If there’s a theme to Cinéfest Sudbury 2023, it’s the strong Canadian content, said the festival’s executive director.
“I think we're breaking records in terms of the number of films that we have from Canada, and we're doing that because the quality is incredible,” said Patrick O’Hearn, speaking at the Aug. 23 launch of Cinéfest’s lineup.
Fully six of the nine gala presentations at this year’s festival at the Sept. 16-24 festival are Canadian productions, not to mention the plethora of other Canadian films holding other time slots in the festival.
That includes the gala film “The Boy in the Woods,” which was shot in North Bay. The film is the remarkable true-life survival story of a Jewish boy hiding and being hunted in the forests of Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe.
“Northern Ontario can double for anything and anywhere,” O’Hearn said, adding that the film is “really beautiful.”
A personal pick of O’Hearn’s is the gala “Swan Song,” which brings viewers inside the National Ballet of Canada on the eve of icon Karen Kain’s retirement.
“You see behind the scenes the struggles that people are going through,” he said. “I think what I loved most about it, though, was the athleticism and what ballet dancers put their body through, the rigors. It's just incredible to see what they go through behind the scenes and see them performing on stage.”
While the pandemic saw Cinéfest hold a hybrid festival for three years (offering virtual and in-person programming), the festival returns to its pre-pandemic, fully in-person format this year.
“It was important for us to just fill our mandate the way we intended and go fully in-person,” O’Hearn said.
“What we saw over the last couple of years is as people were coming back into the theatre, and as well, not as many people were watching virtually. So we've seen that kind of transition now.”
Asked if Cinéfest will see any special guests this year, whether in-person or virtually, O’Hearn said the guest list will be announced in the coming weeks.
To purchase tickets or view the full Cinéfest lineup, visit the festival’s website.
Gala 2023 presentations
Opening Night Gala Film Presentation
Swan Song [Chelsea McMullan, Canada, 2023]
An immersive look inside The National Ballet of Canada, as it mounts a legacy-defining new production of Swan Lake, directed by ballet icon Karen Kain on the eve of her retirement.
Sunday Night Gala Film Presentation
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry [Hettie Macdonald, United Kingdom, 2023]
Harold Fry (Broadbent) was never meant to be a hero. He’s an unremarkable man who has failed at all the important things: being a husband, a father, and a friend. Now, well into his 60s, he is content to fade quietly into the background of life. But when Harold learns his friend Queenie (Bassett) is dying, he is moved to embark on a walk of hope and determination to travel the length of England to save his friend.
Monday Night Gala Film Presentation
Les hommes de ma mère (My Mother’s Men) [Anik Jean, Canada, 2023]
Young Elsie is shocked to learn that her eccentric mother wanted her ashes to be scattered among her five ex-husbands. Elsie is adamant about carrying out her mother's wishes, but the trip fundamentally alters her course.
Tuesday Night Gala Film Presentation
Sweetland [Christian Sparkes, Canada, 2022]
The story of an endangered Newfoundland community and the struggles of one man determined to resist its extinction. Sweetland is based on the popular by Canadian author Michael Crummey.
Wednesday Night Gala Film Presentation
La Chimera [Alice Rohrwacher, Italy/France/Switzerland, 2023]
Everyone has their own Chimera, something they try to achieve butnever manage to find. For Arthur (Josh O’Connor), the Chimera looks like the woman he lost. To find her, Arthur goes in search of the door to the afterlife of which myths speak.La Chimera premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a nine-minute standingovation. The film stars Josh O’Connor, who starred in Mothering Sunday at Cinéfest in 2021, and features an outstanding supporting performance from Isabella Rosselini, who starred in several films at Cinéfest, including The Saddest Music in the World and Infamous.
Thursday Night Gala Film Presentation
The Old Oak [Ken Loach, UK/France/Belgium, 2023]
The future for the last remaining pub, The Old Oak, is unknown in a village of Northeast England, where people are leaving the land as the mines are closed. Houses are cheap and available, thus making it an ideal location for Syrian refugees.
Friday Night Gala Film Presentation
The Boy in the Woods [Rebecca Snow, Canada, 2023]
The remarkable true-life survival story of a Jewish boy hiding and being hunted in the forests of Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. The Boy in the Woods is based on the memoir of the same name by author Maxwell Smart.
Saturday Night Gala Film Presentation
Close to You [Dominic Savage, Canada/UK, 2023]
Sam has the chance to encounter with an old friend on his way back home to a dreaded family reunion that forces him to confront long-buried memories. Close to You was co-written by director Dominic Savage and lead actor Elliot Page, who both also served as producers on the film.
Closing Night Gala Film Presentation
Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant (Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person) [Ariane Louis-Seize, Canada, 2023]
Sasha is a young vampire with a serious problem: she’s too sensitive to kill! When her exasperated parents cut off her blood supply, Sasha’s life is in jeopardy. Luckily, she meets Paul, a lonely teenager with suicidal tendencies who is willing to give his life to save hers. But their friendly agreement soon becomes a nocturnal quest to fulfill Paul’s last wishes before day breaks.
Heidi Ulrichsen is the associate content editor at Sudbury.com. She also covers education and the arts scene.
