WAKEFIELD DOC FEST

FEB. 4-5

So That You Can Stand (Canada 2015): In 1970s Quebec, young Inuit and Cree stood up against the government to defend their land rights. Inuit negotiator Sen. Charlie Watt and director Ole Gjerstad will attend. Putuparri and the Rainmakers (Australia 2016): Tom “Putuparri” Lawford navigates the chasm between the deeply spiritual universe of his people’s traditional culture and his life in modern society. Australian First Secretary and Consul Melissa Stenfors will attend on Feb. 5.

FEB. 4 MATINEE

The Eagle Huntress (Mongolia/ U.K./U.S. 2016): Aisholpan, 13, trains to become the first female in 12 generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter.

FEB. 11-12

A Plastic Ocean (U.K./Hong Kong/ U.S./Canada 2016): Journalist Craig Leeson, searching for the elusive blue whale, discovers enormous tracts of plastic waste in what should be pristine ocean. With a panel discussion on Feb. 11. The Islands and the Whales (U.K./ Denmark 2016): In the remote Faroe Islands, inhabitants have hunted seabirds and pilot whales for millennia. Skype Q&A with director Mike Day on Feb. 12.

FEB. 11 MATINEE

Koneline: Our Land Beautiful (Canada 2016): This film from one of Canada’s leading documentarians, Nettie Wild, is a sensual, cinematic celebration of northwestern B.C. Skype Q&A with the director.

FEB. 18-19

Fire At Sea (Italy/France 2015):

Follow the day-to-day activities of the residents of Lampedusa, a small Italian island closer to Africa than it is to the rest of Italy. Spaceship Earth (Canada 2016):

Filmmaker Kevin McMahon explores 50 years of research to understand humanity’s daily influence on our planet. Skype Q&A with the director on Feb. 19.

FEB. 18 MATINEE

Prison Dogs (U.S. 2016): Looks at a program allowing inmates incarcerated for violent crime to raise and train service dogs. Skype Q&A with director Jennifer Minsky and visit by Julie Jolicoeur and her service dog.

FEB. 25-26

Quebec: My Country Mon Pays (Canada 2016): A heartfelt narrative from an anglo, director John Walker.

Dark Horse (U.K. 2015): The true story of a group of friends in a Welsh village who decide to take on the elite and breed themselves a racehorse.

FEB. 25 MATINEE

Unlocking The Cage (U.S. 2016): Animal rights lawyer Steven Wise tackles an unprecedented challenge to break down the legal wall that separates animals and humans. With a discussion by Ottawa professors Joanna Dean and Christabelle Sethna, authors of Animal Metropolis.