On Thursday, November 1, the 18th annual Whistler Film Festival (WFF) announced its 2018 film lineup. This year’s festival, which runs from November 28 to December 02 will offer 85 films. This lineup, selected from over 1000 entries, consists of 50 features and 35 shorts selected from 12 countries (with female-directed films accounting for 46% of WFF’s slate). Additionally, WFF is providing a platform to emerging talent and showcasing 16 first-time features. The cherry on top is that nearly two-thirds of the program is premiering Canadian Features.
WFF will open with the highly anticipated title, Mary Queen of Scots. Director Josie Rourke’s biopic features a couple of women who know their way around the festival circuit: Margot Robbie (I, Tonya) and Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird). Here’s IMDb’s official synopsis:
Mary Stuart’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
WFF’s huge lineup features big name titles with major award season aspirations (Roma, If Beale Street Could Talk) as well as smaller titles that earned praise from audiences on the festival circuit (Anna and the Apocalypse, Free Solo). Listed below are a couple of festival titles that caught our eye.
Hugh Hefner’s After Dark: Speaking Out in America
Hugh Hefner’s After Dark: Speaking Out in America is directed by Academy Award-winner, Brigitte Berman, and was the only Canadian presentation at the 45th Telluride Film Festival. It was written and produced by Victor Solnicki and Brigitte Berman, and features the most cutting-edge personalities, open and frank dialogue about pressing social concerns, and the most captivating performances from Hugh Hefner’s landmark TV series, Playboy’s Penthouse and Playboy After Dark.
The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova
The Dancing Dogs of Dombrova, directed by Canadian filmmaker, Zack Bernbaum, follows the story of an estranged sister and brother travel to Poland at the request of their dying grandmother to retrieve an object from her past. As they seek to fulfill their Bubbie’s last wish, they slowly start to realize that they must put their differences aside, forgive one another, and work together in order to find what their grandmother had sent them to Dombrova for.
The 2018 Whistler Film Festival runs from Nov 28 – Dec 02, 2018. Check out the list below for a complete rundown of WFF’s lineup:
MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS (OPENING NIGHT FILM)
Directed By: Josie Rourke
124 | 2018 | English | Opening Gala | Canadian Premiere
GIRLS OF THE SUN
Directed By: Eva Husson
111 mins | 2018 | French, Kurdish, Arabic with English Subtitles | From Overseas | Western Canadian Premiere
THE QUAKE
Directed By: John Andreas Andersen
106 mins | 2018 | Norwegian with English subtitles | From Overseas |
AEROPLANES
Directed By: Paul Shammasian
10 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork One | Canadian Premiere
MISS WORLD
Directed By: Georgia Fu
20 mins | 2017 |
ALL THESE CREATURES
Directed By: Charles Williams
13 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork One | BC Premiere
CEDAR TREE OF LIFE
Directed By: Odessa Shuquaya
11 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork One | BC Premiere
KEEP COMING BACK!
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
LITTLE WAVES
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
THE GARAGE
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
LOVE, SCOTT
Directed By: Laura Marie Wayne
75 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | BC Premiere
NEVER BE DONE: THE RICHARD GLEN LETT STORY
Directed By: Roy Tighe
80 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | Canadian Premiere
THE RADICALS
Directed By: Tamo Campos, Brian Hockenstein
56 mins | 2018 | English | Mountain Culture | Whistler Premiere
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
Directed By: Barry Jenkins
135 mins | 2018 | English | Contenders | Western Canadian Premiere
IN GOD I TRUST
Directed By: Maja Zdanowski
98 mins | 2018 | English | World Premieres | World Premiere
CIRCLE OF STEEL
Directed By: Gillian McKercher
85 mins | 2018 | English | First Features | BC Premiere
PSYCHONAUTICS: A COMIC’S EXPLORATION OF PSYCHEDELICS
Directed By: Brian Bellinkoff
81 Mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | Canadian Premiere
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
Directed By: Tom Donahue
97 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc
TYREL
Directed By: Sebastián Silva
86 mins | 2018 | English | American Indies | Western Canadian Premiere
ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE
Directed By: John McPhail
92 mins | 2018 | English | From Overseas | Western Canadian Premiere
AT ETERNITY’S GATE
Directed By: Julian Schnabel
111 mins | 2018 | English | Contenders | Canadian Premiere
WOODLAND
Directed By: Jon Silverberg
87 mins | 2018 | English | World Premieres
FREE SOLO
Directed By: E. Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin
100 mins | 2018 | English | Mountain Culture | Whistler Premiere
F*** YOU ALL: THE UWE BOLL STORY
Directed By: Sean Patrick Shaul
97 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | World Premiere
ACCIDENCE
Directed By: Guy Maddin, Galen and Evan Johnson
10 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork Two | Whistler Premiere
HUNTING SEASON
Directed By: Shannon Kohli
12 Min | 2018 | English | Shortwork Two | Western Canadian Premiere
THREE CENTIMETRES
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
LUNAR-ORBIT RENDEZVOUS
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
THUNDERBIRD
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
LOOSING SPOONS
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
WAY OF THE HUNTER
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
THE FIELD
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
RED ROVER
Directed By: Shane Belcourt
| 2018 | English | World Premieres | World Premiere
KARMA
Directed By: Lutao Wang
105 | 2018 | Chinese with English Subtitles | From Overseas
FALLS AROUND HER
Directed By: Darlene Naponse
95 mins | 2018 | English | Canadian Vanguard | Western Canadian Premiere
ON THE BASIS OF SEX
Directed By: Mimi Leder
120 mins | 2018 | English | Contenders | Canadian Premiere
SASHINKA
Directed By: Kristina Wagenbauer
95 mins | 2018 | French with English Subtitles | First Features
BELLA CIAO!
Directed By: Carolyn Combs
84 mins | 2018 | English | World Premieres | World Premiere
HUGH HEFNER’S AFTER DARK: SPEAKING OUT IN AMERICA
Directed By: Brigitte Berman
101 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | Canadian Premiere
THE DANCING DOGS OF DOMBROVA
Directed By: Zack Bernbaum
102 mins | 2018 | Polish and English with English subtitles | Discoveries | Canadian Premiere
TROUBLE IN THE GARDEN
Directed By: Roz Owen
80 mins | 2018 | English | First Features | Western Canadian Premiere
THIS IS NORTH PRESTON
Directed By: Jaren Hayman
75 mins | 2018 | English | Doc Bloc | World Premiere
NOSE TO TAIL
Directed By: Jesse Zigelstein
82 mins | 2018 | English | World Premieres
STOCKHOLM
Directed By: Robert Budreau
92 mins | 2018 | English | Contenders | Canadian Premiere
TREELINE
Directed By: Jordan Manley
40 mins | 2018 | English | Mountain Culture | British Columbia Premiere
MAN RUNNING
Directed By: Gary Burns
91 mins | 2018 | English | Canadian Vanguard, Mountain Culture | BC Premiere
THE FIREFLIES ARE GONE (LA DISPARITION DES LUCIOLES)
Directed By: Sébastien Pilote
96 mins | 2018 | French with English subtitles | Canadian Vanguard | Western Canadian Premiere
AN AUDIENCE OF CHAIRS
Directed By: Deanne Foley
93 mins | 2018 | English | Canadian Vanguard | Western Canadian Premiere
BROTHERHOOD
Directed By: Meryam Joobeur
25 mins | 2018 | Armenian with English subtitles | Shortwork Three | BC Premiere
EGG
Directed By: Martina Scarpelli
12 min | 2018 | English | Shortwork Three | Western Canadian Premiere
EMPTYING THE TANK
Directed By: Caroline Monnet
10 min | 2018 | English | Shortwork Two | BC Premiere
THE FISH & THE SEA
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
20 MINUTES TO LIFE
Directed By: Veronika Kurz
12 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork Three | World Premiere
UMBRA
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS
Directed By: Collin Friesen
100 mins | 2018 | English | First Features | BC Premiere
WALDEN: LIFE IN THE WOODS
Directed By: Alex Harvey
103 mins | 2017 | English | American Indies | Canadian Premiere
A COLONY (UNE COLONIE)
Directed By: Geneviève Dulude-De Celles
101 mins | 2018 | French with English Subtitles | Discoveries | English Canadian Premiere
BIRDS WITHOUT FEATHERS
Directed By: Wendy McColm
84 | 2018 | English | American Indies | Canadian Premiere
FAMILY FIRST
Directed By: Sophie Dupuis
87 | 2018 | French with English Subtitles | Contenders | Western Canadian Premiere
THE NATURALLY WANTON PLEASURE OF SKIN (LES SALOPES)
Directed By: Renée Beaulieu
97 mins | 2018 | French with English subtitles | Canadian Vanguard | Western Canadian Premiere
CC
Directed By: Kailey Spear
14 mins | 2018 | English | Shortwork Showdown | Western Canadian Premiere
FORALDRASKAP
Directed By: Mazi Khalighi
14 mins | 2018 | | Shortwork Showdown | Western Canadian Premiere
NIGHT JOURNEY
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
SNOWSTORM ROULETTE
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
INTO INVISIBLE LIGHT
Directed By: Shelagh Carter
102 mins | 2018 | English | World Premieres | World Premiere
CLAIRE’S HAT
Directed By: Bruce McDonald
99 mins | 2001 | English | From The Vault | World Premiere
ACQUAINTED
Directed By: Natty Zavitz
101 mins | 2018 | English | Discoveries | World Premiere
ROOBHA
Directed By: Lenin M. Sivam
| 2018 | Tamil, English with English Subtitles | Discoveries | Western Canadian Premiere
UNTOGETHER
Directed By: Emma Forrest
98 mins | 2018 | English | American Indies | Canadian Premiere
ROMA
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
| 2018 | Mixteco, Spanish with English Subtitles | Contenders
SKIN IN THE GAME
Directed By: Adisa
90 mins | 2018 | English | American Indies | Canadian Premiere
HONEY BEE
Directed By: Rama Rau
90 mins | 2018 | English | Discoveries | World Premiere
EDGE OF APOLLO
Directed By: Marcus Hann
11 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | Whistler Premiere
FANTASMAGORIA
Directed By: Lilén Aimare
10 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | World Premiere
GIRL IN THE GALACTIC SUN
Directed By: Heather Perluzzo
11 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | Whistler Premiere
HOW LONG?
Directed By: Ayden Ross
6 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | World Premiere
I SEE STARS
Directed By: Caid Dow
11 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | World Premiere
I WILL KEEP YOUR LIGHT
Directed By: Chelsea Xinyi Chen
12 mins | 2018 | English | Student Shortwork | Western Canadian Premiere
THE BUS STOP
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
THE CERTAINTY MACHINE
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
TOUGH GUY
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
ELIJAH AND THE ROCK CREATURE
Directed By: Jen Walden
82 mins | 2018 | English | First Feature | BC Premiere
MOMENTUM GENERATION (CLOSING NIGHT FILM)
Directed By: Jeff & Michael Zimbalist
103 mins | 2018 | English | Closing Gala, Mountain Culture | Canadian Premiere
THE DAY DON DIED
Directed By:
mins N/A | 20XX | LANGUAGE N/A |
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The 2018 Whistler Film Festival runs from Nov 28 – Dec 02, 2018.
