Arghandabi) who had put war behind him, is now the center of the battle zone. Three different men, three different worlds, three different conflicts – all stand at the intersection of modern warfare – a murky world of fluid morality where all is not as it seems. Fuelled by moving performances from an all-star cast, including Rossif Sutherland, Paul Gross, Christine Horne, Allan Hawco and Clark Johnson, Hyena Road is, without a doubt, unlike any other film ever made in Canada and is a testament to the work that our nation’s soldiers do on a daily basis. Hyena Road is produced by Rhombus Media, Triple 7 Films, Buffalo Gal Pictures and Bron Creative, and is distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures. Both Paul Gross and Newfoundland actor Allan Hawco will be in attendance for the Opening Night festivities.
Following the Opening Gala film presentation is the Opening Night Party. Penned as one of Halifax’s ‘most anticipated parties of the year’, the red-carpet event is sponsored by CTV and will take place at The Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites on Thursday, Sept. 17.
The Festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 24 will be Beeba Boys, written and directed by Academy Award® nominated filmmaker, Deepa Mehta. Her latest feature film mixes guns, bhangra beats, bespoke suits, cocaine and betrayal in an adrenaline-charged look at Indo-Canadian gang war, and a violent clash of culture and crime. It is a gangster film by an internationally celebrated female director; a movie where stereotypes are intentionally challenged and which takes us right inside this Indo-Canadian world – a specific culture which no crime movie has explored before. Beeba Boys is produced by Hamilton-Mehta Productions and distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media. Deepa Mehta will be in attendance for the Closing Night Gala.
The Spotlight Gala is new this year to the Atlantic Film Festival’s Gala lineup. Into the Forest, written and directed by celebrated Canadian filmmaker, Patricia Rozema and starring Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood will be the inaugural Spotlight Gala on Saturday, September 19. Adapted from Jean Hegland’s inspiring novel of the same name, Into the Forest tells the story of two sisters living in a dense, remote forest, learning to survive and find hope in the wake of society’s sudden collapse. As a cloud of mystery surrounds them, sisters Nell (Ellen Page) and Eva (Evan Rachel Wood) find themselves shuttered in their home, surrounded by nothing but miles of dense forest in the Pacific Northwest. Ultimately, the sisters must work together to survive and learn to find comfort in each other and the happy family life they once shared. Into the Forest is produced by Bron Studios and Rhombus Media, and is distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.
The AFF will once again feature French films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. initiative features two Gala Presentations. Philippe Falardeau’s Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre (My Internship in Canada) will be the Gala Français Canadien on Tuesday September 22. And Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’or winning Dheepan will be the Gala Français International on Wednesday, September 23. The Cinéma En Français S.V.P. initiative will also feature four additional French Canadian and four international French feature films scheduled throughout the Festival.
Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the ten films comprising the 2015 Rogers Special Presentations. Savour the sights and sounds of soon to be award-winning films: Born to be Blue, starring Ethan Hawke as jazz musician Chet Baker; Brooklyn, a moving Irish/American romance with a screenplay by Nick Hornby;The Daughter, a contemporary adaptation of Ibsen’s The Wild Duck starring Academy Award® winner Geoffrey Rush; Grandma, a raucous comedy starring Lilly Tomlin; I Saw the Light, the story of Hank Williams, played to perfection by Tom Hiddleston; The Lady in the Van, based on Alan Bennett’s celebrated memoir and starring Dame Maggie Smith; Natasha, Adapted by celebrated author David Bezmozgis from his own award-winning short story; Remember from Atom Egoyan and starring Academy Award® Winner Christopher Plummer; Room, from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson (Frank) and starring Brie Larson and William H. Macy; This Changes Everything, an adaptation by Avi Lewis of Naomi Klein’s best-selling book of the same name.
Rounding out this year’s complete program is a top-tier line up of features and documentaries from Canada and throughout the world. Viewers will delight in a wide range of films such as: animated features, The Boy and the Beast (Japan) and Avril et le monde truqué (France); Canadian films, Fire Song, No Men Beyond this Point, How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town, The Saver and Guy Maddin’s The Forbidden Room; international award-winners, Son of Saul (Hungary), Rams (Iceland), The Lobster (Greece), Victoria (Germany) and Mountains May Depart (China); among many more.
Select documentaries include: mountain climbing epic Meru; an audience award winning look at blue collar British racehorse owners in Dark Horse; a look at the life of beloved jazz and gospel singer Mavis Staples in Mavis!; a look at the history of Greenpeace in How to Change the World; and a look at the history of the Women’s movement, past and present, in She’s Beautiful When She’s Angry; among many other captivating and enlightening titles.
Also included in this year’s line up are Short Film Programs, featuring both a Canadian and international selection, a ViewFinders: Films for Youth program, and film retrospectives celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the AFCOOP FILM 5 program and the 40th Anniversary of NIFCO.
The 2015 Festival will host several one-of-a kind special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. In addition to the Opening Night Party and returning at this year’s festival is the Festival Music House Atlantic presented by Radio Starmaker Fund, and the 35th Atlantic Film Festival Awards Reception, honoring the amazing talents of Atlantic Canadian film industry professionals.
Strategic Partners, a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television, and digital first fiction, from across Canada and around the world, will take place as part of the 35th Atlantic Film Festival, Sept. 17-20. Each year, top Canadian and international industry players, including producers, investors, sales agents, funding agencies, broadcasters and distributors are selected to attend. Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets and celebrating its 18th year, Strategic Partners 2015 is shining the Country Spotlight brightly on Latin America and the U.S., and offering delegates over 1,000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, co-production focused roundtable sessions, cutting edge panels, visionary keynote speakers, screenings and receptions as well as the popular Nova Scotia Lobster Dinner By the Sea.
Keynote speakers for Strategic Partners 2015 include: Carol producer, Elizabeth Karlsen (Number 9 Films, UK), and Bernie Su, the Emmy award winning Producer of The Lizzie Bennett Diaries, Emma Approved and Vanity. In addition there will be a television case study of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, a Canada/UK co-production success story. Finally, watch and learn as producers and financiers untangle one of the most intricate content financing webs in recent years; in Navigating a Creative New Paradigm, panelists will explore the new life cycle of content financing and distribution.
Financed with the support of Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Signature Partner, Bell Media, and Gold Partners: Canada Media Fund, Canadian Media Production Association, Shaw Media and Super Channel, Strategic Partners is a convergence of talent and innovation, producing tangible results. For more information, visit: atlanticfilm.com/sp.
Tickets for screenings and special events along with ticket packages, group tickets and passes are on sale today, August 26 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are available by phone at 1-888-311-9090 and online at atlanticfilm.com or ticketpro.ca. Tickets are also available at all Ticketpro outlets in Nova Scotia, including Video Difference (6086 Quinpool Road). Please note that Ticketpro outlets accept cash or debit only. Tickets will be available at the Festival Box Office in Park Lane Mall (5657 Spring Garden Road) beginning September 11th at noon. For hours of operation, visit: atlanticfilm.com.
Tickets for the Opening Night Film are available through The Dalhousie Arts Centre box office (6101 University Ave.), by phone at 1-800-874-1669 and online at arts-centre or atlanticfilm.com. Tickets for the Opening Night Party are available at atlanticfilm.com, ticketpro.ca or at the Festival Box Office.
Receive the most up-to-date information, including sneak peeks and Festival highlights at our website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival, Twitter account: /thefilmfest and NEW this year, Instagram: thefilmfest. To support these online channels, the Festival will continue to offer our Atlantic Film Festival App for iPhone, before and throughout the event to help coordinate your festival experience.
Another way to be part of the action is by visiting the Reel East Coast Festival Lounge located in the Georgian Lounge, at the Lord Nelson Hotel (1515 South Park Street). Open from noon to midnight daily, this is a place for the industry and the public to connect. Large HDTV’s with Reel East Coast programming and plush leather couches are just a couple of the modern amenities within the charming comforts of the lounge.
“A Festival of this magnitude cannot happen without the generous support of our sponsors and donors,” added Carter. “Along with their support, the incredible efforts put forth by our staff and volunteers is what truly makes the Atlantic Film Festival experience happen, and on this special 35th birthday we would like to express a huge thank you to all.”
About the Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax, Nova Scotia – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event celebrates 35 years of the Festival and takes place from September 17-24.
Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the Atlantic Film Festival attracts some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. A champion of local filmmakers, all of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together.
A not-for-profit organization, the Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through the celebration of film.
Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, AFF Outdoor Film Experience, and Strategic Partners.
Chatelin Bruno 
