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Epic doesn鈥檛 even begin to describe the cinematic offerings at the 2017 麻豆传媒映画International Film Festival: 342 short and feature-length films from 69 countries (including 11 world premieres, 39 North American premieres, and 47 Canadian premieres) will screen at venues across 麻豆传媒映画between September 28 and October 13.
342 is a huge number 鈥� so huge, it鈥檚 yuge. With that much choice, where do you even start planning your VIFF journey?
Start here. We鈥檝e scoured the schedule and have compiled a list of 13 solid cinematic offerings for your consideration. Happy VIFF. 听听
Loving Vincent
Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman鈥檚 remarkable animated work 鈥� billed as 鈥渢he world鈥檚 first fully painted feature鈥� 鈥� brings to life the paintings of Vincent van Gogh. The film took seven years to make, and each of its 65,000 frames was hand-painted by one of 115 professional oil painters. Sept. 28 & 30
Lucky
Legendary actor Harry Dean Stanton 鈥� who passed away on Sept. 15 at the age of 91 鈥� shines in this funny and poignant portrait of a man approaching death with all the dignity he can muster. Stanton鈥檚 Lucky is a man who lives life on his own terms 鈥� from his yoga practice to his pack-a-day habit 鈥� and now that he鈥檚 nearing the end, he鈥檚 taking stock. Lucky is rich with monologues, lovable characters, and a superb performance from one of the best to ever do it. Sept. 28, Oct. 1, 5
Indian Horse
Torn from his Ojibwe family as a child in the 1950s, Saul Indian Horse languishes in an Ontario residential school, where he鈥檚 forbidden to speak his own language and faces corporal punishment for the slightest infraction. On the ice, Saul demonstrates a hockey sense that leaves him three moves ahead of opponents. Based on Richard Wagamese鈥檚 acclaimed novel. Sept. 30 & Oct. 2
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Okja 听
This is a rare opportunity to see Bong Joon Ho鈥檚 inventive Netflix production on the big screen. Deftly blending genres, humour, poignancy, and drama, the Snowpiercer director begins with the gentlest of premises 鈥� the bond between man and animal 鈥� and creates a distinct and layered fantastical vision of the world that addresses the animal inside of us all. Sept. 30
Human Flow
Directed by artist-activist Ai Weiwei and filmed in 40 refugee camps in 23 countries, this stunning cinematic documentary, reminiscent of the work of Edward Burtynsky, chronicles the staggering breadth of the global refugee crisis with uncommon insight. Oct. 1 & 9
Rebels on Pointe
For more than four decades, the all-male drag troupe Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (who performed in 麻豆传媒映画this past January) has been delighting audiences around the world with their send-ups of classical ballet. Director Bobbi Jo Hart shares the rich history of this New York collective, born in the wake of the Stonewall Riots, and their progress from preposterous to phenomenal. Oct. 2 & 3
The Hidden Sword
China鈥檚 new master of elegant chivalric swordplay, Xu Haofeng, is famous for his intellectually acute martial arts novels and action-art movie showpieces. Brimming with eroticism, youthful heroism, and swordplay, 听Xu Haofeng鈥檚 The Hidden Sword is a dazzingly shot, star-studded comic action masterpiece. Oct. 4, 7 & 11
Our People will be Healed
For her 50th documentary, director Alanis Obomsawin transports us to remote Norway House, where Cree children are learning the necessary skills to ensure proud, prosperous lives. While addressing past tragedies, Obomsawin focuses on the future in the form of these bright-eyed youths who are potentially the indigenous leaders of tomorrow. Oct. 5 & 9
Winnie
The complicated, controversial life of South Africa鈥檚 Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, the 鈥渕other of a nation,鈥� is the focus of Pascale Lamche鈥檚 complex cinematic portrait. Beginning with Madikizela-Mandela鈥檚 marriage to Nelson Mandela in 1958, Lamche鈥檚 chronology marshals archival footage and interviews with Madikezela-Mandela, family members, allies, and opponents to craft a revealing perspective on the people and events that shaped South Africa. Oct. 7 & 11
The Young Karl Marx
Fresh off the success of I Am Not Your Negro, filmmaker Raoul Peck tackles the early days of the friendship between Karl Marx (August Diehl) and Friedrich Engels (Stefan Konarske) as they struggle to establish the Communist Party and complete the Communist Manifesto. Oct. 9 & 13
Sami Blood
The indigenous Sami of northern Scandinavia have been labeled 鈥渋nferior鈥� throughout modern history. Half Sami herself, director Amanda Kernell crafts a deeply moving coming-of-age tale, set in 1930s Sweden, about a 14-year-old Sami girl whose rejection of her heritage has profound consequences. Oct. 10 & 12
Sea to Sky stream
If you see nothing else at the 2017 麻豆传媒映画International Film Festival, consider picking a film from the Sea to Sky stream, AKA the BC Spotlight, AKA films that were produced by your fellow Vancouverites and reflect our unique confluence of perspectives and realities. Highlights include c'蓹蝉苍补蕯蓹m: the city before the city, in which filmmaker Elle-M谩ij谩 Tailfeathers and her collaborators from the Musqueam First National and the UBC Museum of Anthropology curatorial team lay out the long history of the unceded land on which we live (Oct. 1 & 6), and On Putin鈥檚 Blacklist, Boris Ivanov鈥檚 timely documentary about the groups of people hurt by the controversial Russian president (Oct. 7 & 10). .
鈥� Tickets and schedule information at .
