Tag Archives: Taylor Olson

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

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

Dawn, Her Dad and the Tractor review — A heartfelt homecoming

March 4, 2022 flawintheiris

Written and Directed by Shelley Thompson | 90 min | ▲▲▲△△ | Crave Plus A version of this review first appeared during the coverage of the FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival in September, 2021. Dawn (Maya V Henry) is trans, returning home to the Nova Scotia farm where she grew up. It's a community where… Read More

Halifax Black Film Festival 2022 has arrived!

February 24, 2022 flawintheiris

Starting today is the 6th Annual Halifax Black Film Festival, running from through Sunday, February 27th. https://youtu.be/RaeVddI1nwg Expect a deep and broad selection of short films, features, and documentaries from Canada and around the world, all available to be watched online over the coming days. Individual tickets are $12 and an all-access pass $49. I… Read More

FIN Atlantic International Film Festival 2021 — Preview

September 16, 2021 flawintheiris

The FIN Atlantic International Film Festival is back, and this year it's a hybrid presentation: Features, documentaries, and shorts programs will be available for in-person screenings from September 16 through 23rd at Cineplex Park Lane while the Atlantic Canadian program is online at FIN Stream for the duration. Go to finfestival.ca for the full schedule… Read More

Bone Cage review — Gritty homegrown drama explores masculinity, relationship with nature

July 7, 2021 flawintheiris

Directed by Taylor Olson | Written by Olson, from a play by Catherine Banks | 89 min | On Demand A version of this review appeared during my coverage of the 2020 FIN Atlantic Film Festival. Full disclosure: I saw a rough cut of the film before picture lock, and offered my notes on it… Read More

#FIN2020 Reviews — Shorts!

September 24, 2020 flawintheiris

At this year's FIN Atlantic International Film Festival I've taken in a couple of full shorts programs, and then a few other random shorts that caught my eye, all available online. There's more time to watch them now the the program has been extended to Sunday, given concern around Post-Tropical Storm Teddy, which didn't end… Read More

#FIN2020 PREVIEW — Bone Cage, Bread In The Bones, Citizen of Moria, The Forbidden Reel, Little Orphans, Queen Of The Andes

September 16, 2020 flawintheiris

The event of the year for the Atlantic Canadian cinephile — the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival — brings the world to Halifax every September. This year, of course, is a little different. The entire festival is online, which is a double-edged sword for the film lover. We get access to the full program on… Read More

Spinster review — Comedy (and awareness) trumps romance in local film

August 10, 2020 flawintheiris

Directed by Andrea Dorfman | Written by Jennifer Deyell |90 min | On Demand I've been so looking forward to Andrea Dorfman's new feature — she made a terrific NFB documentary in 2018, The Girls of Meru, but her last dramatic movie from 2014, Heartbeat, was a favourite. Beside telling a tale of love and… Read More

A few, brief words about shorts at #FIN2019

September 14, 2019 flawintheiris

It takes a special gift to get a short film right, and they can be an important building block to a career as a filmmaker. Here in Atlantic Canada that kind of professional future can often feel like it's beyond reach, but one of the great things FIN Atlantic Film Festival does is bring together… Read More