T P SE 15 TORONTO’S CULTURAL 2 1 SHOWCASE OF
ISSUE-ORIENTED CINEMA
GREAT FILMS PASSIONATE DEBATES AWARDS CEREMONY
RAINBOW CINEMA 80 FRONT ST. EAST ST. LAWRENCE MARKET AREA OLD TOWN TORONTO TICKETS: COMMFFEST.COM RAINBOW CINEMA 416 214 7006 COMMFFEST OFFICE 416 362 5570 1
COMMFFEST 2013 INDEX Thusday Friday Saturday Sunday Student showcase Malvern Scarborough Multifaith film fest
3-5 6-8 9-14 16-19 9 15 16
GTA Film Festival Newsmag 110 The Esplanade #323 Toronto, ONT CA M5E 1X9 416 362 5570 www.newsmagtv.tv www.commffest.com
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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12
11.00AM- 11.30.PM
11.30am $10.00
Penguin Island, Western Australia (70m, Australia) dir. by Rob Nichols Just off the coast of Western Australia is an amazing island, Penguin Island. This small limestone island is home to an amazing diversity of natural wildlife.From the smallest species of penguin in the world, to the largest species of pelican, this is truly a unique environment.
From Farm To Table (5m, U S A) dir. by Gabrielle Giacomo From Farm To Table’ is an Eco-documentary film showcasing a school’s commitment to integrating stewardship of our earth’s resources into its curriculum. The film follows students working in their school garden and sustainable organic farm from planting to harvesting .
1.15pm $10.00
Antarctica: A Year on Ice (92m, New Zealand, Antarctica) dir. by Anthony Powell. This feature-length film reveals what it is like to live and work at the bottom of the planet, in Antarctica, for a full year. The story is not from the point of view of scientists, but of the people who spend the most time there; the everyday workers who keep the stations running in the harshest place on the planet. Filmed over 15 years by Frozen Planet photographer Anthony Powell, the film features a unique insiders point of view, with unparalleled access, and never before seen stunning footage of the deep Antarctic winters.(FOR ALL AGES) $10.00
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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12
11.00AM- 11.30.PM CONT’D
3.30pm $10.00
La Double CroisĂŠe (79m, France) dir by annabelle bouzom In an experimental comedy blending wit with intimacy, we follow two characters as they film their way through Paris.
Je sens le beat qui monte en moi (30m, Belgium, France) dir. by Yann Le Quellec Rosalba, a young tourist guide, suffers from a rare disorder: overcome by an uncontrollable urge, her body shudders, twitches and dances whenever she hears a tune.
8.15pm $10.00
In Search of Roubakine (66m, Canada) co-dir Thomas Lahusen; co dir. Susan Solomon The parallel lives of a 20th century go-between, poised between Russia and the West for over 60 years. Shot in Paris, Moscow, Geneva, Lausanne, and New York, the film chronicles the passages of the go-between, Alexander Roubakine (1889-1979), and his pursuit by the filmmakers, who are always a step behind their quarry. 9.45pm $10.00
Four Days In Chicago (82m, U S A) dir. by Haskell Wexler Academy Awardwinning filmmaker and lifelong activ-
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ist Haskell Wexler takes a personal look at Chicago over four days in May 2012 -- four days filled with politics, protest and police. The Occupy movement, the National Nurses Union, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink and others converged on Chicago to tell President Obama and Mayor Emanuel to stop the insane spending on wars around the world, and bring the money home for housing, schools and healthcare.
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 12
11.00AM- 11.30.PM CONT’D $10.00
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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13 nata and Nile Rodgers reflecting on their own stories of sound historians Jack Stanley and Dr Paul Israel Share Technology’s relevance to today’s world. The turntable itself ws only developed 135 years ago. Plays 11.30am and 1.30pm
11.30am
$10.00
Phonographic Conversations (USA) 43m
dir. by Nick Pavone Phonographic Conversations shares the History Of Recorded sounds . This Documentary film is told by , Historian, Collectors, Musicians , and Broadcast Journalists. Peter Jennings and Walter Cronkite give, one of a kind intimate wax cylinder recordings. The documentary also features never before seen footage of Thomas Alva Edison, Les Paul, Richie CanA special jazz interplay by the EOJ Jazz Youth Group between screenings @1pm
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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13 3.30pm $10.00
DREAMZ THE MOVIE (104m, India) dir. by Sumana Mukherkee. DREAMZTHE MOVIE is all about a dream that every woman has: a dream of a world, a society, a workplace, a family, a college, where a women can walk, work and express herself without any anxiety of being attacked, violated, exploited and discriminated against.
SURKHAAB (100m, India, Canada, U S A) dir. by Sanjay Talreja An illegal immigrant and a carrier who is on the run in a world alien from her. An exposure to the parallel world that exists in developed countries. A week in the life of a human being trafficked.
5.45pm $10.00
Beauty and the Breast (86m, Canada) dir. by Liliana Komorowska. A first time documentary filmmaker offers a compelling insight into a devastating reality of breast cancer, as seen through the eyes of several female patients helping demystify the disease while painting poignant and often humorous intimate portraits of survival. The film depicts the process of learning and accepting the terrifying verdict, and details the complexities of every stage of this disease. All interviewed patients have different experiences living with mutilated bodies while still maintaining strength. This film is not only invaluable as a testament to human resilience but it also proves that it’s possible to blossom in the face of adversity. But as the fight continues, the wisdom and beauty within us can help us conquer the beast until we find the cure.
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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 13 7.45pm $10.00
Living As Brothers (88m, Canada) dir. by Kevin Fraser Living as Brothers’ looks at the lives of Jamaican migrant men toiling in the orchards of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, unseen by the thousands of tourists who descend on the small town each year. In their own words, these men, some of whom have been returning for over twenty years, tell of the second life they’ve created for themselves in Canada, the reasons for their making this journey, and their struggles back in rural Jamaica. Told over a season of picking fruit, their story is arduous, stressful, precarious, offering few second chances, but is ultimately one of brotherhood.
9.45pm $10.00
The Playful City (30m, Canada) dir. by Ramya Jegatheesan in the summer and fall of 2012, a number of artists transformed Toronto’s streets and parks into a public stage. These playful projects ranged from the whimsical to the absurd, and led to this question: how well do we play in the city?
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We Will Riot (79m, Lithuania) dir. by Romas Zabarauskas Luke is an upand-coming DJ from an affluent New York family with a Lithuanian father and an African-American mother. When Luke hears from an estranged grandmother in Lithuania, he defies his parents and decides to visit this far-away country, flying straight to the capital city Vilnius. He falls in love with the city, a rebellious girl called Marta, and the local music scene - the beatmakers - promoted by an aggressive gay manager, Andy.
SATURDAY SEPT 14TH - STUDENT - SHOWCASE 11.00-4.30 $15.00
REIGN (9m, Canada) dir. by Mark Pettit Charlie is a meek, misunderstood high school girl who has been subject to severe bullying for the past 3 years. QuanTom (13m, Canada) dir. by Aren Bergstrom A scruffy janitor must overcome his hatred for his sister’s cocky fiance in order to save her from a diabolical industrialist who seeks to steal her teleportation machine. Way Charn! The Legend of Scrin Pipjaw (13m, Canada) dir. by Kelso Steinhoff The sun rises over Shefton County and Praham awakes, preparing himself for a great day of skateboarding. After meeting up with his two best pals, the handsome Cran and the mercurial Hal-Al, the boys ride to the local skatepark. Fardy (13m, United Kingdom, Egypt) dir. by Karim Al-Shennawy Adel Iskandar, Christian Egyptian, goes back home to find that his neighbors have just fixed the building elevator. Sahasi Chori (20m, India, Nepal) dir. by Erin Galey BHUMIKA, a 13-year-old Nepali girl, travels with her family friend KRISHNA from her Himalayan home to her first job in the city.
The File Folder (12m, Canada) dir. by Irina Sedunova Violet-Rose Pharoah has been in foster care for several years. When she left care, her life just fell apart. Gorongosa Rising (19m, Mozambique, U S A) dir by Andrew Heskett ‘Gorongosa Rising’ follows the success story of the Gorongosa Restoration Project, happening in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, as it has affected the life of one young Mozambican man. The Sicilian Accord (39m, Canada) dir. by Marco Falcone WWII: July, 1943 - The Invasion of Sicily commences. Twenty four hours from where our journey begins, a Canadian General was last reported in forests of Sicily. He carried detailed plans about an ambush from the West and South regiments in the dossier he was carrying about. My Friend Jodie (10m, U S A) dir. by Tracy Toscano ‘My Friend Jodie’ (2012) chronicles filmmaker Tracy Toscano’s renewed friendship with her estranged friend Jodie, who has recently revealed she has Huntington’s disease, a debilitating and fatal genetic brain disease. followed by Q&A and a special panel discussion.
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Schedule at a glance T H U R S D A Y F R I D A Y
C 11.00AM O Penguin Island M From farm to M Table F F E S T 12.30 K I D D S
Phonographic Conversations
1.45 Antartica
3.30pm La double croisee Le sens le beat qui monte en moi (french program)
1.15 1.45 Phonographic Youth Conversations J A Z Z
2.15 Dreamz The Movie Surkhaab
RAINBOW CINEM
STUDENT SHOW CASE 11.OOAM - 4.30PM
Reign Quan tom Sahari Chori Fardy Gorongosa Rising
S A T U R D A Y
Way Charn The Scicilian Accord The File Folder My friend Jodie
Q&A followed by Panel Discussion of education/community leaders
12.00pm-4.30pm Malvern public library 30 Sewells Rd. Scarborough 2.00pm 12.00pm The House of Tomorrow Motorbike Midwife Extended family Right There
3.15 Bee Line Ma forĂŞt Baby Box
COMMFFEST MULTIFAITH FILM FESTIVAL 10.00am 4.35pm cinema 4
S U N D A Y
This is Our Time The Son Animating The Golden rule
The Beekeeper Faith In Common God and Allah need to Talk
Panel Discussion Moderated By Paul Mc Kenna Director of Scarborough missions
For more details and to purchase tickets go to www.commffest.com
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Schedule at a glance 6.00PM
8.15 In The Search of Roubakine
9.45 Four days In
7.45 Living As Brothers
9.45 We will Riot A playful City
Chicago
OPENING NIGHT JACKHAMMER AND RECEPTION comedy PG
5.45 Beauty and The Breast
MA 80 FRONT ST EAST
4.45pm Gently whispering The circle Back
8.30pm It’s All About Me
6.30pm DAR HE: The lynching Of Emmett Till
followed by a panel discussion of experts
One Night In March
YOUTH /FAMILY DAY 11am - 12.30 Cinema 3
1.00pm Cinema 3 Remember The Land Oil Calling 2.00pm Surkhaab 4.00 My mother, The Nazi Midwife and Me Abuelos
Closing Night Film Sars: Cover up and Aftermath. Award ceremonies
5.45 Love Sex and Disabiliies , Posey
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SATURDAY SEPT 14TH 4.45pm $10.00
Gently Whispering the Circle Back (49m, Canada)dir. by Beth Wishart MacKenzie Gently Whispering the Circle Back explores the journey of healing in a people wounded by the Canadian Indian Residential School system. We become part of a ‘healing circle’ as Survivors and the Children of Survivors share their stories with us and speak of their recovery of tradition, language, ceremony, MUST ATTEND PANEL DISCUSSIONS Saturday students film showcase 11-4.30pm a group of community and educational leaders addressing diversity in post secondary institutions. Saturday 8.30pm “Its All About Me” group of panelists that includes psychologists examine the self entitlement of the X, Y and Z generation. Sunday 11-4.30pm GTA interfaith leaders discuss and promote dialogue between different faiths reconciling their differences and similarities. Our panel discssions are passionate refreshing enlightening and dynamic. Audience participation is welcomed
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and personal dignity. Gently Whispering the Circle Back is a celebration of Indigenous spirituality and practice and its power to transform the lives of individuals and communities.
SATURDAY SEPT 14TH 6.30pm $10.00
DAR HE: The Lynching of Emmett Till, dir.by Rob Underhill, In an acting tour de force, one man performs 36 roles in the telling of the Emmett Till tragedy. Experience the story, trial, and unbelievable confessions of those accused of Emmett’s murder in this riveting drama.
One Night In March (39m, U S A) dir. by Robbie Coblentz In 1963, a basketball game captured the national imagination and influenced a state- and sport- for years to come. It is the story of an unwritten rule that fostered prejudice and segregation in 1963 Mississippi.
8.30pm $10.00
It’s all about ME (99m, Canada) dir. by Antoine Abugaber (Gaber) This documentary examines the inflated sense of entitlement among youth, it’s consequences and the solutions for a better future. Generations X, Y and Z have grown increasingly self absorbed from over four decades of nurturing and education based upon boosting self esteem. It’s All About ME reveals the consequences of a society driven by instant gratification, a Me, Me, Me mentality and how younger generations can succeed in the real world. Followed by panel discussion - A dymanic team of professionals and experts.
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MALVERN Public Library screenings Saturday Sept 14th 12.00pm -5.00pm 30 Sewells Rd Scarborough 416-396-8969
12.00pm The House of Tomorrow (64m, United Kingdom, Canada) dir. by Shamim Sarif A contemporary and lively documentary set in Israel and Palestine, The House of Tomorrow focuses on women who are changing the future and shaping their own destinies, however unlikely and whatever the odds. Right There (16m, U S A) dir. by Florence Buchanan Right There was shot on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at PS 234, a public elementary school 3 blocks north of the World Trade Center. Some of the little kids who were there in 2001 came back to their south-facing classroom. This is their film. 2.00pm Motorbike Midwife (25m, United Kingdom) dir. by Masumi Higashi The documentary, Motorbike Midwife tracks the Herculean efforts of a fearless nurse, Linda Mba as she rides a motorbike across remote parts of Ghana to save mothers’ and babies’ lives. With painful births come great personal joys for all, plagued by medical complications, poor facilities and dangerous roads. Extended Family (23m, U S A) dir. by Jill Hodges Extended Family is a personal story about the links between adoptive and birth families in the US and Guatemala. It explores whether adoptive families should search for their young
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children’s birth families--and what happens when they do. An adoptive mother from the US goes to Guatemala to meet her son’s birth family. When she arrives, she discovers that her son’s family may not know about the adoption. 3.15pm Bee Line (9m, Canada) dir. by Denise Kenney Bee Line takes a loving look at this insect as an important entity within the miraculously interdependent world we live in. Women (worker bees are only female) of all ages were invited to do an interpretation of the bee dance in honor of our important relationship with this busy little pollinator. Ma forêt (7m, Belgium) dir. by Sebastien Pins At that time, for me there in the forest, all was magic and mystery. I had entered it with my childhood games, not knowing why, only that the forest was calling me. Then, like a bird taking flight, wild with joy, I started to run... Baby Box (15m, India) dir. by Jayaprakash Koroth In a remote South Indian village, a mother is caught red-handed by two nuns while attempting at night to abandon her new born in an orphanage. THIS EVENT IS FREE A spacious and ultra modern facility.
Sunday 14th Multifaith program 11.00am-4.30pm
10 00 AM This is our time (104m, US A) dir. by Lisa Arnold After graduation, five friends set out to make a difference in the world for God. Their ambitions are high, their passions are strong but will they have the courage to fulfill their calling regardless of what comes their way. The sacrifice they are asked to pay may just be too high. Through Godly council from an outside source, the group realizes that this is not their time after all, it’s all His. The Son (14m, Canada) dir. by Cheryl Nembhard Malik, Taraj Williams, aka Glock, has only known one thing...to hate. Raised by gangs since the age of 12 , Malik found himself indoctrinated into a life of violence & the hard streets. Forged by a strict code of brotherhood and a cold Gang leader who has been the only father figure he’s ever known, Malik is trapped between the man he knows and the man he wants to be. Animating the Golden Rule (26, Canada) dir. Tina Petrova A captivating journey through the world’s various faith traditions through music, rap and drama as animated by grade 10 and 11 youth. Brunch available at the Hothouse (not included in the price of the ticket)
1.30PMThe Beekeeper (88m, Canada) dir. by James Durward A bigoted British army major achieves enlightenment when he helps a Muslim family achieve freedom from oppression. The film explores homosexuality and female genital mutilation in the Muslim world and how those issues are dealt with by Muslims. Faith in Common (29m, U S A) dir. by Andrew Newell A zealous mother’s plan to teach her son the art of ‘Christian’ neighborliness is put to the test when the new next door neighbor turns out to be an Iranian Muslim family. God An Allah Need to talk (USA) 23m by Ruth Broyde-Sharone In post-9/11 L.A., Muslims, Jews, and Christians “break the silence” between Isaac and Ishmael, in a mosque for an Ashura celebration, and in a synagogue for a Muslim/Jewish Passover seder. Witness the power of community outreach and interfaith dialogue. Followed by a panel discuuion led and moderated by Paul Mckenna of The Scarborough Missions and a panel of GTA interfaith leaders. 25.00 for the progam or $15.00 per screening
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SUNDAY SEPT 15TH YOUTH AND FAMILY DAY 11AM-12.30PM 11.am
$5.00
You’re Beautiful (28m, Canada) dir. by LOLADE LEIGH-THOMPSON Often misjudged as disorganized and uninterested in life, only 11 year old Shola truly knows the internal conflict she faces and the pressures of dealing with the school bully; until she meets the new girl Karena and they share a common bond. So why is her best friend Annabelle upset and her life more complicated? Followed by The St. lawrence Nieghbourhood youth films and Youth cabinet Festival films
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SUNDAY SEPT 15TH 1.00pm $10.00
Oil Calling (23m, Canada) dir. by Brandy Yanchyk Oil Calling’ is a documentary about new immigrants and Canada’s oil patch. The documentary follows new immigrants as they train to work in Canada’s oil and gas industry. New immigrants from Nigeria, Eritrea, Northern Ireland, China and Kyrgyzstan are chosen to participate in a highly competitive training program offered by the resettlement agency the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.
Remember the land (Canada11m) Alan Lissner This 11 minute video features rich theological reflection and offers a number of action opportunities for individuals and churches. Includes a 4-page study guide to help frame group discussion and plan for action. Downriver (4m, Canada) dir. by Judith Keenan Downriver uses poetry, music, and images to show how an inexhaustible responsiveness to nature creates a sense of possibilities; hope.
2..00pm $10.00
SURKHAAB (100m, India, Canada, U S A) dir. by Sanjay Talreja An illegal immigrant and a carrier who is on the run in a world alien from her. An exposure to the parallel world that exists in developed countries. A week in the life of a human being trafficked.
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SUNDAY SEPT 15TH 4.00pm $10.00
My Mother, the Nazi Midwife and Me (52m, Canada, Germany) dir. by Jane Hawtin. Years
after her mother’s death, a startling encounter with a Nazi whistle-blower lures Gina Roitman of Montreal back to Passau, Germany, the place she was born and the town that Hitler once called home. After meeting with teenage Germans students who decry the Nazi stereotypes they must endure, Gina finally tracks down the now very old survivor who knows the truth about the Nazi midwife. Abuelas (9m, United Kingdom) dir. by Afarin Eghbal In a small apartment in Buenos Aires, an old woman eagerly awaits the birth of her grandchild and all the joys of becoming a grandmother. However, horrific circumstances mean that she will be forced to wait for over 30 years. Using real-life testimonials this animateddocumentary raises issues of memory, repression and loss.
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7.30PM CLOSING NIGHT FILM AND AWARDS- Rainbow $15.00
SARS: Cover up and aftermath (51m, Canada) dir. by Diana Dai This is an extraordinary and insightful drama during and after the crisis; SARS virus came from China, the film tells the stories of the Chinese government’s cover up and the forgotten SARS survivors who are suffering greatly from the horrific after-effects due to the aggressive steroids treatment they received during the SARS outbreak, and their continuing fight for their rights in China; and at the same time, how their fight for their rights are pushing Chinese society forward. AWARDS CEREMONIES FOLLOW
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