FAVA FEST 2017

About The Festival

FAVA FEST showcases our member’s works and put on a big party to celebrate outstanding achievements in film, video and media art in our community. Learn more about the festival here.

WEIRDOS
FRIDAY | APR 21 | 7PM | $12 Adults, $9 Students & Seniors
METRO CINEMA AT THE GARNEAU THEATRE (8712 109 ST)
A FILM BY BRUCE MCDONALD
WRITTEN BY DANIEL MACIVOR
STARRING: DYLAN AUTHORS, JULIA SARAH STONE, MOLLY PARKER, ALLAN HAWCO

It’s the summer of 1976 and 15 year-old Kit (Dylan Authors), bored and restless, is dreaming of a more glamorous life in the big city, away from the small town where he lives with his Dad (Allan Hawco) and grandmother (Cathy Jones). Enlisting the help of his girlfriend Alice (Julia Sara Stone), they hitchhike towards a new home with his glamorous, artistic mother Laura (Molly Parker).  As Kit and Alice reach their final destination their relationship is tested as Kit approaches a realization that will change his life forever.

Nominated for 5 Canadian Screen Awards

LIVE WEIRDOS! A CONVERSATION WITH BRUCE MCDONALD & DANIEL MACIVOR
SUPPORTED BY TELUS
FRIDAY | APR 21 | 8:45PM | ADMISSION BY CASH DONATION
METRO CINEMA AT THE GARNEAU THEATRE (8712 109 ST)

Following a screening of their new film WEIRDOS, director Bruce McDonald and screenwriter Daniel MacIvor sit down for a lively discussion of their film and careers, with a reception to follow.

BRUCE MCDONALD | Director
Bruce McDonald is a Canadian director known for his irreverent, eclectic style and his love of music and pop culture. After breaking out with his debut feature Roadkill, he has gone on to direct numerous other acclaimed films including Hard Core Logo, The Tracy Fragments and Pontypool, as well as a handful of documentaries and more TV than you can shake a stick at. He currently lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter, enjoys Italian food and loves the great album Bitches Brew.

DANIEL MACIVOR | Writer
Daniel is originally from Cape Breton and currently lives in Toronto and Avondale, Nova Scotia. He is the writer/director of Past Perfect and Wilby Wonderful, both of which had their premiere at TIFF and played festivals around the world Wilby Wonderful winning the audience award at the San Sebastian Film Festival. He is the writer of Whole New Thing directed by Amnon Buchbinder, Marion Bridge directed by Wiebke Von Carolsfeld and Trigger directed by Bruce McDonald. Daniel received the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama for his collection of plays I Still Love You and in 2008 he was awarded the Siminovitch Prize for Theatre.

BACKYARD BASH
SATURDAY | APR 22
BBQ | 6-8PM
PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION AWARDS, AUDIENCE CHIOCE AWARD | 8PM
A TOAST TO SELWYN JACOB – OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | 8:30PM
ADMISSION BY CASH DONATION
ORTONA ROOM & COURTYARD (9722 102 ST NW)

Head to FAVA headquarters for the closing night of the festival. Hang out with fellow media artists and film enthusiasts, grab a burger (meat or veggie options), and celebrate upcoming work as we hand out our Production Awards.

NEW this year, thanks to a new partnership with #yegfilm, are the 2017 #yegfilm / FAVA Distribution Awards. Up to two awards — of $500 cash + $500 FAVA production credit each — will be given to completed projects, for distribution or audience development and announced at the Backyard Bash.

Production Awards Include:
Joe Viszmeg Documentary Award
Helen Folkmann Film Award
Lisa Trofimova Video Award
Alex Thomas-Haug Emerging Artist Award

We’ll also announce the Audience Choice Award tonight. Be sure you take in as many of the screenings as you can to be sure your favourite is in the running.

Each year at FAVA FEST we celebrate the recipient of the Awards of Excellence – Outstanding Achievement Award. We are thrilled to have Selwyn Jacob as the 2017 recipient of this award. Come out and share stories and toast Selwyn’s accomplished career as a filmmaker and producer.

Selwyn Jacob
Selwyn Jacob was born in Trinidad and came to Canada in 1968 with the dream of becoming a filmmaker. It was a dream that wouldn’t die: he became a teacher and eventually a school principal but eventually chose to leave the security of that career to educate a wider audience through film. He has been a producer with the National Film Board of Canada since 1997.

His early work as an independent director includes We Remember Amber Valley, a documentary about the black community that existed near Lac La Biche in Alberta. Prior to joining the NFB, he directed two award-winning NFB releases – Carol’s Mirror, and The Road Taken, which won the Canada Award at the 1998 Gemini Awards.

In 1997 he joined the NFB’s Pacific & Yukon Studio in Vancouver, and has gone on to produce close to 50 NFB films. Among his many credits are Crazywater, directed by the Inuvialuit filmmaker Dennis Allen; Hue: A Matter of Colour, a co-production with Sepia Films, directed by Vic Sarin; Mighty Jerome, written and directed by Charles Officer; and the digital interactive project Circa 1948, by Vancouver artist Stan Douglas.

Released in 2010, Mighty Jerome addresses issues of race and nationalism while paying tribute to Harry Jerome, one of the most remarkable athletes in Canadian history. The film went on to win multiple honours, including a Leo Award for Best Feature Length Documentary and the 2012 Regional Emmy Award for Best Historical Documentary.

His recent credits include Ninth Floor, a feature documentary about the infamous Sir George Williams Riot of 1969. Written and directed by the acclaimed director Mina Shum, it’s a story that Jacob has wanted to bring to the screen for decades.

 2017 – Production Awards

Helen Folkmann Film Award | Jamie McRae

Lisa Trofimova Video Award | Larry Kelly

Joe Viszmeg Documentary Award | Eva Colmers

Alex Thomas-Haug Emerging Artist Award | Heather Noel

yegfilm/FAVA Distribution Award | Andrew Manske