Women in Film and Television Vancouver (WIFTV) is delighted to announce the lineup for the 11th Annual Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, #VIWIFF2016, March 8th – 13th at VIFF’s Vancity Theatre.
Two local features, Siobhan Devine’s The Birdwatcher and Melanie Jones’ FSM, will have their hometown premieres.
Camille Sullivan as Saffron in The Birdwatcher
The Birdwatcher stars Camille Sullivan as a single mother diagnosed with cancer, who embarks on a journey to re-connect with her estranged birth mother, played by Gabrielle Rose.
Vanessa Crouch as the DJ, Samantha, in FSM. Photo: Shawn Seifert
FSM stars Vanessa Crouch who plays an underground DJ searching for love and meaningful connection in a technology-driven era. Screening along with this feature is Katherine Monk’s documentary short, Rock the Box, about Vancouver DJ Rhiannon Rozier.
Chloe Daxhelet as Sara in Café Derby
The Opening Night Film on International Women’s Day is the Canadian Premiere of Café Derby, a black comedy about a man who rents a café during the Pope’s visit to Belgium–convinced there’s money to be made, and his family who reluctantly help him. This is a first feature by Belgian/Flemish director, Lenny Van Wesemael and inspired by her real life experience.
Returning to Vancouver is Bearded Ladies: The Photography of Rosamond Norbury, Sharon McGowan’s local documentary depicting groundbreaking photographer Rosamund Norbury, her recent work Bearded Ladies, and an exploration of the artist’s alter egos of a gay boy and flourishing drag queen.
Still from the documentary When Giants Fall
Two documentaries from the United States will be followed by moderated panel discussions:
Karen Day’s documentary Girl from God’s Country is a portrait of important pioneer Nell Shipman who left the safety of the Hollywood studios and ventured into the wilderness to make films of her own. The discussion following this Canadian premiere will focus on initiatives towards addressing the gender imbalance in media production.
The Canadian Premiere When Giants Fall, directed by Leslie Griffith, reveals the magnificence of the African elephants who roamed the continent a century ago, but now face extinction because of human predators from the illegal ivory trade. Special guests from the wildlife conservation and ecology worlds will discuss how humans are working to preserve our natural spaces, and the importance of diversity in wildlife habitats around the world in keeping our planet healthy.
Still from Kinderwald
Award-wining Canadian and international narrative feature films include:
the BC premiere of Adrien (Le Garagiste), by Quebec’s Renée Beaulieu, a lyrical film about a car mechanic who, while waiting for kidney transplant, discovers his life has been turned upside down;
the Canadian premiere of Kinderwald, by Slamdance Film Festival Co-Founder Lise Raven (USA), a suspenseful film about the disappearance of two young children from a family homestead in 1854 Pennsylvania;
the Canadian premiere of Brides, by Tinatin Kajrishvili (Georgia), a story of a young mother who, along with other prison couples, must “officially” marry to gain visiting rights, but the conjugal visits act to reinforce the bars between them.
Mr. Godfrey (Paulino Nunes) and Esther (Anna Ferguson) in END OF DAYS, INC.
A day of genre films will be presented including:
Crushed, by Australia’s Megan Riakos, an environmental thriller about a young woman who returns home to her family’s winery and uncovers the truth about her father’s suspicious death.
End of Days, Inc. by Canadian Jennifer Liao, a delightfully bizarre and genre-bending comedy where a group of unenthusiastic employees realize their work is having catastrophic consequences on the outside world.
Briana Rayner as Amelia in Bruised
Genre shorts will be screened including the local films: Chaos Management by Michelle Muldoon, Grace by Karen Nielsen, Chiral by Karen Lam, Summoned by Victoria Angell and Bruised by Jennifer Campbell.
Keenan Tracey in Blood
An eclectic presentation of shorts from around the world will be showcased including the local films: One Last Ride by Caitlin Byrnes, Beat Around the Bush by Brianne Nord-Stewart, I Wanna Date U by Lisa Ovies, Madness by Shannon Kohli, Rebel (Bihttoš) by Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Blood by Maja Aro and Sara Irvine-Erickson; and Sniff! The Art of Air Tasting by Sandra Ignagni.
The top eleven screenplays of the Festival’s International Screenplay Competition have been officially selected and include:
The Execution written by Sharon Cramer
The Coffee Shop written by Erin Curtin
Resurrecting Jane Doe written by Carla Custance
We Happy Losers written by Liz Eccher
Lady Blades written by Valorie Hoye
Blood Carvings written by Lori Huck
Turkey Dump written by Ronalda Jones
Night of the Pendulum written by Elza Kephart
Lotus written by Erin McMullan
Feel Good written by Jenna Neepin
Season’s Greetings written by Kathleen Twomey Wahed
The top three screenplays will be announced in mid February and Best Screenplay Award will be presented on Closing Night along with the winners of the From Our Dark Side Genre Concept Competition, the Best of the Festival Awards, and the Matrix Awards for the top three BC Shorts.
Other activities integrated into the festival will be Artist Talks, Fire Side Chats, Workshops, Networking Events, Pitch Sessions and more.
Visit womeninfilm.ca for details. Full schedule here.
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Women in Film and Television Vancouver Blog 
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Awesome, Erin.
Muchos congratulations!!
Top screenplays Vancouver Women’s Festival. How cool is THAT!!