Barrie Film Festival

Transit
2018-10-13 19:00 - 20:41, 2018-10-16 16:30 - 18:11 (America/Toronto) | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Transit
Written and Directed by: Christian Petzold
Cast: Franz Rogowski, Paula Beer, Godehard Giese and Lillien Batman
Drama | PG for mature theme, language may offend, tobacco use | Not suggested for sensitive or young viewers | 101 min. | German/French/French Sign Language with English subtitles | Germany/France

SCREENING:
Saturday, October 13 – 7:00 pm
Tuesday, October 16 – 4:30 pm
Get your tickets here!

“Evoking Casablanca, this tragic romance is gorgeous to look at and often thrilling, its central gimmick of telling a historical story in the modern day paying off surprisingly well.” – Tom Augustine, New Zealand Herald
“Assumed identities, heartbroken children, complex love triangles and the realisation that inertia is hell in itself all feature in this thoughtful, soulful film.” – Sarah Ward, Concrete Playground

German troops are fast approaching Paris. Georg, a German refugee, escapes to Marseille in the nick of time. In his luggage, he carries the documents of an author, Weidel, who has taken his own life in fear of his persecutors. Georg has memorized Weidel’s papers and assumes his identity. He delves into the quasi-existence of flight: refugee chatter in the corridors of a small hotel, the consulates, cafés and bars that line the harbour… He befriends Driss, the son of his comrade Heinz, who died on the run. Why move on at all? Are new beginnings possible elsewhere anyway? Everything changes when Georg falls in love with the mysterious Marie. Is it devotion or calculation that has led her to share her life with a doctor before journeying on in search of her husband?

1 Win and 7 Nominations:
Won – Best Film, Nuremburg Film Festival “Turkey-Germany”, 2018
Nominated – Best Film, Berlin International Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best Film, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, 2018
Nominated – Best Film, Sydney Film Festival, 2018

Awards/Filmmakers Party
2018-10-13 21:00 - 23:00 | Mavricks Music Hall Side Room, 50 Dunlop Street West, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
[fullwidth ]

Awards Presentation / Filmmakers’ Party
Saturday, October 13, 9:00 pm
Mavricks Music Hall Side Room, 50 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Admission: Free
Short Film Showcase Line up
Immediately following the Short Film Showcase, please join us across the street at Mavricks Music Hall Side Room for the awards presentation and some celebrating!
DJ Funk 98 will provide a great selection of music along with tasty hors d’oeuvres from Made in Mexico, Milestones and Ricardo’s.
Always a fun party, join us to mingle with the filmmakers who participated in this year’s Shorts competition!

The Miseducation of Cameron Post
2018-10-14 13:00 - 14:31, 2018-10-18 16:30 - 18:01 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Written and Directed by: Desiree Akhavan
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, John Gallagher Jr., Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck and Jennifer Ehle
Drama | 14A for mature thematics, coarse language, sexual content and substance abuse | 91 min. | USA

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 1:00 pm
Thursday, October 18 – 4:30 pm
Get your tickets here!

“It might be the highest compliment to say that the film version does not at all feel compromised in the transfer to screen; it tones nothing down.” – Kent Turner, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
“The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a scrapbook made by the people who were there.” – Ty Burr, BOSTON GLOBE
Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) looks the part of a perfect high school girl. But after she’s caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night, Cameron is quickly shipped off to a conversion therapy centre that treats teens “struggling with same-sex attraction.”

At the facility, Cameron is subjected to outlandish discipline, dubious “de-gaying” methods, and earnest Christian rock songs-but this unusual setting also provides her with an unlikely gay community. For the first time, Cameron connects with peers, and she’s able to find her place among fellow outcasts. Together, this group of teenagers forms an unlikely family as they fight to survive.

1 WIN, 6 NOMINATIONS:
WON – Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best International Film, Jerusalem Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best LGBTQ Film, Molodist International Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best Feature Film, Seattle International Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best Film, Sydney Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Grand Jury Prize – Narrative Feature Competition, Dallas International Film Festival, 2018

Love, Gilda
2018-10-14 13:15 - 14:41, 2018-10-15 16:00 - 17:20 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Love, Gilda
Directed by: Lisa D’Apolito
Featuring: Gilda Radner, Michael Radner, Chevy Chase, Anne Beatts, Bill Hader, Laraine Newman, Martin Short, Paul Shaffer and Lorne Michaels
Documentary | PG for mature theme, coarse language and tobacco use | 86 min. | Canada/USA

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 1:15 pm, Uptown Theatre
Monday, October 15 – 4:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“Forty years later, her comedy looks more sublime than ever. As you watch “Love, Gilda,” though, it becomes clear that what made Gilda Radner special – and uproarious – was her spirit: open, smiling, generous, euphoric.”– Owen Gleiberman, VARIETY
“To D’Apolito’s credit, her film doesn’t dwell on the sadness. Rather, it’s a celebration of a performer who revolutionized comedy and inspired future generations.” – Al Alexander, THE PATRIOT LEDGER
Love, Gilda opens a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of beloved performer Gilda Radner, whose greatest role was sharing her story. Working with the Radner estate, D’Apolito unearthed a collection of diaries and personal audio and videotapes documenting her childhood, her comedy career, her relationships and ultimately, her struggles with cancer. These never-before-seen-or-heard footage and journal entries form the narrative spine of the documentary, allowing Gilda to tell her own story – through laughter and sometimes tears.

WON – Audience Award – U.S. Documentary, Cinetopia Film Festival, 2018

The Third Murder
2018-10-14 15:00 - 17:04 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Third Murder (Sandome No Satsujin)
Written and Directed by: Hirokazu Kore-eda
Cast: Masaharu Fukuyama, Mikako Ichikawa, Koji Yakusho and Suzu Hirose
Crime/Drama/Mystery | PG for mature theme | 124 min. | Japanese with English subtitles | Japan

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 3:00 pm
Get your tickets here!

“Themes bristle; ambiguity is a form of play; understated visual notions accrue in nourishing widescreen compositions; behavior is inexplicable; lyricism lies in a serene command of detail. This is a loving, lovely work by a master filmmaker.” – Ray Pride, Newcity
“The Third Murder creatively examines how truth bends in favor of judicial economy. It’s a tricky bit of thoughtful filmmaking from an emerging Japanese master.” – Jonathan W. Hickman

Leading attorney Shigemori takes on the defence of murder-robbery suspect Misumi who served jail time for another murder 30 years ago. Shigemori’s chances of winning the case seem low – his client freely admits his guilt, despite facing the death penalty if he is convicted. As he digs deeper into the case, as he hears the testimonies of the victim’s family and Misumi himself, the once confident Shigemori begins to doubt whether his client is the murderer after all.

6 Wins, 13 Nominations:
Won – Best Film, Best Supporting Actress (Koji Yakusho), Best Director, Best Screenplay, Awards of the Japanese Academy, 2018
Nominated – Best Director, Best Actor, Best Screenplay, Asia Pacific Screen Awards, 2017
Nominated – Best Film, Best Editor, Best Cinematographer, Asian Film Awards, 2018
Nominated – Golden Lion – Best Film, Venice Film Festival, 2017

Carmine Street Guitars
2018-10-14 16:00 - 17:20, 2018-10-19 16:00 - 17:20 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Carmine Street Guitars
Directed by: Ron Mann
With: Rick Kelly, Cindy Hulej, and Dorothy Kelly
Featuring: Eszter Balint, Christine Bougie (Bahamas), Nels Cline (Wilco), Kirk Douglas (The Roots), Eleanor Friedberger, Bill Frisell, Dallas Good (The Sadies), Travis Good (The Sadies), Dave Hill, Jaime Hince (The Kills), Stewart Hurwood, Jim Jarmusch (Sqürl), Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith Band), Marc Ribot, Charlie Sexton
(Bob Dylan Band)
Documentary | PG for coarse language | 80 min. | Canada

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 4:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Friday, October 19 – 4:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“Like the great musicians who come in and out of Kelly’s shop, Mann knows how to hit the right notes and how long to hold them, creating a nice rhythm that allows the room for charming interludes” – Stephen Saito, MOVEABLE FEST
“Our world is indeed digitalizing, brutalizing, evacuating its own soul, but in certain rare islands of utopian harmony they still make them like they used to, and it’s wonderful to watch. And listen to.” – Shelly Kraicer, CINEMA SCOPE

Once the centre of the New York bohemia, Greenwich Village is now home to luxe restaurants, and buzzer door clothing stores catering to the nouveau riche. But one shop in the heart of the Village remains resilient to the encroaching gentrification: Carmine Street Guitars. There, custom guitar maker Rick Kelly and his young apprentice Cindy Hulej, build handcrafted guitars out of reclaimed wood from old hotels, bars, churches and other local buildings. Nothing looks or sounds quite like a Rick Kelly guitar, which is the reason they are embraced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Jim Jarmusch, just to name a few. Featuring a cast of prominent musicians and artists, the film captures five days in the life of Carmine Street Guitars, while examining an all-too-quickly vanishing way of life.

Eighth Grade
2018-10-14 17:30 - 19:04 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Eighth Grade
Written and Directed by: Bo Burnham
Cast: Elsie Fisher, Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson and Missy Yager
Comedy/Drama | 14A for coarse language and sexual content | 94 min. | USA
SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 5:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Sunday, October 21 – 3:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“Eighth Grade is personal, uncomfortable, and lovely, a slice-of-life look into current adolescence, our reliance on social media, and growing into oneself.” – Roxana Hadadi, CHESAPEAKE FAMILY MAGAZINE
“An achingly honest film about some of the ghastliest years of adolescence. Funny, tender and endearing.” – Rafer Guzman, NEWSDAY

In his feature film directorial debut, comedian Bo Burnham deftly encapsulates the awkwardness, angst, self-loathing and reinvention that a teenage girl goes through on the cusp of high school. Given that the 27-year-old stand-up comic achieved fame as a teenager himself through YouTube by riffing on his insecurities, he is uniquely capable as the film’s writer and director to tell the story of Kayla, an anxious girl navigating the final days of her eighth grade year. Like Burnham did more than a decade ago, 13-year-old Kayla turns to YouTube to express herself, where she makes advice blogs in which she pretends to have it all together. In reality, Kayla is sullen and silent around her single father and her peers at school, carrying out most of her interactions with her classmates on Instagram and Twitter. Her videos are a clever narrative tool that provide insight into her inner hopes and dreams, much like an inspirational online diary. One of Eighth Grade’s biggest triumphs is in its realism.

6 WINS, 3 NOMINATIONS:
Won – Audience Award, Chicago Critics Film Festival, 2018
Won – Truly Moving Picture Award, Heartland Film, 2018
Won – Audience Award – Best Narrative Feature, San Francisco International Film Festival, 2018
Won – Best Film & Best Actress (Elsie Fisher), Seattle International Film Festival, 2018
Won – Audience Favourite, Sundance Film Festival: London, 2018
Nominated – Grand Jury Prize – Narrative Feature Competition, Dallas International Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Grand Jury Prize – Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival, 2018

Blindspotting
2018-10-14 19:00 - 20:35 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Blindspotting
Directed by: Carlos López Estrada
Cast: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Ethan Embry
Comedy/Drama | 14A for coarse language, disturbing content, graphic violence | 95 min. | USA

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 7:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Saturday, October 20 – 7:15 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“Racism, gentrification, police brutality, start-up culture, corporate branding, social media, the justice system… Blindspotting is eager to take them all on with style and wit, and it succeeds more often than not.” – Barry Hertz, GLOBE AND MAIL
“The result is a powerful film that the viewer will carry with them long after the credits roll, and a staunch reminder of how much conscious work we must all do to overcome the implicit bias of our surroundings.” – Brian Thompson, FILM THREAT

Collin (Daveed Diggs) must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles (Rafael Casal), work as movers, and when Collin witnesses a police shooting, the two men’s friendship is tested as they grapple with identity and their changed realities in the rapidly-gentrifying neighborhood they grew up in. Longtime friends and collaborators, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal co-wrote and star in this timely and wildly entertaining story about friendship and the intersection of race and class set against the backdrop of Oakland. Bursting with energy, style, and humour, and infused with the spirit of rap, hip hop, and spoken word, Blindspotting, boldly directed by Carlos Lopez Estrada in his feature film debut, is a provocative hometown love letter that glistens with humanity.

4 WINS, 2 NOMINATIONS:
Won – Festival Director’s Award, U.S. Narrative, Cinetopia Film Festival, 2018
Won – Critics Award, Deauville Film Festival, 2018
Won – Best Original Song – “Talk to Me”, Nashville Film Festival, 2018
Won – Director’s to Watch, Carlos López Estrada, Palm Springs International Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Grand Jury Prize, Dramatic, Sundance Film Festival, 2018

First Reformed
2018-10-14 19:30 - 21:23 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
First Reformed
Written and Directed by: Paul Schrader
Cast: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Michael Gaston and Cedric the Entertainer
Drama/Thriller | 14A for gory scenes and disturbing content | Not suggested for sensitive or young viewers | 113 min. | USA

SCREENING:
Sunday, October 14 – 7:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Saturday, October 20 – 6:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“First Reformed deserves all praise.” – Peter Howell, TORONTO STAR
“First Reformed is a miracle in its own regard, the rare type of film that leaves us with questions left to answer and for many, a desire to dig into it deeper through a second viewing.” – Colin Covert, MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE

Reverend Ernst Toller (Ethan Hawke) is a solitary, middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York on the cusp of celebrating its 250th anniversary. Once a stop on the Underground Railroad, the church is now a tourist attraction catering to a dwindling congregation, eclipsed by its nearby parent church, Abundant Life, with its state-of-the-art facilities and 5,000-strong flock. When a pregnant parishioner (Amanda Seyfried) asks Reverend Toller to counsel her husband, a radical environmentalist, the clergyman finds himself plunged into his own tormented past, and equally despairing future, until he finds redemption in an act of grandiose violence. From writer-director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, Affliction) comes a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.

4 WINS, 7 NOMINATIONS:
Won – Jury Prize Best Director, FEST International Film Festival, 2018
Won – Best Original Screenplay, International Online Cinema Awards (INOCA), 2018
Won – Narrative Feature Competition, Montclair Film Festival (MFF), 2018
Nominated – Best 2018 Movie Already Seen, Indiewire Critics’ Poll, 2017
Nominated – Best International Film, Munich Film Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best Actor (Ethan Hawke) Seattle International Film Festival, 2018

The Wife
2018-10-15 16:30 - 18:10 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Wife
Director: Björn Runge
Cast: Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, Christian Slater, Max Irons and Elizabeth McGovern
Drama | 14A for coarse language and mature theme | 100 min. | USA/United Kingdom/Sweden

SCREENING:
Monday, October 15 – 4:30 pm
Sunday, October 21 – 3:15 pm
Get your tickets here!

“The Wife offers viewers a chance to observe one of the finest – and most criminally under praised – actresses of her generation working at the very top of her shrewd, subtle, superbly self-controlled game.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
“Glenn Close has one of cinema’s greatest faces. With one look she can tell you everything while revealing nothing.” – Erik Anderson, AwardsWatch

After nearly forty years of marriage, Joan and Joe Castleman (Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce) are complements. Where Joe is casual, Joan is elegant. Where Joe is vain, Joan is self-effacing. And where Joe enjoys his very public role as Great American Novelist, Joan pours her considerable intellect, grace, charm, and diplomacy into the private role of Great Man’s Wife. Joe is about to be awarded the Nobel Prize for his acclaimed and prolific body of work. Joe’s literary star has blazed since he and Joan first met in the late 1950s. The Wife (based on the novel of the same name by Meg Wolitzer) interweaves the story of the couple’s youthful passion and ambition with a portrait of a marriage, thirty-plus years later – a lifetime’s shared compromises, secrets, betrayals, and mutual love.

NOMINATED – Film and Literature Award, Film by the Sea International Film Festival, 2018

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
2018-10-15 19:00 - 20:53, 2018-10-20 13:30 - 15:23 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Written and Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara and Jack Black
Biography/Comedy/Drama | 14A for coarse language, nudity and sexual content | 114 min. | USA/France

SCREENING:
Monday, October 15 – 7:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Saturday, October 20 – 1:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“Jonah Hill and Jack Black are the real revelations in this Joaquin Phoenix tour de force.” – Roger Moore, MOVIE NATION
“Leave it to filmmaker Gus Van Sant to make a film about a hopeless drunk who becomes a quadriplegic into a story that’s funny, dark, sad, sweet and even sort of inspirational.” – Bruce DeMara, TORONTO STAR

Based on a true story, this poignant, insightful and often funny drama explores the healing power of art. Adapted from John Callahan’s autobiography and directed by two-time Oscar® nominee Gus Van Sant, this film shows a man who has a lust for life, a talent for off-colour jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, the last thing he intends to do is give up drinking. But when he reluctantly enters treatment – with encouragement from his girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and a charismatic sponsor (Jonah Hill) – Callahan discovers a gift for drawing edgy, irreverent newspaper cartoons that develop an international following and grant him a new lease on life.

NOMINATED – Best Film/Best Feature Film, Berlin International Film Festival, 2018

Summer 1993
2018-10-15 19:30 - 21:07, 2018-10-17 16:00 - 17:37 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993)
Written and Directed by: Carla Simón
Cast: Laia Artigus, Bruna Cusí, Paula Blanco, Paula Robles and David Verdaguer
Drama/Family | Not Rated | 97 min. | Catalan with English subtitles | Spain

SCREENING:
Monday, October 15 – 7:30 pm
Wednesday, October 17 – 4:00 pm
Get your tickets here!

“It is spellbinding and whimsical with a strong, beating heart and that is down to the central performances of the child actors…” – Rosalynn Try-Hane, Liquid Marmalade
“Not since Boyhood has a film shown this much respect and understanding for what it’s like to be a child.” – Scott Marks, San Diego Reader

In the summer 1993, following the death of her parents, six year old Frida moves from Barcelona to the Catalan province to live with her aunt and uncle, who are now her new legal guardians. The country life is a challenge for Frida – time passes differently in her new home and the nature that surrounds her is mysterious and estranging. She now has a little sister for whom she has to take care of and has to deal with new feelings, such as jealousy. Often, Frida is naively convinced that running away would be the best solution to her problems. Yet, the family does what it can to achieve a fragile new balance and bring normality to their life. Occasional family outings to a local fiesta or a swimming pool, cooking or listening to jazz in the garden bring them moments of happiness. Slowly, Frida realizes that she is there to stay and has to adapt to the new environment. Before the season is over, she has to cope with her emotions and her parents have to learn to love her as their own daughter.

32 wins, 49 Nominations:
Won – Best First Feature Award/Best Feature Film, Berlin International Film Festival, 2017
Won – Best Director – International Competition, Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, 2017
Won – Best Original Screenplay/Best New Director, Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain, 2018
Won – Best New Director, Best Supporting Actor (David Verdageur), Best Actress (Bruna Cusí) Goya Awards, 2018
Nominated – Audience Award, AFI Fest, 2017
Nominated – European Discovery, European Film Awards, 2017

Nothing Like a Dame
2018-10-16 16:00 - 17:24 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Nothing Like a Dame (Tea with the Dames)
Directed by: Roger Michell
With: Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Eileen Atkins
Documentary | PG | 94 min. | United Kingdom

SCREENING:
Tuesday, October 16 – 4:00 pm
Sunday, October 21 – 8:00 pm
Get your tickets here!

“You don’t have to be familiar with all of their work to appreciate their experience and the words of wisdom they impart on the audience.” – Matthew Toomey, ABC RADIO, Brisbane
“It’s not just what she says but the way she says it, that makes Judi Dench’s advice to her younger self so moving. Be less susceptible to falling in love, she says. This is one of the wonderful moments in this fly-on-the-wall documentary…” – Louise Keller, Urban Cinefile

What happens when four legends of British stage and screen get together? Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, and Dame Joan Plowright are among the most celebrated actresses of our time, with scores of iconic performances, decades of wisdom, and innumerable Oscars, Tonys, Emmys, and BAFTAs between them. They are also longtime friends who hereby invite you to join them for a weekend in the country as they catch up with one another, reminisce, and share their candid, delightfully irreverent thoughts on everything from art to aging to love to a life lived in the spotlight. Bursting with devilish wit and whip-smart insights, Nothing Like a Dame is a remarkable opportunity to spend time in the company of four all-time greats – up close and unfiltered.

The Accountant of Auschwitz
2018-10-16 19:00 - 20:20 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Accountant of Auschwitz
Directed by: Matthew Shoychet
Documentary | PG for mature theme | Not suggested for sensitive or young viewers | 78 min. | English and German with English subtitles | Canada

SCREENING:
Tuesday, October 16 – 7:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“The film tracks the evolution of international law over the decades, which eventually allowed authorities to make the case against people like Groening, hiding in plain sight for 70 years.” – Bruce DeMara, TORONTO STAR
“Despite the film’s 78-minute duration, The Accountant of Auschwitz finds time to take some fascinating detours.” – Chris Knight, NATIONAL POST

Oskar Gröning, known as the “Accountant of Auschwitz,” was charged with the murder of 300,000 Jews. In 2015, when he took the stand at the age of 94, his trial made headlines worldwide. The debate around his prosecution is at the centre of this historic yet contemporary look at justice. As survivors travel to Germany to testify, the heinous acts of the Holocaust remain vivid and traumatic. For some, there is no grey area: Gröning was witness and therefore complicit, regardless of his duty to follow orders. Others look at a frail man in the last years of his life and see no reason to pursue charges. The act of bringing war criminals to justice with no statute of limitations, asks fundamental moral questions with few simple answers. From Nuremberg to the new alt-right, The Accountant of Auschwitz constructs a stark reminder that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
NOMINATED –
Audience Award – Top 20 Audience Favourites, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, 2018

McQueen
2018-10-17 16:30 - 18:11 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
McQueen
Co-directed by: Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui
Documentary | 14A for coarse language, mature theme and nudity | 111 min. | United Kingdom

SCREENING:
Saturday, October 13 – 3:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Wednesday, October 17 – 4:30 pm, Uptown Theatre
Click here to buy tickets!

“There’s so much fresh air in this stunningly good biography that it feels like you’ve never encountered a rags-to-riches, tortured-artist story before. Not just for fashion lovers.” – Mary Ann Johanson, FLICK FILOSOPHER
“McQueen the designer delighted in showing us the skull beneath the skin. McQueen the documentary finds his beating pulse and broken heart.” – Tom Stone, SUNDAY TIMES

McQueen is a personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of designer Alexander McQueen. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, this film is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired, yet tortured fashion visionary.

3 NOMINATIONS:
Nominated – Best Documentary – Best Social Political Documentary, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, 2018
Nominated – Best Documentary, Tribeca Film Festival, 2018

Sir
2018-10-17 19:00 - 20:39 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Sir
Written and Directed by: Rohena Gera
Cast: Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber, Geetanjali Kulkarni
Drama | 14A | 99 min. | Hindi/English/Marathi with English subtitles | India/France

SCREENING:
Saturday, October 13 – 1:00 pm
Wednesday, October 17 – 7:00 pm
Click here to buy tickets!

“Gera is a female Indian director making her mark celebrating women’s empowerment against dire economic odds. Her direction exudes a simple grace that transcends local issues.” – Maggie Lee, VARIETY
“The premise could be soapy but the film combines an appealing, understated sweetness with a certain naivety – perhaps even a willfully turned blind eye – when it comes to the uneasy power dynamic between the two characters.”– Wendy Ide, SCREEN DAILY
Ratna works as domestic live-in help with Ashwin, a man from a wealthy family. Although Ashwin seems to have it all, Ratna can sense that he has given up on his dreams and is somewhat lost. On the other hand, Ratna who seems to have nothing, is full of hope and works determinedly towards her dream. As these two worlds collide and the two individuals connect, the barriers between them seem only more insurmountable…

2 WINS, 4 NOMINATIONS:
Won – Gan Foundation Support for Distribution, Cannes Film Festival, 2018
Won – World Cinema Amsterdam Audience Award, World Cinema Amsterdam, 2018
Nominated – Youth Jury Award, Film by the Sea International Film Festival, 2018

On Chesil Beach
2018-10-17 19:30 - 21:20, 2018-10-18 16:00 - 17:50 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
On Chesil Beach
Directed by: Dominic Cooke
Cast: Billy Howle, Saoirse Ronan, Samuel West, Anne-Marie Duff and Emily Watson
Drama | 14A for nudity, sexual content, disturbing content, 110 min. | United Kingdom

SCREENING:
Wednesday, October 17 – 7:30 pm
Thursday, October 18 – 4:00 pm
Get your tickets here!

“There’s splendid acting across the board and assured direction by Cooke, a stage veteran making his feature debut…” – Peter Howell, TORONTO STAR
“Performances are universally excellent and the film is tastefully well done, though rather muted.” – Alexa Dalby, DOG AND WOLF

It is summer 1962, and England is still a year away from the huge social changes heralded by Beatlemania, the sexual revolution and the Swinging Sixties. We first encounter Florence and Edward on the day of their wedding. A young couple in their early 20s, they are dining in their room at a sedate hotel near Chesil Beach, with their conversation becoming more tense and awkward as the prospect of consummating their marriage approaches. Finally, an argument breaks out between them: Florence storms from the room and out of the hotel, Edward pursues her, and their row continues on Chesil Beach… culminating in a major decision that will change the course of their lives. From a series of flashbacks, we learn about the differences between them – their attitudes, temperaments and their drastically different backgrounds – as well as watch them falling deeply in love. On Chesil Beach is a powerful, insightful drama about two people, strongly defined by their respective upbringings and bound by the social mores of a different era.

The Children Act
2018-10-18 19:00 - 20:45 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Children Act
Directed by: Richard Eyre
Cast: Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Fionn Whitehead and Ben Chaplin
Drama | 14A for mature thematics and sexual references | 105 min. | United Kingdom

SCREENING:
Thursday, October 18 – 7:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Saturday, October 20 – 5:00 pm, Uptown Theatre
Get your tickets here!

“… The Children Act is that rarest of things: an adult drama, written and interpreted with a sensitivity to mature human concerns…” – Peter Debruge, VARIETY
“The two central performances could hardly be better. Thompson works here with remarkable subtlety.” – Stephen Farber, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Smart, elegant and deeply moving The Children Act stars two-time Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson in a riveting performance as Fiona Maye, an eminent High Court judge in London.
Presiding with wisdom and compassion over ethically complex cases of family law, she has paid a heavy personal price for her workload. Her marriage to American professor Jack (Stanley Tucci) is at a breaking point and it is in this moment of personal crisis, Fiona is asked to rule on the case of Adam (Whitehead), a brilliant boy who is refusing the blood transfusion that will save his life.
Adam is three months from his 18th birthday and still legally a child. Should Fiona force him to live? Fiona visits Adam in the hospital and their meeting has a profound emotional impact on them both, stirring strong new emotions in the boy and long-buried feelings in her.

WON – Andreas Award, Norwegian International Film Festival, 2018
NOMINATED – Film and Literature Award, Film by the Sea International Film Festival, 2018

My Generation
2018-10-18 19:30 - 20:55 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
My Generation
Directed by: David Batty
Presented by: Michael Caine
With: Joan Collins, Roger Daltrey, Lulu, Twiggy, Marianne Faithfull and Paul McCartney
Documentary | PG for coarse language, substance abuse, tobacco use | 85 min. | United Kingdom

SCREENING:
Thursday, October 18 – 7:30 pm
Sunday, October 21 – 5:30 pm
Get your tickets here!

“A brilliantly thrilling look back at the flowering of creativity and freethinking spirit of 1960s London, through the thoroughly charming perspective of Michael Caine.” – Mary Ann Johanson, Flick Filosopher
“Many of the anecdotes and insights here will already be familiar to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the period but that doesn’t reduce in the slightest the nostalgic pleasure that the film provides throughout.” – Geoffrey Macnab, Independent UK

British film icon Michael Caine narrates and stars in My Generation, the vivid and inspiring story of his personal journey through 1960s London. Based on personal accounts and stunning archive footage, this feature-length documentary film sees Caine travel back in time to talk to The Beatles, Twiggy, David Bailey, Mary Quant, The Rolling Stones, David Hockney and other star names. The film has been painstakingly assembled over the last six years to tell the story of the birth of pop culture in London, through the eyes of the young Michael Caine: For the first time in history the young working class stood up for ourselves and said: “We’re here, this is our society and were not going away!”

Won – Fondazione Mimmo Rotella Award (Michael Caine), Venice Film Festival, 2017
Nominated – Best Foreign Music Trailer, Golden Trailer Awards, 2018

Juliet, Naked
2018-10-19 19:00 - 20:28 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Juliet, Naked
Directed by: Jesse Peretz
Cast: Rose Byrne, Chris O’Dowd and Ethan Hawke
Comedy/Drama | 14A for coarse language | 105 min. | USA

SCREENING:
Friday, October 19 – 7:00 pm [GALA]
Friday, October 19 – 7:15 pm [ADDED]
Sunday, October 21 – 1:00 pm
Get your tickets here!

“Like Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne is an actor who can do just about anything when given the opportunity.” – Richard Roeper, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
“A sweet-tart confection that, like lemon sorbet, cleanses a palate gone sour from too many cinematic servings of the heavy stuff.” – Michael O’Sullivan, WASHINGTON POST

Annie (Rose Byrne), the curator of a small museum in a drab English seaside town where she was born, is beginning to realize that her life has been stuck in low gear. Her partner of 15 years, Duncan (Chris O’Dowd), aspires to be the world’s foremost expert on reclusive American singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke) and spends all his free time maintaining a website dedicated to the mostly forgotten rocker. Crowe quit the business at the height of his fame and now, pushing 50, is living in his ex-girlfriend’s garage in New York and trying to make up for past parental failures by dedicating his life to raising his young son. But when Duncan receives the long-lost demo version of Crowe’s revered album, it sets off a chain reaction that will change all of their lives. Duncan hails the album as a masterpiece on his Crowe-themed website, while Annie, frustrated by his obsession with the washed-up musician, posts her own scathing review. She is startled when Crowe unexpectedly reaches out to her. As their friendship blossoms, Crowe comes to London for a visit and the stage is set for an epically messy love triangle that inspires Annie to take the chance of a lifetime. Juliet, Naked is based on the novel by Nick Hornby.

NOMINATED – Best Narrative Feature, Nantucket Film Festival, 2018

Juliet Naked
2018-10-19 19:15 - 21:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival

After Party
2018-10-19 21:00 - 23:00 | Georgian BMW, 220 Essa Road, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
The After Party
Friday, October 19, 9:00 pm
Georgian BMW (Showroom), 220 Essa Road, Barrie
Party Tickets: $35 | Film Tickets: $10

Kicking the evening off at Uptown Theatre, we present our gala screening of Juliet, Naked, a British-American comedy-drama that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. It centers on the story of Annie (Rose Byrne) and her unlikely romance with singer-songwriter Tucker Crowe (Ethan Hawke), who is also the subject of her boyfriend’s (Chris O’Dowd) long-time music obsession. Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, this is a comic account of life’s second chances.
Following the film be sure to join us at Georgian BMW Showroom for a Vegas-themed night of dancing with DJ Don from Nice Entertainment, delicious hors d’oeuvres from four of Barrie’s top restaurants: Cravings Fine Food Market & Catering, The Farmhouse Restaurant, Michael & Marions and The North Restaurant, and beverage sampling from Steam Whistle Brewing Co.

The Grizzlies [Film/Q&A]
2018-10-20 14:00 - 15:44 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Grizzlies
Directed by: Miranda de Pencier
Cast: Emerald MacDonald, Ben Schnetzer, Paul Nutarariaq, Ricky Marty-Pahtaykan, Booboo Stewart and Tantoo Cardinal
Drama/Biography | 14A for coarse language, substance abuse and disturbing content | 104 min. | English and Inuktitut with English subtitles | Canada

GUEST Q&A | Oct 20, 2 pm
Miranda de Pencier is a Toronto-born director and producer. Her credits as a producer include Beginners and Thanks for Sharing, and she made her directorial debut with the short Throat Song. The Grizzlies is her feature debut.

SCREENING:
Saturday, October 20 – 2:00 pm [Q&A with Miranda de Pencier]
Sunday, October 21 – 1:15 pm
Get your tickets here!

“It’s a fascinating puzzle: a film that is simultaneously an indictment of the toxic legacy of cultural imperialism and a weepie that employs the familiar tropes of Hollywood, one of the biggest machines of cultural imperialism on the planet.” – Simon Houpt, GLOBE AND MAIL
“The Grizzlies is more than the typical inspiring sports drama because this film offers us hope.” – Danielle Solsman, SOLZY AT THE MOVIES

Producer Miranda de Pencier (Beginners) takes on directorial duties with The Grizzlies, a Canadian feature based on a true story about the transformative power that sport and camaraderie can have on a community. Set in 1998, the film features Russ Sheppard (Ben Schnetzer) as a young teacher who has just moved to Kugluktuk, Nunavut — a community which had one of the highest suicide rates in North America at that time. When it comes to his attention that one of his students, Kyle (Booboo Stewart) is using the school storage bins to seek refuge from his abusive father, Russ decides to start an after-school lacrosse program in an attempt to offer students a safe space. Although the school principal, Janace (Tantoo Cardinal), agrees to provide funding for the team, Miranda (Emerald MacDonald), another of Russ’ students, cautions him that no one will join the team unless he can convince a select group of boys to sign up.
