Film
10th Annual DocFest goes virtual By Adam Gray
Every March swarms
of film lovers fill the streets of downtown Belleville for an all-you-can-eat buffet of documentary films presented by Belleville Downtown DocFest. Passes for the event sell out each year in advance of the festival. DocFest screens outstanding
documentaries from Canada and around the world, plus a selection of must-see films made right here in the Quinte region.
festivals cancelled their events in the wake of the pandemic. The film industry came to a screeching halt. But to coin a cliche, the show must go on.
In 2019 the 9th annual festival drew some of the biggest filmmakers in the country to present their films in-person and engage audiences in Q&A sessions. Notable guests included Daniel Roher director of Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, Peter Raymont director of Margaret Atwood: A Word After A Word After A Word Is Power, Alan Zweig director of Coppers and Kevin Hearn (of Barenaked Ladies) a central player in the doc There Are No Fakes. Nearly 5,000 seats were filled over the festival weekend and theatres were packed to capacity.
“It’s been truly inspiring to see film festivals move online to continue presenting the films their audiences love,” says DocFest Chair, Holly Dewar, “TIFF, the Sudbury Cinéfest, and Hot Docs all presented their films online and featured absorbing Q&As and virtual live events.”
Since March, theatres across the country have closed their doors and many film Umbrella, Fall / Winter 2020 - 10
The 10th annual Belleville Downtown DocFest will follow in the successful footsteps of other film festivals pivoting to online formats. DocFest’s 2021 film line-up and special live events will be available through a new easy-to-use online platform. Audiences will have longer to watch an incredible selection of documentaries from the comfort and safety of their living rooms. Another
