NORTHWESTFEST SURVIVES CHAOS
More 80 docs included in hybrid live-online event
Northwestfest is Canada's oldest documentary film festival, and the last couple years of chaos have actually made it stronger, with a wider reach.
Running separate programs online and in-person, highlights include an exclusive global cinema event with a Nick Cave doc, a master class by award-winning cinephile filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe and an in-person screening of Who You Gonna Call?, a documentary about Ghostbusters singer Ray Parker Jr., who will be in attendance with director Fran Stine at NWF'S physical opening night Friday.
All told, including shorts, more than 80 films are screening this year.
“What's really crazy about this year is as recently as January, we were planning on still having to do a completely online edition,” says NWF'S program director Guy Lavallee. “Omicron was spreading like crazy and Sundance was completely online, and Berlin was mainly online. But instead of jumping straight into another frying pan, we decided to do a hybrid because we had so many great submissions I wanted to make sure we could program a lot of films.”
This is how we find the festival showing 50 features in 2020 — normally it would be about 35 — and half of them you can watch from anywhere on Earth. And this year's topics range from curling to fentanyl, Black-owned breweries to a cat lady in L.A.
As is traditional in this space, Lavallee talks about some of the highlights, starting with Philippe's The Taking, playing Saturday.
“He made Memory: The Origins of Alien and The People vs. George Lucas, these fascinating, almost essay-style documentaries. So he's coming back, doing a fullday master class, then premièring his new film, which is all about the use of Monument Valley and Death Valley in film, going way back to the really early 20th century,” says Lavalee. “It's an incredible, beautiful, big-screen movie.”
The master class runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Varscona Hotel (8208 106 St.) and the $24.95 admission includes a ticket to the screening. Both are also included in a full festival pass.
Lavallee next mentions Cory Thibert's closing-night film, On the Fringe, running 8 p.m. May 14.
“After the way the last two years have been,” he says, “we thought what better way to celebrate the return of in-person festivals than a movie that celebrates Fringe festivals all across Canada?
“It's exactly the kind of tonic people need, and a great way to close our year and usher in the whole festival season.”
Then, of course, there's the Nick Cave doc, This Much I Know to Be True.
“I know Nick Cave has what you'd call loyal fans,” Lavallee laughs. “This is just gorgeous, a making-of of his latest album. The songs are incredible.
“I'd really recommend this and The Reverend (9:15 p.m. May 13) about a Brooklyn preacher who also has a weekly live music gig, just a really compelling onscreen character.”
Besides these and the Parker Jr. biopic, other theatrical, music-related docs include And I Still Sing, about three Afghan singers fighting for their rights through song, Jazz Fest: A New Orlean Story, and Sirens about the Middle East's first all-female metal band.
Lavallee notes frequent themes in the films he's booked this year include climate change, race and racism (including Kaepernick & America), the lives of animals and a number of films about age and aging — including local director Eva Colmers' two new films Oma and Quinn — most of the latter group being life-affirming.
May 14 is also a full day of Alberta-made films, including Becoming Unlimited and Black Lives in Alberta at noon, One Seven Nine and Voice of a Nation at 2 p.m., and Lavallee's award-winning film, Family Ever After at 4 p.m.
Have a look at the full schedule at northwestfest.ca.
“Honestly, we couldn't even program all the films we wanted,” says the director of 12 years. “But with over 80 films, it's actually huge — one of our biggest years.”
And just in case you're COVID -19 wary, Metro is still spacing out seating, and the fest is selling at 50 per cent capacity.
“So it's roomy,” Lavallee promises. “You won't have to feel cramped.”