The second annual NIFF (Niagara Integrated Film Festival) is now in the books and by all accounts, it appears to be growing nicely here in Niagara. After a weekend covering the Festival, some thoughts as we move forward towards next year.
We began with a nice little reception at Festival headquarters at the always-accommodating White Oaks Conference Resort & Spa, where I got to meet the founder and CEO of NIFF and also founder of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) many years ago, Bill Marshall. To say Bill is a visionary is not understating the case, I think, as he always seems to have his hand on the pulse of cinema lovers in the country.
I waited until Friday evening before attending any films as I wanted to clear the decks and just relax and enjoy the weekend, so I waited until the World Premiere of Colossal Failure of the Modern Relationship at the Landmark Cinemas at the Pen Centre. This was well attended and really set the tone for the rest of the weekend.
Directed by Sergio Navarretta and filmed almost entirely in Niagara, the film doesn't really break from the familiar Rom-Com mould, but doesn't actually have a typical happy ending, either. The story deals with wine writer Freddy and his neglected wife Cat, who decide to accept an invitation to visit Niagara wine-country and end up sharing the trip with Freddy's boss and his new girl-friend.
Not wanting to give too much of the plot away, suffice it to say things don't go as planned. But the food looks terrific and there is plenty of Niagara wine being celebrated, and for me, the best part is this is Niagara portraying...Niagara. It's not masquerading as say, Napa Valley. There are several Niagara locales and wineries proudly on display, which will please us locals and not take away from the story for others outside the area watching the film.
If anything, this is a 100-minute advertisement for all we have to offer in Niagara, and that can never be a bad thing. The cast is great and the camera shots are exceptional. Definitely one of the highlights of NIFF 2015.
Saturday at noon I returned to the Pen Centre for the Niagara Rises Shorts compilation, bringing together seven shorts all produced by Niagara-area film-makers. The shortest was five minutes and was absolutely delightful: Henny's Opus in B Minor, set to Bach's wonderful Mass in B Minor. Others in the collection were The Day Santa Didn't Come, which co-starred Tara Spencer-Nairn from Corner Gas fame; Down by the Waterside; High T.N.T; Made in Bali; Pitka Koirat: A Horse in the Folds; and Stranger. I found one or two not really to my liking, but all were creative and interesting to watch. The variety of talent displayed in the Niagara Rises Shorts programme was impressive.
Saturday evening proved particularly interesting, and not necessarily for the right reasons. My wife and I thought we had better get down to the Landmark Cinemas early for the 6:30 screening of the documentary Sergio Herman, F**king Perfect, but when we arrived there were maybe one or two people already in the theatre. When things got underway, including us there were at most ten people watching the film. Disheartening to say the least.
The documentary, directed by Willemiek Kluijfhout and filmed in Dutch with English subtitles, tells the story of three Michelin-star chef Sergio Herman, who always strives for perfection. But he decides at the height of his fame to close his iconic restaurant and start anew in Antwerp. The story is well told and clearly shows the obsessive nature of successful chefs in today's day and age.
The second film Saturday evening was not much better attended, frankly, The Falling, directed by Carol Morley. Set in 1969 at a strict English girls' school, the film tells the story of a mysterious fainting epidemic that overtakes almost everyone at the school. It is dark and brooding, with an ending that makes you wonder just where the main protagonists left go from here.
Sunday afternoon we didn't make it down to Landmark Cinemas until late afternoon, when we decided to take in the delightful Rom-Com I'll See You in My Dreams, directed by Brett Haley and starring Blythe Danner in a rare leading role. The film tells the story of Carol, a widow in her 70s who finally decides to start dating again after living alone for many years following the death of her husband. But not just one, but two men...things get complicated. It was a feel-good movie and the large audience came away quite pleased at the end.
The final film we attended was another documentary, and it was riveting. Best of Enemies, directed by Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon, looks back to the acrimonious televised debates on ABC during both the 1968 Republican and Democratic conventions that year. But the debates were not with the Presidential hopefuls, but rather between liberal Gore Vidal and conservative William F. Buckley Jr. as they heatedly discussed and disagreed on politics, God and sex. It was fascinating seeing how television networks were handling politics back then, long before CNN and round-the-clock coverage of events became common-place.
Again, the audience was rather small for Best of Enemies, but it turned out to be one of the most satisfying of the films we saw on the weekend.
So we didn't get to see anywhere near the full complement of films available during NIFF, but we saw enough to know this is a Festival worth supporting, and will only continue to grow and expand in the years to come.
Sure, there were some technical glitches to deal with on occasion, but overall, the entire Festival ran smoothly and on track from start to finish. Everyone involved from founder and CEO Bill Marshall down to the large team of volunteers on hand should all be commended for their hard work and dedication.
Next year, things will be even more interesting at NIFF, and movie fans in Niagara and beyond are probably already looking forward to Round 3.
Have a good week!
June 22nd, 2015.
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