BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition January 2019

FILM
VANCOUVER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
SHOWCASING TALENT IN THE INDUSTRY AND UNITING INDUSTRY PEERS
HOGAN SHORT
THIS MONTH IN FILM
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CINEMA
BRENDAN LEE
GENESIS 2.0
Travel north to the harsh, bleak country of Serbia where the wooly
mammoth once roamed, and be led on a path towards a not-so-distant
future. Oscar-nominated documentarian, Christian Frei, tells the story of
modern day mammoth hunters, whose lives revolve around the rush to
uncover fossils and carcasses that not only prove lucrative ventures, but
are helping provide answers to long sought after questions in the world of
science. (Jan. 2)
THE HEIRESSES
A middle-aged Italian woman loses everything amidst her husband’s
imprisonment on fraud charges and she’s quickly thrown from a life of
luxury into a life of relative normality as a taxi driver. From there, she
meets a younger woman. And as is expected, life continues to unfold.
(Jan. 16)
(L-R) VSFF co-director Marena Dix, board chair Kristyn Stilling and Zlatina Pacheva (also co-director) look to the stars.
Short films are perfectly designed to be watched during a
film festival — back-to-back. When they’re great, they tell
beautiful stories in moments. And when they’re not for you,
you only have to stay with it a little while longer and onto the
next one. Luckily there’s the Vancouver Short Film Festival
and co-director Marena Dix is excited to share just what to
expect from the VSFF and what they’re aiming to provide for
their Vancouver audience.
“Our ultimate goal is to connect short filmmakers to a
broader audience in order to grow the local film industry,”
Dix says.
During the two days of the festival there are an impressive
39 short films to see. The films must be under 40 minutes in
length and this year the festival received a record number of
submissions. Dix is confident the programming will appeal to
wide audience, especially with that much content.
“We have such a wide range of themes and genres. In one
screening, you might start with a comedy and end with a
suspenseful drama. The viewers can expect to laugh, cry and
question reality.” The variety of short films continues to grow
at the VSFF, offering audiences the best experience possible
every year. “We have added an additional screening on the
Friday to highlight Horror and Thriller filmmakers in our After
Dark Screening.”
Highlighting filmmakers is a key component of the VSFF
mission, which also gives the audience a unique chance to
interact with the creative people creating short film. “Usually
we have an 80 per cent filmmaker attendance rate for each
screening,” Dix says. “We love supporting BC talent and it’s
great when the audience can interact directly with them.”
As an audience member experiencing this festival for
the first time, Dix has some words of advice to make your
experience as rich as possible.
“See as much as you can and meet as many people as
you can. As a filmmaker myself, I find that festivals offer a
unique experience to meet fellow peers and find inspiration.
I have met lifelong friends and collaborators at film festivals,
including at the Vancouver Short Film Festival.”
The VSFF will be screening January 25 to 26 at the Vancity
Theatre (1181 Seymour). For more information visit www.vsff.
com
THE IMAGE BOOK
Jean-Luc Godard is known as one of the first true auteurs, the centerpiece
of French New Wave cinema in the ’60s and an all-time great. Nearly sixty
years since Breathless, Godard returns with an avant-garde collage in the
form of film-clips, paintings and music. It’s designed to be watched in a
living room, and it’s orchestrated in such a way so to move you. (Jan. 18)
THE WILD PEAR TREE
Turkish Filmmaker, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, follows up his 2014 Palm D’or
win with an atmospheric homecoming tale about an aspiring writer
who returns to his parents’ home in the countryside after years away at
university. The humble country life and all that come with it clash with
the son’s aspirations in this beautifully shot family drama. (Jan. 30)
THE HEIRESSES
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January 2019