The third edition of SOAR Film Festival wrapped up Nov. 12 at Sudbury Indie Cinema, with 10 film programs screening 22 adventure films.
Most had premiere statuses running the gambit from world premieres to Northern American, to Ontario or local.
The offerings grew this year, as did the audience numbers with attendance up 50% over 2022.
The festival has announced its award-winners:
Audience Choice Awards
- Best Adventure Feature: Adaptation by Jake Thomas (Sudbury)
- Best Adventure Short: The Present by Timothy Dhalleine (France/Chile)
- Best Local Short: Enchanted Woods To Urban Rush by Larry Bernard (Sudbury)
Jury Awards
- Best Canadian Feature: Traversées/Passages par/by Florence Pelletier et Caroline Côté (Montreal)
- Best International Feature: Yukon; Un Rêve Blanc/ A White Dream par/by Mathieu Le Lay (France)
- Best Canadian Mid-Length: Logging Algonquin by Conor DeVries (Canada)
- Best International Mid-Length: Return To Sender by Nate Stephens (USA)
Jake Thomas, a Sudbury-based filmmaker, is no stranger to SOAR Film Fest having pulled together a local mountain biking short in the festival’s inaugural year, called Sud-Bikery.
His current film, a feature following mountain bike racers using adaptive gear due to spinal injuries, is heading to Whistler at the end of the month but the big Sudbury win has put wind in his sails.
“Thank you SOAR and the Indie Cinema team for including our film in your festival,” he said. “Our goal with the project was to make a film that would fit the action sport genre while showing the world how rad accessible sports can be. Sudbury has an amazing disabled sport and mountain bike community which has welcomed adaptive mountain biking with open arms.
“This sport is still in its infancy and we are excited to see what the future holds. A huge thanks to those who came to watch the film and vote for our Audience Choice Award.”
Florence Pelletier, one of the directors for Traversées, the Jury Prize winner for Best Canadian Adventure Feature, was thrilled the film is still resonating with audiences.
Filmed in summer of 2019, the doc’s rollout was affected with COVID. The SOAR screening was actually the film’s Ontario premiere. Followed a small group of women traversing a remote and arduous route through Northern Quebec, the film was one of many female-centric films at this year’s SOAR.
“It is an honour to see that our film Traversées still finds echo with the public,” says Pelletier. “Our wish was to inspire and empower women to take the lead and leave for their dream expedition. Hopefully, we planted a seed in some viewers’ minds to do so! We hope to see many more films made by women and portraying women in the outdoor fields in the years to come.
“Thank you to the SOAR Film Fest Jury and thank you to the festival’s team! It was an immense pleasure to discuss and meet you all!”
After hearing the news Director of The Present, winner of best international short, Timothy Dhalleine was overjoyed a story of adventure and battling Huntington's disease found a home in Sudbury.
"We feel very proud about this win at SOAR 2023, especially considering the fact it's an Audience Choice Award. As people are touched by Dimitri's story, our hope is that more people are touched by his cause that is so important.”
While local filmmaker Larry Bernard’s short “Enchanted Woods to Urban Rush” has played internationally, this was the hometown boy’s first opportunity to screen it locally and be present at the festival screening.
“It is with immense joy and profound gratitude that I extend my deepest appreciation for the honour of receiving the Best Local Short Audience Choice Award at the recent SOAR Film Festival,” he said,
“The significance of this recognition is truly humbling, and the support and enthusiasm shown by the audience over the weekend have left an unforgettable mark on my heart. Being part of this community film gem as a filmmaker in this year’s SOAR Film Festival has been an incredible honour. I wish to express my heartfelt thanks for including my short film in this esteemed local film movement.
“The experience gained and the opportunity to connect with a diverse and engaged audience during this learning journey will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the growth and development of my craft and passion for film.” He heads back to film school at Fanshaw with this win to boost him!
SOAR is a partnership between Sudbury Indie Cinema and the Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program at Laurentian.
The fourth edition is set for Nov. 8-10, 2024. Online submissions are open on FilmFreeway.
