Top 10 Things to Do at GFF 2019
There’s over 130 films, masterclasses, competitions, installations, a special Saturday night party and a workshop. We know what you’re thinking, how do you decide what to see? Well, we’ve compiled the Top 10 Things you definitely don’t want to miss at #GFF2019. Let it be your guide!
Opening Night FilmsYou want to start your festival experience off with a bang, right?Then, you’ll want to check out all three of our Opening Night Films. You’ll start your day off at the Gimli Theatre with For Sama, an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war. Then, you’ll head over to the Lady of Lake Theatre for When the Storm Fades– a Canadian-made comedic-drama set in post Typhoon Yolanda Philippines, and two bumbling voluntourists from Canada who are there to “help”.To finish, you will cap off your night with the Canadian premiere of Jawline with director Liza Mandelup in attendance! This Sundance award-winning documentary follows Austyn Tester, a 16-year-old attempting to ride a wave of social media optimism to become the world’s next big internet crush. You’ll dive deep into Internet fame and leave with a deeper understanding of what human connections looks like in the post-millennial age.
Workshop: SHOOT Super 8 mm with the creators of The Goose – Mike Maryniuk & Josh MarrIt goes without saying that shooting on film sounds intimidating BUT we guarantee this workshop is no experience required! You’ll meet Mike & Josh and learn the basics of shooting Super 8!Josh will hand process the film and you’ll come back the next day to review the results! It’s a fun, low stakes way of learning the ins and outs of Super 8mm from two acclaimed Manitoba filmmakers! Mike’s film The Goose screens at this year’s fest and Mike is nominated for Best Manitoba Director presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada!Come to Gimli Film Festival as a fan and leave as a filmmaker! Manitoba’s next big filmmaker could be you –sign up here!
Check one, two, three or all nine of our Short Film Programs!This year, we opened up our short film submission internationally and we received more submissions than ever before!There are five thematic short film programs along with GFF’s first-ever all 16mm program from filmmaker Bea Haut, who is attending GFF 2019 from the UK!You can keep it local at Manitoba Short Films in Competition where audience participation is required! You will have to vote for your favourite film to win the audience choice award presented by Manitoba Film & Music. It will be tough, but you can do it!And then there’s the Winnipeg Film Group’s 48 Hour Film Contest Screening – a fan favourite! This screening is guaranteed to be sold out because everyone wants to see 18 brand-new Manitoba-made short films created in 48 Hours premiere on the big screen.Reserve your tickets to these short film programs now! But, just in case they’re all sold out, remember GFF reserves plenty of seats for Rush Seating! If you didn’t reserve a ticket in advance, make sure to line-up 30 minutes before the screening in the Rush Seating line!
Three stand-out one-of-a-kind masterclasses!We have three masterclasses you definitely don’t want to miss!Masterclass with Liza MandelupJoin us for a conversation Liza Mandelup director of Jawline who was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s top 25 New Faces of Independent Cinema moderated by Laura Michalchyshyn. The conversation will focus on a variety of Mandelup’s creative and commercial projects over the years, her background in photography and casting, and the production of her award-winning first feature film Jawline.Masterclass with Penny LaneJoin the fiercely independent documentary filmmaker Penny Lane for a Masterclass that explores the aesthetic and ethical dilemmas in found footage filmmaking. Penny Lane is at GFF 2019 with her film Hail Satan? which is a must-see documentary at this year’s fest.DGC Creators Talk with Shelagh CarterA keynote presentation by veteran Manitoba film director Shelagh Carter, winner of GFF’s inaugural Best Manitoba Director Award (sponsored by the DGC). Join DGC member and award-winning director Shelagh Carter for an intimate discussion of her process, her work and her inspirations. Moderated by Norma Bailey.
The 8t annual RBC $10,000 Emerging Filmmaker Pitch CompetitionThere’s a reason it’s been around for eight years –because it’s SO FUN! Watch five finalists pitch their short film idea in three minutes to an experienced panel of judges. It’s guaranteed to be tough competition because we had 19 applications and it’s already been narrowed down to these five finalists!In the end, one finalist will walk away with $10,000 cash courtesy of RBC, $5,000 in services from William F. White International and a year-long mentorship with Brendon Sawatzky from the National Screen Institute. Stakes are high! Who will walk away with the top prize plus a guaranteed premiere of their film at GFF 2020? Will your top choice win? Better check it out. Also, did we mention it’s FREE to attend—Bonus!
Cinema Outside the Box – Saturday Night Performances & Installations!This year’s special focus is Cinema Outside of the Box and it all comes to fruition on Saturday, July 27 at our Saturday night party with performances from the UK, Mexico City, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.GFF’s special focus explores cinematic works outside of traditional single-channel films by showcasing live performances using multi-media (expanded cinema), multi-media installations, and virtual reality projects. Born from cinematic traditions, these exciting new works all experiment with moving images and sound, but they are removed from the traditional black box theatre!Attending filmmaker Bea Haut will perform Pending on Saturday evening. The audience will form 100 ft length of film into a ‘living loop’, before being taken up and played out by the projector!Jael Jacobo and Ezequiel Guido from Mexico City will perform Glyph. This performance is about the evolution of pre-Hispanic symbols in Mexico, specifically, petroglyphs found in the areas of Jalisco, Chiapas, Guerrero and Michoacán, which were drawn, animated and filmed on 16mm film.And these are just two of the four performances featured on Saturday evening!
Manitoba-made filmsWe have an exceptional line up of feature and short films screening at this year’s festival that are produced right here in Manitoba! You can check out the Manitoba Film Series featuring El Toro, Urban Eclipse: Rising Tides of Kekekoziibii (Shoal Lake 40), The Goose and Into Invisible Light. Danielle Sturk, Jesse Green & Vanda Fleury-Green and Mike Maryniuk are nominated for Best Manitoba Director presented by the Directors’ Guild of Canada.Local Manitoba filmmakers are featured in our thematic shorts program including Thematic Shorts #2: A Look in the Mirror featuring two local filmmakers, Allison Stevens film/performance of Love Starved: More than Fat which she live narrates and Chanelle Lajoie’s Métis Femme Bodies.
Mama Cutsworth Family Dance Party at the RBC Beach BoardwalkMama Cutsworth’s famous Family Dance Party hits the beach on Saturday, July 27 from 7:30 – 9 PM. She will be on the RBC Truck hosting the party as part of the RBC Beach Boardwalk right before the screening of School of Rock.You and the whole family are invited to bust a move to your favourite tunes, courtesy of one of Manitoba’s best DJs! There will also be a face painter, big outdoor games and free giveaways!
Wendy Crewson at GFF 2019Famed Canadian actress/producer with Winnipeg roots, Wendy Crewson, is this year’s recipient of the Alda Award, recognizing her incredible and illustrious acting career in film and television both in Canada and the United States. Crewson was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba and attended Westwood Collegiate. She is best known for co-starring with Harrison Ford in Air Force One or appearing with Arnold Schwarzenegger in The 6th Dayor even being one of Tom Hanks first female leads in the little known film Mazes & Monsters. More recently she appeared in the Oscar-winning film Roomstarring Brie Larsen and the recent remake of Death Wish with Bruce Willis. Join us for a retrospective screening Better than Chocolate(1999) in which Wendy takes the leading role. After the film, Wendy will participate in a Q & A!
RBC Sunset Screenings on Gimli BeachRoll Call! As always, your attendance is mandatory at this year’s RBC Sunset Screenings! This year, all five nightly screenings are connected by one theme – Summer School! Our lineup features classic coming-of-age schoolyard tales from 80s – 00s. We kick off Wednesday night with Clueless, enjoy the weekend with Mean Girls and School of Rock and end with the winner of our Audience Choice poll – The Breakfast Club on Sunday. These screenings are completely free, too!We’ll see you in class… uh… we mean the beach!
BONUS: The RM of GimliWe’ll add that Gimli is the perfect scenic setting for your festival experience! All five indoor venues are within close walking distance with local spots to stop for coffee, food or ice cream along the way. Talk a walk on the Gimli Pier and remember to walk up to the RBC Sunset Screenings on the Gimli Boardwalk. Local historic churches convert into cozy theatres and local residents are happy to help with directions.We think it’s the perfect setting to explore the world of cinema and highlight Manitoba’s filmmaking talent!