The Vancouver International Film Festival is celebrating its 44th year of playing the best local and international films. Every year they get a great selection of films that have won awards at other high profile fests and premiered their own excellent selection of movies. In anticipation of this year’s VIFF I want to preview five Canadian films that are playing.
Why specifically Canadian films? People often complain about the lack of great local films and it is frustrating since if viewers are willing to put in the work, they won’t know that there are plenty of gems. So here are five films that are Canadian produced that you should have on your radar for the festival! Stay tuned for reviews and a wrap up podcast after the festivities are over.
A Welcome Distraction
Directed By: Brian Daniel Johnson
Starring: Simon Farrell, Madison Isolina, Adriana Marchand, Liam McCulley
Synopsis: Ernest is a wayward twentysomething living in Vancouver. Stuck in a rut after a breakup and grieving a recent family tragedy, he does whatever he can to avoid reconnecting with his family. He visits his dealer, who is concerned he’s self-medicating. His sister drops in, begging him to call his mom. Then, while hiking, he meets Mallory, who persuades him to join her group, led by a spiritual leader who claims to hear sounds from the Earth. A cult in the Pacific Northwest makes for a great place to hide from your problems, but as the seasons change, Ernest finds space within himself to heal.
Why I’m Excited: A film about Vancouver that is getting its world premiere in Vancouver is alone enough to get me curious about the film. The wild ride that the synopsis takes you on suggests that the movie will be incorporating several different genres from drama to comedy to mystery. There isn’t a ton of information about this indie film, but as a supporter of both Canadian and local BC filmmakers, this is a must see for me.
Blue Heron
Directed By: Sophy Romvari
Starring: Eylul Guven, Iringó Réti, Ádám Tompa, Edik Beddoes, Liam Serg, Preston Drabble
Synopsis: In the late 1990s, eight-year-old Sasha and her Hungarian immigrant family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island. As they settle in, the younger siblings are equally enchanted with the surrounding nature and the rudimentary paint programs on their father’s PC. But Jeremy, the oldest child, grows increasingly withdrawn as he busies himself hand-drawing elaborate maps of fantasy realms. As his erratic behaviour escalates, his family are gripped by a sense of powerlessness.
Why I’m Excited: This is the only film on the list that I’ve already seen (I caught it at TIFF), but it is one worth highlighting. The gorgeous and patient cinematography is worth the admission alone to this film. But the story of a troubled teenager and a family that doesn’t know what to do with him is beautiful and complex. It highlights some beautiful parts of Vancouver Island and on the mainland, making this Hungarian family’s immigration story a visual feast. The film utilizes two timelines in a unique way that makes the film feel bold and fresh. It is an early contender for Best Cascadian Film over at the critics group I co-founded, the Cascadia Film and Television Critics Association.
Mile End Kicks
Directed By: Chandler Levack
Starring: Barbie Ferreira, Devon Bostick, Stanley Simons, Juliette Gariépy, Jay Baruchel
Synopsis: Summer, 2011. Twenty-two-year-old music critic Grace moves from Toronto to Montreal’s vibrant Mile End neighbourhood with the goal of writing a book about Alanis Morissette’s iconic album Jagged Little Pill. But when a loft party introduces her to the underground indie rock band Bone Patrol, Grace falls head over feet for both Chevy, the band’s self-absorbed lead singer, and Archie, the sweet and mysteriously celibate lead guitarist. To get closer to them, Grace offers up her services as their publicist, all but forgetting about her manuscript.
Why I’m Excited: After the huge indie success of Chandler Levack’s first film I Like Movies, which put her on the international map she is back with Mile End Kicks, another Canadian period piece. Here we get plenty of great CanCon with the likes of Jagged Little Pill, both the Toronto and Montreal music scenes and original songs from the indie band TOPS. Not to mention rising stars Barbie Ferreira, Devon Bostick, Juliette Gariépy and Isaiah Lehtinen alongside the veteran Jay Baruchel. For millennials of a certain vintage, this is our time to shine.
Nirvana The Band The Show The Movie
Directed By: Matt Johnson
Starring: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol
Synopsis: Almost 20 years into their fruitless quest to book their band a gig at a hallowed Toronto venue, Matt and Jay decide it’s time to pull out all the stops. But after a publicity stunt parachuting from the CN Tower goes spectacularly awry, a freak accident involving Orbitz (the long-discontinued Canadian soft drink) sends them hurtling back in time to 2008 — when it all began. Displaced in the past, these serial bumblers inadvertently wreak havoc on the timeline, dramatically (and hilariously) rewriting their futures.
Why I’m Excited: This film was the runaway winner of TIFF’s Midnight Madness award this year with huge lines of people trying to get in. The hit web series turned TV show is now a movie with the rising stock of star and director Matt Johnson after his breakout hit BlackBerry, this is destined to become a cult classic. For people like myself who also pay close attention to the Canadian Screen Awards, seeing NTBTSTM would be getting my homework done early in what is sure to be a film that gets plenty of nominations.
Tuner
Directed By: Daniel Roher
Starring: Leo Woodall, Dustin Hoffman, Havana Rose Liu, Lior Raz, Tovah Feldshuh, Jean Reno
Synopsis: A talented piano tuner discovers that the patience and precision that allow him to excel at his day job are even more valuable when moonlighting as a safe cracker.
Why I’m Excited: This Canadian/American co-production was a surprise hit out of TIFF, a film that wasn’t on many peoples radars until after it premiered where it instantly became a hot ticket. It’s the narrative debut for documentarian Daniel Roher, who won an Oscar for his previous film Navalny. I love a good heist movie and this film combines crime with jazz in a way that sounds like a huge crowd pleaser. Having two hot commodities in Leo Woodall and Havana Rose Liu is sure to get people wanting to check out this film.
