The Whistler Film Festival’s in-person screenings may be over and done with, but the festival is far from finished. Film lovers across Canada can watch features from the festival online from December 5 to January 2.
With a focus on Canadian programming, highlights include the thriller Exile starring Adam Beach, the French-language drama (and Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature winner) Coyote which played to raves at TIFF, the relationship drama Midnight At The Paradise, the hilarious boy band comedy Boy City, and the wildly imaginative Polaris. American indie offerings include the whimsical Little Jar, about a woman who befriends a dead mouse while in pandemic isolation, and the touching comedy Gringa, starring Steve Zahn as an ex-pat living in Mexico.
A small but mighty selection of documentary films will also be available online including the Jason Priestly-directed Offside: The Harold Ballard Story, a look at LGBTQIA+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport in Out in the Ring, and music docs Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On and Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World. The latter concerns the 1969 concert film recorded at Toronto’s Varsity stadium and features performances by John Lennon, Alice Cooper, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, The Doors, and more.
Canadian programming highlights to check out:
A carefully observant character study about an ex-chef who is asked to look after a grandson he did not know he had, while Mom cleans up in rehab. The film won Best Canadian Feature at the festival.
✨Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature Film – COYOTE directed by Katherine Jerkovic and produced by Nicolas Comeau✨
Winner of the $15,000 cash prize presented by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia and $20,000 post-production prize presented by Company 3. pic.twitter.com/t1l8SMfZKj
— Whistler Film Fest (@whisfilmfest) December 4, 2022
A young 16-year-old has to move in with her mother, who is a member of a tantric sex religious cult, under the stewardship of “The Professor”.
If you can imagine Mad Max on skidoos then you have a good approximation of this exciting story about a ten-year-old female warrior raised by a polar bear, trying to survive in the year 2101.
Angel and her daughter seek out an indigenous-run halfway house in order to escape Earl, Angel’s abusive partner. Along the way, she reconnects with her roots.
A man (Adam Beach) exiles himself after getting out of prison for DUI fatalities, convinced his own family will be harmed if he reconnects with them.
Magdalene, a colorblind black artist moves into a new neighbourhood with her son; they are challenged to see the true colours of people.
Rosy, a 25-year-old former foster child who has aged out of the system, goes online to find love – with a parent.
A funny Quebec road movie in which three 50ish brothers must get along long enough to go bury their father who passed away during an Ice Bucket Challenge in Niagara Falls.
A comic valentine to Martin Villeneuve’s late 101-year-old grandmother. He plays her as she feistily expounds on refusing to grow old. Very funny, rude, and affectionate.
Lissa accidentally ingests a lot of acid prior to an audition in downtown Los Angeles.
A man travels with his 9-year-old daughter for a cross-Canada trek to a truck rodeo in Alberta. Some great truck racing footage and a tender father/daughter relationship ensue.
✨Best Director of a Borsos Competition Film sponsored by DGC BC – Joëlle Desjardins Paquette for RODEO
The jury stated, “RODEO is a visceral, gripping, and emotionally complex ride directed with a confident and intuitive eye set in the unique and dangerous world of truck rodeo” pic.twitter.com/s1QlPLvxPm
— Whistler Film Fest (@whisfilmfest) December 4, 2022
A young Ukrainian woman arrives in North Winnipeg and discovers a community of immigrants who mostly don’t speak English but struggle to get by. A quirky and totally original take on the immigrant experience.
A comedy about a group of men in their 30s still pursuing their dream of becoming a successful boy band.
Great acting, as three couples at various stages in their relationships have to confront a crisis, all on the same night starring Allan Hawco, Liane Balaban, and Kenneth Welsh.
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
A breezy and enlightening look at the career of music icon Buffy Sainte-Marie, from her beginnings in the New York counterculture café scene to her cross over to the mainstream with an Oscar. The film explores her lifelong fights for native rights and Indigenous dignity.
Ice Breaker: The 1972 Summit Series
Based on the book “Ice War Diplomat” by Gary Smith, this film puts the 1972 Soviet-Canada Summit hockey series within a historical context of Cold War détente. Lots of interviews with the survivors today.
A film that explores LGBTQIA+ professional wrestlers and representation in the sport of professional wrestling, featuring lots of archival footage and recent interviews. Out In The Ring was named Best Canadian Film at the Inside Out Film Festival.
Revival69: The Concert That Rocked The World
Incredible concert film from Varsity stadium in Toronto in 1969. Featuring John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band, Alice Cooper, Jerry lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Little Richard, and even The Doors.
Check out the Whistler Film Festival website for a complete listing of films available online including shorts.
It’s never too early to start planning your Whistler visit for next year’s festival. The charming British Columbia ski village offers more than just movies and skiing. There are plenty of outdoor activities including breathtaking winter views from the Peak 2 Peak Gondola at Whistler Blackcomb, cultural visits to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, cocktail bars and hot—and cool—spots including the chilly Ketel One Ice Lounge at Bearfoot Bistro, scrumptious dining at Alta Bistro, Christine’s on Blackcomb, and Araxi Restaurant + Oyster Bar.
This year’s online festival runs to January 2, 2023.
