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c o n g r at u l at i o n s !
13 The Yukon Film & Sound Commission is proud to be a presenting partner of the Media Industry Forum at the Available Light Film Festival and congratulates the Yukon Film Society on thirteen years of successfully entertaining and introducing the Yukon filmmaking community to the world!
Economic Development
Film & Sound Commission
reelyukon.com • 867-667-8285 • info@reelyukon.com
SHOWCASING CANADA’S TALENT.
STORIES THAT BRING US TOGETHER DES HISTOIRES QUI NOUS RASSEMBLENT
TELEFILM.CA
PROUD SUPPORTER OF NORTHERN PRODUCTION
Superchannel FULL Colour All the Time in the World Written, directed and produced by Suzanne Crocker
Sol Co-directed by Marie-Hélène Cousineau & Susan Avingaq Written by Marie-Hélène Cousineau & Dana Schoel
MOVIES | SERIES | DOCUMENTARIES | CONCERTS | FESTIVAL GEMS
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UNEDITED AND COMMERCIAL-FREE! Call your television service provider to subscribe to Super Channel or visit www.superchannel.ca
There may be strange things done in the midnight sun,
but it’s all worth seeing.
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.
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PHOTO: JUSTIN BROADBENT
OK
“The Wooden Sky’s Let’s Be Ready channels Americana, the lilt of country and the patient dignity of the National, and it nods at the Hip–the latter thanks partly to Gardiner’s undulating, twang-inflected vocals.” ~Now Magazine Tickets: $26/$25 YFS Members
WELCOME
Welcome to the 13th annual Available Light Film Festival! This is Yukon Film Society’s 30th anniversary season and to celebrate we’re bringing Canadian filmmakers and films from coast to coast to coast to Whitehorse as well as musicians and artists to perform seven live music with cinema performances at the festival this year. The 26 screenings at ALFF 2015 have been selected to bring you a slice of contemporary cinema. This year’s program shines a particular light on films from the Polar Regions and films from British Columbia. Don’t miss the Yukon premiere of two Yukon features: All the Time in the World (Suzanne Crocker) and Last Stop for Miles (Celia McBride) along with documentaries from Greenland (Sumé), Nunavut (SOL) and Antarctica (A Year on Ice). Independent filmmakers in BC have been making some fabulous films this past year. There are six films from BC at this year’s festival: Two 4 One, Down River, Violent, Just Eat It, Preggoland and Everything Will Be.
COVER: TANYA TAGAQ IMAGE BY IVAN OTIS/SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
You’ll also find beautiful, hilarious and harrowing cinema from elsewhere around the world: Québec, Cambodia, Greenland, Newfoundland & Labrador, Denmark, Norway, UK, Japan, Sweden, Ireland, USA, Germany and the Joe Henry Highway. If you’re curious or keen about the creation and business end of film and digital media, pick up the detailed program for the ALFF Media Industry Forum. Please join me in thanking all the artists, musicians and filmmakers for performing or sharing their films at the festival and the forum. It’s with great excitement and honour this year that we’ll be hosting musical legends of the Canadian stage: Tanya Tagaq, John Southworth, Julie Doiron, to name but a few and luminaries of the Canadian screen: Gavin Crawford, Gabrielle Rose, Ben Ratner, Stéphane Lafleur, Joel Thomas Hynes, who have been entertaining Canadians on screens large and small for many years. Thank you, as well, to film critic Geoff Pevere for joining us in Whitehorse again to host conversations with filmmakers throughout the festival. Enjoy the performances and the screenings. Gunalchîsh, Mahsi cho, merci, gracias, takk and thank you for coming to ALFF. Andrew Connors, Festival Director
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
One for Best Canadian Fiction Film. One for Best Canadian Doc. Ballots in YAC lobby!
FICTION
DOCUMENTARIES
Cast No Shadow Two 4 One You’re Sleeping Nicole Violent Last Stop for Miles Preggoland Down River Mommy
All the Time in the World Just Eat It Everything Will Be The Secret Trial 5 The Sower SOL
ALFF AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS
2015
ALFF TEAM Festival Director
Technical Director, Projections
Andrew Connors
Jayden Soroka
Festival Producer
Live Events Stage Manager
Erin Corbett
Adam Pope
YFS General Manager & Sponsorships
Projectionists
Zoë Toupin
David Curtis, Martin Nishikawa, Marty O’Brien
ALFF Media Industry Forum Producer
Daniel Janke
Workshop and Forum Technician
Guest Travel & Forum Venue Manager
Vanessa Corkal Graphic Design & Marketing
Guiniveve Lalena Press Contact & Social Media
Marty O’Brien Hospitality Team Leader
Hannah Zimmering Transportation Team Leader
Erin Maguire
Andrew Gilbutowicz /YukonFilmSociety
YukonFilmSociety
@ALFFYukon
ALFF.CA
FESTIVAL INFO ALFF TICKETS & PASSES Individual Tickets: $12/$11 YFS members, seniors, youth Individual Live Music and Cinema Main Stage events: $26/$25 YFS members Individual Live Music and Cinema Cabaret events: $17 Live Music & Cinema Pass: 9 events/films for $130 (Save $50) Five Film Pass: $53* Media Industry Forum Passes: $100/$80 YFS Production members Individual tickets to Forum events: $25/$20 YFS Production & Film Lover members Youth Tickets on select screenings: $8 (Refer to centre schedule on pages 26/27) Individual Tickets noon hour weekday screenings: $8 all tickets *Present your Five Film Pass at the YFS info table during the festival to receive a complimentary 2015/16 YFS Exhibition membership ($5 value).
WHERE TO GET TICKETS, PASSES AND REGISTER FOR THE FORUM Online: www.yukontickets.com Yukon Arts Centre Box Office: 867-667-8574, Mon to Fri, 10am to 3pm At the door: Box Office is open throughout the festival. Please pick up tickets well in advance to avoid lineups. Arts Underground: 305 Main Street, lower level, Hougen’s Centre ALFF Live Music & Cinema Pass is not available at Arts Underground
FIVE FILM PASS Use this pass to redeem tickets at the Yukon Arts Centre Box Office or at Arts Underground.
LIVE MUSIC AND CINEMA PASS This pass contains 9 individual tickets—one to each of the live events. You can split the pass tickets with your friends and share the savings. Available until Feb 5, 1pm while quantities last.
ALFF MEDIA INDUSTRY FORUM PASS Registration gives you access to 23 Forum events: round-tables, meetings, Master Classes, Yukon Short Film Showcase and receptions. Comedy Pitch Event not included.
VENUES Screenings: Yukon Arts Centre theatre, unless noted. Check schedule on pages 26/27. Media Industry Forum: Old Fire Hall, unless noted.
GENERAL FESTIVAL INFO All seating for Film Screenings and Cabaret Stage Events are General Admission. All seating for Live Main Stage Events are Reserved Seating. No food or drink allowed in the Yukon Are Centre theatre. Please turn off cell phones, no recording devices allowed. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of staff.
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The 2015 Available Light Film Festival program features an inspiring array of fiction and documentary cinema. This year’s festival has been expanded to include media art performances by local and visiting artists, and musicians. The festival makes a distinct and important contribution to Yukon’s rich and diverse arts calendar which attracts Yukoners and visitors alike. On behalf of the Government of Yukon, thank you and congratulations to the Yukon Film Society for their creativity and hard work in producing this much-loved festival. To movie-goers from Yukon, neighbouring Alberta and British Columbia and from Alaska and beyond – welcome. Best wishes for a successful festival.
Elaine Taylor Minister of Tourism and Culture
Hart to Heart
reflections / réflexions
3D VIDEO INSTALLATION
YUKON ARTS CENTRE COMMUNITY GALLERY
BY MARTEN BERKMAN WITH BAPTISTE BOHELAY AND JORDY WALKER
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FEB 6 - 27
Welcome to the 13th annual Available Light Film Festival. 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 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 Canadian and international films, as well as the media art and live music performances. Sincerely, Mayor Dan Curtis City of Whitehorse
Telefilm Canada is delighted to partner with the Available Light Film Festival 2015, an ideal opportunity to discover or rediscover Canadian filmmaking—a cinema brimming with talent! Our filmmakers share a rich diversity of stories and characters that surprise, touch and entertain us all as well as make us laugh and think. Their expertise is unique. Their profoundly original stories are appreciated worldwide, as attested by tremendous success at the Oscars, Cannes, Berlin, Shanghai as well as many other major festivals and markets. Telefilm hopes that more and more Canadians get to experience their national cinema, now accessible on multiple platforms, and that they identify with its importance for the country. We provide support to dynamic companies as well as to highly talented creators, actors and artisans from all regions. And we also work with the industry and numerous partners to promote Canadian cinema, both at home and abroad. Congratulations to the organizers of Available Light Film Festival. Enjoy the films! Michel Roy Chair of the Board, Telefilm Canada
GUEST FILMMAKERS Marten Berkman is a media artist and photographer whose work explores the wilderness of remote environments and our relationship with it. His work appears in collections, festivals, broadcast and speaking engagements. Other work includes photography for Canadian Geographic, HD and full dome video production for Yukon and Yukon First Nations and film production for the NFB. Award-winning gender-queer filmmaker, Maureen Bradley has made over forty short films that have screened internationally. Maureen developed Two 4 One through the NSI’s Features First Program. She won a Leo award for directing the Best Web Series for Freshman’s Wharf and has won awards for her short films Queer Across Canada, Go! Dyke, Go! and Forever.
James Brown is a film producer based in Vancouver, BC. His producing credits include the
multi-award winning drama Down River and the Leo-Award winning film Sisters & Brothers. Currently, James is working on several projects including the first feature from writer/director Kathleen Hepburn called Never Steady, Never Still.
Stéphane Cardin has over fifteen years of experience in the film and television industry. He is Vice President of Industry and Public Affairs with the Canada Media Fund. Mr. Cardin maintains an ongoing dialogue with industry and government stakeholders, leads the development of policies and programs, and reinforces the positioning of the CMF within the industry. He has worked for the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office (CAVCO) and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Gavin Crawford is an award-winning actor and among Canada’s most sought-after comedic
performers. Originally from Alberta, Gavin has worked with Toronto’s The Second City and appeared in 8 seasons of This Hour Has 22 Minutes to much critical acclaim both for his performance and writing. CBC aired the pilot Gavin Crawford’s Wild West which was nominated for five Canadian Screen Awards and awarded the CSA for Best Writing in a Comedy Program.
Suzanne Crocker arrived in Dawson City, Yukon twenty-two years ago as a family doctor. She
switched careers to filmmaker in 2009. All The Time In The World represents Suzanne Crocker’s feature film directing debut. At its World Premiere at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October 2014, All The Time In The World won the Audience Award for Most Popular Canadian Documentary.
Simon D’Amours is the protagonist and co-producer of his debut television series Hors des
sentiers battus which follows him as he meets with Yukon francophone. The 13-part documentary series will broadcast on unis.ca. Simon has produced video for national television, as well as commercial and private clients in Western Canada. Simon co-produced the short documentary Share the Road.
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John Dippong joined Telefilm Canada in 1997 after having been involved in feature film production, film festival organization and programming. He has taken on roles of increasing responsibility at Telefilm, including Regional Feature Film Executive for the past 12 years. John is responsible for identifying and implementing regional strategies, partnerships and special initiatives, which respond to Telefilm Canada’s business development objectives to build a vibrant audiovisual industry in Western Canada.
Kevin Eastwood is a Gemini Award-winning producer and director. Most recently he directed
Emergency Room: Life and Death at VGH, a documentary series that took an unprecedented look inside Vancouver’s busiest ER. Kevin’s previous credits include the biopic Elijah; the cult zombiecomedy, Fido; and the Charles Wilkinson documentary Oil Sands Karaoke (ALFF 2014).
Daniel Hogg won a Leo Award for producing the web series Freshman’s Wharf, earned another four nominations, and won the 2012 NSI Drama Prize to write and produce the award-winning short Floodplain. With Two 4 One behind him, Daniel is in production on his second feature, The Devout, a spiritual thriller with a sci-fi twist.
Andrew Huculiak is a gifted filmmaker and a quarter of Vancouver based Amazing Factory Productions. While he spends most of his time working to further his career as the drummer for We Are The City, Andrew retains a passion for film and is the director, co-writer and composer of the feature film Violent. Newfoundlander Joel Thomas Hynes is the award-winning author of novels Down to the Dirt and Right Away Monday, a chapbook, a collection of poetic non-fiction and numerous acclaimed stageplays. Hynes has also performed principle roles for television and film including Down to The Dirt, Book of Negroes, Crackie, Hatching Matching and Dispatching, Republic of Doyle, Re-Genesis and Cast No Shadow, which is a feature film adaptation of his novella Say Nothing Saw Wood.
Stéphane Lafleur is a filmmaker, musician and editor. His first feature Continental, a Film Without Guns, had its premiere at the Venice Festival, while Familiar Grounds won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin Festival. Stéphane Lafleur also edited the films Monsieur Lazhar and Le démantèlement. He’s the lead singer of Quebec’s folk band Avec pas d’casque. Tu dors Nicole is his third film.
Celia McBride is from Whitehorse, Yukon. She is an award-winning speaker, writer and performing artist. Her work in theatre and film has reached audiences all across Canada as well as in Europe and the United States. Throughout her career as a theatre and film artist, Celia taught acting, writing and worked often as performance dramaturge and a mentor for youth.
Cayne McKenzie has spent his life writing music and is best known as the singer-keyboardist for We Are The City. He has found another creative voice in the formation and execution of videos with Amazing Factory, collaborating on many videos and now a feature film.
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National Film Board of Canada
Everything Will Be Dir. Julia Kwan, BC Thursday February 12th 12:00pm Yukon Arts Centre Kwan captures the subtle nuances of a culturally diverse neighbourhood— Vancouver’s once-thriving Chinatown—in the midst of a transformation that plays out across many ethnic enclaves in North America.
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GUEST FILMMAKERS Geoff Pevere has a long career in reviewing, writing, broadcasting and teaching. He was
the host of CBC Radio’s Prime Time, Film International on TVOntario, and co-hosted Rogers Television’s Reel to Real. He reviewed movies for twelve years on CTV’s Canada AM and at the Toronto Star for ten. Pevere has published several books and is a regular film critic for The Globe and Mail.
Ben Ratner is an award-winning actor, writer and director. He wrote, directed and co-starred
in the feature film Moving Malcolm, which won many film festival awards. As a director Ratner has helmed the popular TV series Robson Arms. A protégé of renowned acting teacher and author Ivana Chubbuck, Ratner is a teacher to many of Canada’s top actors, and currently offers scene-study classes at his Haven Studio in Vancouver. With an extensive resume that includes multiple nominations and wins at the Genie Awards, Vancouver’s Gabrielle Rose is a familiar face to many audiences. She has worked with director Atom Egoyan on films such as Speaking Parts, The Sweet Hereafter and The Adjuster, along with director Carl Bessai in Mothers & Daughters, as well as with Bruce Sweeney on the film Excited, for which she won a Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance in a drama.
Jen Rustemeyer is a writer, producer and grassroots community builder. She produced and
was the subject of the 2010 film The Clean Bin Project, which won 10 festival awards. She has organized hundreds of public events and film screenings, built an eco-minded online community of thousands and spoken globally on sustainability issues. Just Eat It is her second feature documentary. An actor, writer, improviser, voice artist, director Naomi Snieckus is a regular on CBC’s hit comedy, Mr. D (Canadian Screen Award and Canadian Comedy Award winner). She is an alumnus of The Second City Toronto where she wrote and performed in five hit shows. Naomi is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of the 5-time Canadian comedy award-winning troupe The National Theatre of the World.
Dan Sokolowski lives in Dawson City and is the producer of the Dawson City International Short Film Festival. His films have been shown at many film festivals and events around the world. Dan has worked on over 40 independent productions as cinematographer, animator, assistant director and editor. He also has taught courses in 16mm filmmaking, animation and studio arts. A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Christian Sparkes was one of five directors chosen from across Canada to participate in the CFC Directors’ Lab in Toronto. He has directed five short films, which have won awards and been screened at festivals across the world. Cast No Shadow is his debut feature.
Jennifer Spence has had recurring roles on The 4400, Killer Instinct and Da Vinci’s Inquest.
Other memorable projects include guest starring on CBC’s Northern Town. She has a regular series role on the award-winning Continuum. It is a role for which she was nominated for a Leo Award. 15
Excellent Ideas.
AWARD-WINNING EXECUTION. outsidethecube.ca
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ALFF MEDIA INDUSTRY FORUM OVERVIEW Sun, Feb 8 to Wed, Feb 11 at the Old Fire Hall (except where noted) Presented by Yukon Film Society Presenting Partner: Yukon Film & Sound Commission
Registration and Forum Passes: please see page 9 of this program for details. For more details about the ALFF Forum, visit alff.ca or pick up a Forum print program. * = Limited capacity event, contact tech@yukonfilmsociety.com to register.
Saturday, Feb 7
(Forum Satellite Event)
1:00 - 4:00pm Cinematography Master Class
Keith Partridge (Touching the Void) is an award-winning BBC cameraman and director of photography who will examine the production workflow necessary to create a world-class series.
Sunday, Feb 8 9:30am - 1:30pm Acting for the Camera Workshop with Ben Ratner*
This workshop is a must for stage actors looking to work on film productions. Ben Ratner operates Haven Studio for actors in Vancouver, BC and directed Down River. Location: Yukon Arts Centre studio theatre. 9:30 - 11:30am Financing: An Update on Federal and Territorial Funding Programs
Program developments at Canada Media Fund, Telefilm Canada and Yukon Film & Sound Commission. 2:00 - 5:00pm One-on-One Meetings
20-minute meetings with forum guests, by appointment. 8:30 - 9:45pm ALFF Comedy Pitch Event 2015
Yukon-based comedy artists pitch their ideas to a live audience and panel. Panelists: Gavin Crawford (This Hour Has 22 Minutes); Kyle Tingley (writer, This Hour Has 22 Minutes) and Michelle Daly (head of CBC Comedy). Hosted by Naomi Snieckus (CBC’s Mr. D).
Monday, Feb 9 9:30 - 11:30am Hold On to Your Idea
Round table discussion about how to take a project forward and maintain creative involvement. 1:30 - 3:30pm Micro-Budget Filmmaking
This panel investigates how filmmakers go about creating a feature film with a micro-budget. 4:00 - 6:00pm Digital Distribution Strategies
Panelists discuss trends in digital media and interactive media production. 17
FORUM OVERVIEW Tuesday, Feb 10 9:30 - 11:30am In The Director’s Chair
Insider tips and tricks from fiction film directors! Panelists: Stéphane Lafleur (Tu Dors Nicole), Maureen Bradley (Two 4 One) and Christian Sparkes (Cast No Shadow). 1:30 - 3:30pm State Of the Yukon Media Industry
Presentations by Yukon producers, Screen Production Yukon Association, Northwestel Community Cable 9, Klondike Institute of Arts and Culture, Music Yukon and Yukon Film Society. Presented in partnership with Screen Production Yukon Association (SPYA). 4:30 - 6:00pm Yukon Talent Showcase Screening
A program of recent shorts, commercials and excerpts from longer media works. 7:00 - 8:30pm The Adventure Game: A Cameraman’s Tales From Films at the Edge
Since his groundbreaking work on Touching the Void, Keith Partridge has continued as a leader in the area of adventure documentary filmmaking. This will be an entertaining and anecdotefilled presentation.
Wednesday, Feb 11 10:00am - 1:00pm French Language Editing Workshop/ Atelier de Montage Vidéo*
Monteur vidéo Etienne Proulx vous guidera à travers les étapes de montage avec le logiciel Final Cut Pro X en français. Location: Association franco-yukonnaise: 302 Strickland Street. Presented in partnership with L’AFY. 1:30 - 3:30pm Screenwriting Workshop
Joel Thomas Hynes is a veteran actor, musician and writer from Newfoundland who will discuss early stages of screenplay development. 1:30 - 5:00pm Picture and Story Editing for Documentary Film Workshop*
A hands-on workshop with picture editor Carmen Pollard will look at crafting story and character arcs, organizing content and the stages of the documentary editing process. Location: Association franco-yukonnaise.
Thursday, Feb 12 10:00 - 11:30am Inside the Mind of a Film Festival Programmer
This session will be informative to those filmmakers submitting their work to film festivals.
Friday, Feb 13 10:00am - 4:00pm SPYA Media Industry Trade Show
SPYA presents three events aimed at demonstrating and sharing information about local production resources available to screen-media professionals: Lighting Orientation / SPYA Grip kit demo, Yukon Media Industry Trade Show, Camera Demonstration. If you’re curious to learn more about the film and media production community, come on by. Free admission. 18
FIRE HALL FILM TALKS Free admission lunchtime events at the Old Fire Hall 12:00 - 1:00pm daily This popular ‘meet the filmmakers’ series returns. Hear filmmakers and artists discuss the process behind making their projects. Presenting sponsor: Northwestel Community Cable 9.
Sunday, Feb 8
Suzanne Crocker; All The Time In The World Dan Sokolowski; Ghosts of the Joe Henry
Monday, Feb 9
Ben Ratner, Jennifer Spence and James Brown; Down River Tanya Tagaq and Jean Martin; Nanook of the North
Tuesday, Feb 10
Joel Thomas Hynes and Christian Sparkes; Cast No Shadow
Wednesday, Feb 11
Lindsay McIntyre; A Northern Portrait, film projection performance
Thursday, Feb 12
The Changing Face of Music Videos and Narrative Films John Southworth (singer-songwriter); Andrew Huculiak (Violent and We Are the City); Andrew Stratis (Headless Owl Records); Stéphane Lafleur (Tu Dors Nicole)
‘NOT NECESSARILY FOR FILMMAKERS’ FORUM EVENTS Sunday, Feb 8 8:30 - 9:45pm
ALFF Comedy Pitch Event (details page 17)
LOCATION: OLD FIRE HALL TICKETS: $12/$10 YFS MEMBERS
Tuesday, Feb 10 4:30 - 6:00pm
Yukon Talent Showcase Screening (details page 17)
LOCATION: OLD FIRE HALL FREE ADMISSION
The Adventure Game: A Cameraman’s Tales From Films at the Edge (details page 17) 7:00 - 8:30pm
LOCATION: OLD FIRE HALL TICKETS: $12/ $10 YFS MEMBERS 19
THANK YOU Vancouver International Film Festival, DOXA Film Festival, Mongrel Media, Cinematronix, John Dippong, Kinosmith Distribution, eOne Films, Films We Like, Michael Boyuk, National Film Board of Canada, Music Box Films, Toronto International Film Festival, National Arts Centre, Emil PÊronard, Fredrik Lange, Vtape, Allison White, Away Films, Peg Leg Films, Argot Pictures, IndieCan Entertainment, Pacific Northwest Pictures, Emily Alden, Les films 3 mars, Luc Dery, Darling Entertainment, Tom Alexander, Chris Emery, Nova Alberts, Michael Vernon, Gkids, Chris McNutt, Northern Town Films, Six Shooter Records, Windish Agency, Rob Ziffarelli, Steve Lambke, Craig Carpenter, Ramshackle Theatre, Edward Westerhuis, Hogg Wild Productions, Kim Winnicky, Neil Macdonald, Virginie Hamel, Andrew Stratis, Iris Merritt, Greg Karais, Sophie Jarvis, FAVA, Teresa Earle, Fritz Mueller, Dylan Soo, Tammy Beese, Christopher Griffiths, Josh Jansen, Jess McNabb, Ryan Borshuk, Andrew Smith, Al Cushing, Eric Epstein, Katie Newman, Hazel Venzon, Matt Poushinsky, Shana Ermatinger, Kristina Mercs, Mary Bradshaw, Jessica Vellenga, Mike Wilson, Nick Mah. The staff and volunteers at the Yukon Arts Centre and Old Fire Hall. YFS Board of Directors: Noel Sinclair, Victoria Kennedy, Chris Ross, David MacKinnon, Jennifer Bowen, Moriah MacMillan, Jayden Soroka, Hannah Zimmering All the festival volunteers, sponsors, supporters, guests and audiences over the last 13 years.
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FRI, FEB 6
THE WOODEN SKY
8pm
OLD CABIN
The Wooden Sky with guests Old Cabin
SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $26/$25 YFS MEMBERS ONTARIO & YUKON, 120 MIN CO-PRESENTED WITH THE YUKON ARTS CENTRE
Performing the Available Light Film Festival kick-off concert, Toronto’s The Wooden Sky will bring their freewheeling brand of roots rock to the Territory. For their first Yukon appearance The Wooden Sky will be playing songs from their critically-lauded 4th LP Let’s Be Ready. The Wooden Sky
Thanks to a devoted and ever-growing international fan base and with a string of awards and nominations under the belt (including a 2012 Juno nod), the band is set to leave any remaining doubts behind. Letting their hair grow long and armed with perhaps their most confident record to date The Wooden Sky (TWS) is poised to cross the world reaching new heights on the back of it’s latest album, Let’s Be Ready. Other releases include: When Lost at Sea (2007), If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone (2009) and Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun (2012). The Wooden Sky performers for this concert are: Gavin Gardiner (vocals, guitars, harmonica), Simon Walker (piano, vocals, guitar), Jon Hynes (bass, vocals) and Andrew Kekewhich (percussion). Old Cabin
Opening the concert will be a rare Whitehorse appearance of Old Cabin in its’ 5-piece configuration: Jona Barr (guitar, vocals), Fiona Solon (bass, vocals), Jordy Walker (percussion), Micah Smith (keyboards) and Johnny Rodgers (guitar). Old Cabin’s self-titled LP is a testament to Barr’s up-and-comer status within the Canadian music scene and his acumen for writing textured and catchy roots-pop songs. If you’ve seen one of their shows you’ll know how special it is to experience a fully complimented Old Cabin.
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SAT, FEB 7
CITIZENFOUR
4:00pm
CITIZENFOUR
Citizenfour
DIR. LAURA POITRAS, USA/GER, 2014, 114 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: WHAT’S UP YUKON
When filmmaker Laura Poitras and journalist Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong to meet US internet surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden for the first time, Poitras brought her camera with her. The result is a 100% real-life espionage story unfolding minute by minute before our eyes. Citizenfour is a major work on multiple levels, and a deeply unsettling experience.
SOLID SOUND SOUND & LIGHTING RENTAL AND SALES Sound and lighting reinforcement and production services for music festivals, conferences, weddings, and more! STEVE HARE 867-393-4744 (c) 867-332-0212
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SAT, FEB 7
TWO 4 ONE
7pm
TWO 4 ONE
Two 4 One (Eye on Canada Opening Gala)
DIR. MAUREEN BRADLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014, 77 MIN GALA SPONSORS: TELEFILM CANADA AND CANADA MEDIA FUND
Maureen Bradley’s debut feature is a bittersweet romantic comedy with a transgender hero in an unimaginable predicament. Forty-year-old Adam (This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ Gavin Crawford) lives alone in his tiny apartment and feels lost each night in his empty bed. An awkward encounter with a client at work makes Adam realize that he has to quit his crappy job and get his life together. Of course, all of that’s interrupted when he gets a phone call from his hysterical ex-girlfriend, Miriam (Mr. D’s Naomi Snieckus). Miriam is trying to get pregnant with a donor’s sperm and a syringe, but she needs help. Adam tries to convince her she’s unfit to be a mother and, against his better judgment, they wind up hanging out again. She wants his moral support as she tries to get pregnant. She gets a lot more. The day she inseminates herself, they wind up in bed together. Now for the twist: Adam is transgendered. Four years ago, he started his transition from female to male but it isn’t quite complete. In fact, he gets a little bit pregnant himself. He’s torn between his feelings for Miriam, his need for a masculine identity and his eccentric pot-smoking mother’s (Robson Arm’s Gabrielle Rose) desire for grandchildren in this funny and thought-provoking farce. ~ Terry McEvoy, Vancouver International Film Festival Cast members Gavin Crawford, Gabrielle Rose and Naomi Snieckus, director Maureen Bradley and producer Daniel Hogg in attendance for this gala screening.
9:30pm
Eye on Canada Opening Gala Party
YUKON ARTS CENTRE CABARET PERFORMANCE SPONSORED BY: YUKON QUEER FILM ALLIANCE (OUT NORTH QFF)
Celebrate Canadian filmmaking and the opening of the 13th Available Light Film Festival on the Arts Centre stage behind the cinema screen as guests and festival goers get down on the dance floor with Whitehorse R&B outfit Soul Migration! A good vibrations dance band that plays rock, reggae, funk and Motown, Soul Migration is Roxx Hunter (guitar and vocals), Alex Machidon (guitar and vocal), Pam Phillips (bass and vocals), Dave Sutton (keyboards) and Marc Paradis (percussion). Cash bar. 23
SUN, FEB 8
ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE
10:15am
SPEAKING PARTS
Antarctica: A Year on Ice
DIR. ANTHONY POWELL, NEW ZEALAND, 2013, 91 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON RESEARCH CENTRE, YUKON COLLEGE
Few people get to Antarctica and fewer by far get to winter over (fewer than 800 each year), so this film provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of a very isolated tribe. A visually stunning film, 10 years in the making, that lets you experience what it is like to live in Antarctica while enduring months of darkness in the harshest place on Earth. Powell makes sparing use of timelapse to show the encroachment or retreat of the ice sheet; the unloading, loading and departure of a supply ship; and the weather patterns that sweep across and dwarf the human presence.
12:30pm
Speaking Parts
DIR. ATOM EGOYAN, ONTARIO, 1989, 90 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON SPRINGS
New, director-supervised digital restoration of Atom Egoyan’s international breakthrough, is a highly compelling and cerebral film about an aspiring actor/janitor/gigolo (Michael McManus) who becomes an object of obsession for his lonely fellow custodian (Arsinée Khanjian) and courts a script writer (Gabrielle Rose) who has written a script based on her own family tragedy. Restored print courtesy the Toronto International Film Festival. Lead actress Gabrielle Rose will discuss the film with writer and film critic, Geoff Pevere following the screening.
3:00pm
Freak Out!
DIR. CARL JAVÉR, SWE/GER/NOR/DEN, 2014, 89 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ALAYUK ADVENTURES
Long-haired barefoot people, free love, veganism, experiments with drugs…the sixties, right? Not quite. In 1900 a group of middleclass kids revolted against their time and started the original alternative community in Switzerland—Monte Verità, the mountain of truth. A community based on veganism, feminism, pacifism and free love. Archival photos, animation, and reenactments bring to vivid life this long-forgotten site of cultural revolution. Carl Javér’s beautifully animated documentary is a reminder that it is always possible to reinvent the world. 24
SUN, FEB 8
ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD
5:30pm
PREGGOLAND
All the Time in the World
DIR. SUZANNE CROCKER, YUKON, 2014, 89 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: NORTHWESTEL COMMUNITY CABLE 9
This charming and reflective documentary from Dawson City-based filmmaker Suzanne Crocker chronicles a family of five who search for a new perspective by leaving the comforts of home to live remotely in the Yukon wilderness during the long northern winter. The parents leave their jobs and take their three children, ages 10, 8 and 4, to spend nine months living in a small cabin with no road access, no electricity, no running water, no internet, no TV, no phone and, most importantly, no clocks or watches. Yukon premiere screening. Most Popular Canadian Documentary at Vancouver International Film Festival 2014. Director Suzanne Crocker, and her collaborative family members, in attendance.
8:30pm
Preggoland
DIR. JACOB TIERNEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014, 109 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: SEQUOIA KITCHENS & DESIGN
Ruth (Sonja Bennett) is a 35-year-old single woman who, in a moment of impetuous desperation, falsely claims to be pregnant in order to deflect her friends’ and family’s mounting disapproval of her directionless, irresponsible lifestyle. Although she initially tries to come clean, the many perks of pregnancy are far too seductive to ignore. Jacob Tierney (The Trotsky) directs this exceptional cast in a very funny and unconventional comedy about our societal obsession with motherhood and the lengths we’ll go to be part of a club. Co-starring James Caan (The Godfather) and Danny Trejo (Sons of Anarchy). Winner of the Most Popular Canadian Film at VIFF 2014. Producer, Kevin Eastwood in attendance.
25
2015 SCHEDULE TIME
8:00pm
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6
VENUE
PAGE
The Wooden Sky with guests Old Cabin
YAC
21
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7 1:00-4:00pm
ALFF Media Industry Forum, satellite event
17
4:00pm
Citizenfour
YAC
22
7:00pm
Two 4 One (Eye on Canada Opening Gala)
YAC
23
Opening Gala Party
CAB
23
9:30pm
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 9:30am-10pm
ALFF Media Industry Forum
10:15am
Antarctica: A Year on Ice*
YAC
24
12:00-1:00pm
Fire Hall Film Talk Suzanne Crocker, Dan Sokolowski
OFH
19
12:30pm
Speaking Parts
YAC
24
3:00pm
Freak Out!
YAC
24
5:30pm
All the Time in the World*
YAC
25
8:30pm
Preggoland
YAC
25
8:30-9:45pm
ALFF Comedy Pitch Event
OFH
19
9:30am-6:00pm
ALFF Media Industry Forum
12:00-1:00pm
Fire Hall Film Talk: Ben Ratner, Jennifer Spence and James Brown; Tanya Tagaq and Jean Martin
OFH
19
12:00pm
Three Yukon Documentaries
YAC
28
5:00pm
SOL*
YAC
28
7:00pm
Down River
YAC
29
9:15pm
Kevin House: Music from Down River
CAB
29
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9 17
ALL TICKETS: $8
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10 9:30am-8:30pm
ALFF Media Industry Forum
12:00-1:00pm
Fire Hall Film Talk Joel Thomas Hynes and Christian Sparkes
OFH
19
12:00pm
Sumé: The Sound of a Revolution
YAC
30
4:30-6:00pm
Yukon Talent Showcase Screening
OFH
19
7:00-8:30pm
The Adventure Game: A Cameraman’s Tales From Films at the Edge
OFH
19
7:00pm
Tanya Tagaq presents Nanook of the North
YAC
31
9:30pm
Cast No Shadow
YAC
33
18
ALL TICKETS: $8
TRAILERS AT ALFF.CA WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, FEBRUARY 12
TIME
VENUE
PAGE
10:00am-5:00pm
ALFF Media Industry Forum
12:00-1:00pm
Fire Hall Film Talk: Lindsay McIntyre
OFH
19
12:00pm
The Sower (Le Semeur)
YAC
34
4:15pm
You’re Sleeping Nicole (Tu Dors Nicole)*
YAC
34
6:30pm
Violent
YAC
35
Lindsay McIntyre: A Northern Portrait
CAB
35
9:15pm
ALL TICKETS: $8
18
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 10:00-11:30am
ALFF Media Industry Forum
12:00-1:00pm
Fire Hall Film Talk: John Southworth, Andrew Huculiak, Andrew Stratis, Stéphane Lafleur
OFH
19
12:00pm
Everything Will Be
YAC
36
8:00pm
John Southworth and The South Seas and We Are the City
YAC
37
ALL TICKETS: $8
18
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13 10:00am-4:00pm
SPYA Media Industry Trade Show
7:30pm
Shary Boyle and Christine Fellows Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home
YAC
39
Julie Doiron and Jon McKiel Cabaret Concert
CAB
41
10:00pm
18
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14 10:30am
Last Stop for Miles
YAC
42
1:00pm
The Secret Trial 5
YAC
42
4:00pm
Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story*
YAC
43
6:15pm
Mommy
YAC
43
9:00pm
20,000 Days on Earth
YAC
44
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15 10:00am
Howl’s Moving Castle
YAC
45
12:30pm
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten
YAC
45
2:45pm
1000 Times Good Night
YAC
46
5:15pm
DamNation*
YAC
46
7:30pm
Mr. Turner
YAC
47
YAC CAB OFH *
Yukon Arts Centre, 300 College Drive Cabaret Seating, on the stage at Yukon Arts Centre Old Fire Hall, 1105 First Ave at Main Street $8 tickets available for youth under 16
MON, FEB 9
GHOSTS OF THE JOE HENRY
12:00pm
SOL
Three Yukon Documentaries
ALL TICKETS: $8 | FILMMAKERS IN ATTENDANCE. SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON HAVEN SUITES
Ghosts of the Joe Henry
DAN SOKOLOWSKI, 2015, 20 MIN
This assemblage of sensations of the land, the people, flora and fauna that have inhabited the lands that the Dempster Highway traverses makes up this film without words. Locally, Canada’s only road that crosses the Arctic Circle is referred to as ‘The Joe Henry’ in honour of the Tr’ondek Hwëch’in elder who was instrumental in its construction as the highway passes through the traditional lands of the Hwëch’in peoples. This documentary was commissioned by the Yukon Film Society to celebrate it’s 30th Anniversary.
Chasms of Silence
MARTEN BERKMAN, 2014, 12 MIN
Chronicles a quiet walk across the Arctic Circle on Baffin Island. Woven into the images are the voices of Jennifer Berezan and Tanya Tagaq, and the words of poet Anne Michaels, as she contemplates life, death, time and eternity.
Share the Road
FRANCIS CASAUBON, 2014, 33 MIN
Winter-cycling has gained a lot of popularity in Whitehorse in recent years. This documentary is about the new relationship between cyclists and car drivers who share the road during winter in Whitehorse and how we can all learn to get along. In French and English with English subtitles.
5:00pm
SOL
DIR. MARIE-HELENE COUSINEAU, SUSAN AVINGAQ, NUNAVUT, 2014, 76 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: MEHAFFEY CONSULTING
Sol is a stirring documentary that explores the mysterious death of a young Inuit man, Solomon Uyurasuk, an artist in Igloolik. As the documentary investigates the truth to Solomon’s death it sheds light on the underlying social issues of Canada’s North that has resulted in this region claiming one of the highest youth suicide rates in the world. “With its profound, lonesome beauty, especially in the opening sequence and home-movie footage, Sol is as heartbreaking a film as it is important and timely.” ~ Steve Gravestock, TIFF 28
MON, FEB 9
DOWN RIVER
7:00pm
KEVIN HOUSE
Down River
DIR. BENJAMIN RATNER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2013, 90 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ARCTIC STAR PRINTING INC.
Written and directed by Vancouver actor Ben Ratner (Sisters and Brothers), Down River tells the story of three young women, including Gabrielle Miller (Corner Gas) as Fawn, a talented but insecure actress. Colleen Rennison (DaVinci’s City Hall) is Harper, a gifted rock singer teetering between self-destruction and self-discovery, and Jennifer Spence (Continuum) is Aki, a scatological artist who emerges from under her paint-stained hoodie. These women live in the same building and their guide in life is a neighbour named Pearl, portrayed by Helen Shaver (The Color of Money), a charismatic and caring woman who inspires them to new heights. Director Ben Ratner, producer James Brown, composer Kevin House and actress Jennifer Spence in attendance.
9:15pm
Kevin House: Music from Down River
CABARET STAGE | SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $17 BRITISH COLUMBIA, 60 MIN SPONSOR: INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
Vancouver’s folk-noir songwriter, Kevin House, will perform his songs from the film Down River in an intimate cabaret performance after the screening of the film. Duality is a word that often seems to come up in reviews of Gutter Pastoral, Kevin’s critically acclaimed 2004 debut. Musically, lyrically, and visually this also seems to hold true for World of Beauty released in 2007. If there were some forgotten Delta where the chanson and folk blues traditions congregated it might sound something like this. Kevin will be joined by Whitehorse multi-instrumentalist Scott Maynard for this concert.
29
TUES, FEB 10
SUMÉ: THE SOUND OF A REVOLUTION
12:00pm
SUMÉ: THE SOUND OF A REVOLUTION
Sumé: The Sound of a Revolution
DIR. INUK SILIS HOEGH, GRE/DMK, 2014, 72 MIN | ALL TICKETS: $8 SCREENING SPONSOR: MEADIA SOLUTIONS
From 1973 to 1976 the Greenlandic rock band Sumé released three albums and changed the history of Greenland. The group’s political songs were the first to be recorded in the Greenlandic language. After 250 years of Danish colonization Sumé set in motion a revival of Greenlandic culture and identity, and paved the way for a Greenlandic home rule government. In Kalaallisut and Danish with English subtitles. Winner of the Award for Best Emerging Filmmaker at 2014 ImagineNative Film and Media Arts Festival.
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WHITEHORSE, YT KAMLOOPS, BC
Hollins Industries
100 MILE HOUSE, BC
Yellowknife Beverages
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867-456-4202
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www.ttlp.com
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TUES, FEB 10
JEAN MARTIN, TANYA TAGAQ, JESSE ZUBOT
7:00pm
NANOOK OF THE NORTH
Tanya Tagaq presents ‘Nanook of the North’
NUNAVUT, BRITISH COLUMBIA, ONTARIO, 1922/2012, 70 MIN TICKETS: $26/$25 YFS MEMBERS PRESENTING SPONSOR: TLE’ NAX T’AWEI GROUP
Film director & producer: Robert J. Flaherty | Live performers: Tanya Tagaq, Jesse Zubot, Jean Martin | Soundscape composer: Derek Charke Film Courtesy of Flaherty Foundation. After her 2014 Polaris Prize win, incomparable artist Tanya Tagaq and will arrive in Whitehorse with her collaborators violist Jesse Zubot and drummer Jean Martin for an unforgettable music and cinema experience. Tanya uses her intense, evocative vocalizations, based on Inuit throat singing traditions, to create an original new music score in a bid to reclaim Robert J. Flaherty’s controversial 1922 ethnographic film Nanook of the North which was made in northern Quebec and became the world’s first theatrically released ‘documentary.’ Tanya Tagaq in concert with Nanook of the North was commissioned by TIFF Bell Lightbox as part of its film retrospective First Peoples Cinema: 1500 Nations, One Tradition. Tanya Tagaq
Tagaq Tagaq is originally from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut and emerged on the world pop music stage when she toured with the Icelandic artist Björk and sang on several tracks of her 2004 album Medúlla. Tanya employs exquisite improvisations with traditional roots, a style she has perfected over a decade of performances on major stages worldwide. Jesse Zubot
Jesse Zubot is a Canadian musician, composer, producer and recording engineer primarily known for his unique violin playing who has played with dozens of artists from Dan Mangan to Stars. Jean Martin
Musician, producer, Jean Martin was nominated for best drummer for the 2004 National Jazz Awards. Martin has appeared and collaborated with numerous luminaries of the Canadian Jazz and New Music scenes. Travel support for these artists was provided by Yukon Artsfund.
31
Free Weekly Entertainment
Magazine
The Fun Experts
www.whatsupyukon.com k
Fiers de contribuer à la présentation du cinéma en français au Yukon 32
Proud to contribute to the presentation of French language films in the Yukon
TU DORS NICOLE
MOMMY
11
14
FÉV•FEB
FÉV•FEB
4:15 PM
6:15 PM
TUES, FEB 10
CAST NO SHADOW
CAST NO SHADOW
CAST NO SHADOW
JOEL THOMAS HYNES
9:30pm
Cast No Shadow
DIR. CHRISTIAN SPARKES, NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR, 2014, 85 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: CADENCE CYCLE
Written by seasoned St. John’s actor Joel Thomas Hynes (and nephew of legendary songwriter Ron Hynes), Cast No Shadow is a dark fairytale about 14-year-old Jude Traynor, who is attempting to navigate a life of petty crime in a rugged seaside village, and who finds himself trapped between the pressures of his abusive, criminal father, his dark imaginings and the one true friendship he has. The cinematography of cobalt coloured mountain valleys and lush green hills of the Newfoundland & Labrador landscape combined with the original music by composer Jeff Morrow (The Secret Trial 5, ALFF screening as well) give Cast No Shadow a uniquely foreboding experience of Canada’s East Coast. Director Christian Sparkes and lead actor and writer Joel Thomas Hynes in attendance. Winner of Best Atlantic Feature Film at 2014 Atlantic Film Festival. Nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Motion Picture. Western Canadian Premiere.
33
WED, FEB 11
THE SOWER (LE SEMEUR)
12:00pm
YOU’RE SLEEPING NICOLE (TU DORS NICOLE)
The Sower (Le Semeur)
DIR. JULIE PERRON, QUÉBEC, 2014, 77 MIN | ALL TICKETS: $8 SCREENING SPONSOR: ENVIRONMENTAL DYNAMICS INC
In Quebec’s Kamouraska Valley, artist and heritage seed cultivator, Patrice Fortier is putting down roots at his seed company, La Société des plantes. Like a copyist in the Middle Ages, he is meticulously preserving rare and forgotten cultivars with the goal of breeding the “heirlooms of the future.” The seasons come and go, his patience and care express his passion and knowledge, and his seed bank grows. In French with English subtitles.
4:15pm
You’re Sleeping Nicole (Tu Dors Nicole)
DIR. STÉPHANE LAFLEUR, QUÉBEC, 2014, 93 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ASSOCIATION FRANCO-YUKONNAISE
This off-beat charmer from Québec New Wave director Lafleur brings the director’s trademark absurdist sensibility to the tale of a recent university grad (well cast new-comer Julianne Côté as Nicole) lounging in dreamy, directionless ennui during a long hot summer in her small hometown. Photographed in black and white You’re Sleeping Nicole is richly youthful and innocent, blending small town charm with the more universally stylized humility. In French with English subtitles. “When her older brother Remi (Marc-André Grondin, C.R.A.Z.Y.) unexpectedly returns with his bandmates in tow, disrupting the girls’ half-baked summer, it becomes clear to Nicole that something must—and will—change. Shot in luminous black and white and infused with a sultry melancholy, Tu dors Nicole brilliantly captures that liminal stage where the fading yet familiar attachments of childhood still seem far more appealing, precious, and real than the sterility of the grown-up world.” ~ Steve Gravestock, TIFF Top Ten Selected one of TIFF’s ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ for 2014. Nominated for 6 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Motion Picture. Director Stéphane Lafleur in attendance.
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WED, FEB 11
VIOLENT
6:30pm
LINDSAY MCINTYRE
Violent
DIR. ANDREW HUCULIAK, BRITISH COLUMBIA/NORWAY, 2014, 102 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: CKRW THE RUSH
A companion to Vancouver band We Are The City’s album of the same name, this poetic microbudget film follows Dagne (Dagny Backer Johnsen), a young woman longing to escape small town life and move to the big city (Bergen). Dagne recalls her most recent memories of the five people who loved her the most, all while experiencing a catastrophic event. This visually assertive feature debut by West Coast musician and filmmaker Andrew Huculiak questions one’s existence through memory, passion and phenomenology. In Norwegian with English subtitles. Winner of Best Canadian Feature at VIFF 2014. Selected one of TIFF’s ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ for 2014. Director Andrew Huculiak, co-composer David Menzel and co-writer Cayne McKenzie in attendance.
9:15pm
Lindsay McIntyre: A Northern Portrait
CABARET STAGE | SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $17 ALBERTA, 2012, 40 MIN SPONSOR: MUKTUK ADVENTURES
Media artist, Lindsay McIntyre, will present a 30-minute film projection performance A Northern Portrait. Specializing in analogue film work that emphasizes documentary, experimental and handmade techniques, her short films sometimes circle themes of portraiture, place, form and personal histories as person of Innu ancestry. This presentation is a personal meditation on the Arctic in the form of a live 16mm looping performance on nine projectors. Images are layered with high-contrast mattes and colour textures on four 16mm projectors on a single screen, creating one changing image. Included in this screening will be the film Where We Stand (Lindsay McIntyre, Alberta, 2014, 5 min). Live music accompaniment will be performed by Whitehorse-based ambient analog improvisers Sauna Music (Jordy Walker, Micah Smith). Lindsay McIntyre is a film artist from Edmonton, Alberta. Her work has been shown at Ann Arbor Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam and Antimatter. Travel support for this artist was provided by Yukon Artsfund.
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THURS, FEB 12
EVERYTHING WILL BE
12:00pm
EVERYTHING WILL BE
Everything Will Be
DIR. JULIA KWAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014, 86 MIN | ALL TICKETS: $8 SCREENING SPONSOR: ACCESS CONSULTING
This NFB supported documentary by Sundance award-winning director Julia Kwan captures the subtle nuances of a culturally diverse neighbourhood: Vancouver’s once-thriving Chinatown, in the midst of a transformation that plays out across many ethnic enclaves in North America. Hats off to director Kwan who managed to convince some very compelling community members to participate in this beautiful observational film. In English and Cantonese with English subtitles. Winner of Best BC Film - Honorable Mention at VIFF 2014
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THURS, FEB 12
JOHN SOUTHWORTH
WE ARE THE CITY
John Southworth and The South Seas + We Are the City 8:00pm
SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $26/$25 YFS MEMBERS ONTARIO & BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014, 150 MIN PRESENTING SPONSOR: SOLID SOUND
ALFF presents live music and cinema with Toronto’s John Southworth with his band The South Seas, performing songs from his new double-LP Niagara to accompanying video created by Southworth. The cabaret-pop and elegant folk hymns of Southworth on Niagara were awarded the distinction of #1 album of 2014 by Rolling Stone Germany. The South Seas are these wonderful new music and jazz players: Craig Harley (piano), Andrew Downing (double bass), Jean Martin (drums), Thom Gill (guitar) and special guest Jesse Zubot (violin). Second on this evening double-bill will be Vancouver’s energetic We Are the City, the artists behind the award-winning film, Violent which is screening at ALFF 2015. We Are the City’s deep synth and guitar fuzz blend together with sonic drums and explosive charge, creating their own kind of rhythmic and abrasive pop music.
John Southworth John Southworth is one of Canada’s most distinctive and iconoclastic music artists, respected for forging ahead with his own unique brand of music-making, while garnering high praise for his inimitable contribution. His songs have been covered by or written for Canadian artists Sarah Slean, Buck 65, Martin Tielli, Veda Hille, Hawksley Workman and Jully Black. John has also authored a children’s book, Daydreams for Night with illustrations by artist David Ouimet.
We Are the City High school mates Cayne McKenzie (vocals/keyboards), Andrew Huculiak (drums) and David Menzel (guitar) formed this music act in Vancouver in 2010. Their sophomore effort Violent has been followed by a feature-length film of the same name written by the band and filmed by Vancouver’s Amazing Factory Productions in Norway. Travel support for these artists provided by Canada Council for the Arts and Yukon Artsfund.
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WE ARE MORE GREEN THAN EVER Phone: 867.668.4733 info@asprinting.ca 204 Strickland Street, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 2J8 38
* because the environment matters
FRI, FEB 13
SHARY BOYLE AND CHRISTINE FELLOWS
SHARY BOYLE AND CHRISTINE FELLOWS
Shary Boyle and Christine Fellows Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home 7:30pm
MANITOBA, ONTARIO, 2014, 50 MIN | SPECIAL EVENT TICKETS: $26/$25 YFS MEMBERS PRESENTING SPONSORS: HEADLESS OWL RECORDS AND YUKON: NORTH OF ORDINARY
This intimate work by visual artist Shary Boyle and musician Christine Fellows is presented as a series of vignettes seen through a window inviting audiences on a mysterious, and immersive journey through a richly described visual and aural landscape. Part ritual and part myth, Boyle and Fellows tell stories that reconnect us with a sense of shared history and common humanity. Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home premiered at the NACC in Yellowknife in 2014 and it is the latest creation in the 10 years that these two artists have been collaborating. A Q&A with the artists will follow this performance.
Shary Boyle Shary Boyle is a visual artist whose practice includes drawing, painting, sculpture and performance. Her work is exhibited and collected internationally. Boyle’s solo exhibition Flesh and Blood premiered at the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2010, and traveled nationally. Artistically, she has always had a profound connection to music and has performed with musical collaborators throughout the world. She was the 2009 recipient of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Iskowitz Award and the 2010 Hnatyshyn Award for her outstanding contribution to the visual arts in Canada, and represented Canada at the 55th Venice Biennale in 2013. She lives in Toronto.
Christine Fellows Christine Fellows is a songwriter, poet and avid interdisciplinary collaborator who often works with choreographers, filmmakers, theatre artists and musicians to create performance works, scores and spectacles. Fellows tours internationally and is a founding member of the Correction Line Ensemble, a six-piece group that bridges classical and contemporary music. She has been Dawson City Music Festival Songwriter-in-Residence, University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Faculty Writer-in-Residence and Storyteller-in-Residence at the University of Manitoba. In fall 2014, she launched Burning Daylight, her sixth solo album and first poetry collection (ARP Books). She lives in Winnipeg. Travel support for these artists was provided by the Ontario Arts Council and Yukon Artsfund. 39
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FRI, FEB 13
JULIE DOIRON
10:00pm
JON MCKIEL
Julie Doiron + Jon McKiel Cabaret Concert
CABARET PERFORMANCE | SPECIAL EVENT TICKET: $17 NEW BRUNSWICK, 100 MIN PRESENTING SPONSOR: HEADLESS OWL RECORDS
Acadian indie-rock legend Julie Doiron and Sackville-based songwriter Jon Mckiel perform in a late-night cabaret concert. Doiron’s incandescent guitar sound and gentle voice alongside Mckiel’s overt musicality and pumping rhythms is a unique east coast sound which is sure to lend itself perfectly to a sub-arctic night.
Julie Doiron Julie Doiron started playing music in 1990 with Canadian indie-rock band Eric’s Trip. After the break up of the band in 1996, Julie started performing on her own. In 2001, Julie became the first Canadian to sign to Jagjaguwar records releasing 8 albums on the label. Over the years she has had the great fortune of playing with many wonderful musicians, including: The Wooden Stars, Herman Dune, Shotgun and Jaybird, Mount Eerie, Gord Downie and the Country of Miracles, Daniel Romano and Rick White of Eric’s Trip with whom she made her three most recent albums. Julie makes her home in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Jon Mckiel Jon Mckiel hails originally from Amherst, Nova Scotia and in his first visit to the territory will bring Yukon audiences a unique sound that channels a little Daniel Johnston (Yip/Jump Music), a dash of Shotgun & Jaybird and as much Thrush Hermit as he wants in any given song. His record The Nature of Things garnered glowing reviews across North America. McKiel toured Canada regularly playing many festivals, bars, churches, halls and sometimes trains. With the release of his LP Tonka War Cloud, and a self-titled EP with Headless Owl Records, McKiel continues to build a solid catalogue creating what The National Post calls, “surprising beauty powering through heavy sludge.”
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SAT, FEB 14
LAST STOP FOR MILES
10:30am
THE SECRET TRIAL 5
Last Stop for Miles
DIR. CELIA MCBRIDE, YUKON, 2014, 80 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: DRIVING FORCE
A woman named January witnesses the brutal murder of her friend, Kee, and blames herself for what happened. Haunted by her own role in the death and running from the guilt by living recklessly and constantly on the move, January returns to the city (Whitehorse) of the tragedy and is soon forced to reconcile what happened. This micro-budget feature was shot on location in Whitehorse, Yukon with an entirely local cast and crew. Director Q&A via Skype to follow the screening. Mature content. Not recommended for young viewers.
1:00pm
The Secret Trial 5
DIR. AMAR WALA, ONTARIO, 2014, 90 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - YUKON CHAPTER
Imagine spending years in prison without being charged with a crime or knowing exactly what you’re accused of. A film about the human impact of the ‘War on Terror,’ The Secret Trial 5 is a sobering examination of the Canadian government’s use of a cold war-era legislation called ‘security certificates.’ Over the last decade, this rare and highly controversial device has been used to detain five men for nearly 30 years combined. This audience favourite film at Hot Docs 2014 raises poignant questions about the balance between security and liberty. Director Q&A via Skype to follow the screening.
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SAT, FEB 14
JUST EAT IT: A FOOD WASTE STORY
4:00pm
MOMMY
Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story
DIR. GRANT BALDWIN, BRITISH COLUMBIA, 2014, 75 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: THE COLLECTIVE GOOD
Upon learning that 40% of globally-produced food ultimately gets discarded, filmmakers Grant Baldwin and Jenny Rustemeyer decide to embark on a six-month experiment—eating only food that has been discarded or soon will be discarded. In addition to their experiment, food activists provide their perspective on the unnecessary reasons for food waste, public misconceptions concerning best-before dates and the unforeseen problematic issues of discarded food going to landfills. This smartly produced documentary has won many film festival awards including: the VIFF Impact Award, Vancouver International Film Festival, the Emerging Canadian Filmmaker & Top 20 Audience Choice at Hot Docs, a People’s Choice Award at Calgary International Film Festival and Best Canadian Documentary at the Edmonton International Film Festival. Producer Jenny Rustemeyer in attendance.
6:15pm
Mommy
DIR. XAVIER DOLAN, QUÉBEC, 2014, 134 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: ASSOCIATION FRANCO YUKONNAISE
Selected one of TIFF’s ‘Canada’s Top Ten’ for 2014 and co-winner of the prestigious Jury Prize at Cannes, Mommy is the best film yet from Québécois wunderkind Xavier Dolan. When single mother Diane (Anne Dorval) brings her teenage son Steve (Antoine-Olivier Pilon) home from a government institution for troubled youth, it’s both an act of maternal love and a huge risk: Steve is a volatile hellraiser with a hair-trigger temper, and Diane is barely keeping it together herself. When a shy neighbour (Suzanne Clément) takes an interest in mother and son, a surprising trio develops. In French with English subtitles. “Daringly filmed in a 1:1 ratio that mimics the aesthetics of Instagram, Mommy is shot through with dazzling displays of colour and movement that intensify its affecting, outsized emotions.” ~ Cameron Bailey, TIFF Programmer Mature content: not recommended for young viewers. 43
SAT, FEB 14
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
9:00pm
20,000 DAYS ON EARTH
20,000 Days on Earth
DIR. IAN FORSYTH & JANE POLLARD, UNITED KINGDOM, 2014, 97 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: PIXELBOX STUDIO
One of the most critically acclaimed music films of the year, this documentary centres around 24 fictitious hours in the life of Australian musician, author and screenwriter Nick Cave. 20,000 Days On Earth takes us deep into the heart of how myth, memory, love and loss, shape our lives, every single day. The film delves into Nick’s artistic processes, unpicking the stuff that makes him tick. Fusing drama and documentary to weave a cinematic day-in-the-life with unique verité observations of his full creative cycle we meet those who have affected his life, including regular musical collaborator Warren Ellis; actor and friend Ray Winstone; former Bad Seed Blixa Bargeld; and Kylie Minogue, with whom Cave duetted on Where The Wild Roses Grow. “This day is both more real and less real, more true and less true, more interesting and less interesting than my actual day, depending on how you look at it.” ~ Nick Cave “Cave knows he’s not young anymore, and won’t always be able to control his work or how it’s perceived. Watching him act accordingly is really inspiring.” ~ Simon Abrams, RogerEbert.com Winner of the World Cinema Documentary awards for directing and editing at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
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SUN, FEB 15
HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE
10:00am
DON’T THINK I’VE FORGOTTEN
Howl’s Moving Castle
DIR. HAYAO MIYAZAKI, JAPAN, 2004, 119 MIN | FREE SCREENING! SCREENING SPONSOR: SCOTIABANK
Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones and directed by animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, Howl’s Moving Castle is the story of Sophie (Emily Mortimer / Jean Simmons), a young woman cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, and whose only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard (Christian Bale) and his companions (Billy Crystal, Josh Hutcherson). English-dubbed version. Young children may find some scenes frightening. Appropriate for ages 5 and up.
Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll 12:30pm
DIR. JOHN PIROZZI, USA/FRA/CAM, 2014, 105 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
A fascinating exploration of history as reflected through a nation’s popular culture, Pirozzi’s film excavates Cambodia’s lost era of American, French and Afro-cuban inflected music. Through the eyes, words and songs of its popular music stars of the 50s, 60s, and 70s—and what a wonderfully odd mix of musical styles permeated Phnom Phen in the 1960s—this film examines and unravels Cambodia’s tragic past, culminating in the genocidal Khmer Rouge’s dismantling of the society and murder of two million of its citizens. Combining interviews of the surviving Cambodian musicians themselves and with neverbefore-seen archival material and rare songs, this documentary tracks the twists and turns of Cambodian music as it morphs into rock and roll, blossoms and is nearly destroyed along with the rest of the country. In Khmer and French with English subtitles. “Music is a way of healing and caring for Khmer society. Cambodia is a broken society today. Without healing, and dealing with the past, it would be difficult for Cambodians to move forward. Music is magical, and can bring both heritage and contemporary feelings to all—to heal. Music can also help restore what we have lost.” ~ Youk Chhang, the Documentary Center of Cambodia 45
SUN, FEB 15
1000 TIMES GOOD NIGHT (TUSEN GANGER GOD NATT)
2:45pm
DAMNATION
1000 Times Good Night (Tusen ganger god natt)
DIR. ERIK POPPE, NOR/SWE/IRE, 2013, 117 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: LAMARCHE & LANG BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
Rebecca (the especially magnetic Juliette Binoche) is one of the world’s top war photographers who goes too far on an assignment in Kabul and is seriously injured photographing a suicide bomber. She must weather a major emotional storm when her husband refuses to put up with her dangerous life any longer, forcing her to choose between covering war zones and being there for her family. Also starring Game of Thrones actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Mature content. Not recommended for young viewers. “What makes 1,000 Times Good Night more than a dramatic essay on wartime journalism is Ms. Binoche’s wrenchingly honest portrayal of a woman of conscience driven by a mixture of guilt, nobility and self-importance, reckoning belatedly with her destructive impulses.” ~ NY Times Winner of Special Grand Prize of the Jury, Montréal World Film Festival, 2013
5:15pm
DamNation
DIR. BEN KNIGHT & TRAVIS RUMMEL, USA, 2014, 88 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: YUKON CONSERVATION SOCIETY
This powerful documentary explores the sea change in North American pride in ‘big dams as engineering wonders’ to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal in the American Northwest has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to the mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds after decades without access to them. “A quick, smart documentary about the havoc one country can create in its native fish populations by building 75,000 dams over an 80- or 90-year span.” ~ The Village Voice
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SUN, FEB 15
MR. TURNER
MR. TURNER
MR. TURNER
MR. TURNER
7:30pm
Mr. Turner
DIR. MIKE LEIGH, UNITED KINGDOM, 2014, 150 MIN SCREENING SPONSOR: MARY-EL FINE FOOD & CATERING
The new film from British director Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies, Career Girls, Vera Drake) is a biopic of the great British painter J.M.W. Turner and stars Timothy Spall in the title role, for which he won the award for Best Actor at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. This lushly photographed film explores the last quarter century of the eccentric painter J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851). Profoundly affected by the death of his father, loved by a housekeeper he takes for granted and occasionally exploits sexually, he forms a close relationship with a seaside landlady with whom he eventually lives incognito in Chelsea, where he dies. Throughout his life, he travels, paints, stays with the country aristocracy, visits brothels, is a popular and anarchic member of the Royal Academy of Arts, has himself strapped to the mast of a ship so that he can paint a snowstorm and is both celebrated and reviled by the public and by royalty. Mature content. Not recommended for young viewers. Mr. Turner has been nominated for four Academy Awards in the categories of Cinematography, Music (Original Score), Production Design and Costume Design. “Luminous and moving.” ~ The Hollywood Reporter “Ecstatically beautiful.” ~ Variety “Timothy Spall has always been terrific, this is the performance of his career.” ~ The Village Voice
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More power to you. Congratulations to the Available Light Film Festival for another premier event. Yukon Energy is proud to play a supporting role in the festival’s success. yukonenergy.ca (867) 393-5333
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