Category Archives: Atlantic

The King Tide review — Chilling folk mystery evokes classic 1970s horror

April 25, 2024 flawintheiris

Directed by Christian Sparkes | Written by Kevin Coughlin, Ryan Grassby, Albert Shin, and William Woods | ▲▲▲▲△ | In Cinemas I spoke with Newfoundland filmmaker Christian Sparkes when his fantastic first feature, Cast No Shadow, was released back in 2015. There was an element of folk magic in that picture that's shared here in…Read More

Queen Of My Dreams review — Fetching first feature crosses cultures

March 23, 2024 flawintheiris

An earlier version of this review appeared on FITI last September at #TIFF2023 Written and Directed by Fawzia Mirza | 97 min | ▲▲▲△△ I gather Cape Breton-raised filmmaker Fawzia Mirza brings a lot of autobiography to this light, charming film, the story of Azra (Amrit Kaur) is a queer woman living in Toronto with…Read More

The Madones trailer: Nova Scotia feature opens February 16

January 17, 2024 flawintheiris

A Nova Scotian feature is arriving soon in cinemas and the trailer drops here. The Madones is written and directed by Barrie Dunn of Trailer Park Boys fame, starring Lenore Zann, Tara Doyle, and Lucy DeCoutere. Here's the synopsis: The Madones are three sisters – Gladys, Stella and Rose Madone. Once a successful musical trio,…Read More

Tara Thorne’s Compulsus screens in Halifax

July 27, 2023 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Tara Thorne | 80 min | Screening at Carbon Arc Cinema A version of this post first appeared on the blog in September 2022 during coverage of the Atlantic International Film Festival — this week the fest having shrugged off that awkward, unloved tag, FIN. So, this isn't a proper review…Read More

The 2023 Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival is here!

June 21, 2023 flawintheiris

Perhaps the most idiosyncratic and grassroots film festival in Halifax is on right now. I'm talking about HIFF, running from today through Saturday at the Light House Arts Centre (1800 Argyle, the former World Trade Centre). Things get going at 6:30 this evening with the feature, So Much Tenderness, from Canadian-Colombian filmmaker Lina Rodriguez. (Director…Read More

Bystanders review — Nova Scotia drama nails a serious discussion

April 21, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Koumbie | Written by Koumbie, Taylor Olson, and Lisa Rose Snow | 90 min | ▲▲▲▲△ A version of this review appeared on FITI in September 2022 during the Atlantic International Film Festival. Bystanders arrives with a courageous script. It wades into issues a lot of people are talking about that other screenwriters…Read More

Geographies of Solitude review — Sable Island paradise

March 22, 2023 flawintheiris

Directed by Jacquelyn Mills | 103 min | ▲▲▲▲△ | CBC Gem We barely hear a voice for the first 10 minutes of this documentary. Instead, we get the pleasure of images and sounds from Sable Island, the almost mythical crescent sandbar off the coast of Nova Scotia, home to seals and horses and Zoe…Read More

Interview with Ashley McKenzie, Queens of the Qing Dynasty writer and director

March 9, 2023 flawintheiris

Years ago when Ashley McKenzie was helping put together a student film festival at Saint Mary's University she asked me to be on an awards jury. I couldn't tell you what year that was, but that's where we first met. It's been an absolute delight to see McKenzie find her voice as a filmmaker in…Read More

The Good House review — Sigourney Weaver makes it work

September 30, 2022 flawintheiris

Directed by Maya Forbes and Wallace Wolodarsky | Written by Forbes, Wolodarsky, and Thomas Bezucha, based on the novel by Ann Leary | 114 min | ▲▲▲△△ This is a curious one; a shot-on-the-South-Shore-of-Nova Scotia dramedy starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline, which is no small matter in the casting stakes: This is a Dave…Read More

Bystanders review #AIFF22

September 23, 2022 flawintheiris

Directed by Koumbie | Written by Koumbie, Taylor Olson, and Lisa Rose Snow | 90 min The script for Bystanders has won The Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriting, and it's well-deserved. Bystanders has a script I'd call courageous, how it wades into issues other writers might hesitate to consider. It's the story of…Read More