WIFF Announces 2014 Lineup

WIFF Artistic Director Robert Rooney is pleased to announce the lineup for the annual documentary film festival. WIFF 2014 will take place from February 15th to March 9th at the Wakefield Centre, 38 Valley Road in Wakefield, Québec. Eight films. Four weekends. Thought-provoking, nonfiction filmmaking at its best, from Canada and around the world. In an exceptional era of growth for documentary film, WIFF was founded on the premise of bringing fine contemporary examples of the craft to its audience. In particular, WIFF's Robert Rooney is interested in celebrating independent film and filmmakers. "It just makes sense," says Rooney, "We're set in the heartland of the beginnings of the independent film scene in Canada. Budge Crawley, who was a pioneer in the creation of an independent Canadian film sector, lived and worked right here. We're dedicated to film made with the perspicacity and guts indie film demands." Which is not to say WIFF's offerings are off the grid. Just because they're independent doesn't mean they're not recognized. WIFF has two Academy Award nominees in this year's roster, plus some who have taken top kudos at Berlin, Sundance, London, RIDM, Vancouver, and other festivals. Here's the lineup: QUÉBÉKOISIE (Canada, 2013) d Olivier Higgins & Mélanie Carrier (81 min; French w English subtitles) 15 February 5pm; 16 February 7:30pm Why are so many Québécers so ignorant of the First Nations, even though studies show that more than half of them have at least one aboriginal ancestor? Why are clichés and prejudices so persistent? By getting on their bikes and heading out along the North Shore of the St. Lawrence, filmmakers Mélanie Carrier and Olivier Higgins try to get a firmer grasp on relations between Quebec’s aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples. Awarded - Prix Magnus Isacsson, RIDM, 2013 Nominated - Best Documentary, Prix Jutra, 2014 EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD (Denmark, 2013) d Daniel Dencik (89 min; Danish w English subtitles) 15 February 7:30pm; 16 February 5pm A real adventure film for the 21st century. A three-mast schooner, packed with artists, scientists and ambitions worthy of Columbus, sets off for the rapidly melting massifs of NE Greenland. The crew encounters polar bear nightmares, Stone Age playgrounds and entirely new species. But the adventurers also confront the existential questions of life. Curiosity, grand pathos and a liberating dose of humour combine in a superbly orchestrated film. "Visually ravishing, thought-provoking and ... (with)... just enough playfulness..." Hollywood Reporter THE MOO MAN (UK, 2013) d Andy Heathcote & Heike Bachelier (98 minutes; English) 22 February 5pm; 23 February 7:30pm Modern British dairy farms must get big or go under but farmer Stephen Hook decides to buck the trend. He chooses instead to ignore the big supermarkets and dairies, stay small, and keep a close relationship with his herd of 55 spirited cows. The result is a laugh-out-loud emotional roller-coaster of a film, a heartwarming tearjerker about the incredible bonds between man, animal and countryside. "Genial, poignant and compelling" **** Empire Magazine Nominated – Best Documentary, British Independent Film Awards 2013 DIRTY WARS (USA; UK, 2013) d Rick Rowley (82 min; English and Pushto, Somali & Dari w English subtitles) 22 February 7:30pm; 23 February 5pm Investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill chases down the hidden truth behind America's covert wars from Afghanistan to Yemen, Somalia, and beyond. Part action film and part detective story, Scahill traces the rise of the Joint Special Operations Command, the most secret fighting force in U.S. history, exposing operations carried out by men who do not exist on paper. No target is off-limits for the JSOC “kill list." Awarded - Cinematography Award, Sundance FF 2013; Grand Jury Prize, Boston Independent FF 2013; etc. Nominated - Best Documentary, Academy Awards DANGEROUS ACTS STARRING THE UNSTABLE ELEMENTS OF BELARUS (USA, 2013) d Madeleine Sackler (76 min; English and Belarusian and Russian w English subtitles) 1 March 5pm; 2 March 7:30pm Creating provocative theatre always carries great personal risks: emotional, financial and artistic. For the members of the Belarus Free Theatre, though, there are additional risks: censorship, imprisonment, and worse. In a desolate country choked by censorship and repression, this acclaimed troupe of imaginative and subversive performers defy Europe’s last remaining dictatorship with performances staged in underground theatres. Using footage smuggled out of the country, this film gives the viewer a front row seat to a resistance movement that unfolds both on stage and in the streets. "(A)n admirable document of courage and resistance..." The Hollywood Reporter CUTIE AND THE BOXER (USA, 2013) d Zachary Heinzerling (82 min; English and Japanese w English subtitles) 1 March 7:30pm; 2 March 5pm A reflection on love, sacrifice, and the creative spirit, this film candidly explores the New York story of the chaotic 40-year marriage of action painter Ushio Shinohara and his artist wife, Noriko. Now 80, Ushio struggles to establish his artistic legacy, while Noriko is at last being recognized for her own art — a series of drawings entitled “Cutie and the Bullie,” depicting her challenging past with Ushio. Awarded - Directing Award, Sundance, 2013; Three awards, Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction Filmmaking Nominated – Best Documentary, Academy Awards 2013 WATERMARK (Canada, 2013) d Jennifer Baichwal & Edward Burtynsky (90 min; English and Mandarin, Bengali, Hindi, Spanish w English subtitles) 8 March 5pm; 9 March 7:30pm Unless confronted by scarcity, when do we think about water's ubiquity in creating, sustaining and enriching life? WIFF favourite Jennifer Baichwal shares director credits this time around with renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky, in this visually stunning documentary about humankind's relationship with water: how we are drawn to it, what we learn from it, how we use it, and the consequences of that use. Awarded - Rogers Best Canadian Film Award 2013 PEOPLE OF A FEATHER (Canada, 2011) d Joel Heath (92 min; English and Inuktitut w English subtitles) 8 March 7:30pm; 9 March 5pm A breathtaking journey into the world of the Belcher Islands Inuit in Hudson Bay and their relationship with the eider duck. Eider down, the warmest feather in the world, allows both Inuit and bird to survive harsh Arctic winters. Traditional life is juxtaposed with modern challenges as both Inuit and eiders are confronted with changing sea ice and ocean currents disrupted by massive hydroelectricity projects. This film weaves a tale of past and present, inspired by Inuit ingenuity and the technology of a simple feather. Awarded - Best Documentary, Berlin Independent FF 2011; Best Feature Film, NZ Reel Earth FF 2011; etc. Nominated - Best Documentary, 2014 Canadian Screen Awards As an extra added attraction on WIFF's finale evening, NUNAALUK: A FORGOTTEN STORY, a Canadian film directed by Louise Abbott, will be screened at 4:30pm, before PEOPLE OF A FEATHER. This 29-minute, 2013 film charts the story of a remarkable group of Inuit who once lived on Cape Hope Island in southeastern James Bay, and their relationship with their Cree neighbours. Tickets to WIFF films are $10, with weekend passes (two films) at $18. They're on sale at Jamboree or Wakefield Express in Wakefield, La Fab in Chelsea, Compact Music in Ottawa, as well as online at www.wakefieldfilmfest.ca. Admission to NUNAALUK: A FORGOTTEN STORY on March 9th is $5. WIFF runs from 15 February to 9 March at the Wakefield Centre, located at 38 Valley Drive in Wakefield, a beautiful 20-minute drive from downtown Ottawa. -- 30 -- For more information, photos or interviews, contact Melanie Willis at 613.699.3745