HIFF Program Guide 2016

June 8 - 12, 2016
Program Guide
Venues
North Street Church
5657 North Street
NSCAD University Academy Building
1649 Brunswick Street
Hermes Gallery
5682 North Street
Tickets
Individual tickets ($10 regular / $8 senior / student / filmmaker /
unwaged) are available at the door 30 minutes before the scheduled
show time and through the festival’s website hiff.ca
All AFCOOP Full and Lifetime members receive a complimentary
Festival pass. Your pass will be available at the HIFF box office before
any screening.
Partners
Welcome
On behalf of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, I’m pleased to
welcome you to the 10th Anniversary of the Halifax Independent
Filmmakers Festival! The history of presentation at AFCOOP over
the past 40 years is a rich and varied one. AFCOOP has been at the
helm of many of the alternative presentation initiatives in Nova
Scotia including the iconic Wormwood’s Dog and Monkey Cinema,
the long-running Monday Night Movie series and AFCOOP’s former
annual member’s screening.
In 2007 AFCOOP expanded our screening efforts to a full-blown
film festival. The first HIFF took place in conjunction with an
audaciously titled symposium, “Is Film Dead?” Ten years later we are
pleased to report that film is not dead and in fact this year’s festival
includes work created and presented on Super-8, 16mm and 35mm.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in HIFF over the
past 10 years, to the former AFCOOP directors Walter Forsyth and
Greg Morris-Poultney for their vision and to all the AFCOOP staff,
committee members and volunteers who have contributed to the
vibrancy of this event over the past decade.
And most of all, congratulations to this year’s HIFF team including
Nelson MacDonald, Alex Balkam, Erin McDonald, Heather Young,
James Gauvreau and Matt Graves.
I’m excited to share this year’s amazing program of screenings and
events!
Martha Cooley
Executive Director
Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative
Atlantic Auteurs #1
Various directors | Shorts | 70 minutes
Wednesday, June 8th, 7pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
Experimentation takes many forms in this manic showcase of new
short works from Atlantic Canada. NSCAD professor Solomon Nagler
premieres skin of the cit-y, a hand-manipulated 16mm work, while his
student Yalitsa Riden exploits digital tools to make her HIFF debut with
the split-screen sensory experience Death Flame. Danny Boos returns to
HIFF with the realist drama Bound – a sharp departure from his earlier
experimental work – and Seth Smith’s Wind Through a Tree offers a
series of peephole vignettes that evoke a long lost America’s Funniest
Home Videos episode no one was ever, ever supposed to see.
SKIN OF THE CIT-Y // Solomon Nagler // 5 minutes
WIND THROUGH A TREE // Seth Smith // 10 minutes
BOUND // Danny Boos // 11 minutes
DEATH FLAME // Yalitsa Riden // 3 minutes
CLIPPED WINGS // Urs Frei // 22 minutes
SEAN + DEVIN HANGING OUT // Todd Fraser // 2 minutes
A SUICIDE AT THE GUN RANGE // Stephanie Clattenburg // 10 minutes
MAZE // James MacSwain // 9 minutes
Q+A with the directors will follow the screening.
Mina Walking
Yosef Baraki | Afghanistan, Canada | Feature, Drama | 125 minutes
Wednesday, June 8th, 9pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
12 year-old Mina cooks, sews, washes and works selling knick-knacks
on the war-torn streets of Kabul to feed her neglectful father and senile
grandfather. Nobody praises her. She spends her life walking without
looking back or stopping.
Yosef studied Film Production & Philosophy at Toronto’s York University
and Humber College and Mina Walking is his first feature. Serving as
writer, director, cinematographer and camera operator, Yosef spent 19
days shooting with non-professional actors and heavy improvisation
on the busy streets of Kabul Afghanistan. Mina Walking had its world
premiere at the 65th Berlin International Film Festival and won the
inaugural Discovery Award at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards.
Q+A with Yosef Baraki will follow the screening.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Atlantic Auteurs #2
Various directors | Shorts | 70 minutes
Thursday, June 9th, 7pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
Local filmmakers expose the audience to extended scenes of vomiting
(FEVERISH) and mold growth (WE R THE WORLD/MOLD) in this not
so gentle collection of new short works. Premieres include Tim Tracey’s
hand built DATA MINE, a stop-motion indictment of surveillance society,
and Heather Young’s documentary-fiction hybrid FISH. Meanwhile
HIFF stalwart David Stewart will hypnotize or induce a headache with
his latest rapid-fire edit, GRACE. This diverse collection of films is
guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
GRACE // David Stewart // 10 minutes
I AM COMING TO PARIS TO KILL YOU // Seth Smith // 10 minutes
ACROSS AMERICA // Millefiore Clarkes // 5 minutes
WIZARDLY WICKEDLY WEEPING // Josh Owen // 3 minutes
FISH // Heather Young // 13 minutes
WE R THE WORLD/MOLD // Dawn George // 7 minutes
SWIMMING IN THE IMAGINARY // Susan Wolf // 1 minute
FEVERISH // Nicole Steeves // 10 minutes
DATA MINE // Tim Tracey // 5 minutes
EAST WEST // Jeff Wheaton // 6 minutes
Q+A with the directors will follow the screening.
Short Works by Marie-Ève Juste
Canada | Shorts, Drama | 63 minutes
Thursday, June 9th, 9pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
Montreal filmmaker Marie-Ève Juste is one of Canada’s most exciting new
cinematic voices. With a subtle and sophisticated style her characters
explore race, gender and modern life. HIFF presents her complete short
works and an in-depth conversation with the artist in attendance.
SUMMER DAY // 15 minutes // 2011
WITH JEFF // 15 minutes // 2012
THE SANDS // 22 minutes // 2014
A NEW YEAR // 11 minutes // 2015
Marie-Ève Juste worked at the Cinémathèque Québécoise between 2003
and 2007, where she first got familiar with cinema history and practice.
In 2011, she co-directed her first short film, SUMMER DAY, with
Félix Dufour-Laperrière. With Jeff, her second short film, premiered at
Cannes’ 2012 Director’s Fortnight. Marie-Ève is an alumnus of the TIFF
Talent Lab and three of her short films have screened at the festival.
Q+A with Marie-Ève Juste will follow the screening.
Filmmaker in Attendance
Don’t Blink Robert Frank
Laura Israel | USA | Feature, Documentary | 82 minutes
Friday, June 10th, 7pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
Robert Frank’s friend and longtime collaborator Laura Israel has assembled a
palpable portrait of the reclusive artist set to the music of The Rolling Stones,
Charlie Mingus, and The Velvet Underground. Recently described by the New
York Times as “the world’s greatest living photographer” part-time Nova
Scotian Robert Frank has also directed dozens of films and videos including
Pull My Daisy, Cocksucker Blues, and Candy Mountain.
Laura Israel cut her teeth editing award-winning commercials and music videos
while still a film student at NYU. By the time she graduated she had formed her
own editorial company, Assemblage. Her client list included: Lou Reed, Patti
Smith, Keith Richards, Sonic Youth, New Order, David Byrne, artists Laurie
Simmons and Robert Frank. The films she edited with Frank have screened all
over the world and won many awards. Windfall, her debut doc, premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival and won top prize at Doc NYC.
Q+A with Laura Israel will follow the screening.
“One of the world’s greatest living photographers comes out of hiding in a new documentary that offers
unexpected exposure to an artist rarely seen on the other side of the camera.” - Wall Street Journal
“A provocative portrait of its equally provocative subject ... the film vividly conveys his artistic spirit,
defiant iconoclasm and lifelong aversion to compromise.” - Hollywood Reporter
Filmmaker in Attendance
Short Works by Francesca Fini
Italy | Shorts | 30 minutes
Friday, June 10th, 9pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
The Centre for Art Tapes is pleased to present a selection of works by
Italian video and performance artist Francesca Fini. The works are a
colourful, surrealist experience; two of which will be presented in 3D.
Fini has selected the works herself and will be Skyping in from Rome
post-screening to discuss her practice.
DADALOOP // 10 minutes // 2015
WHITE SUGAR // 13 minutes // 2013
LISZT // 7 minutes // 2012
Francesca Fini is an Italian performance and video artist. She has
exhibited her works internationally including at the 2011 WRO Biennale
in Poland, the finals of Laguna International Art Prize in Venice,
CINEMED Film Festival in Montpellier, Taormina Film Festival, Berlin
Directors Lounge, IKONO TV Film Festival, FILE Electronic Language
International Festival in Brazil, FONLAD Digital Art Festival, Cologne
Off and Magmart Video Art Festival, which she won in 2010, 2012 and
2013. She is currently the artist-in-residence at The Naggar School of
Art, Jerusalem, Israel.
Presented by Centre for Art Tapes
Canadian / International Shorts
Canada/International | Shorts | 80 minutes
Saturday, June 11th, 2pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
British filmmaker Fyzal Boulifa portrays the life of a young escort seen
from the varied perspectives of her online reviewers in his film Rate
Me. In Lone Rider Mathilde Delaunay uses remote Icelandic landscapes
to accentuate her character’s struggles with the limitations of language
and communication. Each film in this diverse group stands alone as a
unique and innovative exploration of the short form. Shown together
they provide the local community with a bold introduction to some of
the most refreshing new voices in Canadian and International cinema.
LET ME ASMR YOU // Clint Enns // 3 minutes
LONE RIDER // Mathilde Delaunay // 20 minutes
STAR // Emilie Mannering // 15 minutes
THIS IS AN OFFICIAL MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT //
Matthew Rankin // 1 minute
RATE ME // Fyzal Boulifa // 17 minutes
DRIVING LESSON // Marco Leão and André Santos
BLOOD MANIFESTO // Theodore Ushev
MOBILIZE // Caroline Monnet
Short Works by Alexandre Larose
Canada | Shorts, Experimental | 60 minutes
Saturday, June 11th, 7pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
Celebrated experimental filmmaker Alexandre Larose visits HIFF with a
selection of his short works including celluloid projections on 16mm and 35mm.
Alexandre’s work features extensive examples of optical printing techniques and
in-camera effects. A conversation with sample footage revealing his processes
will follow the screening.
930 // 10 minutes // 2006
RUE DE LA MONTAGNE // 2 minutes // 2012
ARTIFICES #1 // 4 minutes // 2007
LA GRANDE DAME // 3 minutes // 2011
VILLE MARIE // 12 minutes // 2009
BROUILLARD #14 // 10 minutes // 2014
Alexandre Larose is a French-Canadian artist based in Montreal. While
completing a bachelor in mechanical engineering in 2001, Alexandre became
interested in cinematography as a tool to re-configure temporal experiences.
His moving-image practice investigates phenomena of appearance and
representation as translated by the media of optics and celluloid. His work has
screened internationally since 2006 at festivals including TIFF and Rotterdam.
Q+A with Alexandre Larose will follow the screening.
Presented by Expanded Cinema Summer
Filmmaker in Attendance
88:88
Isiah Medina | Canada | Feature, Experimental | 65 minutes
Saturday, June 11th, 9pm | 5657 North Street | $10/$8
You can not pay your bill. Your heat and lights are cut. You pay. The clocks
initially flash 88:88. You set the clocks. You can not pay. You pay. 88:88.
Repeat. 88:88. Cut. You stop setting your clock to the time of the world.
You make do with suspension. 88:88.
Isiah Medina grew up in Winnipeg and lives in Toronto. He studied at
Concordia University and made his directorial debut with the short,
Semi-Auto Colours, followed by Time is the Sun. 88:88 premiered at
Locarno, screened at TIFF, and was named one of Film Comment’s “Top
Undistributed Films of 2015.” 88:88 is his first feature.
Q+A with Isiah Medina will follow the screening.
“At a time when the term “experimental cinema” has come to designate more or less a set of
potential generic forms, 88:88 is a real experiment, which means that its failures, or what appear
to be its failures, themselves produce thought […] I could say that 88:88 is a masterpiece, but
masterpieces are the domain of the past; Medina has taken his first step into the future.
- Cinema Scope
“The elusive, elliptical 88:88 is a bold debut feature from Winnipeg-based experimental filmmaker Isiah Medina that audaciously rethinks the possibilities and language of cinematic form.”
- Sight & Sound Magazine
Filmmaker in Attendance
Arabian Nights Volumes 1-3
Miguel Gomes | Portugal | Feature, Drama | 382 minutes
Sunday, June 12th, 1pm
NSCAD Academy Building | 1649 Brunswick Street | FREE
Arabian Nights is a monumental and dazzlingly original three-part film by
Miguel Gomes (Tabu) that uses the structure of One Thousand And One
Nights to tell the story of contemporary Portugal. Gomes tells fantastic
tales that blur the line between fiction and documentary, taking his
audience on a journey that ranges from talking roosters to the everyday
trials of the unemployed. Arabian Nights is one of the most talked about
films on the festival circuit and at just shy of six hours it is sure to challenge
and provoke even the most seasoned cinephile.
“With a blend of local lore and partisan fury, theatrical artifice and journalistic
inquiry, Gomes single-handedly reinvents the political cinema.”
- The New Yorker
“The biggest and most ambitious movie at Cannes this year … a six-hour, threepart project, variously described as a trilogy and as just one movie, shot entirely
on film and inspired very, very loosely by the classic collection of fairy tales.”
- Indiewire
Presented by Dalhousie University
Place Holder: Waterfowl Rice
Becka Barker | Canada | 16mm film loop gallery installation
Opening Reception Wednesday, June 8th, 5pm
Hermes Gallery | 5682 North Street | FREE
I try to capture my family’s outing in places I’ve called home, but the landmarks
move and change and maybe we’re lost? The integrity of my memory is
disintegrating even as my body responds to different settings in similar ways.
Inspired by dreams where personally-relevant geographies and distinct times
are mashed together, the Place Holder series explores my experiences with
transnational identity, multimodal social communication, and personal memory.
(Place Holder: Basins will premiere at the Craig Gallery in late June as part of the
VANS Mentorship Program exhibition.)
The Place Holder series was initiated a year ago as part of The Atlantic
Filmmakers Cooperative’s “Sweet Home” commissioning project. Special thanks
to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax
Regional Municipality for their support.
Special thanks to Eryn Foster, Ariella Pahlke, Chris Spencer-Lowe, William
Robinson, Alex Balkam, Nelson MacDonald, and Martha Cooley.
Thanks to Jim Cooper and Danny Cooper for agreeing to appear in the piece.
Becka Barker is an interdisciplinary/media artist and educator. Her studio
practice investigates the interplay of language, visual information, and human
movement through experimental film and animation. Her experimental film
and media artwork has been exhibited in the Ottawa International Animation
Festival, ExiS Seoul (winner 2007, Best International Film), Nocturne Art at
Night, Images Festival, and the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, as well as in many
curated programs. Becka has been regular part-time faculty at NSCAD University
since 2005, teaching in Intermedia, Film, Design, and Foundation programs.
HIFF Presented by
About AFCOOP
The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative (AFCOOP) is a non-profit
organization dedicated to providing new and experienced filmmakers
with equipment, facilities, training, and funding. Established in 1974,
AFCOOP is an accessible member-run centre for the production and
presentation of creative films in a collaborative, learning environment.
AFCOOP operates with the generous support from the Canada Council
for the Arts, the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional
Municipality.
HIFF Programmer - Nelson MacDonald
Nelson MacDonald is a Halifax based producer and programmer.
His short films have screened across Canada and internationally at
festivals including TIFF, VIFF, Montreal’s Festival du nouveau
cinema, Whistler Film Festival, Atlantic Film Festival, and Stockholm
International Film Festival. His first short film, Rhonda’s Party won
CBC’s Short Film Faceoff and was named to TIFF’s Top Ten Canadian
Shorts. Nelson was also an associate producer of the Claude Jutra
award winning feature film Blackbird. Nelson has attended many of the
world’s premiere festivals including TIFF, Cannes, Clermont-Ferrand,
and the Worldwide Short Film Festival. In 2013, he joined the Halifax
Independent Filmmakers Festival as coordinator and programmer. In
2015 he was member of the International Shorts jury at Festival du
nouveau cinema. Nelson just completed his first feature film through
Telefilm Canada’s Microbudget program Train Whistle Does Not Blow
directed by longtime collaborator Ashley McKenzie will be released
in 2016.
AFCOOP & HIFF Staff
Executive Director – Martha Cooley
Festival Programmer & Coordinator – Nelson MacDonald
Technical Coordinator – Alex Balkam
Projectionist – James Gauvreau
Programming Coordinator – Erin McDonald
FILM 5 Coordinator – Heather Young
Print Traffic Coordinator – Matt Graves
Designer – GUILD
AFCOOP Board of Directors
Jennifer Comeau (Chairperson), Chris Turner (Vice-chairperson), Evan
Jobb (Secretary), Ann Bernier (Treasurer), Sean Doyle, David Mullins,
Iain MacLeod, Jeff Parker, Gharrett Paon, Jeff Wheaton, Tim Tracey
(ex-Officio), Sobaz Benjamin (Ex-Officio), Ruby Boutilier (Ex-Officio),
and Alyssa Buchanan (Ex-Officio).
Special Thanks
Danny Boos, Jerry White, Geoff Fifield from Deep Water Church,
Steve Wiseman and Jody Zinner at GUILD, Samuel Kean, Mindy
Harris, Tori Fleming and Solomon Nagler.
Educated
Pleasure
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HIFF Schedule at a Glance
Wednesday, June 8
Place Holder: Waterfowl Rice | 16mm film loop | Hermes Gallery,
5682 North Street | 5:00PM | Free
Atlantic Auteurs #1 | Shorts | 5657 North Street | 7:00PM
Mina Walking | Feature | 5657 North Street | 9:00PM
Thursday, June 9
Atlantic Auteurs #2 | Shorts | 5657 North Street | 7:00PM
Short Works by Marie Ève Juste | Shorts | 5657 North Street | 9:00PM
Friday, June 10
Don’t Blink: Robert Frank | Documentary | 5657 North Street | 7:00PM
Short Works by Francesca Fini (Presented by CFAT) | Shorts |
5657 North Street | 9:00PM
Saturday, June 11
Canadian / International Shorts | Shorts | 5657 North Street | 2:00PM
Short Works by Alexandre Larose (Presented by ECS) | Shorts |
5657 North Street | 7:00PM
88:88 | Feature | 5657 North Street | 9:00PM
Live Performance by Loveland and Century Egg with projections
by James Gauvreau | 10:30PM
Sunday, June 12
Arabian Nights volumes 1-3
Feature | 1649 Brunswick Street | 1:00PM | Free Screening