#viff 2023

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" photocall at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#j elordi #jacob elordi #nate jacobs #euphoria hbo #saltburn #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #actor #venice international film festival #viff 2023

[rickchung]

Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant, dir. Ariane Louis-Seize) x VIFF 2023.

This is a surprisingly fresh take on teen vampires in the form of a low-key Quebecois coming-of-age indie comedy about trying to consume human blood and find victims ethically. Sara Montpetit and Félix-Antoine Bénard star as a 68-year-old undead woman in the body of a teenage girl and a depressed high schooler with suicidal tendencies. They form a sweet but strange bond as they try to earnestly help each other achieve their unconventional goals in life. Its exploration of the more mundane but annoying parts of vampiric life makes for an altogether humorous endeavour.

Screened at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Altered States series and screening again at the VIFF Centre from Oct. 21–30.

#human vampire #viff #viff 2023 #tiff #tiff 2023 #features #reviews #media #indie movie #indie film #quebecois #sara montpetit #ariane louis-seize #vampires #vampire #movie #movies #movie review #film #film review #cinema #french-canadian #french canadian

[awesomefridayca]

VIFF 2023: I'm Just Here for the Riot, Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, & The Royal Hotel

The 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival has drawn to a close, and this week, we’re talking about three films we saw as part of the fest: I’m Just Here for the Riot is a documentary about the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot in Vancouver, our hometown. Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe is a documentary about a beloved children’s entertainer who helped shape generations of Canadians. The Royal…

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#Asia Youngman #Bree Bain #Ernie Coombs #Hugo Weaving #I&039;m Just Here for the Riot #Jessica Henwick #Julia Garner #Kathleen S. Jayme #Kitty Green #Mr Dressup #Mr Dressup: The Magic of Make Believe #Robert McCallum #Toby Wallace #Vancouver International Film Festival #VIFF 2023

[estelscinema]

Best of VIFF Round 1

La Chimera: Directed by Alice Rohrwacher

Just got out of jail and still searching for his late Beniamina, crumpled English archaeologist Arthur reconnects with his wayward crew of grave robbers to find her and a path to the afterlife.

La Chimera feels like a modernize Italian Folktale that dives into the existentialism of losing a love one. We follow Arthur process his grief and anger as he throws himself back into his questionable work and friends. He watch him be at odds with his work as he is constantly reminded, either told or visual metaphor, that he is desecrating a sacred space in the name of "money", but more so, to find his lost love and a path to the afterlife. This is existentialism at its most personal, and Josh O'Conner does a fantastic job. He masterfully portrays the weight of someone reconciling their grief. Furthermore, I must commend him for learning Italian for this role. I can't speak of how good his Italian was, but he has my respect for learning it.

My Rating: B

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Evil Does Not Exist: Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi

A father and his daughter lives close to Tokyo like the generations before. A modest life according to the cycles and order of nature. However, when two companies arrive to the small town, it becomes clear that their project will have a navigate impact on their way of life.

Evil Does Not Exist is on its surface an interesting film. It's a slow-burn that only Hamaguchi knows how to do, that dives into environmentalism. This theme are perfectly portrayed as we see the quiet beauty of this forest and the peace that the locals live in. However, these themes are thrown out the window in the last 20 minutes as it decides to become an entirely different movie. This new "movie" does nothing to the story, if anything it contradicts the story. Then when it abruptly ended, my entire theater, including my self, gave an auditable "what?". I don't understand what theme Hamaguchi was trying to show as it becomes a jumbled mess by its end.

On the bright side all of the performances were great and their comedic timing was impeccable. Nearly all of the jokes landed through the movies natural dialog and chemistry between the actors. The cinematography was beautiful as it captures the beauty of winter in Japan. Furthermore, when paired with a knock-off version of Max Richter's "On the Nature of Daylight", you are sure to be memorized by the visual at least. I think Hamaguchi was onto something here, but for some reason unknown to me, decided to abandon it in the final act of the movie. Thus causing a pretentious feel to the movie.

My Rating: C

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The Promised Land: Directed by Nikolaj Arcel

In the mid-1700s, Danish King Frederik V declared that the wild heath of Jutland should be tamed, cultivated and colonized so that civilization could spread and new taxes be generated for the royal house. However, no one dared to follow the King’s decree. However, the land is wild and brutal, yet a soldier came to bring better wealth and honor he had sought for.

The Promised Land is a very simple yet effective story about low born soldier wishing to climb the social ladder. Yet within this story that is as old as time, we see numerous themes such as classism, racism, and greed be masterfully woven into it the story. In which they are explored in the most brutal manner possible in mid-18th century Denmark. From the inhuman treatment of servants to the brutal weather of the Jutland, The Promised Land is not for the faint of hearted. Yet, by the films end, there is still a glimmer of hope and prosperity in finding the life you feel like you deserve. Its a quiet, yet robust period epic.

Mads Mikkelsen delivers a masterfully performance. He is quiet, yet powerful as he is able to convey so much without saying a single word. Simon Bennebjerg plays one of the most despicable villains I have seen in a long time. He is menacing as he is twisted. He is like an adult version of King Joffrey. A perfect antagonist for this period piece. The cinematography is beautiful as it captures the brutal beauty of the Jutland. These visuals transport you back to this brutal time perfectly. Overall, Denmark has selected an excellent film to be their Oscar contender. So be on the lookout for the Promised Land.

My Rating: A-

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My Animal: Jacqueline Castel

Tormented by a hidden family curse, Heather lives in seclusion on the outskirts of a small town. When she falls for the rebellious Jonny, their connection threatens to unravel Heather’s suppressed desires, tempting her to unleash the animal within.

My Animal is an interesting horror piece that explore werewolf mythology and its consequences. For which it ultimately becomes a massive metaphor for a woman's monthly cycle. In this metaphor was obvious from the beginning, and I wished it took it in a different direction. It follows the "horror" coming of age/ sexual awakening beat per beat. But this time it is paired with nauseating cinematography and visuals. So nauseating that I almost had to leave during the showing. The characters were quiet bland, and at points hard to cheer for when they are so irresponsible. Despite these bland characters, Bobbi Salvor Menuez and Amandla Stenberg both do good jobs with the material that they were given with. However, my favorite performance came from Stephen McHattie who had a presence that no one else in the film had. Overall, its an interesting piece but nothing really knew.

My Rating: C+

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The Zone of Interest: Directed by Jonathan Glazer

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

While writing this review I am still processing my thoughts on Jonathan Glazer's The Zone of Interest. It was not the film that I was expecting. I was expecting more of a standard period piece, but the one I got was definitely more arthouse than what I was expecting. I am unsure if i preferred it being told in that manner, but one thing is for sure is that is that Glazer shows these inhumane people for the monsters that they are. The juxtapose between a warming and beautiful house and garden, next to a place of death and genocide perfectly captures how horrible these people were. Glazer as found a new lens of showing the horrors of the Holocaust. We are shown only the smoke and the walls of Auschwitz, but we hear the horrors of what is happening inside that dreadful place. The fact that they believe building a home and raising their children next to Auschwitz is horrifying.

Christian Friedel and Sandra Huller perfectly portray these monsters. Their complete lack of self-awareness, paired with their cruel, inhumane nature is perfectly captured by Friedel and Huller. Both of whom might receive an Oscar nomination. Overall, The Zone of Interest is an excellent film. Even though I might have not of been a fan of how the story was told, I still respect it. Watch out for The Zone of Interest at the Oscars this year.

My Rating: A-

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Mr. Dress-up: The Power of Make Believe: Directed by Robert McCallum

Kindness, creativity, inclusivity, and a touch of magic makes the world a brighter place. Explore the story and impact of Canadian entertainer Ernie Coombs and his iconic series, Mr. Dress-up, which enriched the lives of five generations.

Before going into this documentary, I had no idea who Mr. Dress-Up was. His show was in a different country and was on air before I was born. But from the tearful audience reaction to watching this doc, you can sense the importance he had on so many peoples lives. Mr. Dress-Up is a heartwarming and moving documentary of a man who shaped the lives of so many generations. This documentary was so moving that I was getting tearful by the films end. The film recognizes the impact he had, and does it in an incredibly touching way. Mr. Dress-Up is an excellent documentary that shows the importance to one of the most influential men in Canadian history.

My Rating: A

#film #cinema #movies #movie #filmmaking #filmmaker #moviemaking #moviemaker #cinephile #cinematography #film community #film review #film is not dead #film critic #movie review #movie critic #film festival #viff 2023 #la chimera #evil does not exist #the promised land #my animal #the zone of interest #mr dressup #mads mikkelsen #josh o'connor

[jontheblogcentric]

VIFF 2023 Review: Lynx Man (Ilveskuiskaaja)

Finnish hermit Hannu and his fascination with the endangered Eurasian lynx is the subject of the documentary Lynx Man. The documentary Lynx Man showcases a man who you’d first think to be an eccentric. Over time, you’ll see his work is less of a hobby and more of a mission. The film begins with an old Finnish man finding a dead Eurasian lynx near the street. He picks it up and takes it with…

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#AVEK #Estonia #Film Festival #Film Tampere #Finland #Finnish Film Foundation #Hanna #Hannu #Ilveskuiskaaja #Juha #Kaihlanen #Klara Films #Lynx #Man #Suonpää #Vancouver #VIFF

[jminter]

DOXA 2023 Festival Line-Up Debuts

This week, DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival, announced its 2023 Festival line-up.  The 22nd edition Festival returns to screens May 4 through May 14, 2023 with a roster of crucial and thought-provoking documentaries in theatrical venues across the city, bringing filmmakers and audiences together for a communal cinema experience. For those folks who prefer to view from the comfort of their own homes, a selection of festival films will be available to stream online after festival dates, between May 15 and 24, 2023. The 22nd annual DOXA Documentary Film Festival will showcase a total of 39 features and mid-lengths, 25 short films, as well as Industry events and multiple opportunities for filmmakers, audiences and industry professionals to connect.  Online films will be available to stream Canada-wide, through DOXA’s Eventive online platform. Theatrical screenings will take place at The Cinematheque, VIFF Centre and SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, while in-person industry events will be held at SFU’s World Arts Centre. DOXA presents Karen Cho’s Big Fight in Little Chinatown as this year’s Opening Presentation, screening on May 4th at SFU’s Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema. All across the globe, Chinatowns are under threat of disappearing—and along with them, the rich history of communities who fought from the margins for a place to belong. Big Fight in Little Chinatown follows the communities that are fighting to end perpetual gentrification and displacement across North America. Other Special Presentations include: Kokomo City, directed by D. Smith, which documents the stories of four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia as they share reflections on tangled desires, far-reaching taboos and gender’s many meanings (Justice Forum); King Coal, directed by Elaine McMillion Sheldon, witnessing the daily rituals of life in Appalachia as the cultural roots of the coal industry continue to permeate, even as its economic power wanes (Rated Y for Youth);

and Kaveh Nabatian’s Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones), which weaves together ancestral veneration, choreographed dance and interviews to tell a story of fighting back against colonial oppression in Haiti (Closing Gala). DOXA also features three guest-curated programs. Vancouver-based curator, writer and current Director of Artspeak Gallery, Nya Lewis has selected the film Beba (Rebeca Huntt, 2021) for their program, A Radical Pluriverse: Reflections on Black Womanhood on Both Sides of the Lens. In Lewis’s words, “I consider it a privilege to access a spiritual legacy of mothers, sisters and daughters—a lineage or geneology of Black women(hood) that is defined by collective self-awareness, shared political consciousness, love, magic, quests for liberation and futurism.” Farah Clémentine Dramani-Issifou, whose research and curatorial work focuses on Afro-diasporic cinema and visual arts, has curated a program of short films called I AM A (WO)MAN: Transatlantic Perspectives on Political Struggles in the 1960s–1970s in Guinea-Bissau, Morocco, the USA and France. These short works highlight the cross-cultural and -continental “struggles for the emancipation of colonized peoples,” and display the collaborative work of filmmakers and labour activists in the fight. Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis program titled NORITA: The Mother of All Struggles features Jayson McNamara’s work-in-progress doc, Norita, which examines the life and revolutionary work of Nora Cortiñas, the most famous of the Madres of the Plaza de Mayo—Argentina’s movement of women fighting for justice amidst the country’s rampant political oppression. Beyond the festival’s cornerstone Justice Forum and Rated Y for Youth programs, DOXA 2023 will include two Spotlight programming streams: DANCE, DANCE OTHERWISE WE ARE LOST and THIN PLACES. As German dancer Pina Bausch once advised: “Dance, dance otherwise we are lost.” In an effort to make sense of the world, the films in this spotlight program meld the disciplines of dance and filmmaking, strengthening relationships between ancestors, culture and community in the process. Thin Places presents a collection of films exploring liminal and precarious zones. “There are places,” says Irish writer Kerri ní Dochartaigh, “both hollowed and hallowed, all in one.” Thin places, as they are known in the Celtic tradition, are locales where a sense of Heaven and Earth meet. But in this dense collection of films, Hell is present too.

NOT QUITE THAT tells the story of a nice Jewish butch lesbian with a genetic mutation that might just allow her to be fully seen at last Several Canadian filmmakers will bring their world premiere to DOXA 2023. Amy Miller’s latest film, Manufacturing the Threat, is a festival highlight: After the arrest and imprisonment of a young Surrey couple, their plot to commit acts of terrorism was revealed to be the work of government agent provocateurs aiming to entrap and create their own “threats.” Miller will also be giving a masterclass, co-presented by DOC BC | YT | NWT, as part of DOXA’s Industry program. Ali Grant’s Not Quite That champions an affecting local story; after finding out she is predisposed to breast cancer, Sarah White—a Jewish woman, mother, and butch lesbian—must decide whether to wait and see what happens, or act fast and have a preventative double mastectomy. These Canadian films and more are exciting titles in DOXA’s 2023 festival program. DOXA Documentary Film Festival runs May 4-14, 2023, with select films available to stream online after the festival, between May 15 thru 24, unless otherwise specified. Online films are geo-blocked to Canada and virtual tickets will be limited. Select screenings will include live and pre-recorded filmmaker Q+As and extended discussions. Festival tickets and passes are on sale now at doxafestival.ca    Read the full article

#cinema #Docs #Documentary #DOXA #fest #FilmFestival #films #movies #shorts #Theatre #vancouver

[irisfilmcollective]

The latest from the very fabulous Xinema. This month features "Blind Spots" by Iris Film Collective Amanda Thomson along with many other great filmmakers dear to our hearts!  Jan 22, 2023 at 7pm, VIFF's Vancity Theatre.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 studies moving images' ability to influence and construct our senses. Through a series of eight short films, perception becomes a filmic language, spoken through an illusive spectacle of grain and pixels. This program explores the registration of light, sound, and motion; observing our interpretation of existence and the factors that contribute to it. Includes works byDavid Jeric Avelino // @dejayaveKaila Bhullar // @yelllo.wwwRoss Birdwise // @rossbirdwiseElysia Bourne // #ElysiaBourneSidney Gordon // @dirttonesCam Kletke // @toejam.camAndrew Power // #AndrewPowerAmanda Thomson // #AmandaThomsonKirk Tougas // #KirkTougas Curated by Celina de Leon // @celinebean2000 & Sidney Gordon // @dirttones

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" photocall at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#jacob elordi #nate jacobs #euphoria hbo #actor #venice international film festival #viff 2023 #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" press conference at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#j elordi #jacob elordi #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #viff 2023 #venice international film festival #actor #press conference

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" photocall at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#j elordi #jacob elordi #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #viff 2023 #venice international film festival #actor #euphoria hbo

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" photocall at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#jacob elordi #j elordi #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #euphoria hbo #euphoria #nate jacobs #saltburn #viff 2023 #venice international film festival

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Cailee Spaeny and Jacob Elordi attend a red carpet for the movie "Priscilla" at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on September 04, 2023 in Venice, Italy.

#jacob elordi #euphoria hbo #cailee spaeny #venice international film festival #viff 2023 #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #priscilla #sofia coppola #actor #actress #fashion #dress #gown #ootd #tuxedo

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Cailee Spaeny won the 'Best Actress' award for 'Priscilla' at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 09/09/23

#cailee spaeny #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #viff 2023 #venice international film festival #priscilla #best actress #venice #award season

[rickchung]

Monster (dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda) x VIFF 2023.

The real "monster" was the snap judgments and assumptions we made along the way. Kore-ada once again chooses compassion through understanding in his nuanced portrayal of children experiencing trauma and conflict as he unfolds his touching melodrama from three shifting character perspectives (not unlike Rashomon). It's a soulful portrait of youth with adults struggling to understand strange behaviour in children.

Screened at the 2023 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations series.

#monster #monster movie #hirokazu kore eda #hirokazu kore-eda #reviews #monster 2023 #hirokazu koreeda #sakura andō #sakura ando #viff #viff 2023 #eita nagayama #sōya kurokawa #soya kurokawa #hinata hiiragi #mitsuki takahata #toho #toho company #japanese #japanese film #japanese movie #japanese cinema #movie #movies #movie review #film review #film #cinema #well go usa

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" photocall at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#jacob elordi #nate jacobs #euphoria hbo #priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #saltburn #viff 2023 #venice international film festival #actor

[lipstickmotherfucker]

Jacob Elordi attended the "Priscilla" premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival – 04/09/23

#priscilla 2023 #priscilla movie #viff 2023 #venice international film festival #actor #j elordi #jacob elordi