Barrie Film Festival

THE THREE AMIGOS! - Outdoor Screening
2015-06-17 21:15 (America/Toronto) | Memorial Square, Barrie, Ontario, Canada
The Three Amigos!
Wednesday, June 17 (rain date June 18) – Lawn Chair Luminata
Time: dusk
Location: Memorial Square, downtown
Co-Written and Directed by: John Landis
Cast: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase and Martin Short
1986, Western/Comedy, PG for some mature content and coarse language, 104 minutes (USA)
Synopsis: This slapstick farce features Dusty Bottoms (Chevy Chase), Lucky Day (Steve Martin), and Ned Nederlander (Martin Short), as three silent movie cowboy stars who get the axe from their Hollywood studio. Just at that opportune moment, a woman named Carmen (Patrice Martinez) asks them to come to her forgotten little town south of the border and do some work for her, for a tidy sum. The three “stooges” agree, thinking they are going to perform their singing cowboy routine, but instead Carmen wants them to get rid of the nasty El Guapo (Alfonso Arau) who is running roughshod over the good citizens of the town. Not the kind of heroes they appear to be in the movies, they have a difficult time helping out the distressed townsfolk.
Sponsored by the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA)

The Wrecking Crew - 7PM
2015-06-14 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
The Wrecking Crew

Screening: Sunday, June 14, 2015 – 7:00 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Denny Tedesco
Featuring: Lou Adler, Herb Alpert, The Association, Chuck Barris, The Beach Boys, Sonny Bono, Cher, Glen Campbell, Dick Clark and more
Documentary, PG, 101 minutes (USA)
“Wonderful, touching and hilarious.” – Elvis Costello
“A must to see and listen to.” – Indiewire
“You’ll love this!” – NOW Magazine
Their roster of hit songs is unmatched in the recording industry and includes some of pop music’s most timeless and recognizable songs. They are The Wrecking Crew, a group of professional session musicians and the unsung heroes who provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove the number one hits of artists as varied as Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Byrds, The Carpenters and Cher. Produced and directed by Denny Tedesco, son of legendary late Wrecking Crew guitarist Tommy Tedesco, The Wrecking Crew is the story of how these dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “west coast sound” a dominant cultural force around the world. It is a fun and moving tribute from Denny to his father, the music, the times and the secret star-making machine known only as The Wrecking Crew.

Shown in Partnership with the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival.

Keep On, Keepin' On - 4PM
2015-06-14 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Keep On, Keepin’ On

Screening: Sunday, June 14, 2015 – 4:00 pm
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Alan Hicks
Featuring: Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock and Quincy Jones
Documentary, PG for some language 86 minutes (USA)

“There’s no need to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy this story, as the film is not just a description of music icon but a rare chance at seeing, in reality, both the beginning and the end of a highly unlikely dream.” – Eamon OLoughlin, FILMINK Australia
“As joyful as a jumping jazz riff, Keep on Keepin’ On is an inspiring story of devotion, dedication and multi-generational friendship.” – Linda Barnard, Toronto Star

Shot over the course of five years by first time filmmaker Al Hicks, KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON depicts the remarkable story of 93-year-old jazz legend Clark Terry. A living monument to the Golden Era of Jazz, Terry – a mentor to Miles Davis – is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands. In the 1960’s, he broke the colour barrier as the first African-American staff musician at NBC – on “The Tonight Show”. Today, after a life spent working with and teaching the most totemic figures in jazz history, Terry continues to attract and cultivate budding talents. KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON highlights his friendship with the preternaturally gifted Justin Kauflin, a blind, 23-year-old piano prodigy who suffers from debilitating stage fright. Not long after Kauflin is invited to compete in an elite Jazz competition, Terry’s health takes a turn for the worse. As the clock ticks, we see two friends confront the toughest challenges of their lives. Kauflin’s work on the film’s score with composer Dave Grusin sets the tone for a story that spans decades, lifetimes and the entire history of modern Jazz, complete with firsthand anecdotes from Jones and Herbie Hancock. KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON is a film crafted with great affection by Hicks – another former student of Terry’s – a grace note for his teacher, infused with soulfulness and serendipity. Paula DuPre’ Pesmen (behind the Academy Award winning THE COVE and the Oscar nominated CHASING ICE) produced the film with seven time Academy Award nominee Quincy Jones who also counts Terry as his mentor. Jones came on board as producer after literally walking into the film as one of its subjects, discovering Justin’s talent purely by chance during a visit at Clark’s home.

Shown in Partnership with the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival.

THE INCREDIBLES - Outdoor screening
2015-06-06 21:15 | Programs
The Incredibles
Saturday, June 6 (rain date June 13) – Starlight Cinema at Celebrate Barrie
Time: dusk
Location: Centennial Beach
Written and Directed by: Brad Bird
2004, Family/Animated, PG, 115 minutes (USA)
Synopsis: Once one of the world’s top masked crime fighters, Bob Parr–known to all as “Mr. Incredible”–fought evil and saved lives on a daily basis. But now fifteen years later, Bob and his wife–a famous superhero in her own right–have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he’s a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment.

TIMBUKTU - 7PM
2015-06-04 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Timbuktu
Screening: Thursday, June 4, 2015 – 7pm
Tickets: Adults $10, Senior/Senior $8
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Abderrahmane Sissako
Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Ibrahim Ahmed
Drama, 14A for some violence and mature thematic elements, 97 minutes, Language: English, Arabic, French, Tamashek, Bombara and Songhay with English subtitles (FRANCE/MAURITANIA/MALI)

“A lovely if sad story of contrasts one will not soon forget.” – Jean Lowerison, ReviewExpress.com

“Even though the atrocities committed by radical jihadists dominate the headlines and airwaves, few in the West know what it’s like to live under their reign. Timbuktu…is a moving, haunting and beautifully shot peek behind the closed cultural curtain.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by the religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino) lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), his daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their twelve-year-old shepherd. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. The women have become shadows but resist with dignity. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2015
Won, Best World Cinema, African-American Film Critics Association, 2014
Nominated, Best Arabic Film, Cairo International Film Festival, 2014
Won, François Chalais Award, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Director, Chicago International Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound, César Awards, 2015

TIMBUKTU - 4PM
2015-06-04 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Timbuktu
Screening: Thursday, June 4, 2015 – 4pm
Tickets: Adults $10, Senior/Senior $8
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Abderrahmane Sissako
Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Ibrahim Ahmed
Drama, 14A for some violence and mature thematic elements, 97 minutes, Language: English, Arabic, French, Tamashek, Bombara and Songhay with English subtitles (FRANCE/MAURITANIA/MALI)

“A lovely if sad story of contrasts one will not soon forget.” – Jean Lowerison, ReviewExpress.com

“Even though the atrocities committed by radical jihadists dominate the headlines and airwaves, few in the West know what it’s like to live under their reign. Timbuktu…is a moving, haunting and beautifully shot peek behind the closed cultural curtain.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by the religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino) lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), his daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their twelve-year-old shepherd. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. The women have become shadows but resist with dignity. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2015
Won, Best World Cinema, African-American Film Critics Association, 2014
Nominated, Best Arabic Film, Cairo International Film Festival, 2014
Won, François Chalais Award, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Director, Chicago International Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound, César Awards, 2015

TIMBUKTU - 9PM
2015-06-03 21:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Timbuktu
Screening: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 – 9pm
Tickets: Adults $10, Senior/Senior $8
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Abderrahmane Sissako
Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Ibrahim Ahmed
Drama, 14A for some violence and mature thematic elements, 97 minutes, Language: English, Arabic, French, Tamashek, Bombara and Songhay with English subtitles (FRANCE/MAURITANIA/MALI)

“A lovely if sad story of contrasts one will not soon forget.” – Jean Lowerison, ReviewExpress.com

“Even though the atrocities committed by radical jihadists dominate the headlines and airwaves, few in the West know what it’s like to live under their reign. Timbuktu…is a moving, haunting and beautifully shot peek behind the closed cultural curtain.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by the religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino) lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), his daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their twelve-year-old shepherd. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. The women have become shadows but resist with dignity. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2015
Won, Best World Cinema, African-American Film Critics Association, 2014
Nominated, Best Arabic Film, Cairo International Film Festival, 2014
Won, François Chalais Award, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Director, Chicago International Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound, César Awards, 2015

TIMBUKTU - 7PM
2015-06-03 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Timbuktu
Screening: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 – 7pm
Tickets: Adults $10, Senior/Senior $8
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Abderrahmane Sissako
Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Ibrahim Ahmed
Drama, 14A for some violence and mature thematic elements, 97 minutes, Language: English, Arabic, French, Tamashek, Bombara and Songhay with English subtitles (FRANCE/MAURITANIA/MALI)

“A lovely if sad story of contrasts one will not soon forget.” – Jean Lowerison, ReviewExpress.com

“Even though the atrocities committed by radical jihadists dominate the headlines and airwaves, few in the West know what it’s like to live under their reign. Timbuktu…is a moving, haunting and beautifully shot peek behind the closed cultural curtain.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by the religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino) lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), his daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their twelve-year-old shepherd. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. The women have become shadows but resist with dignity. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2015
Won, Best World Cinema, African-American Film Critics Association, 2014
Nominated, Best Arabic Film, Cairo International Film Festival, 2014
Won, François Chalais Award, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Director, Chicago International Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound, César Awards, 2015

TIMBUKTU - 4PM
2015-06-03 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Timbuktu
Screening: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 – 4pm
Tickets: Adults $10, Senior/Senior $8
Location: Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
Directed by: Abderrahmane Sissako
Cast: Abel Jafri, Toulou Kiki, Ibrahim Ahmed
Drama, 14A for some violence and mature thematic elements, 97 minutes, Language: English, Arabic, French, Tamashek, Bombara and Songhay with English subtitles (FRANCE/MAURITANIA/MALI)

“A lovely if sad story of contrasts one will not soon forget.” – Jean Lowerison, ReviewExpress.com

“Even though the atrocities committed by radical jihadists dominate the headlines and airwaves, few in the West know what it’s like to live under their reign. Timbuktu…is a moving, haunting and beautifully shot peek behind the closed cultural curtain.” – Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, now ruled by the religious fundamentalists, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed aka Pino) lives peacefully in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), his daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed), and Issan (Mehdi Ag Mohamed), their twelve-year-old shepherd. In town, the people suffer, powerless, from the regime of terror imposed by the Jihadists determined to control their faith. Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. The women have become shadows but resist with dignity. Every day, the new improvised courts issue tragic and absurd sentences. Kidane and his family are being spared the chaos that prevails in Timbuktu. But their destiny changes abruptly in this stunningly rendered film from a master of world cinema.

Awards:
Nominated, Best Foreign Language Film, Academy Awards, 2015
Won, Best World Cinema, African-American Film Critics Association, 2014
Nominated, Best Arabic Film, Cairo International Film Festival, 2014
Won, François Chalais Award, Cannes Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Director, Chicago International Film Festival, 2014
Won, Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Music, Best Sound, César Awards, 2015

X+Y - 8PM
2015-05-21 20:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Director: Morgan Matthews
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Sally Hawkins, Rafe Spall, Eddie Marsan, and Jo Yang
Comedy/Drama, PG, 111 minutes (United Kingdom)
Tickets: Adult $10, Senior/Student $8
Preferring to hide in the safety of his own private world, Nathan (Asa Butterfield, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Hugo) struggles to connect with people, often pushing away those who want to be closest to him, including his mother, Julie (Sally Hawkins). Without the ability to understand love or affection, Nathan finds the comfort and security he needs in numbers and mathematics.
Mentored by his unconventional and anarchic teacher, Mr. Humphreys (Rafe Spall), it becomes clear that Nathan’s talents are enough to win him a place on the British team competing at the highly revered International Mathematics Olympiad.
Being part of a team and one that has a real chance of winning seems like it could change Nathan’s life forever. But when the team go to train in Taiwan, Nathan is faced with a multitude of unexpected challenges, not least the new and unfamiliar feelings he begins to experience for one of the Chinese competitors, the beautiful Zhang Mei.
From England to Taipei and back again, this inspiring and life-affirming story follows the unconventional and hilarious relationship between student and teacher, whose roles are often reversed, and the unfathomable experience of first love – when you don’t even understand what love is.
“Deeply affecting … Matthews’ affinity for the subject and empathy for his characters pays rich dividends, while his documentary background shines through in his and DP Danny Cohen’s eye for striking visual details.” – Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter

X+Y - 4PM
2015-05-21 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival

Leviathan - 7PM
2015-05-07 19:00, 2015-05-06 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Written and Directed by: Andrey Zvyagintsev
Cast: Alexey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Vladimir Vdovitchenkov, Roman Madyanov, Anna Ukolova, Alexey Rozin, Sergey Pokhadaev
Drama, 14A or language and some sexuality/graphic nudity, 141 minutes, Russian with English Subtitles (Russia)
Tickets: Adult $10, Senior/Student $8
Acclaimed Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev (The Return) won the Best Screenplay prize at Cannes and Golden Globe for this painterly, primordial tale about a proud patriarch fighting to protect his family home from a corrupt local official. Set in the remote Russian northwest, this is the tragic tale of one man’s struggle against a corrupt system of power. Kolya (Alexey Serebryakov), a part-time mechanic, lives on a rocky shore with his wife and son in a house he built himself. When a local mayor attempts to seize the property through a compulsory purchase order he calls in a lawyer friend from Moscow to help fight his case. But the wheels of justice soon prove to be slow, heavy and quite possibly deadly…

“From its chamber-piece delicacy and bureaucratic detail to a grandeur and implacable pessimism that seem as ancient as the land itself, “Leviathan” is a distinctly Russian tragedy.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
“One of the outstanding films of 2014, Leviathan lives up to its title: it’s a behemoth of intelligent contemporary cinema.” – Jonathan Romney, Film Comment Magazine

Leviathan - 4PM
2015-05-07 16:00, 2015-05-06 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival

Bon Cop, Bad Cop - 7PM
2015-04-29 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Director: Erik Canuel
Cast: Patrick Huard, Colm Feore
(2006) Action/Crime/Comedy, 14A for course language, some nudity and violence, 116 minutes, English and French with English subtitles (Canada)
Admission: FREE
When a crime is committed on the border of Quebec and Ontario, everyone is forced to come together, whether they want to or not. As the investigation gets underway, we meet David Boucher (Patrick Huard) and Martin Ward (Colm Feore), members of their respective provincial police forces who are forced to work together. The two men couldn’t be more different. In fact, the only thing they appear to have in common is that they are both cops, albeit cops with totally different styles.

Boychoir - 8PM
2015-04-16 20:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Director: François Girard
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Eddie Izzard and Debra Winger
Drama, PG, 106 minutes (USA)
Tickets: Adult $10, Senior/Student $8
From acclaimed Canadian director François Girard (Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould, The Red Violin) comes a drama that the entire family can enjoy: the story of a gifted eleven-year-old boy who must struggle against the odds to find his voice. Stet (newcomer Garrett Wareing) is an angry youngster who can sing like an angel. Orphaned after his mother is killed in a car accident, he ends up boarding at a choir school on the US East Coast — a place about as different from his small Texas town as can be. Feeling misunderstood, out of place, and frustrated with the cards life has dealt him, Stet finds himself at odds with Choirmaster Carvelle (Dustin Hoffman), a disciplinarian of the old school. But he recognizes something special in Stet’s voice, and pushes the boy to put his troubled young soul into the music. Boychoir will have audiences swooning as the film is about the way that music can touch our lives — if only it’s given enough encouragement to come out and play.
“In a country where musical talent is so often confused with sex appeal, Boychoir offers a welcome alternative, celebrating discipline, talent and the sound of untainted innocence.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

Boychoir - 4PM
2015-04-16 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival

Phoenix - 7pm
2015-04-02 19:00, 2015-04-01 19:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
Drama, 98 minutes, 14A for mature content, some violence and frightening scenes, not recommended for young or sensitive viewers, German with English Subtitles (GERMANY)
Tickets: Adult $10, Senior/Student $8
With his internationally acclaimed films The State I Am In, Yella and Jerichow, Christian Petzold established himself at the forefront of the group of contemporary German filmmakers known as the Berlin School. Following the success of his previous film, Barbara, Petzold returns with another story of a fiercely determined woman — and the deeply divided society to which she belongs — caught between a tragic past and an uncertain future. Emerging from a concentration camp at the end of World War II, Nelly Lenz (played by the formidable Nina Hoss, Petzold’s regular star) undergoes significant reconstructive surgery to repair a facial injury caused by a bullet wound. Nelly wants everything to be exactly the way it was before the war — including her appearance — but it isn’t. Presumed dead by her friends and relatives, fixated on the memories of her former life and unable to accept the shattered reality before her, Nelly returns to Berlin to fulfill the dream that sustained her throughout her imprisonment: reuniting with her husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld). But even as she scours the ravaged city to find him, she is haunted by terrible, whispered rumours: that it was Johnny himself who betrayed her to the Nazis. Travelling beyond Barbara’s setting in the former East Germany to further explore his country’s dark twentieth-century history, Petzold positions Nelly as a powerfully ambiguous representation of the titular phoenix: rising from the ashes of her broken life, she strives not to begin anew but to reclaim the old dreams of the past. Gorgeously shot, featuring impeccable art direction, a faultless score, and two powerhouse performances in the leading roles, Phoenix is one of the most thrilling and engrossing dramas of the year.

Phoenix - 4PM
2015-04-02 16:00, 2015-04-01 16:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival

Phoenix - 9PM
2015-04-01 21:00 | Annual Barrie Film Festival
