As filmmakers and cinephiles from across Atlantic Canada gather for the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) from September 11 – 18, many NSCAD alumni will make their presence felt with feature-length films, documentaries, shorts, and animations.
Here are thirteen films with a NSCAD connection to keep your eye on. You can buy tickets online, or, even better, students could volunteer and be a part of the festival.
Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story
Amanda Burt (2000): Producer
A riveting journey into the life and legacy of Jackie Shane, a pioneering soul singer who defied conventions and redefined music in the 1960s. As one of the first Black trans performers to command stages and hearts, Shane’s rise to prominence was as thrilling as her disappearance was mysterious. This little-known icon is given her ultimate due in Michael Mabbott and Lucah Rosenberg-Lee’s remarkable documentary portrait, executive produced by Elliot Page. Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story goes deep into Shane’s captivating story, weaving together never-before-heard interviews and lively animations to bring her unique voice and spirit to life.
There will be a Q&A with producer Amanda Burt will follow the screening.
Eye Piece
Kate Solar (BFA 2024): Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Editor
Grant Earl Macintosh (Student): Cinematographer
A short film by recent graduate Kate Solar. After their friend and roommate abruptly moves out, microbiology student Darcy becomes mesmerized by a telescope left behind. Moving between details too small to see and a cosmos too large to understand, an absence still remains. They must greet it on their own terms.
A Q&A with Kate Solar will follow the screening.
Gaslit
Charlie Benoit (2008-2012): Cinematographer
A short film by director Anna MacLean is the story of a woman goes to dangerous lengths to prove she wasn’t responsible for a fart.
Freedom
Jenna Marks (BFA 2013): Cinematographer, Editor
An animated short by director Scott Jones about a disabled man living in Ottawa during the freedom convoy protests reflects on the concept of freedom.
Andrea Dorfman (BFA 1995): Director, Screenwriter
Liz Cowie (BFA 2000): Producer
Celebrating its world premiere at AIFF, Hairy Legs documents a 13-year-old girl’s small yet life-changing act of rebellion on the road to womanhood and feminism. Deciding not to shave her legs led filmmaker Andrea Dorfman to question and ultimately defy society’s expectations. With charm, warmth and humour, Hairy Legs captures the universality of girls exploring gender, curiosity and freedom as they evolve from spending exuberant, carefree days on their bicycles to facing and defying stereotypes.
A Q&A with Andrea Dorfman will follow the screening.
Andrea Dorfman (BFA 1995): Director, Screenwriter
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Andrea Dorfman’s Heartbeat is a modern Halifax classic that harkens back to the heyday of indie folk with whimsy and tenderness. Meet Justine (Tanya Davis): a socially awkward singer/songwriter and daytime corporate copywriter. Finally dumped by an on/off ex, her spirits begin to lift when she meets Ruby (Stephanie Joline) playing drums in the window of the local music shop. Justine’s lush inner world blooms with colour and song as the animations on screen translate her poet’s soul to the visual. But as they start playing together more frequently, her newfound confidence gets complicated when friendship, feelings, and music begin to mix. Songwriter and poet Tanya Davis provides her own acoustic prowess to the lead role with infectious charm – her notes coming alive with Andrea Dorfman’s signature animated flourishes – while a rare on-screen appearance from filmmaker Stephanie Joline (Night Blooms) perfectly encapsulates the spunky hipster it-girl vibe that dominated the 2010s aesthetic. Jackie Torrens and popstar Rich Aucoin lend their talents to a tight ensemble of many non-actors all with bubbly chemistry. The freewheeling filmmaking spirit that made Dorfman one of Atlantic Canada’s most recognizable auteurs is at its height in this iconic snapshot of Halifax.
Millefiore Clarkes (2000): Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor
A short film that is a brief impression of everything. An attempt to glimpse oneness, in the face of escalating world division and disassociation. A lyrical film culled from footage accumulated over more than a decade of productions, old family archives, and stock sources.
A Q&A with Millefiore Clarkes will follow the screening.
Nicole Steeves (2005): Producer
A new film by director Tara Thorne is a vibrant, heartfelt queer ensemble comedy that celebrates friendship, freedom, and the joy of self-discovery. Set against the backdrop of a girls’ weekend convened to mark a transformative divorce, Lakeview gets into the lives of a close-knit group who are navigating the hurdles of life and love at a picturesque retreat. This film captures both the excitement of newfound freedom and the bittersweet nostalgia of letting go. Lakeview is a refreshingly authentic portrayal of modern relationships, infused with warmth and hilarity.
A Q&A with director Tara Thorne, producer Nicole Steeves, and lead cast members will follow the screening.
Olivia King (BFA 2019): Director, Screenwriter
A traditional Maritime image: three generations of P.E.I. women wash dishes after holiday dinners. Their after-dinner conversations become revealing when one of their own begins his transition.
Jenny Yujia Shi (BFA/BA 2015): Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Cinematographer
A dreamlike parable about immigration, Permit Garden follows a nameless child as they toil to gain exit from the Garden. But as time goes on, they wonder if escape is even possible.
A Q&A with Jenny Yujia Shi will follow the screening.
Jason Buxton (BFA 2023): Director, Screenwriter
Jason Levangie (BFA 2004): Producer
Josh (Ben Foster) and Rachel (Cobie Smulders) have just moved with their child to a spacious home outside the city. But their suburban dreams of putting practice and sunlit yoga sessions are brought to a halt when a car comes crashing through their front window. When more vehicles go off-road rounding the sharp turn outside their home, the couple’s relationship becomes strained as Josh develops an obsession with rescuing the victims. The latest feature from Atlantic writer-director Jason Buxton (Blackbird), based on a short story by Russell Wangersky, Sharp Corner is an unforgettable domestic thriller that dives deep into the conflicting psychologies that drive a family. With transfixing performances from the two leads, and Atlantic filmmaking talent on both sides of the camera, the film is a shining example of what this region can do.
Director Jason Buxton and producers Paul Barkin, Marc Tetreault and Jason Levangie will be in attendance for the film introduction.
Thom Fitzgerald (1988-1990): Producer
Director Kevin Hartford sets his comedic charm on the question of finding ourselves and the mysterious ways we stumble upon doing it. Sam is a single parent who, faced with an impending empty nest, has to figure out who he is outside of being a dad, and whether or not that involves coming out of the closet after nearly four decades nestled safely within it.