Perhaps more than any other narrative form, the documentary film reflects the world and its concerns. This is starkly evident in the WIFF 2012 program selection chosen by Artistic Director Robert Rooney. In these strange times of increasingly disparate factions, as we humans struggle to find footing and justice – economically, politically and environmentally – doc makers sift through and reveal what we’re facing.

From the power games of Putin’s Russia to the bald-faced aggression of Donald Trump’s extreme wealth; from the battle to get an electric car on the road to Margaret Atwood’s examination of systems of wealth, justice and reparation, the films in the 2012 WIFF lineup are a brilliant mirror of where we are today. Also included in the lineup, appropriately, is the life story of a man who has always acted according to his conscience, Harry Belafonte, and two stories of artists living on the road less taken – always a vital role.

As in the past, WIFF organizers are dedicated to enriching the filmgoing experience by providing ‘value-added’ programming in the form of talks with filmmakers, panel discussions, and the like. Some of this programming is still being confirmed, but a number of events are already in place.

Single WIFF tickets are $10 and are available online at www.wakefieldfilmfestival.ca or at the door. A limited number of Festival Passes ($60 – 7 tickets for the price of 6) may also be purchased online, or at Café Molo in Wakefield. All films begin at 5:30pm at the Great Hall, Wakefield LaPêche Community Centre, 38 Valley Road, Wakefield, QC. Wakefield is a lovely riverside village offering the visitor many opportunities for quality dining, a scenic 20-minute drive from downtown Ottawa.

Here is the lineup in brief:

February 19 – Carnets d’un grand détour (Notes on a Road Less Taken) (Canada, 2011)

French & English w English Subtitles; Director – Catherine Hébert

With a book-laden donkey, Marc Roger walks from St. Malo in Brittany to Bamako, Mali, giving public readings along the way. Every day, thousands of Africans trek northward seeking a better life, as Roger heads south. Québec filmmaker Catherine Hébert accompanies him, creating a deeply personal portrait of this part of Africa and its people. An engrossing chronicle of an extraordinary adventure.

extra added attraction: Director Catherine Hébert will join WIFF after the screening via Skype

for a Q & A.

February 26 – Putin’s Kiss (Denmark, 2011)

Russian w English subtitles; Director – Lise Birk Pedersen

Screening at WIFF just the week before the Russian elections (with Vladimir Putin running yet again for President) Putin’s Kiss tells the story of Masha, an ambitious teenager once seduced by the energy of the Putin-supportive Russian youth organization, Nashi. She becomes the protégé of Russia’s Minister of Youth and debates opponents on television, but starts to doubt her path when “unknown perpetrators” attack Oleg Khashin, a journalist with questions about Putin and his regime.

extra added attraction:

Panel Discussion – Associate Professor Jeff Sahadeo from Carleton University’s Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS) chairs a discussion with members of the Institute.

March 4 – Sing Your Song (USA, 2011)

English; Director – Susanne Rostock

Sing Your Song charts the rich life of Harry Belafonte, one of the truly heroic (and humble) cultural and political figures of the past 60 years. From his discovery of the magic of performing, through his emergence as a star and his development as champion for worldwide human rights; from the jazz and folk clubs of Harlem and Greenwich Village to Mississippi to Africa and South Central Los Angeles, Sing Your Song takes us through Belafonte’s life, work and, most of all, reveals his inspirational conscience.

March 11 – You Have Been Trumped (UK, 2011)

English; Director – Anthony Baxter

Billionaire Donald Trump has bought up hundreds of acres of an environmentally sensitive coastline in NE Scotland to build the world’s greatest golf course. Opposing him, a handful of local residents who refuse to sell. It begins as an amusing clash of world views but grows increasingly bitter and disturbing – including the arrest of director Baxter and his producer, Richard Phinney. For the tycoon, a possible billion dollar payoff; for the locals, the destruction of a unique landscape – the milieu of their lives.

extra added attraction:  Producer Richard Phinney will attend for a post-screening discussion.

March 18 – Revenge of the Electric Car (USA, 2011)

English w French subtitles; Director – Chris Paine

For three years, director Chris Paine (Who Killed the Electric Car?) was granted unprecedented access to electric car R & D programs on condition that he release no footage until 2011. Tesla CEO Elon Musk puts his personal fortune on the line. Bob Lutz, GM’s Vice Chair, stakes the GM brand on the very technology it once tried to kill. Nissan’s CEO, Carlos Ghosn, bets the farm on a car few believe can happen. And Greg ‘Gadget’ Abbott wants to do it himself. The prize is the reinvention of the car without gasoline.

extra added attraction:  Wakefield Mill’s Bob Milling (who has put in a charging station at the Mill) and electric car infrastructure champion Eric Leclair will host a discussion about electric cars and infrastructure, at a reception sponsored by the Wakefield Mill.

March 25 – West Wind: The Vision of Tom Thomson (Canada, 2011)

English; Directors – Peter Raymont & Michèle Hozer

How did an illustrator, whose favourite pastime was fishing, find within himself the passion and confidence to portray Ontario’s lakes, rivers, trees and skies with glorious colour and energy as no one had before? Tom Thomson’s life, art and death that haunt us still – thousands each year visit his cairn at Canoe Lake – and his little oil sketches are in the stratosphere of the Canadian art market?  Shot in Algonquin Park, Georgian Bay, Seattle and Toronto, and featuring never-before-seen paintings by this iconic Canadian artist.

extra added attraction: National Gallery of Canada director Charlie Hill will attend for a post-screening discussion

April 1 – Payback (Canada, 2012)

English w French subtitles; Director – Jennifer Baichwal

Fresh from Sundance Film Festival. Jennifer Baichwal (Act of God, WIFF 2010) undertakes the ambitious task of cinematizing Payback, Margaret Atwood’s visionary book of essays about systems of wealth, justice, and reparation. From feuding clans in Albania to migrant tomato pickers in Florida, Baichwal’s astonishing juxtapositions stimulate provocative associations with Atwood’s ideas. Payback plunges us into the reconsideration of social inequity, what we value, and debt’s profound role as an organizing principle in our lives—one that shapes relationships, society, and the fate of the planet.

Utilizing the unique atmosphere of one of the premier downtown Ottawa event venues, Winterlude has arranged an exclusive dining opportunity as part of its February celebration.

Celebrating the joys of winter, this annual event is packed with family activities and the Summit of Winterlude Dinner is no exception, welcoming families as part of the festival’s Family Day observance on Monday, February 20, 2012. Held in the Summit, our revolving event space atop the Ottawa Marriott Hotel, this Ottawa luxury hotel’s revolving dining room will open its doors on the hotel’s 29th floor for Winterlude’s special one-night event, serving up a five-course meal prepared by accomplished, award-winning Executive Chef Mark Steele.

Formerly operating as the favoured Merlot Rooftop Grill, this revolving banquet room has been closed as a public restaurant since 2010, but in celebration of Winterlude, this sophisticated Rideau Canal hotel will open its doors for the occasion to serve up a spectacular menu, including Angus beef tenderloin, pan seared halibut, scallops “two ways” and a sumptuous “beaver tail” mille feuille for desert, beginning at 6 p.m. Tickets for this exclusive event are $169.24 per person, including tax, gratuity and service fee. While the bulk of the seating is limited to communal tables for six; there will be a few tables set for two on behalf of those seeking a special Valentine’s Day celebration. Limited to 160 persons, reservations may be made by visiting http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/celebrate/winterlude/calendar-events/summit-of-winterlude .

The Summit is located at 100 Kent Street in Ottawa and will present guests with a spectacular dining experience including splendid views of Parliament and its surrounding cityscape along with a tantalizing meal and perfectly matched wine pairings for every course. The Ottawa hotel’s downtown location is an ideal choice for this fun and fashionable event, and the culinary staff welcomes the opportunity to provide guests with fine food and exquisite accommodations.

The Ottawa Marriott is one of the area’s favorite event venues, offering 31,000 square feet of flexible event space ideal for professional trade gatherings, corporate meetings, business conferences and grand social affairs. The hotel’s skilled catering team offers inspiring event menus and custom services, while dedicated event managers provide fine attention to detail to ensure all events are perfectly executed.

About the Ottawa Marriott Hotel

The Ottawa Marriott is a luxury hotel property located near many of Ottawa’s premier downtown attractions, government agencies and business destinations. Towering boldly over the relaxing Rideau Canal, the hotel offers a variety of exceptional guest rooms and hotel suites to lavishly accommodate the needs of both business and leisure travellers. A concierge level is also available for added amenities and the hotel provides guests with access to the Kent Club for fitness services and use of the hotel’s heated indoor pool. A game room and Kids’ Zone are also featured along with pool toys for the kids as an added service to travelling families.

With anonymity our shield, we’re willing to say almost anything on the Internet. That enticed Vancouver’s Theatre Replacement so much that the company created a theatre piece called WeeTube 5400 based on the phenomena. The show is part of the undercurrents: theatre below the mainstream festival at the Great Canadian Theatre Company Feb. 7 to 19.

This is the second year for the festival, which features a total of 30 performances by six independent theatre companies. Half the companies are from Ottawa, and with their emphasis on experimentation, it’s unlikely you’d see any of the shows in mainstream theatres

Read more: YouTube comes alive at undercurrents festival

Local arenas around the city were packed on the weekend to check out the Nepean Girls’ Hockey Association’s 32nd annual tournament. This year, there were 86 competitive and 50 house league teams registered, making up 18 divisions representing all levels from novice to midget. More than 200 games were played in nine arenas over three days.

Most teams were from Ontario, although there were a handful of clubs from Quebec and the United States. The fact the event coincided with the start of Winterlude didn’t hurt attendance, either.

“The teams love competing and playing hockey in the tournament itself,” says president of the NGHA Phil Clarke. “But coming to Ottawa this time of year, during Winterlude, makes the experience that much more special.”

Read more: Nepean girls’ tournament picks up where NHL All-Star Weekend left off

The running start of last year’s inaugural festival was enough to convince organizers the demand was there.

“We were flying by the seat of our pants last year,” O’Meara says. “We didn’t have any funding, but we managed to put together a very successful festival … We ended up having more than 1,000 people come out to the festival, even with the short time we had to plan it. This year we’ve had a full year and we’ve had lots of time to plan it and go big.”

Read more: Aiming to grow the fest

Ottawa is the host city for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game, the league’s annual showcase of talent pitting NHL heroes against each other in a game for fun.

The game will be televised in 150 countries and with such bright stars on home ice, it gives Ottawa a chance to shine.

“It’s a big spotlight for the city of Ottawa,” said Cyril Leeder, president of the Ottawa Senators.

The events around the All-Star game have been designed to take advantage of one of Ottawa’s unavoidable characteristics.

Read it on Global News: All-Star game gives Ottawa a chance to shine

Canada Day festivities in 2017 should be turned into a weeklong “Canadian Cultural Festival,” says Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson.

The city should work with the National Arts Centre, National Capital Commission, provincial and territorial governments and the private sector to create the event between June 25 and July 1 in the year of Canada’s 150th birthday, Watson said in prepared remarks to an Ottawa Kiwanis Club luncheon.

Full story at Canada.com Ottawa Mayor wants big bang on Canada’s 150th birthday

Winter ales from Quebec will be toasted Friday and Saturday at the Château Cartier in Gatineau as organizers roll out their first WinterBeerFest, offering a mix of artisan beer, food, music and activities – complete with bonfire to stave off the cold.

Admission is free, but participants must be age 18 and over.

Beer tastings will be available in four-and eight-ounce pours. Tickets at 50¢ each will be required to sample (four tickets for the small size, eight for the eight-ounce serving).

Read more on the Ottawa Citizen website: WinterBeerFest rolls into town

Brought to you by CKCU-FM, Canada’s first campus-based community radio station, Winter Fest is an all-day festival of music featuring live performances from various established, and up-and-coming recording artists, live visual art performed on location, a DJ battle featuring some of Ottawa’s (and Canada’s) hottest on the one’s and two’s, artist and management workshops with established recording artists and industry leaders, various fundraising activities, and much, much more!

Read the full article: Music Winterfest starts January 21

Don’t expect Nuit Blanche Ottawa to be Nuit Blanche Toronto, says the newly appointed curator of the annual, one-night festival of contemporary art, to be held in the capital for the first time later this year.

“As a curator I’m not really interested in doing these sensational projects that cost a lot of money, that are really more show than content,” says Stefan St-Laurent, who has been appointed curator of Nuit Blanche Ottawa 2012, to be held Sept. 22.

Nuit Blanche events in other cities, especially Toronto, are perhaps best known for large, richly funded works of art that make use of, for example, the CN Tower, or the space between the twin towers of Toronto’s city hall. The installations are usually commissioned with the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to the festival each year by the City of Toronto or the event’s major sponsor, Scotiabank.

“There will be some works that utilize spectacle as part of its message,” says St-Laurent, who left his job as curator of SAW Gallery last year to focus on freelance curating and creating his own art, “but in general I don’t think it’s very healthy for people to have that expectation of art, that it has to be spectacular, sensational, big, bright, expensive. I think it gives a very skewed view of what the visual arts are like today.”