cco on ng grraattu ullaattiio Arctic S on nss!! ecretS b y A l l an M
eMory t Code r A p : th Wouldn ’t diSAp e herd thAt peAr by Broke d Allan Co oWn dA de WSon to by Lulu K eating, M Wn a x F r aser GruBSt Ake rev iSited b y Daniel Janke
The Yukon Film & Sound Commission would like to congratulate all Yukon creators. We’re proud to be a funding partner for these projects.
Economic Development
Film & Sound Commission
reelyukon.com • 867-667-8285 • info@reelyukon.com
INSPIRED BY TALENT. VIEWED EVERYWHERE.
4
Our Northern skies are alive with light. But that's nothing compared to the life below. From spectacular scenery to a friendly and creative people, there’s never a dull moment in our home territory. We admire the dedication and talent of all of those who pursue a life less ordinary, as well as everyone who helps to make it possible. Air North, Yukon’s Airline is proud to support the Available Light Film Festival—as well as other events, cultural performances, arts, and sports across the Yukon.
5
Special Presentation
New feature film directed by
Canadian DIY Queen Ingrid Veninger With live improvised music score by
Jesse Zubot & Jordy Walker
Sat, Feb 6, 7:30pm Yukon Arts Centre Tickets: $20
Sponsored by Alexco Environmental Group
WelCoMe Welcome to the most northern Available Light Film Festival ever! The 14th annual ALFF includes 18 films from or about life in Nunavut, the Yukon (11 films!), northern BC and Alaska. ALFF 2016 opens with the world premiere of documentary icon Nettie Wild’s cinematic homage to Tahltan territory and closes with a documentary about Alaskan dogsledding iconoclast Lance Mackey. The 32 screenings and 5 live performances at ALFF 2016 have been selected to bring you a slice of contemporary international and Canadian cinema and a tiny morsel of the great performing arts this country has to offer. It’s with great excitement and honour this year that ALFF will host an unprecedented number of Canadian feature filmmaking icons: Deepa Mehta, Nettie Wild, Alan Zweig, Charles Wilkinson and Peter Raymont as well as 18 other talented filmmakers (see the full list on page 41) who are contributing in equal measure to the culture of cinema and story-telling. Thank you, as well, to film critic and author Katherine Monk for joining us in Whitehorse to host conversations with filmmakers throughout the festival. New to ALFF this year is the Creative Spotlight series: free public talks where filmmakers and musicians share clips from the films they’re helped bring to life and share stories behind the creative and business elements of their work. We’re also partnering with Music Yukon and Jazz Yukon this year to present Yukon music in an intimate listening venue as part of the ALFF Industry conference. A limited number of tickets are available for these Available Light Cabaret shows. Get ‘em before they’re gone. Please join me in thanking all the musicians, filmmakers and industry delegates for sharing their work, art, knowledge, enthusiasm and experience at the festival and ALFF Industry. Please also join me in thanking the incredible volunteers and staff for helping to produce one of the Yukon’s most exciting cultural events. Bonne fest! Gunalchîsh, Mahsi cho, merci, gracias, and thank you for coming to ALFF. Andrew Connors Festival Director
AuDienCe
Choice
AwaRdS
Ballots in YAC lobby
FICTION
DOCUMENTARIES
He Hated Pigeons Le Dep The Grubstake Remix Brooklyn Room My Internship in Canada Beeba Boys The Forbidden Room The Devout Into the Forest
Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World KONELĪNE: our land beautiful Nallua Fractured Land Bond of Strangers The Amina Profile Memory Trap The Ninth Floor Hurt Angirattut (Coming Home) Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane Al Purdy Was Here
FeSTiVa L TEaM Festival Director
Festival Trailer + Video Production
Andrew Connors
Jessica Hall
Festival Producer
Workshop + Forum Technician
Erin Corbett
Eryn Foster
YFS General Manager
ALFF Production Assistants
Dylan Griffith
Bran Ramsey and Dar Mustafa
ALFF Industry Producer
Studio Sound Technician
Vanessa Corkal
Ryan Borshuk
ALFF Industry Programming Consultant
Hannah Zimmering
Hospitality Team Leader
Daniel Janke
Volunteer Team Leader
Marie Furman
Press Contact + Social Media
Andrew Gilbutowicz
Volunteer Leader Assistants
Dean Tower and Kasey Rae Anderson
Graphic Design + Marketing
Guiniveve Lalena
Membership Team Leaders
Scott Williams and Selena Boothroyd
Festival Programmers
Andrew Connors and Erin Corbett
Transportation Team Leader
Projectionists
Tara McCarthy
David Curtis, Marty O’Brien, Zach McCann-Armitage
Guest Moderator
/YukonFilmSociety
Katherine Monk @ALFFYukon
YukonFilmSociety
ALFF.CA
Present your Five Film Pass at the Yukon Film Society info table during the festival to receive a complimentary 2016/17 YFS Exhibition Membership. Use your YFS membership to get discounts on Available Light Film Festival screenings and the monthly Available Light Cinema series, co-presented with the Yukon Arts Centre at the Yukon Arts Centre and Kwanlin DĂźn Cultural Centre.
FeSTiVa L i nfo ALFF TICKETS & PASSES (prices include box office surcharges) Individual Film Tickets: $13/$11 YFS Members/Seniors/Youth ALFF Five Film Pass: $55* Special Presentations (He Hated Pigeons, Gavin Gardiner in concert): $20 Available Light Cabaret: $15 per evening or $25 for both Youth Tickets on select screenings: $8 (Refer to centre schedule on pages 26, 27) Individual Tickets for noon-hour weekday screenings: $8 all tickets (Weekday screenings at KDCC, tickets only available at the door) ALFF Industry Passes: $125/$100 YFS Production Members Individual ALFF Industry workshop tickets: $40/$30 YFS Production Members *Present the Five Film Pass at the lobby info table during the festival to receive a complimentary 2016/17 YFS Exhibition membership.
WHERE TO BUY FESTIVAL TICKETS AND PASSES Online: yukontickets.com Yukon Arts Centre Box Office: 867-667-8574, Mon to Fri, 10am to 3pm Arts Underground: 305 Main St, Tues to Fri, 10am to 5pm, Sat 11am to 5pm At the door: Box Office opens one hour before screenings and is open between films. Purchase your tickets in advance to avoid the line-up.
FIVE FILM PASS Redeem this pass for individual tickets at the Yukon Arts Centre Box Office or Arts Underground.
ALFF INDUSTRY PASSES AND TICKETS ALFF Industry Passes are available at Yukon Film Society (212 Lambert St, 393-3456) and at the door (cash and credit). Registration gives you access to all Industry events: panels, workshops, master classes, networking events and receptions. Pre-register for individual workshops by contacting alffi@yukonfilmsociety.com, payment by cash or credit card.
VENUES Screenings: Yukon Arts Centre theatre, unless noted ALFF Industry: Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, unless noted
GENERAL FESTIVAL INFO Five Film Pass does not guarantee a seat – you must redeem for individual tickets. All seating is General Admission. No food or drink allowed in the Yukon Arts Centre theatre. Please turn off cell phones. No recording devices allowed. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of staff.
9
On behalf of the Government of Yukon, congratulations to the Yukon Film Society for presenting this year’s Available Light Film Festival. The Department of Tourism and Culture is a proud supporter of the society through the Arts Operating Fund. As Canada’s largest film festival north of 60°, Available Light offers Yukoners and visitors an array of fiction and documentary films, performances and workshops. Now in its 14th year, the festival is a significant event on Yukon’s rich and diverse arts calendar. It is a highly anticipated time of year as Canadian filmmakers, musicians and artists gather in Whitehorse for this event. Welcome to all those attending the festival and best wishes to the Yukon Film Society for another successful event.
Elaine Taylor Minister of Tourism and Culture
On behalf of Whitehorse City Council, I would like to congratulate and thank the Yukon Film Society and all of the organizers and volunteers for this year’s festival. The City is proud to support this event through the Festivals and Special Events Fund. We are very excited that our contribution is helping to foster community engagement with new forms of media art, build community partnerships, and reach an even wider audience this year. We wish everyone a wonderful festival and hope all will enjoy the extraordinary selection of Northern, Canadian and international cinema, as well as the media art and live music performances. Sincerely, Mayor Dan Curtis, City of Whitehorse
Telefilm Canada joins with the Available Light Film Festival to celebrate our films and gather together the industry, creative talents and the public around stories—funny, sad or deeply moving—that shape our culture and mark our collective imagination. Placing the promotion of Canadian film firmly at the centre of its mission, and seeking to get more and more film lovers to experience our movies, Telefilm supports original initiatives that foster the discovery of emerging creative talents and the rediscovery of more seasoned filmmakers. Our organization works closely with the industry and with numerous partners to spur our cinema to ever-greater heights, at home and on the international scene. Although our movies begin their careers at home in Canada, they are increasingly sought after by the world’s most prestigious film festivals, winning awards as well as praise from international critics. While this success is built primarily on talent, the international renown of our productions, for its part, is the result of the initiatives put forward by you and our supportive industry. On behalf of Telefilm, thank you for sharing our passion and for contributing in such a wonderful way to the promotion of our film industry. Enjoy the festival! Michel Roy, Chair of the Board, Telefilm Canada
11
AvailaBlE Light CabaRet
Jazz Yukon, Music Yukon and Yukon Film Society Present Yukon Music in the intimate Yukon Arts Centre Studio Theatre TICKETS: $15 PER EVENING OR $25 FOR BOTH
DOORS OPEN AT 8:30PM
SATURDAY, FEB 6 9:00PM SCOTT MAYNARD | Described by Exclaim! magazine as “a one man Broken Social Scene”, Scott Maynard continues to explore his musical horizons, with recent forays into Baroque, bluegrass, punk, jazz, new wave, reggae and electronica. Since moving to the Yukon in 2012, Scott has immersed himself in the local music scene. At this intimate performance, Scott will showcase some of his original songs, many of which are included on the upcoming album release, All The Old Familiar Ways. He will be ably enabled by Micah Smith on bass and Jordy Walker on drums. 10:00PM DIYET | Born in a tent, raised in a two-room cabin, classically trained in opera, now an alternative folk artist, this sub-Arctic-Southern Tutchone-Japanese-Tlingit-Scottish Yukoner is your typical Canadian—the result of a long cold winter. Diyet’s music mirrors her existence: a mix rooted in the values of a traditional northern life. In concert, Diyet immerses audiences in a soundscape of rhythm and storytelling. Her resonant voice paints a vivid picture of her surroundings and the joyous and heartbreaking experiences of her world. Joining Diyet for this performance will be Robert Van Lieshout (percussion).
SUNDAY, FEB 7 9:00PM DANIEL JANKE WITH JESSE ZUBOT | This duet of violin and piano promises
to be an unforgettable cinematic musical experience. Daniel Janke is a Whitehorse-based composer, filmmaker and media artist. Daniel is director of the multi-media stage production The Grubstake Revisited which is making its world premiere as a feature film at ALFF 2016. Jesse Zubot is a Juno Award winning producer, composer and violinist best known for his acclaimed collaborations with Steve Dawson, Tanya Tagaq and most recently, Dan Mangan.
10:00PM ROB DICKSON | Chronicling the beauty and uncertainty of moving into adulthood, Rob Dickson’s debut album Proof of Our Years is an ode to growth. Stemming from and responding to the challenges and joys of growing older and raising a child, Dickson’s collection of songs describe the doubt and the wonder of these experiences with honesty and pure emotion. Proof of Our Years is spacious, magnetic and resonant in its embrace of the exquisite imperfection of love. This CD release concert will be the first opportunity for Yukon audiences to hear Rob’s gorgeous music with full band accompaniment. 13
And then... Have a great story to tell? Northwestel Community TV proudly supports Northern filmmakers.
nwtelcommunitytv.ca youtube.com/NorthwestelTV facebook.com/Nwteltv
Contact us to learn how you can share your story—in HD.
NWI_6462_ALFF_Ad_p2a.indd 1
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2016-01-12 2:59 PM
sat urday Feb 6
HE HATED PIGEONS
HE HATED PIGEONS
JESSE ZUBOT
JORDY WALKER
SPECIAL PRESENTATION 7:30pm He Hated Pigeons DIR. INGRID VENINGER, ONTARIO, 2015, 78 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ALEXCO ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $20
This new feature film by Canadian indie-film queen Ingrid Veninger stars Chilean actor Pedro Fontaine as Elias, a young man pushed to the borders of sexuality and sanity, and to the edge of the earth. Grieving the unexpected death of his lover, Elias travels from the Atacama Desert to the ice fields of Patagonia on a trip the couple had once planned together. This special presentation will feature a live improvised music score performed by Jesse Zubot (violin) and Jordy Walker (guitar and analog synth). “This is a subject many try to dramatize, but ultimately, so few have the ability to render as beautifully and truthfully as Veninger’s film does. A synopsis of the ‘plot’ would be a trifling matter, especially given the perfectly rendered episodic structure of the picture.” ~Greg Klymkiw, The Film Corner Winner, Best Cinematography Borsos Award at the Whistler Film Festival 2015. Director Ingrid Veninger in attendance.
15
Sunday Feb 7
ARCTIC SECRETS: THE WILD SEA
11:00am
LE DEP
Arctic Secrets: The Wild Sea
WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. ALLAN CODE, YUKON/ONTARIO, 2016, 53 MIN SCREENING SPONSORS: ALLSMITH OVERLAND + YUKON RESEARCH CENTRE, YUKON COLLEGE
In a collaboration between Whitehorse filmmaker Allan Code and Toronto-based White Pine Pictures comes a nature documentary series that is a unique journey of discovery to five of the most remote and isolated islands in Canada’s Arctic Archipelago. All five islands are uninhabited by humans, yet richly populated with animals and plants amazingly adapted to the harshest climate on the planet. The Wild Sea (Episode 5) features extraordinary cinematography as it follows two Clyde River Inuit hunters who make the perilous journey along the northeast coast of Baffin Island to Niginganiq National Wildlife Area: an annual gathering place of the highest concentration of bowhead whales in Canadian waters. Director Allan Code and co-producer Peter Raymont in attendance. 1:00pm
Le Dep
DIR. SONIA BOILEAU, QUEBEC, 2015, 77 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: TLE’ NAX T’AWEI GROUP
Sonia Boileau, an up-and-coming filmmaker of Mohawk ancestry, writes and directs this psychological drama about a young Innu woman, Lydia, working as a clerk in her father’s convenience store in a small First Nations community in rural Quebec. One evening, as Lydia prepares to close up shop, a masked robber enters the store and holds her at gunpoint. This traumatic experience becomes even more troubling when Lydia recognizes her assailant. Before long, she will have to make a decision that will forever alter the course of her life. In French and English with English subtitles. Winner of Cynthia Lickers-Sage Award for Emerging Talent at the 2015 ImagineNative Film + Media Arts Festival. Director Sonia Boileau in attendance.
17
Sunday Feb 7
HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
3:30pm
Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World
DIR. CHARLES WILKINSON, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, 2015, 75 MIN SCREENING SPONSORS: DIRECTORS GUILD OF CANADA BC DISTRICT COUNCIL + ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS INC
At low altitude, aerial cinematography sweeps over the breathtakingly beautiful archipelago of Haida Gwaii—the geographic heart of the Haida people, who thrived for more than 10,000 years until they were decimated by disease, rampant commercial logging and industrial over-fishing. Today, the Haida Nation is recovering, exerting their sovereignty, and winning battles against unsustainable logging and fishing. Award-winning director Charles Wilkinson (Oil Sands Karaoke, Peace Out) turns his camera on a unique community uniting to protect land and sea for the next generation. Haida hereditary Chief Allan Wilson, renowned activist Guujaaw and eco-activist Severn Cullis-Suzuki work alongside scientists, organic farmers, artists and former loggers to create a synergy of sustainable development on this remarkable group of islands that sits squarely in the path of the proposed Tar Sands seaway to Asia. Winner, Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at Hot Docs 2015. Director Charles Wilkinson in attendance. “…spectacular, unforgettable” ~The Globe & Mail “There’s more to this film than the serenity and beauty of the land and seascape it depicts. It’s instructive, never strident and ultimately hopeful, a lesson to all about how to live and thrive in concert with our natural environment.” ~Bruce DeMara, The Toronto Star 18
Sunday Feb 7
KONELINE: OUR LAND BEAUTIFUL
KONELINE: OUR LAND BEAUTIFUL
KONELINE: OUR LAND BEAUTIFUL
DIRECTOR NETTIE WILD
KONELĪNE: our land beautiful ALFF Opening Gala Film
6:45pm
WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. NETTIE WILD, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2016, 93 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: MEHAFFEY CONSULTING INC. GALA SPONSORS: TELEFILM CANADA AND CANADA MEDIA FUND
The Available Light Film Festival is pleased to present the world premiere of the new documentary by esteemed filmmaker Nettie Wild (A Place Called Chiapas, A Rusting of Leaves, Blockade). Northwestern BC is to British Columbia what the Yukon is to Canada: a predominantly wild land in an increasingly industrialized landscape. KONELĪNE: our land beautiful is a gorgeously photographed cinematic poem to people’s relationship to The Land in Tahltan country and their reflections on the industrial developments taking place in the region. There is a range of disparate views expressed in this measured documentary and Wild does a remarkable job letting people speak for themselves with powerful clarity: from Tahltan linguist and activist Oscar Dennis who feels he is no longer welcome in his ancestral home, to technicians installing high-voltage power line and towers along the Stewart-Cassiar highway, to big-game outfitters in Telegraph Creek, to geologists and exploration crews at the Bruce Jack gold deposit. The ideas and feelings expressed in KONELĪNE will sound familiar to Yukoners, however Wild paints a picture that puts a fresh perspective on our relationship to The Land. Director Nettie Wild, producer Betsy Carson and two subjects of the film, Oscar and Mary Dennis, will be in attendance. The screening will be preceded by a welcoming and drum performance. 19
monday Feb 8
BROKE DOWN DAWSON TOWN
12:00pm
BOND OF STRANGERS - THE OPERATION HUSKY STORY
Broke Down Dawson Town + Bond of Strangers
VENUE: KWANLIN DÜN CULTURAL CENTRE SCREENING SPONSOR: ORDISH & ORDISH CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS ALL TICKETS: $8 (CASH OR CREDIT ONLY AT THE DOOR)
Broke Down Dawson Town WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. LULU KEATING, YUKON, 2016, 23 MIN
In episode one of this comedy series from Dawson, two young lovers from Atlantic Canada arrive in the Yukon, broke but hopeful they will find gold and the answers to their problems. On their last tank of gas, they make it to Dawson, where Harry’s brother has allegedly struck it rich, only to discover that he’s as broke as they are. Director Lulu Keating and producer Max Fraser in attendance. Bond of Strangers - The Operation Husky Story DIR. MAX FRASER, YUKON, 2015, 53 MIN
A friendship forms among strangers as they undertake an arduous journey and emotional pilgrimage through the central mountains of Sicily to retrace the march made by Canadian soldiers in WWII to liberate Italy. The strangers have one thing in common: a determination to honour Canadian soldiers by reclaiming lost history. Director Max Fraser in attendance. 6:00pm
Memory Trap: The Herd that Wouldn’t Disappear + Released
SCREENING SPONSORS: NORTHWESTEL COMMUNITY TV, YUKON FILM & SOUND COMMISSION, CANADA MEDIA FUND
Memory Trap: The Herd that Wouldn’t Disappear DIR. ALLAN CODE, YUKON, 2015, 50 MIN
Fresh from its premiere at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Whitehorse filmmaker Allan Code’s Memory Trap: The Herd that Wouldn’t Disappear follows the Forty Mile Caribou Herd (the herd that fed the Klondike Goldrush) for a year through the remote wilderness of Northern Yukon and Alaska. The film imparts their amazing story of survival and how traditional knowledge and science saved the herd from near extinction. Director Allan Code in attendance. 20
monday Feb 8
RELEASED
THE GRUBSTAKE REMIX
(continued from 6pm screening) Released WESTERN CANADIAN PREMIERE. DIR. CHANTAL RONDEAU, YUKON, 2015, 10 MIN
Released is a documentary about First Nations artist and embroidery expert Karen Nicloux’s re-discovery of her gift for sewing and how it enabled her to regain her focus and stay clean. Karen’s embroidery represents peace, purpose and acceptance, one day at a time. Karen Nicloux in attendance. This ALFF Industry affiliated screening highlights the screen production funding partnership between Northwestel Community TV, Yukon Film & Sound Commission and Canada Media Fund and will include opening remarks. 8:30pm
The Grubstake Remix
WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. DANIEL JANKE, YUKON, 2016, 73 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: WHAT’S UP YUKON
A genre-busting film that is delightful and beyond all strangeness as it straddles the worlds of theatre and silent fiction film in a modern interpretation of The Grub-Stake, the 1923 “northwoods melodrama” produced by and starring Canadian cinema icon Nell Shipman. Actors and musicians perform in concert with the silent film in a redux where the on-screen characters speak in both Shakespearean English and French. A young woman named Faith (played on screen by Nell Shipman and in voice by Sarah Moore) goes north to the Klondike to seek her fortune only to be deceived and manipulated in a world dominated by men. Faith escapes into the bush with a team of sled dogs, her ailing father, and a half-witted prospector to lead a battle against her wrongful suitor and his henchmen. In French and English with English subtitles. Director Daniel Janke, cast members Roy Ness, James McCullough, Eric Epstein, Jordy Walker, Andrea McColeman and producer Andrew Connors in attendance. “An act of inspired creative re-purposing, a live event that uses Nell Shipman’s melodrama as a springboard to something else.” ~Geoff Pevere, The Globe and Mail
21
tuesday Feb 9
QIPISA
12:00pm
TOTEM: RETURN AND RENEWAL
Qipisa + Totem: Return and Renewal
VENUE: KWANLIN DÜN CULTURAL CENTRE SCREENING SPONSOR: KWANLIN DÜN CULTURAL CENTRE ALL TICKETS: $8 (CASH OR CREDIT ONLY AT THE DOOR)
Qipisa WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. MYNA ISHULUTAK, 2016, NUNAVUT, 35 MIN
This gentle documentary thoughtfully captures the impact of modernity and town life on the generations of Inuit who were born and raised on the land. After being away for a long time, Myna is going back home to Pangnirtung to be with her family and to learn more of her roots. Her return leads her on another journey: to Qipisa, the outpost camp where she grew up. In Inuktitut with English subtitles. Totem: Return and Renewal DIR. GIL CARDINAL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2007, 24 MIN
In his 2003 NFB film Totem: The Return of the G’psgolox Pole (ALFF 2005), filmmaker Gil Cardinal documented the struggle of the Haisla people of British Columbia to recover a traditional mortuary totem pole. This moving follow-up documents the events of the final journey of the G’psgolox Pole as it returns home from Sweden to Kitamaat and the Haisla people. This screening is in tribute to the memory and legacy of Gil Cardinal, a groundbreaking filmmaker of Métis descent who passed away in November, 2015.
22
tuesday Feb 9
ROOM
6:00pm
LANDFILL HARMONIC
Room
DIR. LENNY ABRAHAMSON, CAN/IRE, 2015, 118 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: LAMARCHE & LANG BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS
Highly suspenseful without resorting to overwrought melodrama, Room is a touching exploration of the boundless love between a mother and her child. Jack (played with uncanny magnetism by Jacob Tremblay) is five and was born in captivity. The shed in which he and his mom (Brie Larson) are confined is all he knows. When Jack finally escapes, he is both awestruck and terrified by the outside world. His Ma, on the other hand, must face the long and difficult process of recovery after being imprisoned for so long. The film is based on the novel by Irish-Canadian writer Emma Donoghue, who also authored the Oscar nominated screenplay. Nominated for four 2016 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. 8:30pm
Landfill Harmonic
DIR. GRAHAM TOWNSLEY, BRAD ALLGOOD, USA/PARAGUAY, 2015, 84 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: CKRW - THE RUSH
The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura is a Paraguayan musical group made up of kids who live next to one of South America’s largest landfills. This unlikely orchestra plays music from instruments made entirely out of garbage. When their story goes viral, the orchestra is catapulted into the global spotlight, even playing concerts with the heavy metal band Megadeth. With the guidance of their music director, they must navigate this new world of arenas and sold out concerts. However, when a flood devastates their community the orchestra provides a source of hope for the town. A testament to the transformative power of music and the resilience of the human spirit, Landfill Harmonic will leave you inspired by the bonds and resourcefulness of a marginalized community.
23
wednesday Feb 10
NALLUA
12:00pm
FRACTURED LAND
Nallua
VENUE: KWANLIN DÜN CULTURAL CENTRE DIR. CHRISTIAN FOURNIER, QUÉBEC, 2015, 76 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: DRIVING FORCE ALL TICKETS: $8 (CASH OR CREDIT ONLY AT THE DOOR)
In one of the most northern villages of the world two Inuit women are trying to preserve their traditions by maintaining a close relationship with their grandchildren. In this elegiac and quietly beautiful documentary, we travel with Rhoda and Ruth from Pond Inlet back to the ancestral camp of Qarmaarjuit where they they tell the story of surviving a mysterious illness that, in 1943, took the lives of 25 members of their group in a matter of days. In Inuktitut with English subtitles. 5:30pm
Fractured Land
DIR. DAMIEN GILLIS & FIONA RAYHER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2015, 75 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON CONSERVATION SOCIETY
Deep in the exquisite wilderness of northeastern BC, the ancestral territory of the Beaver Dene people, the mushrooming oil and gas industry has been harming the environment and threatening human health. Caleb Behn is a charismatic young indigenous warrior and lawyer fighting to save his people’s land and culture. Fractured Land follows Caleb as he completes his law degree and forges alliances using ancient knowledge and the modern weapon of the law. Caleb Behn and directors Damien Gillis and Fiona Rayher in attendance. Caleb Behn’s travel is supported by Woodward & Co LLP. Damien Gillis and Fiona Rayner’s travel is supported by Northern Environmental & Conservation Sciences Program/University of Alberta and Yukon College First Nation Initiatives Department. “Probably the most vital Canadian film at this year’s [Hot Docs] festival” ~Toronto Film Scene
24
wednesday Feb 10
MY INTERNSHIP IN CANADA
8:15pm
GAVIN GARDINER
My Internship in Canada (Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre)
DIR. PHILIPPE FALARDEAU, QUÉBEC, 2015, 108 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ASSOCIATION FRANCO-YUKONNAISE
From the director of Monsieur Lazhar comes a hilarious and sharp political satire. Steve Guibord, independent Member for Prescott-Makadew à Rapides-aux-Outardes and former pro hockey player, ends up—despite himself—holding the balance of power in Parliament in an imminent vote to send Canadians into a military conflict in the Middle East. Travelling through his riding to consult his constituents, accompanied by Souverain, an idealistic Haitian trainee, the pair are caught in a crossfire of peace activists, miners, truckers, politicians and Aboriginal groups—and it will be up to the young Haitian, far more astute a politician than his boss, to decide if Canada goes to war. In French with English subtitles. Selected one of 2015 ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ feature films.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION 8:30pm
Gavin Gardiner in Concert
YUKON ARTS CENTRE STUDIO THEATRE PRESENTING SPONSORS: HEADLESS OWL RECORDS + MUSIC YUKON TICKETS: $20
Gavin Gardiner, front man and chief songwriter of Toronto’s The Wooden Sky, returns to ALFF to perform a rare solo concert in the Studio Theatre. A native Winnipegger, Gardiner’s distinctive tremolo and his tender hearted indie-folk songs (Child of the Valley, Oh My God, Let’s Be Ready, Malibu Rum, Maybe It’s No Secret, to name a few) suggest he keeps company with Blue Rodeo’s Greg Keelor and folk-rockers Elliot Brood. Since their appearance at the 2015 ALFF kick-off concert, The Wooden Sky have been on constant tour in Europe, America and Canada. Their 2014 LP Let’s Be Ready was named the number one Folk Album of 2014 by Exclaim! magazine and nabbed the 4th spot on The Huffington Post Best of 2014 list. Gavin Gardiner will be joined by Jordy Walker on drums and Micah Smith on bass. Limited number of tickets available. 25
alff 2016 SCheDulE TIME
FRIDAY FEB 5
VENUE
10am
Media Art Installation (Feb 5- 27) Ghosts of the Joe Henry
YAC
43
PAGE
SATURDAY FEB 6 ALL DAY
ALFF Industry - Satellite Workshops
KDCC
39
7:30pm
Special Presentation: He Hated Pigeons
YAC
15
9pm
Available Light Cabaret: Scott Maynard + Diyet
YAC Studio 13
SUNDAY FEB 7 ALL DAY
ALFF Industry
KDCC
39
11am
Arctic Secrets: The Wild Sea*
YAC
17
12pm
Creative Spotlight: A Composer’s Insight with Jesse Zubot
KDCC
42
1pm
Le Dep
YAC
17
3:30pm
Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World*
YAC
18
6:45pm
KONELĪNE: our land beautiful (ALFF Opening Gala Film)* YAC
19
9pm
Available Light Cabaret: Daniel Janke with Jesse Zubot + Rob Dickson
YAC Studio 13
MONDAY FEB 8 ALL DAY
ALFF Industry
KDCC
39
12pm
Broke Down Dawson Town + Bond of Strangers
KDCC
20
4:30pm
Creative Spotlight: Independent Filmmaking in the Yukon on a Micro-Budget with Daniel Janke and Allan Code
KDCC
42
6pm
Memory Trap: The Herd that Wouldn’t Disappear + Released* YAC
20
The Grubstake Remix*
YAC
21
8:30pm
TUESDAY FEB 9 ALL DAY
ALFF Industry
KDCC
39
12pm
Qipisa + Totem: Return and Renewal
KDCC
22
4:30pm
Creative Spotlight: Ghosts of the Joe Henry Interactive Performance
KDCC
42
6pm
Room
YAC
23
8:30pm
Landfill Harmonic
YAC
23
WEDNESDAY FEB 10 9am-12pm
ALFF Industry Workshop
KDCC
39
12pm
Nallua
KDCC
24
4:30pm
Creative Spotlight: Marketing Music in a Digital Universe with Gavin Gardiner
KDCC
42
5:30pm
Fractured Land*
YAC
24
8:15pm
My Internship in Canada (Guibord s’en va-t-en guerre)
YAC
25
8:30pm
Special Presentation: Gavin Gardiner in concert
YAC Studio 25
TIME
THURSDAY FEB 11
10am-12pm ALFF Industry Master Class
VENUE
PAGE
YAC Studio —
10am
School Screenings: Memory Trap + Chi’gii: A Caribou Calf
YAC
28
12pm
Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane + The Shooting of Dan McGrew
YAC
28
4:30pm
Creative Spotlight: In Conversation with Deepa Mehta
KDCC
42
5:30pm
The Amina Profile
YAC
29
Beeba Boys
YAC
29
7:30pm
FRIDAY FEB 12 ALL DAY
ALFF Industry Satellite Workshop
YAC Studio 39
12pm
Heart of a Dog
YAC
30
4:30pm
The Devout
YAC
30
7pm
Ninth Floor
YAC
31
9:30pm
The Forbidden Room
YAC
31
SATURDAY FEB 13 10-11:30am
Master Class with Alan Zweig
YAC Studio 40
10am
Boy and the World
YAC
32
12:30pm
Drone*
YAC
32
3pm
Children of the Arctic*
YAC
33
6pm
Hurt
YAC
33
Into the Forest
YAC
34
8:30pm
SUNDAY FEB 14 10am
Angirattut (Coming Home) + When Water Covered the Earth*
YAC
35
12:30pm
Al Purdy Was Here*
YAC
35
3pm
The Shore Break*
YAC
36
5pm
Brooklyn
YAC
36
7:30pm
The Great Alone*
YAC
37
YAC Yukon Arts Centre, 300 College Drive KDCC Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre, 1171 Front Street $8 tickets available for youth under 16
*
thursday Feb 11
MEMORY TRAP: THE HERD THAT WOULDN’T DISAPPEAR
10:00am
ZAHIR RANA: A LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
School Screening: Memory Trap + Chi’gii: A Caribou Calf
SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON ENERGY
Memory Trap: The Herd that Wouldn’t Disappear DIR. ALLAN CODE, YUKON, 2015, 50 MIN
See description on page 20. Director Allan Code in attendance. Chi’gii: A Caribou Calf DIR. KELLY MILNER, YUKON, 2016, 8 MIN
Chi’igii is the word for caribou calf in the Gwitch’in language. This lovely puppet animation follows Chi’igii from the time she is a newborn to her first birthday in order to illustrate the challenges young caribou must face to survive in the Arctic. Director Kelly Milner in attendance. 12:00pm
Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane + The Shooting of Dan McGrew
PRECEDED BY THE SHOOTING OF DAN MCGREW SCREENING SPONSOR: PACESETTERS PETROLEUM ALL TICKETS: $8
Zahir Rana: A Life in the Fast Lane DIR. MICHAEL VERNON, YUKON, 2015, 48 MIN
Michael Vernon’s debut as writer/director is a television documentary for OMNI Television that follows the inspirational story of an immigrant to Canada who fights his way back from losing everything, twice, to realize his dream of owning the fastest Ferrari in the world. The Shooting of Dan McGrew DIR. BRADEN BRICKNER, ALBERTA, 2014, 10 MIN
It is 1897 in Dawson City. A gold prospector copes with a solitary existence in the wilderness by seeking revenge on the man who he believes has stolen his true love. Director Braden Brickner in attendance.
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thursday Feb 11
THE AMINA PROFILE
5:30pm
BEEBA BOYS
The Amina Profile
DIR. SOPHIE DERASPE, QUÉBEC, 2015, 86 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON QUEER FILM ALLIANCE
When well-known Syrian blogger Amina Arraf—purportedly kidnapped by local authorities— was revealed to be an elaborate hoax persona, an entire international community realized it had been ‘catfished.’ But the betrayal cut deepest for Canadian activist Sandra Bagaria, who had been involved in an online relationship with Amina. Playing out like a detective story, The Amina Profile reconstructs this astounding tale of global deceit from Sandra’s perspective. As she traverses the globe in search of answers, questioning journalists, activists and intelligence agencies, she prepares for a face-to-face confrontation with Amina’s creator. In French, English and Arabic with English subtitles. Winner of Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival 2015. 7:30pm
Beeba Boys
DIR. DEEPA MEHTA, CANADA, 2015, 103 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: SEQUOIA KITCHENS & DESIGN
Deepa Mehta (Water, Midnight’s Children) has been the most frequently featured director throughout the 14 years of ALFF. Beeba Boys marks the 6th Deepa Mehta film to be presented at Available Light, and her first time attending ALFF. Gang leader Jeet Johar and his young, loyal, and often-brutal crew dress like peacocks, love attention and openly compete with an old-style Indo crime syndicate to take over the Vancouver drug and arms trade. Blood is spilled, hearts are broken and family bonds shattered as the Beeba Boys (‘good boys’) do anything to be seen and to be feared in a white world. In English and Punjabi with English subtitles. “Mehta channels her inner Tarantino for a noteworthy change of pace, one that pursues her career-long inquiry into identity and the immigrant experience with explosive results.” ~Peter Howell, Toronto Star Director Deepa Mehta and producer David Hamilton in attendance. Travel supported by Mehaffey Consulting Inc.
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friday Feb 12
HEART OF A DOG
12:00pm
THE DEVOUT
Heart of a Dog
DIR. LAURIE ANDERSON, FRANCE/UNITED STATES, 2015, 75 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: THE FEED STORE/PET JUNCTION ALL TICKETS: $8
Renowned multidisciplinary artist Laurie Anderson returns with this lyrical and powerfully personal essay film that reflects on the deaths of her mother, her husband Lou Reed and her beloved rat terrier Lolabelle, as well as such diverse subjects as family memories, surveillance and Buddhist teachings. “Laurie Anderson’s Heart of a Dog is not just a movie but a guided meditation, drawing viewers into a state of peaceful contemplation from which they can consider such subjects as death, loss, and unconditional love.” ~Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader 4:30pm
The Devout
DIR. CONNOR GASTON, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2015, 102 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON HAVEN SUITES
Victoria, BC writer/director Connor Gaston’s first feature thoughtfully delves into differing worldviews on death, transition and the power of belief. Reflective and provocative, the film follows the dynamics of a young Christian family when their terminally ill daughter suggests that she was an astronaut in a past life. Her father has a profound crisis of faith and risks his marriage and his remaining days with his child to find out if she will live again. “…haunting and spare; watching it unfold feels like entering a sanctuary of private lives, with turns and reversals that spark like precisely aimed fireworks, illuminating the story at exactly the right moments.” ~Denise Ryan, The Vancouver Sun
30
friday Feb 12
NINTH FLOOR
7:00pm
THE FORBIDDEN ROOM
Ninth Floor
DIR. MINA SHUM, QUÉBEC, 2015, 81 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Over four decades after the infamous 1969 Sir George Williams College Riot, Ninth Floor reopens the file on a watershed moment in Canadian race relations and one of the most contested episodes in the nation’s history. Making an audacious foray into non-fiction, writer and director Mina Shum (Double Happiness, Drive She Said) engages the original protagonists (most were Caribbean students drawn to study in Montréal by the ‘one world’ utopian vibes of Expo 67) in a compassionate cinematic exercise of reckoning and redemption in this highly conceptual and powerful documentary. Selected one of 2015 ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ feature films. Producer Selwyn Jacob in attendance. 9:30pm
The Forbidden Room
DIR. GUY MADDIN & EVAN JOHNSON, CANADA, 2015, 118 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: CADENCE CYCLE
Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson’s depraved fever dream, rendered in glorious over-saturated colour, is arguably Maddin’s greatest achievement in cinema to date and this year’s Canadian film that features the most nudity. “A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love.” “Maddin’s latest is a paean to movies lost, forgotten, or never made. There’s also an art-film lover’s dream cast: icons Geraldine Chaplin and Charlotte Rampling; some of Quebec’s best actors (Roy Dupuis, Clara Furey, Sophie Desmarais, Karine Vanasse); European stars Mathieu Amalric and Maria de Medeiros; and indefatigable Maddin regular Louis Negin. Each new “room” is as depraved, sinful, beautiful, wild, and wondrous as the last, as if the movie was designed to give prudish censors a never-ending string of coronaries.” ~Steve Gravestock, Canada’s Top Ten Selected one of 2015 ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ feature films. 31
saturday Feb 13
BOY AND THE WORLD
10:00am
DRONE
Boy and the World
DIR. ALÊ ABREU, BRAZIL, 2013, 80 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ANGELLINA’S TOY BOUTIQUE FREE SCREENING!
Cuca’s cozy rural life is shattered when his father leaves for the city, prompting him to embark on a quest to reunite his family. The young boy’s journey unfolds like a tapestry, the animation taking on increasing complexity as his small world expands. This nearly wordless story depicts a clash between village and city, hand crafted and mechanized, rich and poor – and throughout the tumult, the heart and soul of the people beats on as a song. The film’s music is on equal footing with the stunning visuals, a soundscape of pan-flute, samba, and Brazilian hip-hop mixes with a whirling carnival colors and exploding fireworks. 12:30pm
Drone
DIR. TONJE HESSEN SCHEI, NORWAY, 2014, 78 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, YUKON CHAPTER
Chilling in its implications of the imminent ubiquity of drone warfare, this powerful documentary brings us inside the CIA’s covert drone war. Featuring survivors and those who live under constant threat of drone strikes in Pakistan, activist lawyers attempting to use international courts to stop the program, military analysts who still maintain their efficacy and Brandon Bryant, a former drone pilot turned vocal critic, Drone offers an absorbing and revelatory perspective on this disturbing weaponry. In Pashto, Urdu and English with English subtitles. Winner of 4 film festival awards at Bergen, Tromsø and San Sebastian festivals.
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saturday Feb 13
CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC
3:00pm
HURT
Children of the Arctic
CANADIAN PREMIERE. DIR. NICK BRANDESTINI, SWITZERLAND, 2014, 92 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: MEADIA SOLUTIONS
This sensitive and gorgeously shot observational documentary by the Swiss filmmaker Brandestini (Darwin, ALFF 2012) portrays a year-in-the-life of five Iñupiat teenagers coming of age in Barrow, Alaska. As they embark on their journey into adulthood in and outside of Barrow, they wrestle with their roles as inheritors of a jeopardized culture. Their decisions are inextricably tied to the fate of their community. Who will carry the Iñupiat torch? Who will choose a more individualistic path? And what hangs in the balance? Under the weight of societal and environmental issues, these promising teenagers are finding it challenging to sustain the adaptability that has long defined their people. In English and Inupiaq with English subtitles. Director Nick Brandestini in attendance. 6:00pm
Hurt
DIR. ALAN ZWEIG, ONTARIO, 2015, 84 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: WHITEHORSE MOTORS
Hurt tells the powerful story of Steve Fonyo, who ran across Canada at 19 years of age after having lost his left leg to cancer, becoming both a national hero and the youngest recipient of the Order of Canada. The next 30 years went straight downhill. Living in Whalley, BC—one of the poorest postal codes in Canada—Fonyo spiraled into a life of petty theft, larceny, and drug addiction. Today, Steve Fonyo is a mass of contradictions. Spend a year in the world of this one-time hero and see how his historical run has nothing—and everything—to do with his life. “Though Fonyo’s story is transfixing, it is director Alan Zweig’s empathy and with that lift this documentary to the level of contemporary classics like Crumb. Zweig shows us a Canada seldom seen onscreen—and rarely with such impact.” ~Steve Gravestock, TIFF Winner of ‘Platform Prize’ at TIFF 2015. Selected one of 2015 ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ feature films. Director Alan Zweig in attendance. 33
saturday Feb 13
INTO THE FOREST
8:30pm
INTO THE FOREST
Into the Forest
DIR. PATRICIA ROZEMA, ONTARIO, 2015, 101 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: KOBAYASHI + ZEDDA ARCHITECTS
Based on the novel by Jean Hegland, Into the Forest is a raw and elegant fable that explores the beauty that can come of painful beginnings, the denial we resort to in a world come unhinged and the strength that can be found when our plans for our lives have been obliterated. It is a poetic and deeply moving portrayal of the relationship between two sisters (Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood) struggling to live in a remote British Columbia community as they discover the world around them is on the brink of an apocalypse. Informed only by rumour, they fight intruders, disease, loneliness and starvation. “Beautiful and sensitive to character but gripping when it needs to be.” ~John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter Selected one of 2015 ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ feature films. “Page and Wood offer powerful and nuanced performances as young women forced to re-examine their place in the world and their relationship with the land, their home, and each other. Rozema offers a fresh and potent take on the apocalyptic thriller, exposing the vulnerabilities of our modern world while bringing a humanistic approach to her film’s fearsome vision of an all-too-plausible future.” ~Magali Simard, Canada’s Top Ten 2015
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sunday Feb 14
ANGIRATTUT (COMING HOME)
10:00am
AL PURDY WAS HERE
Angirattut (Coming Home) + When Water Covered the Earth
DIR. ZACHARIAS KUNUK, NUNAVUT, 2014, 85 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: KRISTINE LAWRIE, CA, LTD
After being relocated from their homeland five decades ago and dispersed throughout Nunavut, a group of elders return to Siugarjuk and embrace the restorative power of their homeland to heal personal loss. In the process, they share their life stories and the oral history of an ancient way of life to help the next generation of Inuit meet the challenge of survival in the 21st century. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Zacharias Kunuk (Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner) Angirattut follows this homecoming voyage to celebrate his ancestors and their life on the land. This film is presented intentionally without subtitles to create an experience where non-Inuktitut speakers become immersed in the Inuit language and landscape.
Preceded by: When Water Covered the Earth WORLD PREMIERE. DIR. MARY CODE, YUKON, 2016, 14 MIN
Mary Code’s late father tells the Sayisi Dene legend of the “great snow” and the “great flood” in Dene, just as he learned it from his grandparents in the early 1900s. This ancient oral story is brought to life with a mix of animation by Andrew Sharp and live action video. In Dene with English subtitles. Director Mary Code in attendance. 12:30pm
Al Purdy Was Here
DIR. BRIAN D. JOHNSON, CANADA, 2015, 92 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: THE WAYFARER OYSTER HOUSE
By turns elegiac and celebratory, this documentary tribute to the late, great Canadian poet Al Purdy features readings, reminiscences and performances from some of the greatest names in Canadian letters and music. Meanwhile, the beloved A-frame home Purdy built in Prince Edward County, Ontario is being lovingly resurrected. This screening will feature an introductory reading by Whitehorse poet Michael Eden Reynolds. 35
sunday Feb 14
THE SHORE BREAK
3:00pm
BROOKLYN
The Shore Break
DIR. RYLEY GRUNENWALD, SOUTH AFRICA, 2014, 90 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ARCTIC STAR PRINTING INC.
Two cousins stand on competing sides of an epic battle over a proposed mining project that will tear up the fragile shoreline ecosystem on tribal land. On South Africa’s stunning Wild Coast, the Pondo people have tended their traditional way of life for centuries. A young, local ecotourism guide is a staunch supporter of her people and defender of the endangered environment on which their livelihood and culture depend. Her cousin, a local entrepreneur and self-proclaimed modernizer, is fully supportive of the titanium-mining proposal and the government’s controversial plan to build a tolled highway across their land. Featuring arresting cinematography, beautiful sand animation and beguiling access to both of the main characters, The Shore Break is a visual and emotional thriller. In English and ‘Isimpondo with English subtitles. 5:00pm
Brooklyn
DIR. JOHN CROWLEY, IRE/CAN/UK, 2015, 111 MIN SCREENING SPONSORS: THE CLAIM CAFÉ & FOOD CO. + UNIGLOBE SPECIALTY TRAVEL - WHITEHORSE
This sweeping period drama tells the profoundly moving story of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan), a young Irish immigrant navigating her way through 1950s Brooklyn. Lured by the promise of the American Dream, Eilis departs Ireland and the comfort of her mother’s home for the shores of New York City. The initial shackles of homesickness quickly diminish as a fresh romance sweeps Eilis into the intoxicating charm of love. But soon, her new found vivacity is disrupted by ghosts of her past, and Eilis is forced to choose between two countries and the respective lives she has come to know within. Nominated for three 2016 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
36
sunday Feb 14
THE GREAT ALONE
7:30pm
THE GREAT ALONE
The Great Alone
DIR. GREG KOHS, USA 2015, 80 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: MUKTUK ADVENTURES LTD.
Framed around the 2013 Iditarod race, this powerful documentary offers a glimpse into the life of four-time Iditirod and four-time Yukon Quest winner Lance Mackey, one of dog-sledding’s most celebrated and eccentric champions. As we follow Mackey’s attempt to win his fifth Iditirod title, the harsh Alaskan conditions and mounting setbacks threaten to defeat him. Capturing Lance’s inspiring comeback story after being diagnosed with throat cancer in 2001 and offering stunning cinematography of the Alaskan wilderness, The Great Alone tells the incredible story of one man and his dogs, and how they came to save each other. Grand Jury Award, Seattle International Film Festival. Winner of the Grand Prize, Banff Mountain Film Festival. “The wondrous cinematography isn’t limited to only these expansive (mountain) shots that on their own could be mistaken as meticulous paintings, it also brings us closer to Mackey. The camera is devoted to its subject and captures even the smallest moments between Mackey and his dogs. There is a nearly romantic subtext that emerges wordlessly as Mackey rests with and cares for his team. As fantastically as it captures the environment of Alaska, it just as skillfully observes the man, something that remains eminently impressive.” ~Derek Deskins, Next Projection
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PROUD SUPPORTERS OF
AVAILABLE LIGHT FILM FESTIVAL 2016 Klondike Business Solutions Whitehorse Beverages
Yellowknife Beverages
WHITEHORSE, YT
WHITEHORSE, YT
YUKON’S DISTRIBUTOR OF COCA-COLA PRODUCTS
General Waste Management Kamloops Office Systems
WHITEHORSE, YT
KAMLOOPS, BC
Yukon Water Services
WHITEHORSE, YT
Sunset Septic Services
WHITEHORSE, YT
Hollins Industries
YELLOWKNIFE, NWT
NWT’S DISTRIBUTOR OF COCA-COLA PRODUCTS
Horst Precision Machine
KAMLOOPS BC
Okanagan Office Systems
KELOWNA, BC
Chilkahit Holdings
WHITEHORSE, YT
Prince Albert Beverages
NORTHERN SASK. & NORTHERN
MANITOBA’S DISTRIBUTOR OF COCA-COLA PRODUCTS
100 MILE HOUSE, BC
867-456-4202
www.ttlp.com
Since its inception in 1986, the Harold Greenberg Fund has provided 60 million dollars of support to over 2,500 script development projects and 200 feature films.
Proud Sponsor of the Available Light Film Festival 2016 38
alff indust ry Feb 7-11 The 7th Annual ALFF Industry is full of panels, workshops, master classes, and networking events for Yukon creators. Highlights of the 5-day event include sessions on financing + broadcast, digital distribution, international sales, digital media + storytelling, as well as one-on-one meetings with visiting industry, mixers and the ALFF Pitch Event! Featuring a keynote address by Dylan Marchetti, Chief Creative Officer of Amplify Releasing.
Full info on events and guests at yukonfilmsociety.com/alff/workshops Registration info on page 9.
PRESENTING PARTNER: DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YUKON FILM & SOUND COMMISSION
SPECIAL EVENTS & WORKSHOPS The following workshops and special events are open to the public. Pre-register as space is limited. Contact alffi@yukonfilsociety.com for more information or to register. Workshop fees: $40 general/$30 YFS Production Members, free for ALFF Industry pass-holders unless otherwise noted.
Storytelling on Screen with Ingrid Veninger Saturday, Feb 6, 10:15am-12:15pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
How to develop story structure, characters and subtext to turn a great idea into something that works on screen.
Producing for Independent Creators with Avi Federgreen Saturday, Feb 6, 1:15-5:00pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
What you need to know—and what it takes—to produce low-budget, independent, high quality projects.
The Force of Impact with JoAnne Fishburn Tuesday, Feb 9, 9:00am-1:00pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
Learn about using film as a tool for social change to create new opportunities for engaging and changing audiences & stakeholders.
39
alff indust ry Feb 7-11 ALFF Pitch Event Tuesday, Feb 9, 2:00pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC CO-PRESENTED WITH SCREEN PRODUCTION YUKON ASSOCIATION (SPYA)
Free. Priority given to ALFF Industry pass-holders. No pre-registration; limited seating. Yukon creators pitch their projects to a jury, vying for production prizes.
Skeleton Crewing & Cinematography with Damien Gillis & Fiona Rayher Wednesday, Feb 10, 9:00am-12:00pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
Explore practical strategies for achieving high production value in documentary filmmaking with minimal crew and equipment.
Directors’ Prep for Web Series Saturday, Feb 13, 9:00am-4:30pm | Yukon Arts Centre Studio Theatre CO-PRESENTED WITH SCREEN PRODUCTION YUKON ASSOCIATION (SPYA)
Special Price: $25/$20 ALFF Industry pass-holders.
master class Special Master Class with Alan Zweig Saturday, Feb 13, 10:00am Studio Theatre, Yukon Arts Centre
Tickets: $12/$10 YFS Members, free for Industry pass-holders. Cash only at the door. Five Film Passes accepted. Alan Zweig (I, Curmudgeon, 15 Reasons to Live, When Jews Were Funny) is known for using film to explore his own life. In this documentary master class, Zweig will share how he has used his personal perspective as an entry point for telling collective stories, how auteurism can exist in documentary film, and his experiences working on the Steve Fonyo documentary, Hurt.
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alff indust ry Feb 7-11 INTRODUCING THE AVAILABLE LIGHT TALENT LAB The inaugural Talent Lab on February 5th & 6th provides a specialized development program for nine emerging independent Yukon filmmakers. The program aims to provide real-world skills and a thorough understanding of today’s media and production landscape in order to support up-and-coming Yukon filmmakers. Congratulations to this year’s participants! The program is supported by our presenting partner: Department of Economic Development, Yukon Film & Sound Commission.
ALFF is pleased to welcome the following guests to the festival: Caleb Behn
FRACTURED LAND
Sonia Boileau
Max Fraser
BROKE DOWN DAWSON TOWN BOND OF STRANGERS
LE DEP
Gavin Gardiner
Nick Brandestini
MUSICIAN
Braden Brickner
FRACTURED LAND
CHILDREN OF THE ARCTIC THE SHOOTING OF DAN MCGREW
Nathalie Clermont
CANADA MEDIA FUND
Betsy Carson KONELĪNE: OUR LAND BEAUTIFUL
Allan Code
Damien Gillis
David Hamilton
HAMILTON MEHTA PRODUCTIONS
Anita Adams
CANADA SCREENS
Kevin Hannam
YUKON FILM & SOUND COMMISSION
MEMORY TRAP: THE HERD THAT WOULDN’T DISAPPEAR
Selwyn Jacob
Mary Code
Daniel Janke
WHEN WATER COVERED THE WORLD
Suzanne Crocker
DRIFT PRODUCTIONS
Claire Dion BELL FUND
Charlotte Engel CBC DOCS
Sean Embury
DENMAN DIGITAL
Avi Federgreen
FEDERGREEN ENTERTAINMENT
JoAnne Fishburn
IMPACT PRODUCER
NINTH FLOOR THE GRUBSTAKE REMIX
Lulu Keating
BROKE DOWN DAWSON TOWN
Nicholas Klassen
Kelly Milner
CHI’GII: A CARIBOU CALF
Katherine Monk WRITER
Martin Paul-Hus AMÉRIQUE FILM
Peter Raymont
WHITE PINE PICTURES
Fiona Rayner
FRACTURED LAND
Dan Sokolowski
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
Shirley Vercruysse
NFB PACIFIC & YUKON
Ingrid Veninger
HE HATED PIGEONS
Michael Vernon
ZAHIR RANA: A LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Nettie Wild
NFB INTERACTIVE
KONELĪNE: OUR LAND BEAUTIFUL
Ingo Lou
Charles Wilkinson
TREMBLING VOID STUDIOS
Dylan Marchetti
AMPLIFY RELEASING
Siobhan McCarthy
BLYSSFUL PRODUCTIONS
Deepa Mehta
HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD
Alan Zweig HURT
Jesse Zubot MUSICIAN
BEEBA BOYS
41
creative spot lights FREE events where you can learn more about what’s behind the films and media work at ALFF, and meet and hear from festival guests about their creative process. A Composer’s Insight Sunday, Feb 7, 12:00pm | Multipurpose Room, KDCC
Musicians and filmmakers alike will have lots to learn about composing and working with a composer in this session with musician Jesse Zubot. Jesse’s recent film credits include: KONELĪNE, Two Lovers and a Bear and Hector and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Daniel Janke & Allan Code: Independent Filmmaking in the Yukon on a Micro-Budget Monday, Feb 8, 4:30pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
Whitehorse directors Allan Code and Daniel Janke show clips from their films and discuss directing and producing their wildly dissimilar productions Memory Trap (Code) and The Grubstake Remix (Janke), which were made on similar budgets.
Ghosts of the Joe Henry Interactive Performance Tuesday, Feb 9, 4:30pm | Multi-Purpose Room, KDCC
Dan Sokolowski (in collaboration with John Steins) launches the interactive companion website to his YFS-commissioned documentary short Ghosts of the Joe Henry. Dan will present a 20-minute click-through presentation of the website with live music accompaniment by Peter Cox. An artist talk will follow the presentation.
Marketing Music in a Digital Universe with Gavin Gardiner Wednesday, Feb 10: 4:30pm | Artists’ Studio, KDCC
Gavin Gardiner, chief songwriter and lead singer of The Wooden Sky, plays a significant role in marketing and promoting the band. In this music industry meets the media industry session, Gavin will discuss the use of video as both a marketing tool and creative outlet in supporting the band’s music, and how video works in tandem with other digital marketing.
In Conversation with Deepa Mehta Thursday, Feb 11, 4:30pm | Multi-Purpose Room, KDCC
Deepa Mehta is a powerhouse filmmaker with a unique and compelling style. We’ll hear about her approach to telling under-represented stories, as well as her latest filmmaking experience working on Beeba Boys. Hosted by Katherine Monk, bestselling author of Weird Sex and Snowshoes and Other Canadian Film Phenomena and a regular contributor to CBC Radio, Global Television, The Ex-Press and Corus Radio.
42
media a rt
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY Interactive media art installation by Dan Sokolowski February 5 to 27 | Yukon Arts Centre Community Gallery PRESENTED WITH THE YUKON ARTS CENTRE GALLERY
The Dempster Highway is the only road in Canada that crosses the Arctic Circle. It is the meeting of a man-made entity and some of the most isolated landscapes on the planet. Locally, it is often referred to as “The Joe Henry Highway” in honour of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Elder who was instrumental in the construction of the highway that passes through their traditional lands. Ghosts of the Joe Henry is an interactive media site created in collaboration with Dawson City artist John Steins that blends images and sounds of the land, people, flora and fauna that inhabit the lands that the highway traverses. Dan Sokolowski lives in Dawson City, in Canada’s Yukon, and is the producer of the Dawson City International Short Film Festival. He has taught courses in 16mm filmmaking, animation and studio arts. He was a board member of the Independent Filmmakers Cooperative of Ottawa, the Canadian Film Institute and the Yukon Film Society. Ghosts of the Joe Henry the film and interactive website was commissioned by the Yukon Film Society for its 30th Anniversary in 2014. With support from Yukon Culture Quest and Canada Council for the Arts. 43
Help us bring the ALFF experience to Whitehorse all year long... Each year, the Available Light Film Festival rents a Digital Cinema Projector to bring you the best in independent Canadian and international fiction and documentary films, presented as movies are meant to be shown – with a bright, crystal clear image on the largest screen in the Yukon. This year, we are raising money to buy our own Digital Cinema Projector so that we can bring you outstanding first-run independent, art-house and international cinema all year round. To make a donation and for more information, please visit the festival membership table or alff.ca.
STUNNING VISUALS ON THE BIG SCREEN
CINEMA AS IT’S MEANT TO BE SEEN
t hank you ProjectTech Entertainment, Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Zone Festival, Punk Films, Mongrel Media, John Dippong, Kinosmith Distribution, eOne Films, Films We Like, Elevation Pictures, National Film Board of Canada, K-Films Amérique, Shore Films Entertainment, Hootalinqua Motion Pictures, Vtape, SPIRA films, Jennifer Bowen, Na Ho productions, White Pine Pictures, Film Collaborative, Self Inflicted Entertainment, Filmoption International, MDF Productions, Theatricast, Pacific Northwest Pictures, Les Films du 3 mar, Tom Alexander, Chris Emery, Michael Vernon, Gkids, Duncan Sinclair, Northern Town Films, Craig Carpenter, Hogg Wild Productions, Kim Winnicky, MV Films SA, Envi Films, Virginie Hamel, Andrew Stratis, Iris Merritt, Greg Karais, Sophie Jarvis, Dylan Soo, Victoria Kennedy, Christopher Griffiths, Michelle Latimer, Josh Jansen, Al Cushing, Susanne Hingley, Matt Poushinsky, Jessica Vellenga, Kevin Hannam, Naomi Mark, Dan Sokolowski, Lenore Morris, Janet Patterson, Melaine Fillion, Meredith Kenzie, Jim Kemshead, Zoë Toupin, Patrick Matheson, Ron Harvey and Peter Mather. The staff and volunteers at the Yukon Arts Centre and Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre. YFS Board of Directors: Noel Sinclair, Jessica Hall, Chris Ross, Shaunaugh Stikeman, Moriah MacMillan, Nina Reed. All the festival volunteers, sponsors, supporters, guests and audiences over the last 14 years.
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WE ARE MORE GREEN THAN EVER Phone: 867.668.4733 info@asprinting.ca 204 Strickland Street, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2J8
* because the environment matters
Yukon music in the intimate YAC Studio Theatre
Co-presented with Jazz Yukon & Music Yukon
Saturday, Feb 6 9pm Scott Maynard 10pm Diyet
Sunday, Feb 7 9pm Daniel Janke 10pm Rob Dixon
w/
jesse zubot
Doors at 8:30 pm Performances at 9:00 pm
tickets: $ 15 per night/ $25 for both nights
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ALFF AND ALFF INDUSTRY PRESENTERS
YFS ANNUAL SUPPORT
PREMIER SPONSORS
MAJOR SPONSORS
FESTIVAL SPONSORS
FESTIVAL SUPPORTERS
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C M F + Y O U = CANADIAN S TO R I E S , A M PLI F I E D
We promote. You entertain. The Canada Media Fund is committed to promoting exceptional content and celebrating what is uniquely ours, here and abroad. Discover more at CMF-FMC.CA Brought to you by the Government of Canada and Canada’s cable, satellite and IPTV distributors.
EDGEWATER HOTEL
1-800-554-4471 4051-4th Ave
867-667-2572 101 Main St
1-800-661-0539 411 Main St
YOU WILL ALWAYS GET THE
RED CARPET TREATMENT AT OUR HOTELS yukonhotels.com
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