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A local treasure like the storied Metro Cinema it runs in, Canada’s longest-running documentary film festival NorthwestFest has a particular and deliberate focus on Alberta and especially Edmonton film this year — its lineup just announced.
Now running back to back May 9-15 with its sister, queer-focused Rainbow Visions May 16-19, the hinge between these two May festivals is a special set of programming called “Perspective Alberta.”
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In it, 10 regionally made films show off a surge in local production that found longtime festival director Guy Lavallee surprised and impressed coming in.
“We had by far more Alberta submissions than ever,” says Lavallee, “kind of a testament to what’s happening in this province.
“Typically we’ve gotten a number from Calgary and maybe a few from Edmonton, but it’s pretty much all Edmonton this year, which is great.”
The festival director talks about big, Calgary-based productions like Fargo and Fraggle Rock, churning the industry down south.
“But what I think we’ve seen over the last few years is because we don’t have as much as that up here, everyone’s just decided, ‘Well then, I’m gonna make stuff here anyway.’ ”
Sure to draw bigger crowds with of local crews attending and the audience’s chance to meet and pick the brains of our regional filmmakers, there’s an amazing range of approaches and subject matter. Lavallee ushers us through a few of the features.
“Cree filmmaker Tash Hubbard directed Singing Back the Buffalo, basically all about returning the buffalo herd of North America to their rightful place,” he explains, noting the awesome Bonnie Thompson produced this one.
“Buffalo ‘rematriation’ is the term that used.”
Next up, Send Kelp! “Blake McWilliam has produced a number of films we’ve shown at the festival, but this is the first feature-length one he’s written and directed, following Frances Ward, who is a self-professed seaweed nerd — and yes, there is such a thing,” Lavallee laughs.
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One more: prolific filmmaker Kelly (Spider Mabel) Wolfert’s long-anticipated doc Fighting Through the Fog.
“Kelly’s been working on this one for years, and it’s the story of Patrycia Rzechowka,” says Lavallee, “all about her battle with MS and how she’s refused to let it define her.”
He also mentions Survivor Speak in the program, about domestic abuse survivors, and The Wounds Within: An Endometriosis Story, produced by Edmonton’s Katrina Beatty.
Turning to the local side of Rainbow Visions, we find Dylan Rice Howard’s telepathy drama Eudaimonia, and Darrin Hagen’s Pride V Prejudice: The Delwin Vriend Story, which will close the two festivals’ run May 19.
This naturally brings us to the non-local lineups of the two fests, starting with documentary-focused NWF’s The Cigarette Surfboard.
“So this California surfer dude,” Lavallee explains, “basically does a beach cleanup every spring and was gobsmacked by how many cigarette butts he found.
“It’s disgusting, actually,” laughs Lavallee. “So he’s a bit of an environmental activist and he got behind designing a surfboard where the entire interior body is discarded cigarettes — it’s really cool!”
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Filmmaker Ben Judkins and surfer Taylor Lane will be here for the Q&A at the 7 p.m. May 11 screening — as will the titular surfboard.
Lavallee has also programmed two films perfect for May 12 Mother’s Day. The first is National Geographic’s Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (say that last part fast).
“I saw this at SXSW and fell in love with it,” says the programmer. “This guy befriends an otter and it just starts following him around — you have to just discover everything that happens, I don’t want to spoil any of it.
“It’s also unbelievably beautiful, absolutely stunning and spellbinding.”
That’s on at noon May 12. Right after at 2 p.m. is The Day Iceland Stood Still.
“In 1975, basically of the women in Iceland went on strike just to show society, ‘You cannot survive without us!’
“It’s like the perfect film to show on Mother’s Day,” Lavallee laughs.
Speaking of women, another notable film in the NWF roster is Sorry/Not Sorry, a take by directors Cara Mones and Caroline Suh on the sexual misconduct allegations against Louie CK, and the effects his comeback has had on those who came forward.
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This one plays 9:30 p.m. May 10.
The fest actually opens 7 p.m., Thurs., May 9, with environmental Common Ground, and you can find the whole list of movies at northwestfest.ca.
Moving on to Rainbow Visions, rolling through May 16-19, Lavallee beams about its 7 p.m. opening night film, I Saw the TV Glow — written and directed by Jane Schoenbrun.
“We’re kicking off our festival with one of the biggest buzz films of the year,” says Lavallee. “It’s their follow-up to We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and it blew people away when it premiered at Sundance.”
Teaches of Peaches — the Peaches documentary — is the next night at 7 p.m., while Saturday, May 18 RVFF Centerpiece film is Riley.
“It’s one of the best coming-of-age movies that I’ve seen in years,” says Lavallee, “with a lead performance by this young actor named Jake Holley that’s the very definition of a star-making performance.”
A Q&A with director Benjamin Howard and Holley follows.
You can find more info on all the films at rainbowvisions.ca.
After the 6 p.m. Sunday, May 19, screening of Hagen’s documentary about one of the biggest court cases in Edmonton history, there’s a reception with food, drinks and a DJ in the lobby to close up the ten days of film, free with admission.
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Tickets and passes are available in various combinations at both festival websites, and there’s even a combo pass that gets you into all 54 films of both festivals for $99.
As ever, Lavallee is beyond thankful for the film society based in Garneau Theatre.
“I say this loudly: if Metro Cinema had not survived the pandemic I highly doubt we’d have a festival.
“Our audiences love it and I can’t imagine screening anywhere else.”
PREVIEW
NorthwestFest International Documentary Film Festival and Rainbow Visions Film Festival
When May 9-15 and May 16-19 consecutively
Where Metro Cinema (8912 109 St.)
Tickets $10-$15/screening, $94.95/NWF pass; $79/RVFF pass; $99/both fest combo pass at northwestfest.ca
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