Saturday, August 31, 2013

33rd Annual Atlantic Film Festival


The 33rd Atlantic Film Festival announces full program 
for event, Sept. 12- 19th in Halifax

 (Halifax, NS) -- The 33rd annual Atlantic Film Festival (AFF) announces its full program, featuring over 180 films and a full slate of special events, to be presented over eight days in Halifax, September 12-19.
"As festival programs go, let me be the first to say that the Atlantic Film Festival's Programming Team have outdone themselves this year!” said Executive Director, Wayne Carter. “The key to pleasing the audience is that special magic of having ‘something for everyone’ and this year we do. There will be leading men, leading ladies, ‘A-List’ directors from Canada and abroad and events that will be the talk of the town. It's going to be an experience!"
Joining this year’s Festival’s Gala program is the Atlantic GalaAll the Wrong Reasons on Friday, Sept. 13, sponsored by Téléfilm Canada and CBC. In this deftly woven ensemble drama four troubled young adults negotiate post-traumatic experiences while desperately pursuing shades of desire, ambition and redemption. With Kevin Zegers as a wounded fireman temporarily working as a store detective, Emily Hamshire as a grasping single mom cashier, Cory Monteith as the manager hoping to leap to regional director, and Karine Vanasse as a security monitor attempting to put her shattered life back together, the stage is set for writer/director Gia Milani to explore the contemporary price of love, loyalty and betrayal. All the Wrong Reasons is produced locally by Tony Whalen and Gia Milani and is distributed in Canada by Pacific Northwest Pictures.
The festival's Closing Gala presentation on Thursday, Sept. 19 will be The Invisible Woman. Directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes, The Invisible Woman tells the story of a secret love affair between Charles Dickens and Nelly Ternan. Dickens (Fiennes) – famous, controlling and emotionally isolated within his success – falls for Nelly (Felicity Jones), who comes from a family of actors. The theatre is a vital arena for Dickens - a brilliant amateur actor - a man more emotionally coherent on the page or on stage, than in life. As Nelly becomes the focus of Dickens' passion and his muse, for both of them secrecy is the price, and for Nelly a life of "invisibility". The Invisible Woman is distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.
Featuring the newest and most anticipated films of the year, moviegoers will want to be first in line to see the ten films comprising the 2013 Rogers Special Presentations. Joining previously announced selections, There Are Monsters and Hard Drive, are: Copperhead, a moving civil war drama filmed with a largely Atlantic Canadian cast and crew; Cas & Dylan, the feature film directorial debut of Jason Priestley, starring Richard Dreyfus; Jonathan Sobol’s The Art of the Steal, a raucous heist film starring Kurt Russell and Jay Baruchel; Don Jon, written, directed by and starring Joseph Gordon Levitt; Parkland, which looks at the aftermath of the JFK assassination; Richard Ayoyade’s The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska; Jeremiah Chechik’s The Right Kind of Wrong, starring Catherine O'Hara, Ryan Kwanten; and Palme d’or winner Blue is the Warmest Colour (La vie d’Adele pt. 1 & 2) directed by Abdellatif Kechiche.
Joining the Atlantic Focus program are five additional films. The first is the world premiere of the much-anticipated documentary, Arctic Defenders. Directed by John Walker, Arctic Defenders looks at the role of the Inuit in the sovereignty of Canada’s Far North. This year’s program also examines the relationship between humans and wild animals, depicted in both Jason Young’s Bad Coyote and Geoff D’Eon’s Zoo Revolution, paired in a joint presentation. Also paired in a joint presentation will be Regret from Newfoundland’s Christopher Richardson and Let the Daylight into the Swamp by Jeffrey St. Jules.
"What we took, as guiding principals when selecting this year’s films, was quality of choice, ease of use and accessibility of the overall Festival,” said Jason Beaudry, Program Director. “We hope that when someone looks at the full schedule, they’ll see that, now more than ever, there is something for everyone at the Atlantic Film Festival.”
The AFF is also announcing a new program, featuring French Films from Canada and around the world. This year’s Cinéma En Français S.V.P. program will take place from Friday, Sept. 13 to Monday, Sept. 16 and will feature 18 French language film presentations.
The AFF will host several special events and parties to celebrate the movies, the people and the city of Halifax. One of the hottest events of the year is the Opening Night Party, a night for dancing shoes, fancy drinks and killer beats. This year’s bash will take place at the Cunard Centre on Thursday, Sept. 12. The Atlantic Gala Celebration will take place at Taboo on Friday, Sept. 13 and the Closing Gala Party will take place at the Lord Nelson Hotel’s Imperial Ballroom on Thursday, Sept. 19.
New this year, the AFF presents Industry Day. With an industry as active and productive as that in Atlantic Canada, the AFF is not only celebrating the industry and craftspeople but will give them an opportunity to meet, network and celebrate each other. Industry Awards, panels and workshops join the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala and Industry Party on Sept. 15 at the Lord Nelson Hotel.
A featured event for everyone to enjoy, includes the 10x10 at the AFF. The AFF Outdoor Film Experience will be setting up its inflatable screen at the Emera Oval, offering a 90-minute retrospective of past entries in the RBC Foundation’s 10x10 Program. Friends and families can bring or rent rollerblades or roller skates from HRM. This is a FREE event.
In addition, the AFF and founding partner, CBC are pleased to announce From Screen To Score, a special presentation featuring the talents of musicians Shehab Illyas, Asif Illyas, Chris Pauley, Ron Hynes, Kim Dunn, Kris MacFarland, Meghan Smith, joined by filmmakers, Jason Buxton and Michael Ray Fox. The evening’s program will include performance and dialogue about what it means to create one of the deepest collaborations that happens in film, pictures and sound coming together. The centerpiece of this event will be the premiere of Shehab Illyas’ new motion picture music album, Top Of The World.

Recognized as one of the world’s pre-eminent co-production markets, Strategic Partners is a one-of-a-kind event focusing on film, television and multi-platform fiction from across Canada and around the world. Hosting 200 international delegates, Strategic Partners is the one-stop shop for producers, broadcasters, sales agents, financiers, distributors and film agencies. This year's three-day event, now celebrating its 16th year, is placing the market spotlight on India and the UK and includes nearly 1000 pre-scheduled 1-2-1 meetings, relevant panels, visionary keynote speakers as well as the popular Film and Creative Industries Nova Scotia Lobster dinner.

Featured presentations at the 2013 Strategic Partners include: TV Series Collaborations - International Perspectives in Concert! - Moderator Fred Fuchs (Camelot, The Tudors, Being Erica, Transporter) and his panel of International Broadcasters will explore the mechanics of how independent TV series are being created, offering up insights on how these projects get; and Story Extensions for Feature Film - A Digital Strategy Session - Canada's top digital story accelerator, James Milward - Founder and Exec. Producer of Secret Location has chosen a Strategic Partners project and will facilitate an on-stage digital strategy session with the producer, offering an expert overview of what producers should be considering to take the first step in the search for new audiences and revenue streams for their feature film. Financed With Telefilm Canada as the Presenting Partner, Strategic Partners helps make connections, find partners, and get projects financed, and on the screen. For more information, visit: http://www.atlanticfilm.com/industry/strategic-partners
ViewFinders is a festival of film, video and media for youth. Produced annually in April, by the Atlantic Film Festival, ViewFinders will also have a strong presence at the event.
ViewFinders offers special screenings of feature films, shorts and a gala screening all geared towards youth and families, some of which were created by youth themselves. For more information, visit: http://www.atlanticfilm.com/festivals/viewfinders

Tickets for screenings and special events along with ticket packages, group tickets and passes go on sale today, August 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available by phone at 1-888-311-9090 and online at atlanticfilm.com or ticketpro.ca
Tickets are also available at all Ticketpro outlets in Nova Scotia, including Video Difference (6086 Quinpool Road). Please note that Ticketpro outlets accept cash or debit only. Tickets will be available at the Festival Box Office in Park Lane Mall (5657 Spring Garden Road) beginning September 3rd at noon. For hours of operation, visit: atlanticfilm.com
Receive the most up-to-date information, including sneak peeks and Festival highlights our website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival and Twitter account: /thefilmfest. To support these online channels, the AFF will also offer an all new Atlantic Film Festival App before the event to help coordinate your festival experience. In addition, the AFF is pleased to announce a continued partnership this year with iTunes Canada. An Atlantic Film Festival "Super Room" will live on iTunes where people can download the app and purchase/download past festival favourites. More details coming soon!
Another way to be part of the action is by visiting the Super Channel Festival Lounge located in the Georgian Lounge, at the Lord Nelson Hotel (1515 South Park Street). Open from noon to midnight daily, this is a place for the industry and the public to connect. Scheduled Q&A sessions with filmmakers, music performances along with other highlights will take place throughout the Festival.
About the Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival (AFF) is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. It’s a festival that turns Halifax – a charming and historic coastal city – into an international Mecca for the arts, abuzz with filmmakers, industry types and film lovers. This year’s event takes place from September 12-19.
Offering a first-look at the best international films of the festival season, the AFF is a champion of local filmmakers, committed to bridging the gap. We attract some of the biggest players in film, media and music from around the world. All of our film selections are chosen with our community in mind and our special events are designed to bring us all together. A not-for-profit organization, the AFF depends heavily upon its strong ties to the surrounding and thriving arts community.
The Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three decades later, the Atlantic film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Whether for industry folk, unabashed film lovers or curious onlookers, the Festival offers a slew of opportunities to engage through film. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, AFF Outdoor Film Experience and Strategic Partners.
Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs, including sneak peeks and festival highlights on our online website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival, our Twitter account: /thefilmfest #AFF2013, our Pinterest profile: pinterest.com/atlanticfilm, our LinkedIn company page: linkedin.com/company/atlantic-film-festival and our Youtube channel: youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom.
- See more at: http://www.atlanticfilm.com/media/archive/33rd-atlantic-film-festival-announces-full-program-event-sept-12-19th-halifax#sthash.0DlmXWfm.dpuf

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