Full Festival Passes are $60 and include the Opening Night Gala Film on Friday, February 27, are available for advance purchase via the ArtSpring Box Office. Other options (half-day, one-day and two-day passes) will be sold at GISS during the Festival weekend. Subsidized passes are available by request, thanks to financial support from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 92.

Please note that advance sales are available only for full festival passes.

Single-day and half-day passes can be purchased at the door throughout the weekend.

We do not sell individual film tickets, and seating cannot be guaranteed for specific films, as some screenings may fill up quickly. There are four time slots per day and each time slot offers seven great film options, and festival-goers are able to find excellent alternatives if their first choice is full.

1910 – THE UNCOVERING (in the “Land & Sea” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N207

Filmmakers & film subject in attendance: Chad Townsend, ‍Morgan Brewster, Dale Nichols & Tony Bulnes.

For many years the only transportation link across Canada was a single railway line built through snowy and unpredictable mountains. In 1910, a tragic avalanche at Rogers Pass killed 58 railway workers – most of them Japanese – who were attempting to clear a snow slide from the tracks when a second avalanche struck in the middle of the night. Two unlikely friends and a surprise visitor from Tokyo find purpose and healing in the mysteries and injustices of Canada’s deadliest avalanche.

Film Website

AGATHA’S ALMANAC

Sun. March 1 at 4:15 pm in room N205

Co-presented by Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society.

Charmingly filmed by her niece, 90-year-old Agatha Bock is a cheerfully frugal and industrious Mennonite spinster in rural Manitoba with a ramshackle house and extensive garden, who makes self-sufficiency look easy. Forging an eccentric, solitary existence on her ancestral farm, she preserves and plants heirloom seeds and harvests and stores the annual bounty, dispensing pithy tips with plainspoken wisdom. This inspiring ode to hard work, gratitude and independent living was named Best Canadian Documentary at Hot Docs and Best World Documentary at the Whistler Film Festival, and was the only documentary included in TIFF’s Top Ten Canadian Films of the year.

Film Website

“AH…THE MONEY, THE MONEY, THE MONEY” – THE BATTLE FOR SALTSPRING – Special 25th Anniversary Screening!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in the Dance Studio

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Conservancy.

Film subjects in attendance: Harry Warner, Briony Penn & others.

Join us for what promises to be a memorable screening and discussion of Mort Ransen’s well-loved 2001 NFB documentary, in which Salt Springers – concerned about the potentially devastating impact on the island’s ecology, economy and natural beauty – rise up to prevent the Texada Land Corporation from clear-cutting the Burgoyne Valley, one of the largest expanses of undeveloped watersheds in the Southern Gulf Islands. Twenty-five years ago, the award-winning director of Margaret’s Museum turned his camera on his own community to document a pitched battle, in which islanders blockade roads, chain themselves to logging trucks and lobby government to protect the environment.

THE ART OF ADVENTURE – Back by popular demand!

Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in the Dance Studio

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Conservancy.

Film subjects in attendance: Robert Bateman, Bristol Foster & Briony Penn.

In 1957, renowned wildlife artist Robert Bateman and biologist Bristol Foster set out on a global expedition in a rugged Land Rover, never imagining the extraordinary encounters that lay ahead. From the lush rainforests of the Congo to the vibrant landscapes of India, Bateman draws and paints the wonders they encounter, while Foster films their adventures – footage which has miraculously survived for almost 70 years. Named Best Documentary at the Forest City Film Festival and Audience Favourite at the Reel Canadian Film Festival, this unmissable road trip is both an endearingly entertaining buddy film and an environmental love letter.

Film Website

ASSEMBLY

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room S206

Co-presented by Island Queers & Allies Who Care.

Like a liberated love-child of Paris is Burning and Tongues Untied, this dazzling, visually astonishing film has to be seen to be believed, documenting internationally acclaimed African-American artist Rashaad Newsome‘s ambitious, multimedia extravaganza in New York’s Park Avenue Armory. With an Afro-futurist digital “griot” as your tour guide, this immersive, three-week-long installation features trans dancers and singers from around the world, dizzying fractal art, and themes of decolonization, resilience and ancestral support that Canadians typically associate with Indigenous cultures. Celebrating collaboration and authenticity, the unbridled joy is contagious in this exuberant profile of a remarkable contemporary artist with a transcendent vision.

Film Website

BEFORE THE MOON FALLS – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room N212

Straddling genius and madness, celebrated Samoan author Sia Figiel (author of the 1997 coming-of-age novel Where We Once Belonged) earned international acclaim for confronting the difficult realities faced by girls and women in Samoa. Filmed over nine years, this compellingly heartbreaking biography tackles such complex issues as intergenerational sexual abuse, our innate capacity for violence and the potentially devastating toll of inconsistently treated mental illness. Featuring gorgeous animation and culminating in a jaw-droppingly unexpected ending, this profoundly moving portrait of a trailblazing but deeply troubled author won the Best Made in Hawai‘i Feature Award at the Hawai‘i International Film Festival and the Grand Prix du Jury at Tahiti’s Festival International du Film Documentaire Océanian.

Film Website

CUBA & ALASKA (Original title: Куба та Аляска)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room S212; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room S212

In Ukrainian, French, Russian & Catalan, with English subtitles.

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Friends of Ukraine Committee.

“Cuba” and “Alaska” are the code names of two young, high-spirited Ukrainian women enlisted as frontline combat paramedics. Surrounded by men and courageously dodging Russian bombs, they can’t seem to stop laughing, until Alaska is injured in a drone strike and must learn to walk again and Cuba gets romantically involved with a doomed soldier. Filmed partly on cell phones and GoPro cameras, this unexpectedly joyful take on female friendship in a warzone was named Best Documentary at the Rome Film Fest and won the Directors’ Week Jury Prize and the International Audience Award at the Brussels International Film Festival.

Film Website

DELTA DAWN (in the “PARENTAL GUIDANCE” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room N212

In English & Hungarian with English subtitles.

Regardless of what you think of professional wrestling, you’ll be charmed by this entertaining profile of Dawn Murphy – a.k.a. Princess Delta Dawn – the first Canadian woman to wrestle professionally in Japan, leading to her induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. This refreshingly cheerful portrait of an indomitable Indigenous woman reminiscing with pride about her unusual life won the Audience Choice Award at the Calgary Underground Film Festival and was named Best Canadian Short Documentary at Toronto’s Hot Docs.

Film Website

EMERGENCE: WOMEN IN THE STORM

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N212

Co-presented by Salt Spring Search & Rescue.

Filmmakers & film subject in attendance: directors Nova Ami & Velcrow Ripper and film subject Lily Yumagulova.

Residents were forced to flee when fire broke out in Lytton in 2021. In the same year, massive flooding left entire communities without food, heat or power in the Fraser Canyon, Yarrow and Princeton. In a crisis, it’s ordinary people who provide their neighbours with critical support. As heat domes, atmospheric rivers and wildfires reshape our world, how do we collectively protect the things that are most vital? From the award-winning filmmaking duo behind Incandescence, Metamorphosis and Occupy Love, this urgent call to action goes beyond the headlines to explore how people in BC are navigating the inescapable realities of the climate crisis.

Film Website

FACING WAR (Original title: Stoltenberg i møte med krigen)

Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room N212

In English & Norwegian with English subtitles.

As war rages in Ukraine, former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is persuaded by Biden to continue as NATO Secretary General for one final year. Visiting Kyiv, Stoltenberg promises Zelenskyy that NATO will stand by Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” But Stoltenberg’s promise is increasingly in peril as tensions rise among Western allies, American support falters and pro-Russian autocrats Orbán and Erdoğan refuse to cooperate. With unprecedented access to NATO’s inner sanctum, this front-row seat to the delicate art of diplomacy at the highest levels was named Best Documentary at the Movies That Matter Festival in The Hague.

Film Website

FREE LEONARD PELTIER

Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room S208

Revisit one of the most discredited legal cases in modern American history: the conviction of Leonard Peltier for the 1975 deaths of two FBI agents on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation. Despite global outrage, Peltier’s repeated requests for clemency were ignored for half a century. Chronicling the essential history of the American Indian Movement with an impressive array of archival material and contemporary interviews, this compelling story of a young man who joined the movement to defend his people and quickly found himself under siege won a Changemaker Award at the Woodstock Film Festival and an Audience Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Film Website

GERMAINE ACOGNY: THE ESSENCE OF DANCE – Canadian premiere!

Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in the Dance Studio

In English, French, Fon & Wolof, with English subtitles.

Widely considered the mother of African contemporary dance, choreographer Germaine Acogny is a pioneer in blending the vitality of traditional West African dance with European influences, from which she created the Acogny Technique, which has helped shaped contemporary dance worldwide. From her early days performing in Europe to her evolution as a fiercely independent matriarch of the dance world, Acogny eventually establishes her own dance school in Senegal. The determined and charismatic African Elder at the centre of this lively and thoroughly engaging portrait is a one-woman argument for the centrality of African dance and choreography on the world stage.

Film Website

HEARSE CHASING (in the “PARENTAL GUIDANCE” shorts package)– BC premiere! 

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room N212

Co-presented by Salt Spring Music Events.

Filmmakers & film subject in attendance: Teresa Alfeld & Cassidy Waring.

Vancouver singer-songwriter Cassidy Waring’s world fell apart at the age of 12 when her once-happy family imploded under the weight of alcoholism and domestic violence, resulting in her mother’s death. Years later, a diagnosis of Complex PTSD helps Cassidy make sense of the pain she carries. Joined by her younger brother Cooper, she returns to Calgary in search of answers from those who knew the family, in this deeply felt meditation on trauma and the redemptive power of music.

Film Website

HOLDING LIAT

Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room S212

In English and Hebrew with English subtitles.

Kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7 massacre, schoolteacher Liat Atzili is held captive in Gaza while her liberal American-Israeli family must grapple with conflicting impulses. When Liat’s father Yehuda Beinin travels to Washington, he finds himself unwittingly caught in a propaganda war. Resisting efforts to weaponize his daughter’s captivity to justify escalating violence in Gaza, he instead campaigns for peace while openly criticizing the Netanyahu regime. Produced by Darren Aronofsky, this emotionally nuanced portrait of an anguished family at the epicentre of a rapidly escalating global conflict was named Best Documentary at Berlinale and was shortlisted for the Oscars.

Film Website

THE LAST DIVE

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room S208; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room S208

In English and some Spanish with English subtitles.

Co-presented by the Saltspring Island Sailing Club.

Former Hell’s Angel Terry Kennedy once befriended a giant manta ray he named Willy Wow, which not only transformed his own life and his relationship with violence, but led to the entire species being protected from slaughter in North America’s largest marine reserve. Now the 80-year-old Navy veteran with a troubled past makes one final expedition off the coast of Baja California, to find his long-lost friend and say goodbye. In the tradition of My Octopus Teacher, this exhilarating, visually stunning celebration of unlikely friendships has won multiple Audience Awards and was named Best Documentary at the Montreal Film Festival.

Film Website

THE LAST SPY

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room S212

A German Jew who escaped pre-war Nazi Germany, Peter Sichel became a legendary American spy known as the Jewish James Bond. Leading the newly formed CIA in post-war West Berlin and later Hong Kong, Sichel unexpectedly quits in 1960 to pursue winemaking. Decades later, when the CIA discourages him from publishing his memoirs and returns a heavily redacted manuscript, the former spymaster – still sharp as a tack at 102 – decides that it’s time to tell the unvarnished truth of his storied career on film, revealing an extraordinary life at the crossroads of mid-century geopolitics and the shadowy world of intelligence.

Film Website

THE LIBRARIANS

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room S206

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Island Public Library.

Amidst an unprecedented wave of “anti-woke” book banning across the US – with books about race, gender and sexual orientation squarely in the cross-hairs – librarians position themselves as a firewall against fascism. As tensions escalate at school board meetings under pressure from a vocal minority, this troubling dispatch from the frontlines of the culture war makes it clear that White Christian Nationalism is fueling the censorship efforts. Featuring shocking scenes of present-day book burnings and librarians fired and vilified after enduring hateful social media campaigns, this enraging cautionary tale has won more than 20 film festival awards, including multiple Audience Awards.

Film Website

MAMMOTH HUNTERS – BC premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room N205; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N205

Filmmakers in attendance: director Fritz Mueller & producer Teresa Earle.

In 2022, a Yukon miner struck more than gold. A fully preserved, 36,000-year-old infant woolly mammoth protruded from the Arctic permafrost, reigniting interest in a species that has long inspired scientific curiosity. Filmed in Canada, Alaska, Germany, Netherlands and France, and blending ecology, history, spirituality and the mysteries of deep time to reveal the bonds that link humanity to these ancient and charismatic beasts, the team behind Voices Across the Water (which we screened in 2023) takes us on a journey through time with five mammoth enthusiasts – including artist Joyce Majiski – to explore the enigma of these Ice Age giants.

Film Website

THE MISSION – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room S212; and Sun. March 1 at 4:15 pm in the Dance Studio

In English and some Arabic with English subtitles.

Co-presented by Palestine Action Salt Spring.

Viewer Advisory: very disturbing content and graphic surgical scenes.

On his third volunteer mission to Gaza, seemingly inexhaustible UK surgeon Dr. Mohammad Tahir works tirelessly alongside his colleagues to reduce the incalculable human cost of war. Amid waves of casualties flooding overwhelmed hospitals, Dr. Tahir is filmed by two members of his medical team, documenting the atrocities overwhelming Gaza’s fragile, besieged medical system. This urgent, immersive and unflinchingly graphic dispatch from the warzone captures the brutal reality of under-staffed and under-equipped operating rooms – a grim snapshot of the true horror of the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and an inspirational testament to the power of compassion amidst unimaginable suffering.

Film Website

MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in the Dance Studio

Oscar-nominated for Best Documentary!

In Russian (and some English) with English subtitles.

When Russia invades Ukraine, schoolteacher Pasha Talankin becomes an unlikely hero as his school is turned into a recruitment center. Known for his nonconformist ways, he initially provides a safe haven for dissenting students, but as the war intensifies and the school is flooded with state-mandated propaganda, Pasha’s role shifts dramatically. He documents the school’s transformation, secretly capturing footage of the militarization of children and the indoctrination of young minds. This eye-opening exploration of the human cost of resistance in a country under the grip of an authoritarian regime has won multiple festival awards and has been nominated for both the BAFTA and the Oscar for Best Documentary, and for the inaugural FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix.

Film Website

THE MUSE (in the “PARENTAL GUIDANCE” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room N212

When 74-year-old Robert Tilley agreed to take international student and talented photographer Ting Ting Chen on a road trip across Newfoundland, neither could have predicted the deep friendship that would blossom between them, nor how Robert’s role in Ting Ting’s art would challenge traditional ideas of the artist/muse relationship. Featuring spectacularly beautiful photos and exploring intergenerational friendship while celebrating the power of creative connection, this delightful NFB film was named Best Atlantic Short Documentary at the Atlantic International Film Festival.

Film Website

NI-NAADAMAADIZ: RED POWER RISING

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room S206

Co-presented by Indigenous Peoples Weekend.

For 38 days, 150 people took over Anicinabe Park in 1974 to protest the ongoing mistreatment of Indigenous people in Kenora, Ontario. Led by the charismatic and eloquent Louie Cameron, leader of the Ojibway Warriors Society, their cause draws the involvement of members of the American Indian Movement, culminating in a violent and bloody protest on Parliament Hill. Despite having only eight minutes of archival footage of the armed occupation to work with, this engrossing and suspenseful film is essential viewing for Canadians, as it fully documents a little-known story of youth-led Indigenous land reclamation that ignited a cultural revolution.

Film Website

NUNS vs. THE VATICAN

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room N212

In English, Italian & Slovenian with English subtitles.

When courageous former Italian nun Gloria Branciani publicly accuses Father Marko Rupnik of spiritual, psychological and sexual abuse, she breaks open a dam of silence as more than 30 other nuns and former nuns step forward to accuse the once-exalted Jesuit artist of similar crimes, ultimately leading to his ex-communication from the priesthood. As the scandal explodes, it becomes clear that – contrary to public perception – the majority of victims of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church are women. This thunderous wake-up call from executive producer Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: SVU won the Subject Matter prize at Doc NYC.

ORWELL: 2+2=5

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room S208

With searing insights into power and totalitarianism, visionary British author George Orwell foretold a chilling, authoritarian future. When published mid-century, his dystopian novel 1984 may have seemed unnecessarily alarmist, but now it reads like nonfiction; Orwell worried in advance about the lives we’re living today. Blending excerpts from Orwell’s diaries with cinematic references and contemporary and archival news footage, this dynamic biography presents a fresh take on how prophetic his work has become. Narrated by actor Damian Lewis, this sobering and incisive essay on power, language and control is a disturbing portrait of how Orwell’s warnings have become our reality. Nominated for the inaugural FIPRESCI Documentary Grand Prix.

Film Website

OUR MR. MATSURA – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in room N205; and Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room N205

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Photography Club.

Filmmaker in attendance: director Beth Harrington.

The orphaned son of a samurai, photographer Frank Matsura emigrated from Tokyo in the early 1900s and embedded himself into the pioneering community of Okanogan County, Washington. Arguably becoming the town’s most beloved citizen, he took thousands of photographs of settlers of all class levels – sometimes playfully upending gender norms – as well as uncommonly respectful portraits of Indigenous people. With the unhurried pace and attention to detail of a Ken Burns film, this celebration of Matsura’s extraordinary work is a revelatory window into rural life in the last century, and a timely reminder of how Americans once welcomed the stranger.

Film Website

PACIFIC WEAVE (in the “LAND & SEA” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N207

Filmmaker & film subject in attendance: Robin Ferand & Joan Carrigan

Sometimes travel reveals your true calling. On a trip to the South Pacific, Joan Carrigan first discovered her love of basketry, which led her to attend a pivotal conference in Toronto, where she met her basket-making mentor. Having lived on Salt Spring for over 30 years, Joan is well-known not only for harvesting natural materials around the island and weaving them into exquisite and practical pieces of art, but also for her passion for teaching others the art of basketry.

Film Website

THE PAINTED LIFE OF E.J. HUGHES

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room S206

Co-presented by Salt Spring Arts.

Filmmakers in attendance: director Jenn Strom & producer Kevin Eastwood.

How did a reclusive painter who was too shy to go to his own exhibitions become one of Canada’s most successful artists? Working alone in his quiet Shawnigan Lake studio over the course of his 70-year career, unassuming introvert E.J. Hughes made hundreds of paintings and drawings of BC, capturing the province in vivid, meticulous detail. A beloved local character on Vancouver Island, Hughes was also one of our most prolific war artists, chronicling army life during WWII. Wonderfully juxtaposing real locations throughout the province with his resulting paintings, this lovely, uplifting portrait confirms that Hughes should be a household name.

Film Website

PETER ASHER: EVERYWHERE MAN

Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room S206

Co-presented by Gulf Islands Radio.

British musician Peter Asher (of Peter & Gordon fame) was the behind-the-scenes confidant to such music legends as Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King and Manfred Mann. From his early years as a child actor to the Swinging Sixties, Asher emerges as a Zelig-like figure – and possibly the inspiration for Austin Powers! Featuring interviews with Joni Mitchell, Nathalie Merchant, Lyle Lovett, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Martin, Eric Idle and Twiggy, the directors of Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song weave a colourful musical tapestry with an unforgettable soundtrack in this wildly enjoyable and nostalgic trip down memory lane.

Film Website

A RADICAL THREAD – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room N205; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room N207

Filmmaker in attendance: director Jeanne C. Finley

Co-presented by the Salt Spring Weavers & Spinners Guild.

Inspired by France’s Bayeux Tapestry, the community of San Juan Ridge initiates an ambitious tapestry project to illustrate their history. Having sought an alternative to America’s consumer culture, hundreds of back-to-the-land families coalesced around Poet Laureate Gary Snyder in the late 1960s and settled near Nevada City, California. Threatened by corporate Goliaths intent on clear-cutting the Sierra, damming and polluting the Yuba River and with open-pit gold mining, the community organized to defend their homesteads. Now they face their greatest threat: climate-driven wildfires. This vibrant celebration of intentional community won the People’s Choice Award at California’s Wild and Scenic Film Festival.

Film Website

THE RAMBA EFFECT – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room N205; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room N205

Filmmaker in attendance: director Claire Sandberg.

In English & Spanish, with some Portuguese & French, with English subtitles.

You’ll be on the edge of your seat as Ramba, the last remaining circus elephant in Chile, embarks on a dangerous and logistically-challenging journey across the Andes to her new home in Elephant Sanctuary Brazil, having finally been freed after years of neglect and isolation. Through beautiful cinematography and impassioned storytelling, this deeply moving and ultimately hopeful journey is a celebration of resilience, a protest against cruelty and a tribute to the enduring spirit of a lonely soul nearly forgotten by the world, as Ramba’s story becomes a symbol of animal liberation, offering hope for all wild creatures still in captivity.

Film Website

REGGAE GIRLZ

Sun. March 1 at 4:15 pm in room S212

In a classic David vs. Goliath saga, the Jamaican women’s football team – affectionately known as the Reggae Girlz – rises from obscurity to earn back-to-back World Cup qualifications. Challenging the powerhouse teams of France and Brazil in historic matches during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Jamaicans defy the odds and capture the world’s imagination with their unyielding spirit. Despite gender-based discrimination and chronic underfunding, the unstoppable athletes prove to the world that anything is possible with enough moxie and grit. Featuring the music of Bob Marley, this entertaining underdog story is a winning portrayal of Jamaica’s heart and soul.

ROADS OF FIRE

Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room S212

In English & Spanish with English subtitles.

The global migration crisis is humanized in this thoroughly engaging portrait of the people involved, including a Venezuelan family fleeing their country’s economic collapse, human smugglers profiting by arranging passage through Colombia’s treacherous Darién Gap, an Ecuadorean asylum seeker fleeing domestic violence and facing deportation in New York, and frontline nonprofit volunteers coping with an unprecedented influx as migrants are bussed north from the southern border as a political stunt. Harrowing, immersive and offering no easy answers, this multifaceted overview won the Audience Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival and was named Best Documentary at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Film Website

ROW OF LIFE

Sun. March 1 at 4:15 pm in room N212

Paralympic shot-putter, world-class rower, former Marine and multiple Guinness World Record holder Angela Madsen (author of Rowing Against the Wind) inspired millions before embarking on her most ambitious journey at 60: to become the first paraplegic – and the oldest woman! – to row solo and unassisted from Los Angeles to Hawai’i. What begins as a portrait in courage and a refutation of disability morphs into a bittersweet love story as Angela’s wife Debra Madsen – separated by a vast ocean – champions Angela’s irrepressible ambition despite what it may cost them both. This extraordinary, inspiring tribute received an Honourable Mention at Out Film Connecticut.

Film Website

RUNA SIMI

Sun. March 1 at 4:15 pm in room N207

In English, Spanish & Quechua with English subtitles.

A charming, multilingual Peruvian radio host and devoted single father, Fernando Valencia realizes his quixotic dream of dubbing The Lion King into his native Quechua (a.k.a. “Runa Simi”), petitioning Disney’s permission while auditioning local talent, including his spirited eight-year-old son Dylan, in his home-made recording studio. This delightful love letter to the power and magic of cinema – anchored by a lovely father/son relationship – will appeal to anyone interested in Indigenous language resurgence here in Canada. Boasting spectacular Andean scenery, this cheerful crowd-pleaser won the Youth Jury Award at Sheffield Doc/Fest and Best New Documentary Director at Tribeca.

Film Website

SEA TO LAND: BRIDGING COMMUNITIES (in the “LAND & SEA” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N207

Filmmaker & film subject in attendance: Michelle Tremblay & Guy Johnston

This informative profile of Cowichan Bay fishing boat captain Guy Johnston and Vancouver Island’s first Community Supported Fishery weaves together scientists, community members and fishers of the BC coast to address the challenge of re-localizing our food supply to promote regional food security, and reducing our carbon footprint to promote environmental sustainability.

Film Website

SHARI & LAMB CHOP

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room S208

Beloved children’s entertainer Shari Lewis was a singer, dancer and second-generation magician, but will forever be remembered as the ventriloquist behind the charming sock puppets Charlie Horse, Hush Puppy and Lamb Chop. Creating several landmark television programs and winning multiple Emmy Awards, Shari spent decades proving that imagination matters more than budget – and empathy matters more than punchlines. From the director of the Emmy-nominated Love, Gilda (which we screened in 2020), this lively, uplifting biography charts the life and career of an immensely talented performer who changed the face of children’s television and entertained millions for over half a century.

Film Website

SILENT SANCTUARY (in the “LAND & SEA” shorts package)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room N207; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room N207

Filmmakers in attendance: co-directors Adam Combs & Carter Kirilenko.

Rising ocean temperatures have caused up to 95% of kelp forests to disappear from parts of the West Coast, threatening critical habitat for thousands of species. Now a small team of dedicated marine scientists led by Dr. Lauren Dykman embarks on a groundbreaking study, introducing heat-resistant kelp variants around Hornby Island. If successful, their research could pave the way for large-scale kelp restoration projects along BC’s coasts. Highlights a practical response to the climate crisis and features impressive underwater cinematography.

Film Website

SILVER SCREAMERS (followed by the short film THE RUG)

Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room S208

Unable to find funding for his next film, Toronto filmmaker Sean Sisterna gets creative and secures a grant to provide opportunities for the elderly to get more involved in the community, recruiting local senior citizens to step outside their comfort zones by shadowing his film crew in making a short horror film in Richmond Hill. Despite not being fans of horror, the spirited seniors tackle their assigned roles with evident gusto, and the gory results are bloody hilarious.

Please note: The completed 11-minute horror/comedy film The Rug, based on Edo van Belkom’s short story, and named Audience Favourite Short Film at the Reel Canadian Film Festival, will be played after this hugely entertaining documentary.

Film Website

#SKODEN

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room N207

Co-presented by Housing NOW.

Early in Damien Eagle Bear’s career, he interviews a Blackfoot man named Pernell Bad Arm at a shelter in Lethbridge, Alberta. Years later, Damien encounters Pernell’s face again – used mockingly and without permission in a viral online meme. The image is soon reappropriated by Indigenous people, adding the popular Rez slang “skoden” (from “let’s go, then”), transforming it into a rallying cry. Investigating the man behind the meme, Damien reveals an empathetic, three-dimensional portrait of Residential School survival, alcoholism and chronic homelessness, for which he was named Best Emerging Canadian Filmmaker at Hot Docs and Best BC Director at DOXA.

Film Website

THEY ARE SACRED (a.k.a. Sewâtsiwin: Ils sont sacrés)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 2:30 pm in room S212

In English and Cree with English subtitles.

Young Anders (Sacred Buffalo Child) is autistic and nonverbal. His father, Dr. Grant Bruno (Yellow Horse) embraces Cree traditions that honour neurodiversity as sacred, bestowing unique gifts and connections to the spirit world. As Anders experiences his first sweat lodge, receives his Cree name and learns to hunt, this intimate, unhurried profile – with an adoring father/son relationship at its heart – reframes autism through an Indigenous lens. Championing Indigenous knowledge in shaping culturally responsive and neuro-affirmative care, this gently empowering story from the director of Quiet Killing (which we screened in 2020) won the Nigel Award for Youth Programming at DOXA.

Film Website

TRADE SECRET – Canadian premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in room S208; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in the Dance Studio

In English with some Mandarin, Norwegian, Greenlandic & Inuktitut with English subtitles.

Filmed over six years across nine countries, gorgeous cinematography augments this superbly crafted exposé of the polar bear fur trade – involving the sanctioned sale of hundreds of polar bear skins each year on the global market – revealing how conservation, politics and commercial interests collide in ways the public was never meant to see. Unlikely allies collaborate, and as their investigation deepens, it becomes clear that those entrusted with safeguarding the species are entangled in its continued commercialization. From executive producer Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up), this top-notch undercover investigative report has won multiple awards at film festivals around the world.

Film Website

VIVA VERDI!

Sat. Feb 28 at 2:30 pm in room N212; and Sun. March 1 at 2:30 pm in room N212

Oscar-nominated for Best Song!

In English & Italian with English subtitles.

Co-presented by BC Community Response Networks.

Filmmakers in attendance: producers Linda & David Cornfield.

Imagine if instead of being warehoused, the elderly were provided with elegant surroundings in which to live out their remaining years, immersed in things that bring them joy, and able to share their professional expertise and life experience with younger generations. Built in 1896 by influential Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, Milan’s historic Casa Verdi retirement home houses celebrated international opera singers, composers, retired musicians and dancers living their best lives in this delightful portrait of people aging gracefully and gratefully, surrounded by glorious music, fellow music aficionados and appreciative students from around the world. What a magnificent idea Verdi had!

Film Website

WHISTLE

Sat. Feb. 28 at 12:30 pm in the Dance Studio

Filmmakers in attendance: producers Linda & David Cornfield.

In English and some Spanish with English subtitles.

An eccentric ensemble of musical outsiders from around the world descends upon Hollywood to compete in the annual Masters of Musical Whistling, the world’s greatest whistling competition, for the glory of being named the best whistler on the planet. Tensions build, egos clash, notes soar and tears flow in this unexpectedly crowd-pleasing celebration of quirky, talented obsessives. Presiding over it all is the micromanaging Whistling Diva herself, Carole Anne Kaufman, who must curtail her admittedly strong personality as she navigates backstage drama and financial jeopardy on a quest to elevate the underappreciated artform of whistling. May the best lips win!

Film Website

YANUNI – BC premiere!

Sat. Feb. 28 at 10:00 am in the Dance Studio; and Sun. March 1 at 10:00 am in room N207

In English & Portuguese with English subtitles.

Leader of the Xipaya people and the first female Chief in the Middle Xingu region, Juma Xipaia (featured on our cover) springboarded from environmental activism to being appointed Brazil’s first Secretary of Indigenous Rights. She and her husband, who heads Brazil’s EPA, repeatedly face death threats as they battle clear-cutting and illegal mining in the Amazon. With stunning cinematography, fully human characters and an emotionally engaging story arc, this thrilling and profoundly affecting portrayal – produced by Leonardo DiCaprio – is one of the most awarded films of the year at festivals around the world and was shortlisted for the Oscars.

Film Website

YOU HAD TO BE THERE: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (In a Canadian Kind of Way)

Sat. Feb. 28 at 4:15 pm in room S206; and Sun. March 1 at 12:30 pm in room S206

Who would have imagined that a musical at Toronto’s Royal Alexandria Theatre based on the Book of Matthew would have such a profound impact on the Canadian cultural fabric? You might not have been there, but you won’t want to miss this delightful look back at the legendary 1972 production of Godspell, the cast of which mostly went on to become household names on SCTV and Saturday Night Live, including Gilda Radner, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Victor Garber, Dave Thomas, Paul Shaffer and Eugene Levy. This unapologetic celebration of Canadian cultural identity is also a moving tribute to lifelong friendships.

Film Website