Category Archives: Film Festivals

Atlantic Film Festival 2015: Post Five — I hit the wall

September 22, 2015 flawintheiris

I had big plans for making Day 5 at the AFF a three feature day, but I couldn't do it. I think I'm still recovering from yesterday's movie marathon, and the emotional depth charge that was Room. Despite the appeal of Ethan Hawke and his trumpet skills, the serious draw of an Icelandic goat drama,…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2015: Fourth Post — Reviews of Room, Victoria, and The Stanford Prison Experiment. + AFF Awards

September 21, 2015 flawintheiris

It's the end of a 14-hour day at the film festival, but I have to write a few words about Room, which I got out of less than an hour ago. As I mentioned on Twitter, it'll be a hell of a year at the movies if I see anything else as powerful. I had a feeling…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2015: Post III — Reviews of Undone and This Changes Everything

September 20, 2015 flawintheiris

I enjoyed a likely to be final day of summer lakeswimming and sunbathing before finding my way to Park Lane for the arrival of director Patricia Rozema and producer Niv Fichman. Before they presented the screening of their film Into The Forest, I had a chance to chat with Rozema, and found her to be a…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2015: Post II — Reviews of Experimenter, Closet Monster

September 19, 2015 flawintheiris

The first full day at #AFF2015, following the traditional Gala screening Thursday night. This year Paul Gross' Hyena Road was the opener, and the party was at the Lord Nelson. Had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Gross and Allan Hawco at the hotel for a broadcast project I'll be talking about here on FITI in…Read More

CTV Morning Live: AFF Edition

September 18, 2015 flawintheiris

Thursday morning I was a guest on CTV Morning Live here in Halifax, where Heidi Petracek and I discussed a few of the films playing at the 35th Atlantic Film Festival, which has its big launch this evening with Paul Gross' Hyena Road. We talked about that film, along with Into The Forest, and local films…Read More

Atlantic Film Festival 2015: First Post — Reviews of Hyena Road, Into The Forest, and more

September 17, 2015 flawintheiris

Full disclosure: this is actually my second post on this year's AFF—previously I offered a list of the films I was looking forward to seeing. But this is my first collection of mini-reviews, the films I've been able to see in advance of their screenings at the AFF. I'll post regularly through the fest with more…Read More

The Atlantic Film Festival 2015: Scheduling and The Multiple Man

September 15, 2015 flawintheiris

Every September since 2003 I have done the following little mental dance: How can I adjust my responsibilities of living (job, social life, bodily functions) to allow for me to spend much of the week in the dark, watching movies? How do I give it my all and not get sick on day four or five? Those…Read More

Reviews from the Vault: Vol. 2 (Atlantic Film Festival Edition)

August 31, 2015 flawintheiris

Between 2005 and 2009 I was a programmer on CKDU 88.1 FM every Sunday morning with something called The Love & Hate Movie Show. I talked about what I was seeing and revisited some of my favourite films of old, pretty much what I do now here on FITI. I still have a lot of…Read More

Summer Film Festivals: Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival, OUTeast Queer Film Festival, The “Summer of Superheroes”

June 8, 2015 flawintheiris

You go for weeks and weeks without anything special going on around film locally, and then this week we get two festivals! The Halifax Filmmakers Festival takes place on Wednesday June 10 though Saturday the 13th. Here's the Festival trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQcmCPecxi8 It highlights fiercely independent, international, and local feature and short films, including art and experimental pictures, with screenings taking…Read More

Egregious Examples of Movie Marketing: Brassed Off!

September 22, 2014 flawintheiris

I just had to share this: After having enjoyed the gay-activists-raise-funds-for-Welsh-miners-comedy Pride—probably the best thing I saw at the 2014 Atlantic Film Festival—I decided to revisit Brassed Off!, the 1996 comedy-drama about a group of miners in Grimley, near Worcester, Northern England, whose pit is threatened with closure. Will the miners' union fight to keep it open or…Read More