Charlottetown Film Festival starts today at City Cinema
The Charlottetown Film Festival is seeing so many big dreams come true.
Now in its fourth year, the festival runs from Oct. 12-14 at City Cinema in Charlottetown.
Both screenings at the all-Island opening night sold out in a flash, says festival director Cheryl Wagner, who is thrilled with the 2018 lineup.
“The 7 p.m. screening, ‘Songs. Sorrow. Celebration!’ features three remarkable documentaries by three remarkable Island women directors. And all three films show how music can impact different aspects of our theme, Life is a Balancing Act,” she says.
“O Kanata” focuses on one small P.E.I. community as it plays its part in steps towards reconciliation by recording school kids recording the national anthem in Mi’kmaq.
“Athena’s Lost Twin” celebrates
the amazing energy of preteen Summerside musician and philosopher Sophie Gallant as she
sings, plays piano and wonders about the world and how she fits in it.
The much-anticipated NFB documentary by Mille Clarkes, “The Song and the Sorrow: Dedicated
to the Memory and Music of Gene MacLellan” explores his daughter Catherine’s journey through song to come to an understanding of his mental health struggles. And her own.
Then, at 9 p.m., a screening of “Let’s Go to Pogey Beach” takes
a different approach to finding a balance.
“Jeremy Larter’s first feature film is rude, crude and sometimes lewd – but done with such humour and gusto you can’t help but laugh and feel good,” Wagner adds.
The following two days will feature more than 60 films; many including stories from and about P.E.I.
The “Seeing is Believing” screening will showcase works by emerging Island filmmakers including a documentary by Shane Pendergast on the late, great oysterman John Bil. “PreHistoric P.E.I.” and “In Love and Anger: Milton Acorn Poet” are other Island documentaries being offered.
Sunday launches include “Hello Eckhart” a free, family event at noon. Three episodes of the award-winning animated series about the adventures of a curious little mouse set in a rustic P.E.I. from the past, produced by Charlottetown’s own Cellar Door Productions will be shown.
The festival will also offer adults so much to choose from. “Atlantic Shorts for Grownups” screens on Saturday at 9 p.m. Then on Sunday afternoon the festival will present two screenings of “Atlantic Shorts: What’s a Girl to Do?” and “RelationSHIPS? Bon Voyage”, which includes stories about the intricacies of LGBT partnering.
The festival wraps up on Sunday night with two award-winning feature films from Atlantic Canada. Deanne Foley’s “An Audience of Chairs” is 7 p.m. is followed by Cory Bowles’ startling “Black Cop”, at 9 p.m.
The strong demand by Islanders to see the opening night screening “The Song and the Sorrow” has brought about two encore screenings.
Next Tuesday’s screening is sold out but there’s still a chance to catch it on Friday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m., at St. Mary’s Church in Indian River when Catherine MacLellan will sing and share her thoughts after people enjoy “The Song and the Sorrow”.
The full schedule can be checked out and tickets bought at the ChFF18 website, http://www. charlottetownfilmfest.com/