HUMAN FLOW - 7PM
2018-02-02 19:00 - 21:20 (America/Toronto) | Annual Barrie Film Festival
HUMAN FLOW – Buy Tickets Now!

Friday, February 2, 7:00 pm
Directed by: Ai Weiwei
Documentary, PG for mature themes including a disturbing image, 140 min. Language: English (Germany)

“The imagery encourages viewers to adopt a global perspective in considering the subject matter.” – Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

“Ai Weiwei has made something beautiful: Human Flow is neither indulgent nor pedantic, but clear-eyed in its view of the enormity of the crisis too vast for most of us to comprehend.” – Murray White, Toronto Star

Over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes to escape famine, climate change and war in the greatest human displacement since World War II. Human Flow, an epic film journey led by the internationally renowned artist Ai Weiwei, gives a powerful visual expression to this massive human migration. The documentary elucidates both the staggering scale of the refugee crisis and its profoundly personal human impact. Captured over the course of an eventful year in 23 countries, the film follows a chain of urgent human stories that stretches across the globe.

Awards:
Won, Courage, Bambi Awards, 2017
Won, 4 Awards, Venice Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Detroit Film Critic Society, 2017

PAST LIFE - 1PM
2018-02-03 13:00 - 14:49
PAST LIFE – Buy Tickets Now!

Saturday, February 3, 1:00 pm
Written and Directed by: Avi Nesher
Drama, 14A for nudity and disturbing content, 109 min., Language: English and German, Polish, Hebrew with English subtitles (Israel/Poland)

“A striking and thought-provoking picture.” – Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

“While so many films have examined the war and the Holocaust that took such an egregious toll on the Jewish community, Past Life looks at it from a novel perspective, examining the possible “crimes” committed by a survivor.” – Bruce Demara, Toronto Star

Based on actual events and set in the late 1970s, Past Life centers on the daughters of Holocaust survivors: combative liberal journalist Nana and her younger sister Sephi, a soprano and aspiring composer. After a performance in West Berlin, Sephi is accosted by an elderly Polish woman who angrily accuses her father of murder. Traumatized by the startling encounter, the sisters launch an investigation, attempting to discover what really happened to their father in Poland during the war. As guilty secrets and troubling revelations are dredged up, the story boldly charts dangerous emotional territory as Nana and Sephi unravel the shocking truth about their father’s murky wartime experiences.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Actress / Supporting Actress / Art Direction / Costume Design / Music, Israeli Film Academy, 2017

BRIMSTONE & GLORY - 3:30PM
2018-02-03 15:30 - 16:37
BRIMSTONE & GLORY – Buy Tickets Now!

Saturday, February 3, 3:30 pm
Directed by: Viktor Jakovleski
Documentary, PG, 67 min.
Language: Spanish with English subtitles (Mexico/USA)

“Brimstone & Glory is community as catharsis, and you can’t stop staring in stupefied astonishment.” – Tim Grierson, Paste Magazine

“A movie that repays being seen on a big reflective screen, one on which the image is projected rather than one from which the image emanates.” – Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com

The National Pyrotechnic Festival in Tultepec, Mexico is a site of festivity unlike any other in the world. In celebration of San Juan de Dios (the patron saint of firework makers), conflagrant revelry engulfs the town for ten days. More than three quarters of Tultepec’s residents work in pyrotechnics, and the festival anchors a way of life built around the generations-old, homegrown business of making fireworks by hand. For the town’s citizens, this extraordinary event is explosive celebration and unrestrained delight… combined with genuine peril.

Awards:
Won, Special Mention, Sheffield International Documentary Festival, 2017
Won, Best Documentary Feature, San Francisco International Film Festival, 2017
Won, Special Citation, San Francisco Film Critics Circle, 2017
Won, Best Director/Best Picture, Austin Fantastic Fest, 2017

BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY - 5:15M
2018-02-03 17:15 - 18:45
BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY – Buy Tickets Now!

Saturday, February 3, 5:15 pm
Written and Directed by: Alexandra Dean
Documentary/Biography, PG for mature content and nudity in a non-sexual context, 90 min. (USA)

“What makes “Bombshell” intriguing is not just Lamarr’s gift for invention, it’s also what a fiery individualist she was, someone who had no regrets about her eventful life (“You learn from everything”), not even its racy, tabloid elements.” – Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

“Recognition (and compensation) proved elusive in Lamarr’s lifetime, but in this marvelous documentary, a brilliant woman – “I’m a very simple, complicated person” – finally gets her due.” – Chuck Wilson, Village Voice

Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr was known as the world’s most beautiful woman – Snow White and Cat Woman were both based on her iconic look. However, her arresting beauty and glamorous life stood in the way of her being given the credit she deserved as an ingenious inventor, whose pioneering work helped revolutionize modern communication.
Weaving interviews and clips with never-before-heard audio tapes of Hedy speaking about her incredible life combined with intimate reflections from her children, closest friends, family and admirers, Bombshell (executive produced by Susan Sarandon, Michael Kantor, Regina Scully) finally gives Hedy Lamarr the chance to tell her own story.

Awards:
Won, Audience Award, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, 2017
Won, Excellence in Filmmaking Award, Nantucket Film Festival, 2017
Won, Audience Award, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, 2017
Won, Audience Award/Best Film, Scottsdale International Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Audience Favourite, Aspen Filmfest, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Dallas Video Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Jerusalem Film Festival, 2017
Won, Audience Award-Feature, Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival, 2017

TAKE EVERY WAVE - 7:30PM
2018-02-03 19:30 - 21:28
TAKE EVERY WAVE:
THE LIFE OF LAIRD HAMILTON – Buy Tickets Now!

Saturday, February 3, 7:30 pm
Directed by: Rory Kennedy
Documentary/Sport, PG language may offend, not recommended for young children, 118 min. (USA)

“This is Kennedy’s profile in courage, a film about the connection between the great man and the “incorrigible egomaniac.” For all the awesome surfing footage, Take Every Wave is a serious film about the death-or-glory attitude of an extreme athlete.” – Liam Lacey, Original Cin

“The line between dedication and addiction is a thin one, and … that line is even thinner for the surfer who’s the subject of this involving documentary.” – Mark Dujik, Mark Reviews Movies

This exciting film tracks the remarkable life and legendary career of big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Much admired by the public (though often disdained or ignored by the surf industry itself), Hamilton is a unique sports icon. He’s an athlete who has refused to compete professionally, yet has dominated big-wave surfing as no other figure has ever done. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness as well as the cost that comes with it. Threaded throughout is a revealing, deeply personal interview with Hamilton himself, as well conversations with the family members, friends, collaborators and detractors who know him best.

Awards:
Won, Most Compelling Living Subject, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, 2017 Nominated, Best Sports Documentary, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, 2017

KEDI - 1PM
2018-02-04 13:00 - 14:20
KEDI – Buy Tickets Now!

Sunday, February 4, 1:00 pm
Directed by: Ceyda Torun
Documentary, G, 80 min. Language: Turkish with English subtitles (Turkey/USA)

“A cat’s-eye view of the world that showcases both the warm-hearted people of this ancient Turkish city and the seamless integration of its felines into everyday life.” – Kathryn Laskaris, Toronto Star

“Gives us a synoptic vision of Istanbul as filtered through one of that ancient city’s most unique traits, the enormous population of quasi-domestic cats roaming its streets.” – Tim Brayton, Alternate Ending

Hundreds of thousands of cats roam the metropolis of Istanbul freely. For thousands of years they’ve wandered in and out of people’s lives, becoming an essential part of the communities that make the city so rich. Claiming no owners, these animals live between two worlds – neither wild nor tame – and they bring joy and purpose to those people they choose to adopt. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to the people, allowing them to reflect on their lives in ways nothing else could.

Awards:
Won, Best First Documentary, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, 2017
Won, Most Compelling Living Subject, Critics Choice, Documentary Awards, 2017
Nominated, Allan King Documentary Award, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, 2017
Nominated, CFCA Award for Best Documentary, Chicago Film Critics Association Awards, 2017
Won, Best Family Film, Sidewalk Film Festival, 2016

PAULA - 3PM
2018-02-04 15:00 - 17:02
PAULA – Buy Tickets Now!

Sunday, February 4, 3:00 pm
Directed by: Christian Schwochow
Biography/Drama, 14A for some nudity/sexual content, 123 min., German, French with English subtitles (France/Germany)

Painting is an unacceptable vocation for a woman in provincial Germany in the year 1900, but budding artist Paula Becker is determined to make her own rules. The exuberant 24-year-old woman rejects the conventional and explores her unique style. By marrying painter Otto Modersohn, she hopes to find a creative soulmate. He allows her to continue painting while assuming her duties as a good wife. However, five years of domesticity take its toll on Paula’s spirit, and she travels alone to modern Paris, where she studies at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Headstrong Paula is unstoppable: she embarks on a period that will become her most compelling; a long-awaited period of creative fulfilment and self-realization…

Awards:
Won, Best Cinematography, Bavarian Film Awards, 2017
Won, Best Production/Costume Design, German Film Awards, 2017

SPETTACOLO - 5:30PM
2018-02-04 17:30 - 19:01
SPETTACOLO – Buy Tickets Now!

Sunday, February 4, 5:30 pm
Directed by: Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen
Documentary, PG, 91 min., Italian with English subtitles (USA)

“Spettacolo stands as a testament to making art in the face of general indifference and worldly decline, and the belief that a can-do spirit and deep-seated cynicism are not mutually exclusive ideas.” – Virkram Murthi, AV Club

“An engaging and wistful look at the tiny Tuscan village of Monticchielo and its longtime tradition of producing “autodramas,” works crafted by, starring and thematically inspired by its residents.” – Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

Once upon a time, villagers in a tiny hill town in Tuscany came up with a remarkable way to confront their social issues: they turned their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza became their stage, and residents of all ages played a part; the role of themselves. Monticchiello’s annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town’s 50th anniversary performance might just be its last. Spettacolo tells the story of Teatro Povero di Monticchiello, interweaving episodes from its past with its modern day process, as the villagers turn a series of devastating blows into a new play about the end of their world.

Awards:
Won, Audience Award, Biografilm Festival, 2017
Won, Special Jury Prize, Dallas International Film Festival, 2017
Won, Jury Prize, Key West Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Cleveland International Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Critics Choice Documentary Awards, 2017

PECKING ORDER - 7:30PM
2018-02-04 19:30 - 20:28
PECKING ORDER – Buy Tickets Now!

Sunday, February 4, 7:30 pm
Written and Directed by: Slavko Martinov
Documentary, PG, 88 min. (New Zealand)

“An absolutely hilarious and very pointed exploration of politics and culture on the smallest possible scale. And a lot of good-lookin’ chickens.” – Mary Ann Johanson, Flick Filosopher

“This is quirkily compulsive viewing.” – David Aldridge, Radio Times

“As feathers are ruffled by ego and envy, the film doubles as a surprisingly affecting fable of fun turning fowl.” – Simon Kinnear, Total Film

“A documentary about New Zealand’s leading chicken breeders may not immediately seize the imagination, but, like Best in Show, the mockumentary it often resembles, Slavko Martinov’s film is often hilarious.” – Ed Potton, Times (UK)

This feel good feather-ruffling flockumentary takes you into the distinctly Kiwi world of competitive poultry pageantry, inhabited by a group of understated, witty and likable chicken lovers hell-bent on victory at the New Zealand National Poultry Show.

This heart-warming film about the circle of life, power struggles and the need for progress, follows members of the Christchurch Poultry, Pigeon and Bantam Club struggling to peak at nationals while decades of club infighting threaten to tear their 148-year-old club apart. Who will ‘Rule the Roost’?

Awards:
Nominated, Best Documentary, Adelaide Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Documentary, Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2017
Nominated, Best Foreign Documentary Trailer, Golden Trailer Awards, 2017
Nominated, People’s Choice Award – Best Documentary, Melbourne International Film Festival, 2017

C'est La Vie! - 4PM
2018-02-07 16:00, 2018-02-08 16:00
C’est La Vie! (Le sens de la fête)
Screening:
Wednesday, February 7 – 4pm, 7pm
Thursday, February 8 – 4pm, 7pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Directed by: Eric Toledano and Oliver Nakache
Principle Cast: Gilles Lellouche, Suzanne Clément, Jean-Paul Rouve, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Judith Chemia
Comedy, 115 minutes, PG, French with English Subtitles (France)

“This is an expertly assembled, tartly played and hugely enjoyable romp …” – Boyd van Hoeii, Hollywood Reporter

“Co-directors and screenwriters Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache (Untouchables) pull another magical trick out of the hat with a ruthlessly-plotted breeze of ensemble good humour, C’est La Vie!” – Fionnuala Halligan, Screen International

Max (Jean-Pierre Bacri) is a battle-weary veteran of the wedding-planning racket. His latest — and last — gig is a hell of a fête, involving stuffy period costumes for the caterers, a vain, hyper sensitive singer who thinks he’s a Gallic James Brown, and a morose, micro-managing groom determined to make Max’s night as miserable as possible. But what makes the affair too bitter to endure is that Max’s colleague and ostensible girlfriend, Joisette (Suzanne Clément; Mommy, Laurence Anyways), seems to have written him off, coolly going about her professional duties while openly flirting with a much younger server. It’s going to be a very long night… especially once the groom’s aerial serenade gets underway. An ensemble work brimming with offbeat, lovable characters, and hilarious set pieces, C’est la vie! is a fiendishly smart, sprawling comedy as only the French do it. You will be laughing all the way down the aisle.

C'est La Vie! - 7PM
2018-02-07 19:00, 2018-02-08 19:00

Back to Burgundy - 4PM
2018-02-15 16:00 - 17:53
Back to Burgundy (Ce qui nous lie)
Screening: Thursday, February 15, 2018 – 4pm, 7pm
Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie
Co-written and Directed by: Cédric Klapisch
Cast: Pio Marmaï, Ana Girardot, François Civil, Jean-Marc Roulot and Marîa Valverde
Comedy/Drama, 14A for mature thematics, 113 minutes French/English/Spanish with English subtitles (France)

“Have you come back from your holiday brimming with buy-your-own-vineyard fantasies? Slake that thirst with this French art house crowd-pleaser.” – Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Times (UK)

“The performances are engaging and the film is very likeable, especially as we witness the landscapes through the changing seasons of sun-dappled summer and snow-clad winter.” – Allan Hunter, Daily Express (UK)

Back to Burgundy tells the story of Jean, who left his family and his native Burgundy ten years ago to tour the world. When learning of his father’s imminent death he returns to his childhood home where he, his sister, Juliette, and brother, Jérémie, inherit their family vineyard. As the seasons go by and they work to save the vineyard, they’ll have to learn to trust each other again and reinvent their relationship.

Program is Sponsored by:

Back to Burgundy - 7PM
2018-02-15 19:00 - 20:53

The Leisure Seeker - 4PM
2018-03-07 16:00 - 17:52, 2018-03-08 16:00 - 17:52
The Leisure Seeker
Screening:
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Thursday, March 8, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Directed by: Paolo Virzi
Principle Cast: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland, Kirsty Mitchell and Christian McKay
Drama/Adventure, 14A mature theme and language, 112 minutes
Language: English (Italy/France)

“It’s bluntly honest … and finds a rough-edged humour in that frankness.”
– Robbie Collin, DAILY TELEGRAPH (UK)

An elderly couple, both diagnosed with serious illnesses, decide to live their last days on the road instead of in a hospital. Ella (Helen Mirren) has incurable cancer. Her husband John (Donald Sutherland), a former high school English professor, is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Ella opts to tune up the vintage Winnebago they’ve dubbed “The Leisure Seeker” and hit the highway, traveling from Boston to Florida. She lets John, who’s not always sure what they’re doing or where they’re going, drive, but she assures him they’re on a vacation. They stop at diners and camp at trailer sites, on their way to Key West to visit the house where Ernest Hemingway — one of John’s favorite writers — once lived.

Awards:
Won, Capri Ensemble Cast Award, Italy, 2017
Nominated, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Helen Mirren), Golden Globes, USA, 2018
Nominated, Best Film, Venice Film Festival, Italy, 2017
Nominated, Outstanding Feature Film and Actress (Helen Mirren), Women’s Image Awards, USA, 2018

The Leisure Seeker - 7PM
2018-03-07 19:00 - 20:52, 2018-03-08 19:00 - 20:52

Call Me By Your Name - 4PM
2018-03-15 16:00 - 18:11
Call Me By Your Name

Screening: Thursday, March 15, 2018 – 4pm, 7pm
Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie
Directed by: Luca Guadagnino
Cast: Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, Esther Garrel
Drama/Romance, 14A for coarse language, sexual content, mature themes, 131 minutes
English/Italian/French/German with English subtitles (Italy/France/Brazil/USA)

“The direction by Luca Guadagnino is reminiscent of Bertolucci’s sensitivity at its best, the fabulous cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom rapturously captures the rich work of art that is Italy in summer, and the actors are to die for.” – Rex Reed, New York Observer

“In what might be the most romantic movie of the year, Call Me by Your Name dispenses with cliché while focusing on the universal fantasy of first love.”- Annlee Ellingson, L.A. Biz

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME is a sensual and transcendent tale of first love, based on the acclaimed novel by André Aciman. It’s the summer of 1983 in the north of Italy, and Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet), a precocious 17- year-old American-Italian boy, spends his days in his family’s 17th century villa transcribing and playing classical music, reading, and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel). Elio enjoys a close relationship with his father (Michael Stuhlbarg), an eminent professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture, and his mother Annella (Amira Casar), a translator, who favor him with the fruits of high culture in a setting that overflows with natural delights. While Elio’s sophistication and intellectual gifts suggest he is already a fully-fledged adult, there is much that yet remains innocent and unformed about him, particularly about matters of the heart. One day, Oliver (Armie Hammer), a charming American scholar working on his doctorate, arrives as the annual summer intern tasked with helping Elio’s father. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of the setting, Elio and Oliver discover the heady beauty of awakening desire over the course of a summer that will alter their lives forever.

Awards: 196 Nominations, 62 Wins
Nominated, Best Performance (Timothée Chalamet), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Music, Academy Awards, USA, 2018
Nominated, Best Motion Picture, Best Performance (Timothée Chalamet), Golden Globes, USA, 2018
Nominated, Outstanding Performance Male Actor (Timothée Chalamet) Screen Actors Guild Awards, USA, 2018
Won, Movie of the Year, AFI Awards, USA, 2018

Program is Sponsored by:

Call Me By Your Name - 7PM
2018-03-15 19:00 - 21:11

Finding Your Feet - 4PM
2018-04-04 16:00 - 17:51, 2018-04-05 16:00 - 17:51
Finding Your Feet

Screening:
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Thursday, April 5, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Director: Richard Loncraine
Cast: Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Timothy Spall, David Hayman, John Sessions, Joanna Lumley
Comedy/Drama, PG for mature theme/language, 111 minutes (United Kingdom)

“The cast lend charm to this feelgood fairy tale and Celia Imrie is especially good as the inspiring Bif.”
– Allan Hunter, DAILY EXPRESS (UK)

When ‘Lady’ Sandra Abbott (Academy Award nominee Imelda Staunton, Maleficent, Pride, Vera Drake) discovers that her husband of forty years (John Sessions) is having an affair with her best friend (Josie Lawrence) she seeks refuge in London with her estranged, older sister Bif (Celia Imrie, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). e two could not be more different – Sandra is a fish out of water next to her outspoken, serial dating, free spirited sibling. But different is just what Sandra needs at the moment, and she reluctantly lets Bif drag her along to a community dance class, where gradually she starts finding her feet and romance as she meets her sister’s friends, Charlie (Timothy Spall, Mr. Turner, Denial), Jackie (Joanna Lumley) and Ted (David Hayman). is colourful, defiant and energetic group start to show Sandra that retirement is in fact only the beginning, and that divorce might just give her a whole new lease on love and life.

Awards:
Won, Audience Award (Best Narrative Feature), Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2018

Finding Your Feet - 7PM
2018-04-04 19:00 - 20:51, 2018-04-05 19:00 - 20:51

The Square - 4PM
2018-04-19 16:00 - 18:35
The Square

Screening:
Thursday, April 19, 2018 – 4 pm, 7:15 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Written and Directed by: Ruben Östlund
Cast: Elizabeth Moss, Claes Bang, Terry Notary and Dominic West
Comedy/Drama, 14A for coarse language, disturbing and crude content, 151 minutes, English and Swedish, Danish with English subtitles (Sweden)

“It’s laugh-out-loud funny and occasionally just plain silly. But it asks a serious question that seems more urgent with every passing day: “How much inhumanity does it take before we access your humanity?” – Peter Howell, Toronto Star

“An examination of social context, elitism, cultural bubbles and more, The Square is – to put it precisely – absolutely bonkers. But purposefully bonkers.” – Tom Long, Detroit News

Swedish provocateur Ruben Östlund, the director of Force Majeure, returns with The Square, one of his most audacious pieces to date and winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes. A spot-on, no-holds-barred satire of the more vapid foibles of the postmodern art world, the film follows Christian (Claes Bang), the imperious, self-centred, and hopelessly befuddled curator of Sweden’s most cutting-edge art museum.
He’s a divorced but devoted father of two who drives an electric car and supports good causes. His next show is “The Square”, an installation which invites passersby to altruism, reminding them of their role as responsible fellow human beings. But sometimes, it is difficult to live up to your own ideals: Christian’s foolish response to the theft of his phone drags him into shameful situations. Meanwhile, the museum’s PR agency has created an unexpected campaign for “The Square”. The response is overblown and sends Christian, as well as the museum, into an existential crisis.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, USA, 2018
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Golden Globes, USA, 2018
Nominated, Best Feature, Adelaide Film Festival, 2017
Winner, Best Non English Language Film, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, 2018
Winner, Best Foreign Language Film, Boston Society of Film Critics Awards, 2017
Winner, European Comedy, European Film, European Director,European Film Awards, 2017
Winner, Best European Film, Goya Awards, 2018
Winner, Best Foreign Film, Guild of German Art House Cinemas, 2017
Winner, Best Foreign Language Film, Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, 2017

The Square - 7:15PM
2018-04-19 19:15 - 21:55

AVA - 4PM
2018-05-02 16:00 - 17:43
AVA

Screening:
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Thursday, May 3, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Written and Directed by: Sadaf Foroughi
Cast: Mahour Jabbari, Bahar Noohian, Leili Rashidi, Vahid Aghapour, Shayesteh Sajadi
Drama, PG for mature theme/language, 103 minutes
Language: Persian with English subtitles (Iran/Canada/Qatar)

“Ava’s rebellion is against more than her parents’ mistrust; it’s about the cage of societal norms in Iran that stifles female creativity and self-expression. The clarity with which Foroughi presents the situation makes it easy for international audiences to follow the unfolding drama with its rising stakes.” – Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter

Based on her own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava is a gripping debut about a young girl’s coming-of-age in a strict, traditional society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is a bright and focused teen whose concerns — friendships, music, social status, academic performance — resemble that of nearly any teenager. When Ava’s mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy — going so far as to visit a gynecologist – Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. Formerly a model student, Ava begins to rebel against the strictures imposed by her parents, her school, and the society at large.

Awards:

Nominated, International Debut Award, Göteborg Film Festival, 2018
Winner, Best Canadian First Feature Film/Honourable Mention, International Critics’ Award, Toronto International Film Festival, 2017

AVA - 7PM
2018-05-02 19:00 - 20:43
AVA

Screening:
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Thursday, May 3, 2018 – 4 pm, 7 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop St. W., Barrie

Written and Directed by: Sadaf Foroughi
Cast: Mahour Jabbari, Bahar Noohian, Leili Rashidi, Vahid Aghapour, Shayesteh Sajadi
Drama, PG for mature theme/language, 103 minutes, Language: Persian with English subtitles (Iran/Canada/Qatar)

“Ava’s rebellion is against more than her parents’ mistrust; it’s about the cage of societal norms in Iran that stifles female creativity and self-expression. The clarity with which Foroughi presents the situation makes it easy for international audiences to follow the unfolding drama with its rising stakes.” – Deborah Young, The Hollywood Reporter

Based on her own adolescent experiences, Sadaf Foroughi’s Ava is a gripping debut about a young girl’s coming-of-age in a strict, traditional society. Living with her well-to-do parents in Tehran, Ava is a bright and focused teen whose concerns — friendships, music, social status, academic performance — resemble that of nearly any teenager. When Ava’s mistrustful and overprotective mother questions her relationship with a boy — going so far as to visit a gynecologist – Ava is overwhelmed by a newfound rage. Formerly a model student, Ava begins to rebel against the strictures imposed by her parents, her school, and the society at large.

Awards:

Nominated, International Debut Award, Göteborg Film Festival, 2018
Winner, Best Canadian First Feature Film/Honourable Mention, International Critics’ Award, Toronto International Film Festival, 2017

AVA - 4PM
2018-05-03 16:00 - 17:43
