14th Annual Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival: Nov 12th-15th, 2020
Written by Gabriel MacAdam
Thumbnail Photo by Denise Jans from Unsplash
Header photo by Hiff.ca (Copyright does NOT belong to the SMU Journal)
What is the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF)?
The HIFF is an annual film fest in Halifax that provides an opportunity for filmmakers and media artists to share their work in a setting devoted to the appreciation and celebration of independent cinema. The HIFF is run by the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP), which is a community based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the production and presentation of film work by independent artists. Every year the HIFF delivers the Atlantic region’s most innovative work, all of which are selected by a programming committee of filmmakers and cinephiles. The festival invites the directors to showcase their work to Halifax to promote engagement with the audience and local haligonian artists. There are Q&A opportunities that foster an environment that allows for locals to network with artists along with artist talks and workshops. The fourteenth annual edition of this year's festival is free and is being held online from November 12th to 15th at https://www.hiff.ca/. This year’s HIFF venue will be hosting ten feature films and three slates of shorts from local to international cinema.
HIFF 2020 Schedule
L.A. Tea Time by Sophie Bédard Marcotte
Thursday, November 12th @ 7:00pm
In this road trip film Sophie Bédard Marcotte stars as herself, with the hope of meeting Miranda July. Sophie Bédard Marcotte and Isabella Stachtchenko leave cold wintery Quebec and travel to Hollywood. Along the way, the two encounter unique and interesting characters, while discussing the struggles and anxieties of being an artist.
Bait by Mark Jenkin
Thursday, November 12th @ 9:00pm
Mark Jenkin’s BAFTA debut winning feature film, Bait, is shot entirely in B&W 16mm and is hand processed. The film is about a Cornwall fishing village resident, Martin (Edward Rowe), who makes a living selling seafood door-to-door off the coast of the Atlantic. However, social tensions rise after Martin has to renounce his family home to a wealthy family from out-of-town. The local citizens become crowded by tourists, coupled with the onset of gentrification, and Martin begins to find himself in the midst of a class war.
La Flor by Mariano Llinás
Thursday, November 12th @ 11:59pm
Mariano Llinás’ La Flor is 808 minutes long, yes, you read that correctly. The lengthy 14-hour work offers a variety of videography styles, from a MiniDV camcorder to camera obscura, and was shot over the course of a decade. The gigantic film was shot in six different countries and seven languages. La Flor is divided into six anthological parts with the same four actors and actresses each shifting roles, which will run over the course of the festival.
Atlantic Auteurs
Friday, November 13th @ 7:00pm
This year’s Atlantic Auteurs program showcases Atlantic talent by bringing a wide range of genres and technical approaches to the screen. This year features some of HIFF’s most beloved alumni, as well as 10 brand new films from up and coming artists.
Featuring
The Irving Tower by Olivia King
Bedtime by James MacSwain
Kindred by Noah Brown
Trust in the You of Now by Tracey Richard & Hyacinthe Raimbault
Slip: A Prelude by Jenna Marks
Anthology for Fruits and Vegetables by Dawn Georges
Solastalgia by Millefiore Clarkes
20 Nawales by Stacey Gomez
Wheels of Life by Andrea Cass
Head Down by Benjamin Stewart
Closing on Unrest by Solomon Nagler
The Giverny Document (Single Channel) by Ja’Tovia Gary
Friday, November 13th @ 9:00pm
The Giverny Document explores the history of racism, violence, exploitation and objectification of black women’s bodies while also celebrating their resistance, strength and artistic creativity. The film was shot in Claude Monet’s historic gardens in Giverny, France and in Harlem by Brooklyn based artist and filmmaker, Ja’Tovia Gary.
Canadian Shorts
Saturday, November 14th @ 2:00pm
The Canadian Short Program is presenting six films from across Canada, some of which were selected for TIFF’S Canada’s Top Ten Shorts Programme.
Featuring
Throat Singing in Kangirsuk by Eva Kaukai & Manon Chamberland
I Am in the World As Free and Slender As a Deer on a Plain by Sofia Banzhaf
I’ll End Up in Jail by Alanxdre Dostie
No Crying at the Dinner Table by Carol Nguyen
Please Speak Continuously and Describe Your Experiences As They Come to You by Brandon Cronenberg
Tapeworm by Miloš Mitrovič & Fabián Velasco
Saturday, November 14th @ 4:00pm
Miloš Mitrovič & Fabián Velasco’s debut film Tapeworm is a dark comedy that revolves around the lives of several misfits such as: a depressed hypochondriac in an unhappy marriage, a failed stand-up comedian, a stoner couple and an anti-social man living at home with his mother. The film engages in themes of existentialism and loneliness through the detached and struggling lives of each character.
So Pretty by Jessica Dunn Rovinelli
Saturday, November 14th @ 7:00pm
Jessica Dunn Rovinelli directs and co-stars So Pretty, an adaptation of Ronald M. Schernikau’s novella centred around the lives of four polyamorous queer and trans youth who struggle to maintain their proto-utopian community in New York.
This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection by Jeremiah Mosese
Saturday, November 14th @ 9:00pm
In the mountains of Lesotho, an 80 year old widow named Mantoa (Twala Mhlongo) is struck with news that her son has passed away. Devastated and with no family left in the world, she decides to end her own life. However, when her village is threatened with forceful resettlement owing to reservoir construction, she rediscovers purpose and a new will to live. This is Not a Burial, It’s a Resurrection won a World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award for Visionary Filmmaking at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.
Emerging Lens Retrospective
Sunday, November 15th @ 7:00pm
The Emerging Lens Retrospective Shorts Program strives to educate, empower and inspire by honouring the influence of African Canadain filmmakers. The program aims to broaden the appreciation of culture through cinema and bring recognition to different cultural filmmakers.
Featuring
Righteous by Cory Bowles
Stroll by Ann Verrall
Carry the Cross by Jarett Shaw
Excuse Me, May I Touch Your Skin? By Asna Adhami
Hustle and Heart by Koumbie
Belonging by Burak Çevik
Sunday, November 15th @ 9:00pm
Inspired by Çevik’s grandmother’s murder, this true crime film tells the tale from multiple unconventional perspectives: the murder of a man’s future mother-in-law, how he met his lover, and what led up to the crime.
With the danger of COVID-19, this year's festival will be held online for free at https://www.hiff.ca/. This is to avoid unnecessary contact and practice social distancing, which ensures the safety of everyone in these strange times. Fingers crossed that cases will not continue to rise in Nova Scotia, however, in the meantime tune in to the HIFF this reading week for quality entertainment and a chance to ask the directors questions during the Q&A’s! Wear a mask, wash your hands, and watch a movie.
Photo by Denise Jans from Unsplash