The Canadian Film Fest 2019

  The Festival will open with Shane Belcourt’s Red Rover, starring Kristian Bruun and Cara Gee following a lonely geologist qualifying for a one-way mission to Mars with the help of an offbeat musician, and will close with Jaren Hayman’s documentary This is North Preston about the economic and racial struggles in the largest black community in the country. Continuing the Festival’s commitment to support Canadian independent films, this year the CFF 

introduces a second Homegrown Shorts programme. Nine features and 28 shorts will screen over the five-day event including six World Premieres, ranging in stories from deep exploration to historical satire, intense thrillers to warm romances. The 13th edition of CFF will take place March 19-23 at Cineplex’s Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto. Tickets can be purchased at canfilmfest.ca.

“This year’s lineup is one of the most entertaining programmes yet and we’re 

delighted that once again we can give Toronto audiences the opportunity to see 

them on the big screen,” said Bern Euler, Executive Director, Canadian Film 

Fest. “We are also honoured to welcome award-winning film producer Don 

Carmody to our first Producing Masterclass, inspiring and supporting a network 

of Canadian artists.”

This year’s feature film highlights include the Toronto Premiere of compelling 

documentaries Alone Across the Atlantic about Canada’s greatest living 

explorer, Adam Shoalts’ 2017 4,000 km solo journey across the Canadian Arctic, 

and Wolves Unleashed: Against All Odds about world renowned animal 

trainer, Andrew Simpson and his difficult task training wild Mongolian wolves in 

China for the film Wolf Totem; as well as the World Premieres of Gord Rand’s 

biting satire Pond Life about suburban dreams and family nightmares.

CFF will also present two incredible Homegrown Shorts programmes for the first 

time including the Toronto Premieres of Shelley Thompson’s drama Duck Duck 

Goose about an elementary school teacher and her students coping with fear 

and guilt during a school lockdown; Juan Riedinger’s A Snake Marked about a 

convict forced to examine his own place in the world when his estranged father 

visits; and Shane Day’s directorial debut The Desolation Prize, a throwback to 

the 60s style hammer horrors, but with a modern edge. The Festival is pleased to 

screen seven shorts that will have their World Premieres including Chala 

Hunter’s directorial debut Moon Dog with Martha Burns and Alice Snaden.

The Festival will host a number of engaging industry events and workshops 

including the first ever Producers Masterclass with legendary producer Don 

Carmody exploring small and large budget films; a panel discussion on 

transitioning from the big screen to the small screen; and a panel with film festival 

programmers on how they programme their events. Visit canfilmfest.ca for details 

on the Industry programme in the coming days. 

For the complete list of titles for this year’s festival, click on canfilmfest.ca

CAPSULE REVIEWS OF SELECT FILMS:

 

 

POND LIFE (Canada 2018) ***
Directed by Gord Rand

POND LIFE settles on a couple at home - a seemingly happily married couple, Dick (Ryan Blakely) and Sandy (Jeanie Calleja), high school sweethearts.  The relationship is about to be tested.  As Dick makes sexual advances towards his wife (showing a still healthy marriage), Sandy reveals that her sister or foster sister as Dick corrects his wife, Daisy (Kerry McPherson) and boyfriend, Richard (Ryan McVittie) are on their way to visit.  Two couples.  Two secrets.  And a night to celebrate a pregnancy goes haywire. As the film progresses, more plot points are revealed.  It seems that Richard and Dick have known each other quite well and in fact have some shady business going, despite many disagreements.  The story grows more sinister.  POND LIFE turns up a an entertaining quirky tale about couples, the type Canadian films are well-known for.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/189524970

 

 

RED ROVER (Canada 2019) **
Directed by Shane Belcourt

Shane Belcourt performs triple duty as director, co-writer and director of photography about an odd ball geologist (Kristian Bruun) and his relationship with a pretty musician (Cara Gee).  Damon, the geologist spends his waking hours searching for that elusive something. Whether it is for deeper meaning, love, or just “treasure” on the beach with his metal detector, it is to no avail.  So when Damon meets an offbeat musician named Phoebe handing out flyers for a one way trip to Mars, a bond quickly forms.  She’s going to help him find that thing he is looking for by sending him 33.9 million miles away, even though what he needs might be right in front of him.  The film hints at a love relationship rather than a plutonic one, and one can hardly tell where everything is heading even half way through the movie.  But the waywardness of the two individuals are nothing out of the ordinary and their gatherings grow tiresome quite soon.  Bruun and Gee carry the film for all that is worth.  The film is shot in Toronto with may familiar sights that should please audiences watching the film at the Canadian Film Fest for which this film has been chosen as the Opening Film.

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/294847271