Canadian, international and locally shot productions are hitting the silver screen at the North Bay Film Festival this weekend.
The 11th annual event takes place at the Capitol Centre Friday through Sunday.
Foreign Tongue opens the festival Friday night (7 pm) while Last Moon, another locally shot production, screens at noon on Saturday.
Sharon Switzer, Executive Director of Near North Mobile Media Lab, says after both screenings they’re holding question and answer sessions with those involved in making the films.
“From both of those we’re bringing in the directors and actors so the audience can get a sense of what goes on here,” she says. “We’re proud of our local film industry.”
Switzer also says a lot of amazing and award-winning international films being presented.
“We have the Palme D’Or winner, Fjord,” she says. “On Saturday night we’re presenting Paper Tiger which is directed by James Gray. Late Fame stars Willem Dafoe and we end the festival with Club Kid. It’s a really fun film from first-time actor-director-writer Jordan Firstman and it’s getting a lot of buzz.”
Another film is In the Heart of the South, a Canadian psychological thriller directed by Inuit filmmaker Nyla Innuksuk.
The festival also has a new programming partner, Voices With Impact.
“They’re an international short film festival and they also support the production of short films,” says Switzer. “All of the films are mental health related.”
The curated collection of shorts, which explore anxiety, depression and resilience, screens at 1 pm on Sunday.
The lead-up to the festival includes a couple of workshops.
One Thursday night is on film editing when the first one, held last Sunday, was on screenwriting.
The festival’s Student Film Industry Day also takes place Thursday at West Ferris Secondary School, offering students insights into filmmaking careers through conversations with industry professionals.
For more information, weekend passes and individual tickets visit the festival’s website: northbayfilmfestival.ca.
