The New West Film Fest is taking on an international flair in 2017.
The film festival returns to the Royal City from Oct. 19 to 21, during which time a number of short-length and feature films will be screened at Landmark 10 New Westminster.
Feature films being shown at the festival include An Inconvenient Sequel, a documentary in which former U.S. vice-president Al Gore looks at climate change, and Ghost Story, a drama described as being about “a passionate young couple, unexpectedly separated by a shocking loss, discover an eternal connection and a love that is infinite.”
“Our lineup has something for everyone, and we are very excited about this year’s film selection,” festival spokesperson Craig Hopkins said in a press release.
Karen Smecher, one of the New West Film Fest directors, said the festival normally shows films that have already appeared at other festivals, but this year organizers opened up submissions to films from around the world.
“A lot of the stuff that we are going to be screening is not going to be available anywhere else but at the festival,” she said. “That was a milestone.”
Many of the international submissions can be seen in the short-film showcase at this year’s festival.
“There is some really good content, some stuff that is from a different perspective,” Smecher said.
Opening day of the festival on Thursday, Oct. 19 has an environmental theme, with showings of An Inconvenient Sequel and Seed.
“It’s an incredible documentary,” said Smecher, who loved Seedwhen she saw it at the Vancouver International Film Festival. “It’s talking about the loss of agricultural biodiversity from large-scale agriculture.”
Friday’s lineup includes This is Home,a documentary about the Fort McMurray wildfires, and the short-film showcase.
Saturday’s screenings include two documentaries, Finn’s Searchers andThat Never Happened: Canada’s First National Interment Operationsand the drama, Ghost Story.
Finn’s Searchersis about a man who buried a treasure and left clues for people to find the treasure that’s valued at more than $1 million.
“He just wanted people to go treasure hunting,” Smecher said. “Whoever finds it gets to keep it.”
That Never Happened takes a look at Ukrainian encampments in Canada.
“It’s come up that Ukrainians were also interned in some capacity in the Lower Mainland,” Smecher said. “With the plight of immigration and refugees nowadays, we thought it would be good to bring this up.”
The New West Film Fest aims to provide a variety of relevant and present-day topics that leave viewers feeling hopeful when they leave the theatre, Smecher said.
“All the movies, even though the content might be heavy, they leave on a positive light,” she said. “We want this to be a place where people are informed, where they find inspiration and knowledge that empowers them. We want to have a very positive, proactive solutions kind of focus content.”
See www.newwestfilmfest.ca for information and links to ticket sales. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.ca.
