all filmmakers & the Nickel team on 17
www.womensfilmfestival.com
Festival Sponsors premiere
Dept of Education and Early Childhood Development, Cultural Connections Strategy
feature NIFCO Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-opera ve
star
Gill Ratcliffe Foundation
Common Ground
partners Quidi Vidi Breweries • Director’s Guild of Canada • NL Disposal Systems • Atlantic Studios Cooperative • The Rooms
community supporters St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival • MusicNL • Celtx • Rocket Bakery • NL Chocolate • Spirit of Newfoundland • Business and Arts NL • WIFT Atlantic
MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER
foremost priority for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
include discussion panels, industry-related workshops, post-screening
Sincerely, Honourable Christopher Mitchelmore Minister of Tourism, Culture,
www.gov.nl.ca
Atlantic Canada’s best kept secrets. secreteast.ca
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NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 17-24, 2017
barristers and solicitors
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JUNE 17-24, 2017
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THE NICKEL TEAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS
FESTIVAL STAFF
Lynn Andrews (Chair)
Ruth Lawrence (Festival Director)
Lauren Mills (Vice Chair)
Elling Lien (Festival Coordinator)
Karen Rehner (Treasurer)
Sandy May (Assistant Coordinator)
Tracy Gaudet (Secretary)
Krysta Rudofsky (Promotion)
Tim Conway (Programming Chair)
Sophie Broders (Graphic Design Intern)
Ane Christensen
Phil Winters (Technical Director)
Amanda Foote
Ed Tanasychuk (Reel Editor & Technician)
Ed Tanasychuk
Elaine Pond (Program Ad Sales)
Christopher Wakeham
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NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 17-24, 2017
SHORT FILMS
JUNE 20 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
P R E S E N T E D BY ACTRA NL & CBC NL
RIVERHEAD Community patriarch, Patrick Whelan, is drawn into a violent blood feud when two brothers return home to their outport community. Determined to breathe new life into the bitter rivalry started by their father, Riverhead is gripping crime drama, born from the clashes between Catholics and Protestants in rural Newfoundland. Local filmmaker Justin Oakey’s first feature received acting nominations for both Larry Barry and Evan Mercer in the recent Canadian Screen Awards. Following on his success with the shorts Flankers and The World is Burning, we’re delighted to screen his local festival debut. Director, Writer: Justin Oakey • Producers: Justin Oakey, Brad Gover • Country: Canada • Runtime: 1h29 Mins
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THE SPECIAL When a new chef has his culinary creativity hampered at a commercial kitchen, escalating tensions between traditional and progressive visions have explosive—and delicious—results. Director: James Grace and David Martingale • Writer: College of the North Atlantic Graduating Class 2016 • Producer: College of the North Atlantic • Country: Canada • Runtime: 4 Mins
CROCUSES A gentle story of independence and loss. As an elderly widow finishes packing up her home with her daughter, she reflects on her life, its final chapter, and the regrets she feels about her late husband. Crocuses was the winner of the (2015) RBC Michelle Jackson Award. One of a pair of stunning films that marked Nolan’s 2016 directorial debut. Director & Writer: Wanda Nolan • Producer: Latonia Hartery • Country: Canada • Runtime: 7 Mins HILA Set in snow-covered Northern Canada, a woman in snowshoes performs a beautifully-choreographed dance to Inuit throatsinging. Director & Producer: Adam Bently • Country: Canada • Runtime: 3 Mins
NICKELFESTIVAL.COM
JUNE 17-24, 2017
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JUNE 21 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
A NICKEL SPECIAL PRESENTATION WITH BUDDEN & ASSOCIATES
CITY OF JOY This award-winning documentary tells a story of incomprehensible suffering and strength. Set in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, amidst a brutal war fuelled by greed, economics, and colonialism, the film follows the first group of women at a remarkable centre for victims of gender-based sexual violence. It shares the friendships that develop when a dedicated Congolese doctor, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Dr. Denis Mukwege, joins forces with Eve Ensler; radical playwright of The Vagina Monologues, and devout Congolese human rights activist, Christine Schuler Deschryver, to create this safe haven in the middle of violence-torn Eastern Congo. The film takes unflinching look at the strategic use of rape and sexual violence as a systematic weapon of war, and the complicitness of Western governments, business, and consumers in these conflicts. Audiences will
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be challenged, but ultimately inspired and uplifted by the film, and the women of City of Joy. Since 1996, sexual and gender violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been used to torture and humiliate women and girls and destroy families. Advocates on the ground estimate that over half a million women and girls have been raped since the conflict began. The breakout success of this film — scooping up awards across the US and screening worldwide — echoes the success of the City of Joy Centre as it graduates 90 empowered women each year. The Nickel partners with V-Day St. John’s, the St. John’s Women’s Centre and others who work for social justice to screen this special presentation. Director & Writer: Madeleine Gavin • Producer: Allyson Luchak • Country: USA • Runtime: 1h14
A SPECIAL NICKEL PRESENTATION
WITH SUPPORT FROM ST. JOHN'S WOMEN'S CENTRE, THE PROVINCIAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN, THE ST. JOHN'S INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S FILM FESTIVAL, VDAY ST. JOHN'S, AND WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION—ATLANTIC.
JUNE 17-24, 2017
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SHORT FILMS EXPLORING BELL ISLAND The Royal Canadian Geographic Society’s First Explorer in Residence, Jill Heinerth takes viewers through the uniqueness of what has become an explorer’s paradise: Bell Island, Newfoundland, Canada. This documentary showcases such underwater treasures as the final resting place of the four WWII ships sunk by German U-Boats in 1942, and the Bell Island Mine. A look beneath the Tickle. Recipient of the Award of Excellence’ at the
2016 Canada Shorts Film Festival. Director, Writer, Producer: Trisha Stovel, Russell Clark • Country: Canada • Runtime: 9 Mins IN SO MANY WORDS Two lovers meet on the beach for the final conversation of their affair. He wants a clean break; she wants to linger and delay the inevitable. Director, Writer & Producer: Emily Bridger • Country: Canada • Runtime: 10
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JUNE 21 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
AWAY FROM EVERYWHERE Owen and Alex lose their mother to a random act of brutal violence as children, and struggle to process the impact of her absence as adults, as well as the slow mental decline of their father. Each brother chooses a different path; Owen, a solitary writer who finds relief in the internal world, and Alex, a successful doctor, and husband, who occupies himself with work and material things. When Owen reunites with his estranged brother after a stint in rehab, the visit descends into a tragic love triangle and both brothers must decide what is standing in the way of their forgiveness, and redemption. Long time Nickel alumni Justin Simms, Brad Gover and Mark Hoffe teamed up to adapt local author Chad Pelley's debut novel. Following a successful festival and cinema run, this may be your last chance to experience this film on the big screen. Director: Justin Simms • Writer: Mark Hoffe • Producers: Brad Gover, Barbara Doran, Michael A. Dobbin • Country: Canada • Runtime: 1h14 Mins
SHORT FILMS IDA HERE & THERE When a scraggly foster kid is adopted by her new family, she becomes entangled with her three new beautiful, but cruel sisters. Director & Writer: Melanie Oates • Producer: Jess Anderson • Country: Canada • Runtime: 14 Mins
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LEAVE A NOTE A mysterious woman with a choice to make. Filmed on hand-processed Super 8 film at Wrightsville Beach in Wilmington, North Carolina, and scored and directed by Rozalind MacPhail. Director, Writer & Producer: Rozalind MacPhail • Country: Canada • Runtime: 3 Mins "HIGHWAY OF TEARS" — DIR: JENN BROWN Produced with support from the Nickel & MusicNL 2017 Music Video Incubator project
JUNE 17-24, 2017
IS A PROUD SPONSOR & OFFICIAL BEER OF THE
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JUNE 22 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
P R E S E N T E D B Y T H E G I L L R AT C L I F F E F O U N D AT I O N
I HEARD THE BIRCH TREE WHISPER IN THE NIGHT Following Newfoundland artist Gerry Squires as he works to complete his final painting before succumbing to his illness, filmmaker Kenneth Harvey shapes this moving documentary with candid footage of conversations with Squires’ close family and friends, fellow artists, and the artist himself. When Gerald Squires passed in Fall 2016, he left an enormous body of work that was rooted fully in the Newfoundland landscape. Though he received many honours for his lifetime contribution of artistic work, perhaps one of the best gifts comes to us through this documentary as Gerry shares his insight on mortality, spirituality and the ongoing quest of the artist to explore the emotional landscape of living and dying. An excellent companion piece for the Gerald Squires retrospective exhibit currently showing at The Rooms Gallery. Director, Writer & Producer: Kenneth J Harvey • Country: Canada • Runtime: 44 Mins
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SHORT FILMS “MADELINE” — LOOKALIKE (Dir. Jana Gillis • Winner of 2016 Nickel/ MusicNL 48-Hour Music Video Challenge) DEADLY VIEW When a man pulls over to the secluded roadside, a shovel and bag suggest nefarious intentions. The unexpected punchline in this mystery thriller is found in its title. Winner of the 2016 Kerry Connection Award. Director & Writer: Malcolm Willis • Country: Ireland • Runtime: 3 Mins SHATTERED MIND’S EYE A lonely widower leaves his house one afternoon with no intention of returning. A chance encounter with a precocious, but troubled young girl, shifts his outlook,but will she also shift his plans? Director & Writer: Emily Corcoran • Producer: Jacqueline Hynes • Country: Canada • Runtime: 10 Mins
DER GLÖCKNER A 16mm homage to German Expressionism, Der Glockner follows an aged Bellringer (Glockner) as he witnesses the ravages of the First World War on his village until a ghostly young girl leads him to transcendence through loss and beauty. One of several shorts from the Winnipeg Film Group. Director, Writer & Producer: Chrystene Ells, Berny Hi • Country: Canada • Runtime: 15 Mins SUNDAYS A short film disguised as a music video about one man’s quest for knowledge. Shot over the course of a year incorporating all four seasons in Newfoundland. Shot with 99% practical lighting and effects with a first-time crew over the course of a year, Sundays showcases the beauty of all four seasons in Newfoundland. Director, Writer & Producer: Benjamin Noah • Country: Canada • Runtime: 7 Mins
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JUNE 17-24, 2017
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SCHEDULE
V I S I T N I C K E L F E S T I VA L . C O M FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFO
SCREENINGS
ACTRA NL AND CBC NL PRESENT
RIVERHEAD
JUNE 20 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
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CITY OF JOY
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AWAY FROM EVERYWHERE
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B U D D E N & A S S O C I AT E S P R E S E N T S JUNE 21 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
JUNE 21 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
G I L L R AT C L I F F E F O U N D AT I O N P R E S E N T S
I HEARD THE BIRCH TREE WHISPER IN THE NIGHT
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NICKEL HORROR NIGHT
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JUNE 22 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
JUNE 22 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
ATLANTIC
JUNE 23 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
NICKEL NSFW SHORT FILMS JUNE 23 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
N E W F O U N D D I S P O SA L SYST E M S P R E S E N TS
THE NICKEL FAMILY MATINEE JUNE 24 • 1PM • THE ROOMS • FREE
OPTIMIZED INSURANCE PRESENTS
NICKEL CLOSING NIGHT SHORTS JUNE 24 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
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SPECIAL EVENTS
The SPACE 72 Harbour Drive LSPU Hall 3 Victoria Street The Ship 265 Duckworth St The Rooms 9 Bonaventure Ave Quidi Vidi Brewery 35 Barrows Rd Quidi Vidi
JUNE 18
JUNE 24
JUNE 20
JUNE 24
NICKEL & MUSIC NL MUSIC VIDEO INCUBATOR PREMIERE SCREENING Sunday June 18th, 7pm, Quidi Vidi Brewery, 35 Barrows Rd, Quidi Vidi Join filmmakers Jenn Brown, Christian Davis, and Riley Harnett alongside musicians Janet Cull, Town House, and Sherry Ryan for the premiere screening of their Music Video Incubator collaborations.
OPENING NIGHT KICK OFF PARTY Tuesday, June 20th, 9:30pm at the SPACE, The Festival is here! Help us celebrate the start of the 17th Annual Nickel Independent Film Festival. Following opening night screenings at LSPU Hall, make your way down to THE SPACE, for small bites, drinks, and dancing with DJ Benjy.
JUNE 21
FILMMAKER & AUDIENCE CATERED LUNCH PANEL DISCUSSION Wed June 21, 11AM. 20 includes lunch. LSPU Hall Cox & Palmer Second Space Pre-Registration Required. An exciting opportunity for established and emerging filmmakers screening during the Nickel Festival to network and know other people in the industry, as well as mingle with industry peers. Space is limited.
CITY OF JOY Q&A PANEL Saturday, June 24th, 3pm, LSPU Hall Cox & Palmer Second Space City of Joy director Madeleine Gavin (via video), will join a panel of distinguished guests to further discuss this award winning documentary. Featuring moderator Allison Conway of Budden & Associates for this important panel and Q & A session.
HAND-CRANK ANIMATION SCROLL WORKSHOP FOR KIDS Sat June 24, 2-4pm, The Rooms Drop in and draw your own animated scroll, and learn how to turn a ribbon of paper into a hand cranked animation at The Rooms. Friends from the Nickel Film Festival will be on site to capture your creation, filming your story on super 8 film. Fun for all, and no experience required. Come try your hand at a cranky animation, you'll be happy you did!
JUNE 24
CLOSING NIGHT PARTY & AWARDS Saturday June 24th, 9:30pm, 19+, The Ship It’s a wrap! The 17th Annual Nickel Independent Film Festival comes to a close Saturday June 24 at The Ship. We’ll wrap up another banner year with awards, food, drinks, and music by The Texmestics. Want to get up and sing? We’ll even auction off live karaoke with the band!
WORKSHOPS
SAT JUNE 3, 10AM – 5PM THE NICKEL PRESENTS: FAST FILM WITH MIKE FARDY NIFCO, $30 ($20 advance price) Winner of CBC’s 2017 Short Film Face Off Mike Fardy (Moving On) thrives on the thrill of working fast and well. This is a day-long workshop where participants will shoot a short as a team using the techniques learned.
FRI JUNE 16, 10AM-3PM CBC NL PRESENTS: VIDEO JOURNALISM 101 WITH ZACH GOUDIE CBC Studios, University Avenue. Pre-Registration required. $40 CBC NL will host a one-day workshop
focused on writing, shooting, and editing video journalism. Zach Goudie of CBC TV travels the country teaching his Visual Storytelling module. Up to 10 participants.
SAT JUNE 17, 10AM-5PM THE NICKEL PRESENTS: INSIDE THE EDIT — A MASTER CLASS WITH WIEBKE VON CAROLSFELD NIFCO. Pre-Registration required. $100 ($50 advance price until May 15) Experienced editors will spend a day with editor Wiebke von Carolsfeld digging deeper into the personal process of editing and covering areas such as the directoreditor relationship, and editing with acting performance, visual rhythm, sound and music.
TUE JUNE 20, 3:30-5 PM
SAT JUNE 24, 10AM-5PM
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC, BAY ST. GEORGE CAMPUS PRESENTS: EXPLORING CNA’S ANIMATION PROGRAM LSPU Hall Cox & Palmer Second Space Pre-Registration Required. Free.
THE NICKEL PRESENTS: FILM SCHOOL IN A DAY — A CRASH COURSE IN DIY FILMMAKING
Following a short animation screening, instructor James Grace from the Digital Animation program at CNA will cover the origins and methodology of what they do, how it’s different from other programs, and why it’s been so successful.
THU JUNE 22, 3:30-5PM HOW TO YOUTUBE WITH MATT SHEA LSPU Hall Cox & Palmer Second Space. Pre-Registration is required. $10/$5 students YouTuber Matt Shea actually makes a living playing video games, and with more than a million followers he's one of the biggest locals on the video sharing platform. Learn more about how Matt makes it all happen in this afternoon workshop.
FRI JUNE 23, 4-5PM THE NICKEL SCREENPLAY SERIES LSPU Hall Cox & Palmer Second Space Free Admission Join us for a late afternoon coffee and short screening. Now entering its 13th year, three selected writers will go through the process of revising their scripts before working with a professional team to create a 1-minute teaser for their short film. Facilitator Charles Picco (Todd and the Book of Pure Evil).
An introductory workshop series that covers most of the DIY filmmaking bases, including six one-hour sessions from different experienced instructors. Perfects for the beginning and emerging filmmaker, or those who need a primer. Registration for individual workshops will also be available. NIFCO, Preregistration required by June 14. $5 per session or $25 full day. 9am: Formatting your screenplay (Celtx) 10am: Writing and editing a short screenplay 11am: Self-distribution and festival strategies 12pm: Script supervising and continuity 1pm: Logistics — getting from the page to the shoot 2pm: Directing your short 3pm: Shot lists and storyboarding 4pm: Finding music for your film
REGISTER ONLINE AT NICKELFESTIVAL.COM All workshops sponsored in part by
JUNE
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JUNE 22 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
NICKEL HORROR NIGHT
WEAR A COSTUME FOR $5 OFF A TICKET PURCHASED AT THE DOOR!
THE HOLLOW CHILD Troubled teen Samantha's position in her new foster family is jeopardized when foster sister Olivia goes missing in the woods, only to reappear, apparently unharmed, days later. When Sam begins to suspect that what emerged from the woods is not Olivia, her investigation brings her face to face with an evil presence which has haunted the town for generations. Jeremy Lutter’s beautiful short Floodplain played at the Nickel just a few years ago. Now living in Victoria, BC, the director will be in attendance during this year’s festival. Director: Jeremy Lutter • Writer: Ben Rollo • Producer: Jeremy Lutter • Country: Canada • Runtime: 1h28 Mins
SHORT FILMS SKETCH Team Ashley Harding's 2016 Nickel 48-Hour Horror Challenge Winner HIRAETH A woman whose life is built around a poisonous forest is plagued by visions of her
partner until she encounters a mythical creature that is said to grant wishes. Director & Writer: Devin Shears • Producer: Mithila Majithia • Country: Canada • Runtime: 14 Mins
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NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
RED SNARE A lone hiker is stranded in the woods in the dead of winter. She thinks she’s found salvation until it leads her to an abandoned shack where something unearthly lurks inside. Director & Writer: Jordan BarnesCrouse • Producer: Carolyn Williams • Country: Canada • Runtime: 8 Mins
Soothe Downtown Spa
web: soothespa.ca email: info@soothspa.ca ph. 709.579.1682
155 Queens Rd. St. John’s, NL Entrance at Bates Hill
Skin Care. Esthetics. Wellness
JUNE
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they rely on, are fast approaching a point of no return. Filmed in some of the most remote and breathtaking locations in the North Atlantic, Atlantic brings to the fore three intimate stories from the global resource debate, and explores how modern day communities must learn from the past, in order to secure a brighter future. Director: Risteard Ó Dominall • Writer: Angela Antle • Producer: Jill Knox-Gosse • Country: Canada • Runtime: 1h15 Mins
JUNE 23 • 7PM • LSPU HALL
ATLANTIC From the director of The Pipe comes this stirring documentary, written by well known NL radio personality Angela Antle, with award winning local producer Jill Knox Gosse. This team asks difficult questions about the relationship between our North Atlantic Ocean resources and those who depend on them. Narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Brendan Gleeson, Atlantic follows the fortunes of three small fishing communities in Ireland, Norway and Newfoundland struggling to maintain their way of life in the face of mounting economic and ecological challenges. As the oil industry drives deeper into the fragile sea, and conglomerate fishing companies push fish stocks to the brink, coastal communities, and the resources
SHORT FILMS SLICE OF LIFE A woman waits by the phone impatiently in this comedic urban fairytale of love, longing, and eventual fulfilment. Director & Writer: Brittney Gilliam • Producer: College of the North Atlantic • Country: Canada • Runtime: 2 Mins FLIGHT OF THE FISHERMAN This documentary follows Huang Yuechuang, a 77 year-old cormorant fisherman who is the last of his generation to carry on the traditional method of fishing in rural China. Director, Writer & Producer: Lian Morrison • Country: Canada/China • Runtime: 11 Mins
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JUNE 23 • 9PM • LSPU HALL
NSFW SHORTS SHORT FILMS FOR MATURE AUDIENCES “BURN MY JOURNAL” — SHERRY RYAN DIR. RILEY HARNETT Produced with support from the Nickel & MusicNL 2017 Music Video Incubator project POKEY POKEY A father goes to extreme lengths to protect his son from seeing the darkness and filth around him. Pokey Pokey is an animated black comedy short that contemplates that parental line between protecting and harming our children. Director & Writer: Junjie “Jake” Zhang • Producer: Zheng Zeng • Country: China • Runtime: 7 Mins LAST VESTIGES A male stripper confronts his fears of fading youth, declining status, and loneliness in an intense encounter with an elderly client. St. John’s actor Clint Butler stars in this moving short. Director & Writer: Seth Poulin • Producer: Mark Peacock • Country: Canada • Runtime: 8 Mins
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3-WAY (NOT CALLING) Mel is secure and a bit bored in her relationship. A milestone birthday pwrompts a threesome with her semi-reluctant boyfriend, and a Tinderfatigued barista. In a classic case of grass is greener, this short cleverly exposes the flip-flop of eros and domesticity. Director & Writer: Molly McGlynn • Producer: Matt Code • Country: Canada • Runtime: 10 Mins CONNECTION LOST (THE TINDER OPERA) Swipe right! Our relationship with one of Ireland's best festivals pairs us up with this award-winning operetta. A highly entertaining operatic tale of a newly single man’s first steps into the unfamiliar world of Tinder dating. Pitchperfect comedic performances. Winner of Best Score Award at the 2016 Kerry Film Festival. Director & Writer: Adam Taylor • Producers: Scott Joiner, Adam Taylor • Country: USA • Runtime: 12 Mins DON’T HANG UP THE F***ING PHONE, CURTIS When Curtis hosts a psychedelic house party, a stoned stranger warns him that the universe’s fourth dimension is unknowable to humans, but not cats. Stuck in a state of paranoia, Curtis begins to suspect his cat can sense his impending death. Director and writer John Yost will be in attendance at the Nickel this year. Come ask him about the cat! Director & Writer: John Yost • Producer: Frank Mosley • Country: USA •
JUNE 17-24, 2017
Runtime: 12 Mins PORTEFEUILLE A Nickel 48-Hour RomCom Challenge 2017 winner from Team Amy-Lee Kouwenberg BEAT AROUND THE BUSH Una, a 75-year old widowed woman living with Alzheimer’s, decides to have her first orgasm. This charming, award-winning comedy takes a fresh look at a long taboo subject by questioning cultural norms, and showing it’s never too late. Winner of Best Comedy Short at the 2016 Arizona International Film Festival. No one does short, sexy, hilarious and taboo quite like Nord-Stewart. Nickel audiences will recognize her sharp wit from
previous films like Trolls and Why I Fired My Secretary. Director & Writer: Brianne Nord-Stewart • Producer: Arielle Boisvert • Country: Canada • Runtime: 12 Mins DOUG & WALTER Doug is an American in his 50s with an outlaw fantasy. Walter, a former coworker with a shy and awkward disposition, admires Doug for his bold behaviour. The uneven couple takes an adventurous road trip through the hills of Switzerland with fatal consequences. Director & Writer: Samuel Morris • Producer: Nadine Lüchinger • Country: Switzerland • Runtime: 25 Mins
Shattered Mind’s Eye
Proud Sponsor of the 2017 NICKEL FILM FESTIVAL
Riverhead
Malignant
nifco.org
JUNE 24 • 1PM • THE ROOMS
P R E S E N T E D BY NEWFOUND DISPOSAL SYST E M S
FREE FAMILY MATINEE AT THE ROOMS THE PERFECT FAMILY Edda, a parrot-woman hybrid, and former circus performer, struggles to deal with her 13 year-old daughter’s new found embarrassment of her unusual family. A familiar teen story with a colourful twist. Director, Writer & Producer: Martine Blue • Co-Producer: Ruth Lawrence • Country: Canada • Runtime: 10 Mins "HULA HOOP" — THE SWINGING BELLES From the 2016 48-Hour Music Video Challenge NICKEL 2017 NL STUDENT DOCS From schools on the Nickel Rural School
Tour, mentored by Andrea Dunne, Ben Noah, Brad Gover, and Ruth Lawrence
JUNE
24
AUTUMN LEAVES A sweet story about a little girl who wants to play with a fallen leaf in the garden but must go to school where picking up fallen leaves becomes a chore rather than a source of amusement. Director, Writer & Producer: Saman Hosseinpuor • Country: Iran • Runtime: 4 Mins THE BIG CRUNCH Nickel favorites Mancinelli & Cherniak return with a family film to charm audiences of all ages. When 12-year-old August learns the universe will one day collapse in an epic Big Crunch, he’s pushed into an existential crisis, but an electrical shock awakens him to the universe’s beauty and wonder. Director & Writer: Dusty Mancinelli • Producer: Harry Cherniak • Country: Canada • Runtime: 11 Mins
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JUNE
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P R E S E N T E D BY OPTIMIZED INSURANCE
CLOSING NIGHT SHORTS “HIDING” — TOWN HOUSE • DIR. CHRISTIAN DAVIS 2017 Nickel & MusicNL Music Video Incubator OFFSIDE After finding out from her widowed father that she will soon lose her place on the local boys’ football team, 11-year-old Kristy struggles to cope with her evolving identity as she becomes a young woman. Director: Jimmy Dean • Writer: Ellie Gocher • Producer: Ellie Gocher • Country: Ireland • Runtime: 17 Mins JACOB 1234 In this entertainingly fast-paced Alice in Wonderland-like sequence, Jacob must runs through his mind to remember his
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girlfriend’s birthday. Director & Writer: David Feehan • Producer: Jacqueline Hynes • Country: Canada • Runtime: 3 Mins EMPTY CANS Felix and Mabel struggle to process the suicide of their close friend. In an effort to find healing and closure, they return to their secret hideout and get passed-out drunk. Director, Writer, & Producer: Darcy Fitzpatrick • Country: Canada • Runtime: 5 Min HOMECOMING A young man returns home to Ireland after extended travel abroad with friends. He struggles to find his place after the economic collapse of the Celtic tiger, and hopes a familiar face will anchor him. Winner of the Best Irish Narrative at the 2016 Kerry Film Festival. Director & Writer: Sinéad O'Loughlin • Producer: Laura Brennan • Country: Ireland • Runtime: 13 Mins DASHA THE FOOL Happily married Dasha returns home from her trip to find a flower-filled apartment. In a highly entertaining performance, Dasha must choose between the truth before her
JUNE 17-24, 2017
or her blind happiness. Director: Valentina Lukashchuk • Writer: Andrey Migachev • Producer: Max Volovik • Country: Russian Federation • Runtime: 15 Mins MALIGNANT When Caroline discovers a lump in her breast, she must face her health fear, and fear of being alone. Will she seek reliance and validation from herself or her emotionally unavailable partner? Features Director & Writer: Andrea Dunne • Producer: Jacqueline Hynes • Country: Canada • Runtime: 11 MIns THE TOUR An unlucky in love tour guide takes her unsuspecting and rather disinterested passengers down a (hilarious) road less travelled. Deftly navigating the streets of St. John’s with romance, drama, and dark humour, this short features a highly entertaining performance by Willow Kean, who along with a busload of supporting characters, will have you signing up for the next guided tour. Director & Writer: Jenina MacGillivray • Producer: Ruth Lawrence • Country: Canada • Runtime: 7 Mins
FRAIL Ruben lives with his father Gabriel in a forest house on the outskirts of a village. Shielded from the outside world, he spends his days in a trance-like state, orchestrated by his father’s strict rules. One morning Ruben sees some village children playing though the window, and begins questioning his father’s activities, and his carefully constructed and controlled environment. Winner of awards in Poland, Romania, and Ireland. Director & Writer: Ares Ceylan • Producer: Nadine Luchinger • Country: Switzerland • Runtime: 18 Mins DREAMING OF PEGGY LEE Belinda is a young girl living with a hearing impairment within an oppressive carehome. She struggles to accept who she is and find the freedom and confidence to follow her dream of singing. Part silent film, and part musical, Dreaming of Peggy Lee is an inspiring celebration of identity set to the sights and sounds of the golden jazz age of the 1940s. An award winning film to be enjoyed by young and old audiences alike. Winner of the Best International Narrative Award at the 2016 Kerry Film Festival. Director, Writer & Producer: James Everett • Country: United Kingdom • Runtime: 11 Mins
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JUNE 17-24, 2017
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THANK YOU! A huge thank you from the Nickel to the audiences, to the filmmakers, the workshop leaders, to our sponsors, our advertisers, our community partners, our Nickel board of directors, and everyone else who has a hand in making the Nickel Independent Film Festival happen. Thank you to the screenwriters, actors and filmmakers for the Screenplay Series, to Helen Fox Reid, Kerry Gamberg, Emily Corcoran, thanks to our committees throughout the year, especially Brad Gover, Mark Hoffe, Pam Coristine, Chris Richardson, Emily Bridger, Christian Sparkes, and our incredible team of volunteers. Thank you to the musicians and filmmakers of the Music Video Incubator: Janet Cull, Jenn Brown, Riley Harnett, Sherry Ryan, Christian Davis, Town House and their filmmaking teams. Thank you Allison Conway • Amanda Bulman • Amy Henderson • Andrea Levesque • Andrew Winter • Anna Petras • Anna Smith • Barb Neis (People and the Sea Festival) • Beni Malone • Benjy Kean • Bern Hammond • Brad Gover • Brandon Copeland • Bryhanna Greenough • Calla Lachance • Candice Walsh • Chantal Cahill • Charles Picco • Danielle Hamel • Dave Lane • Dorian Rowe • Elinor Gill Ratcliffe • Emma Housser • Felipe Diaz • Geoff Budden • Gerry Rogers • Glenda Tulk • Grant Geneva • Jake Nicoll • Jason Sellars • Jean Smith • Jenn Brown • Jenn Deon • Jennice Ripley • Jenny Wright • Jose Rivera • Joshua Jamieson • Justin Fong • Karen Bruce • Katrina Rice • Ken Murphy • Kevin Pomroy • Laura Churchill • Laura Churchill • Libby Creelman • Linda Ross • Lisa Vatcher • Maeve McGrath (Kerry Film Festival) • Mark Hoffe • Marlene Cahill • Melissa Carrera • Mike Hammond • Mike Hickey • Natalie Falk • Natasha Green • Pat Dempsey • Patrick Dunn • Pat Short • Ray Fennelly • Rebekah Robbins • Reg Windsor • Robert Gauthier • Roger Maunder • Sandra Mills • Santiago Guzman • Sarah Smellie • Sheilagh O’Leary • Sheila Ryan • Steve Cook • Suzanne Mullett • Thea Morash • Tony Butt • Tony Murray • Tristram Clark • Ty Evans • Victoria King • Zoe Miles (Reel Youth) Thank you to ACTRA • ArtsNL • Arts & Culture Centres • Business and Arts NL • Budden & Associates • Canadian Heritage • CBC NL • CHMR • Common Ground Coworking • Department of Tourism, Culture Industry and Innovation • DGC-ARC • Gill Ratcliffe Foundation • Ironworkers Education & Training Centre • Jack Axes • Kerry Film Festival • Music NL • Newfoundland Film Development Corporation • NIFCO • NTV • Quidi Vidi Brewery • Record Time • Reel Canada • Resource Centre for the Arts • RIAC • Service Canada • Spirit of Newfoundland & Labrador • The SPACE • St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival • St. John’s Women’s Centre • The Telegram • The City of St. John’s • The Newfoundland Chocolate Company • The Overcast • The Rooms • The Ship • V-Day St. John’s • VOCM
UPCOMING
THE NICKEL QUARTERLY FILM SERIES The Nickel Independent Film Festival is proud to announce its quarterly film screening series for 2017-2018. Check nickelfestival.com for dates and locations, to be announced.
NANA
Documentary filmmaker Serena Dykman traces the story of her grandmother’s survival in Auschwitz. Born in Poland, Marlya Michalowski-Dyamant, survived both, Ravensbruck, Malchow, and Auschwitz, where she was a forced translator for the “Angel of Death”, Dr. Mengel. Following the war Michalowski-Dyaman dedicated her life to speaking publicly about her survival to younger generations, so that the past’s atrocities would never be forgotten or repeated. NANA is an intensely personal film,exploring the relationships between grandmother, mother, and daughter under the weight of heritage, but also a timely and poignant film with a universal message, recounting and teaching what can happen in a world without tolerance. Director & Writer: Serena Dykman • Producer: Serena Dykman, Alice Michalowski • Runtime: 1h40
THE DRINKING LIFE
The Drinking Life chronicles a community of drinkers in a typical Newfoundland bar. The film is Canadian Screen Awards nominee, Kenneth J Harvey’s firt feature length documentary. Director/Writer/Producer: Kenneth J Harvey • Runtime: 1h09
COLD BREATH
Born a woman and living as a man, 30-year-old Maryam struggles to conform to societal gender norms in Iran. Living paycheck to paycheck when his daughter succumbs to cancer, he must find a way to pay for treatment. Trusting in love for survival, Maryam faces his greatest fears head on when his secret is revealed. Director/Writer/Producer: Abbas Razjiji • Runtime: 1h23
DESCENDANTS
The Past Is Cast: Descendants follows bronze sculptor Morgan MacDonald in his quest to bronze the faces of 100 descendants of soldiers of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment who fought at Beaumont Hamel July 1, 1916. The film record this process, and interviews descendants about their relationship to the effects of that battle over 100 years ago. Director & Writer: Bob Wakeham • Producer: Bill Coultas • 48Mins 31
NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
JUNE 17-24, 2017