Films
Friday, February 14
Shepherds
Canada/France, 2024, 113 min, Subtitled, Drama
Directed by Sophie Deraspe, Starring Félix-Antoine Duval (in attendance)
Unrated (sexual content/nudity, coarse language)
Mathyas, portrayed by Félix-Antoine Duval, trades in his Montreal life as a young advertising executive to become a shepherd in the South of France. But the harsh realities of the pastoral world force him to question his romantic vision of the profession. A visit from Elise (Solène Rigot), a civil servant who has abruptly quit her job, gives Mathyas' quest a new direction. Together, with a herd in their care, they embark on a journey towards a new way of life in the mountains. The film is an adaptation of Mathyas Lefebure’s 2006 semi-autobiographical novel, D’où viens tu, berger? It reveals the sometimes brutal realities of a shepherding life, but also gives the viewer the opportunity to see the beauty of nature and a life of freedom that draws people to work on the land. Shepherds won the 2024 Best Canadian Feature Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Trailer
The Last Repair Shop
USA, 2023, 40 min, Documentary
Directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot
Rated PG
Los Angeles is one of the last American cities to provide free and freely repaired musical instruments to its public schoolchildren, a continuous service since 1959. This short documentary tells the story of four unassuming heroes who work in a nondescript downtown warehouse where a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople keep over 80,000 instruments in good repair. The repair staff ensures no student is deprived of the joy of music. The students’ lives are deeply affected by the opportunity to play these beloved instruments. Co-director Ben Proudfoot called the film “a vehicle to get people to stand up and cheer for music and arts education around the world.” Licensing fees for this screening are being contributed to a college scholarship fund for the four students featured in the film. The Last Repair Shop won the 2024 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film. Trailer
Saturday, February 15
The Teachers’ Lounge
Germany, 2023, 98 min, Subtitled, Drama
Directed by Ilker Çatak
Rated PG-13
Nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Film, Ilker Çatak’s gripping school drama shows an idealistic young teacher seeking to rectify what she reads as a miscarriage of justice, only to make matters unfathomably worse. New to her school, Ms. Nowak is reluctantly drawn into the interrogation of two Grade 7 class representatives after a series of thefts. They cast suspicion on a Turkish classmate, Ali, despite his proclamation of innocence even after a search turns up a surprisingly fat wallet. Convinced racism is at play, the teacher decides to set up a sting operation to uncover the true culprit. An ethics master class, the film vividly returns us to the everyday anguish of normal school life, when even seemingly the most straightforward problem can open up a minefield of mistrust and humiliation. The film won Best European Film in Berlinale’s Panorama section. Trailer
Wicked Little Letters
United Kingdom, 2023, 100 min, Comedy
Directed by Thea Sharrock
Rated 14A (coarse language)
An English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, Wicked Little Letters follows two neighbours, the deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents begin to receive wicked letters full of unintentionally hilarious profanities, foul-mouthed Rose is charged with the crime. The anonymous letters prompt a national uproar, and a trial ensues. However, as the town’s women begin to investigate the crime themselves, they suspect that something is amiss. Wicked Little Letters is based on the true story of Gooding and Swan in England in 1920. At the time, the hate mail scandal was referred to as the Littlehampton Letters or the Seaside Mystery. Trailer
Magic Hours
Canada, 2024, 44 min, Documentary
Directed by Levi Holwell (in attendance)
Unrated
Magic Hours is a heartfelt documentary that explores the struggles of movie theatres in Alberta, Canada, as they fight to survive in an era of shifting film consumption and economic hardship. The film highlights the passionate individuals striving to preserve these historic venues, which once served as vital community hubs. In the Crowsnest Pass, a group works to revive the long-closed Roxy Theatre, while in Stettler, Wendy Rairdan faces the tough reality of possibly closing the 70-year-old Jewel Theatre. In High River, the Kidwai family reflects on the emotional journey of keeping the Wales Theatre alive for over two decades. Through these personal stories, Magic Hours captures the deep love and dedication behind these theatres, showcasing the powerful connections between communities and the cultural spaces they hold dear—even when the future is uncertain. Trailer
Blackberry
Canada, 2023, 120 min, Comedy/Drama
Directed by Matt Johnson
Rated 14A (coarse language)
Two mismatched entrepreneurs – egghead innovator Mike Lazaridis and cut-throat businessman Jim Balsillie – joined forces in an endeavour that was to become a worldwide hit. The device that one of them invented and the other sold was the BlackBerry, an addictive mobile phone that changed the way the world worked, played and communicated. But just as BlackBerry was rising to new peaks, it also started losing its way through the fog of Smartphone wars, management indecision and outside distractions, eventually leading to the breakdown of one of the most successful ventures in the history of the tech and business worlds. Director Matt Johnson amazes us with this story of two Canadian guys who, in between movie nights, invented the tool that changed our way of doing pretty much everything. Blackberry won the 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture. Trailer
Sunday, February 16
Roman Holiday
USA, 1953, 118 min, Comedy/Romance
Directed by William Wyler
Special Introduction by Trond Trondsen
Rated PG
Charming, funny and romantic, Roman Holiday immortalized the city of Rome at the same time it became Audrey Hepburn's breakthrough role. Its story follows a royal princess who, overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, escapes her guardians and meets an American newsman (Gregory Peck) who guides her on an unforgettable day around The Eternal City. If you have ever dreamed of riding an iconic Vespa motor scooter, you most likely can thank Roman Holiday for those aspirations. The film is celebrated for its delightful script, outstanding performances, and the enchanting chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. Hepburn was awarded the 1954 Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance, and the film also won Academy Awards for Best Story and for Best Costume Design. Roman Holiday has been considered one of the most romantic films in cinema history. Trailer
Crossing
Georgia/Turkey/Sweden, 2024, 105 min, Subtitled, Drama
Directed by Levan Akin
Rated 14A (sexual content/nudity and coarse language)
Multiple journeys collide in this moving drama. A retired and hardened Georgian school teacher, Lia, crosses the border into Turkey after making a promise to her now-dead sister to find and bring home her niece, Tekla, a transgender adult. Lia is joined by a neighbour, the young Achi, who is eager to leave his home and begin a new life in Istanbul. Exploring the hidden depths of the city, they cross paths with a transgender lawyer named Evrim who volunteers at a LGBTQ+ centre and helps them in their search. Lia comes to the sad conclusion that Istanbul is “a place where people go to disappear”. Perhaps it is Lia herself who needs to be forgiven and found. With the different paths of the three leads literally and metaphorically “crossing” with each other, director Levin Akin masterfully injects an equal dose of hope and sadness into his award-winning narrative. Trailer
Ghostlight
USA, 2024, 115 min, Drama
Directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson
Rated 14A (coarse language, mature subject matter)
This portrait of a family piecing itself back together after a family tragedy is a testament to the healing power of art. Adrift after an unimaginable loss, construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) finds himself impatient and occasionally volcanic. His wife Sharon (Tara Mallen) is stoic, trying to keep the family together. Their daughter Daisy (Katherine Kupferer) is an intelligent, but belligerent teenager. Much to his own surprise, Dan finds himself drawn into a ragtag community theatre as it is preparing an unorthodox adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. Fittingly for a film about the stage, Ghostlight rests on the performances of three veteran stage actors – father, mother, and daughter, who are a family in real life. Ghostlight is a subtle ode to humanity’s mysterious, misunderstood institution; family. The film premiered as the opening film at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Trailer