FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival Finds

There’s no shortage of options this year

CITYnews halifax \ Jordan Parker

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Every year as the FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival rolls around, there’s no shortage of options. The festival can be daunting for newcomers, and you may be struggling to decide between a few possible flicks.

Below are some of the films on my radar – sorted day-by-day – and a bit about why they’ve made my shortlist for the 2022 iteration.

Friday:

Falcon Lake

Canadian director Charlotte Le Bon has caught notice at film festivals in Calgary, Deauville, Jerusalem, and Munich.

But perhaps most impressive is Falcon Lake landing here a Golden Camera nomination at Cannes Film Festival.

Based on a graphic novel, it follows two teenagers, Bastien and Chloe, who meet at a lake cabin in Quebec, where their families vacation. They soon become to believe the cabin is haunted by a ghost, and the two become close, ultimately leading to a formative experience for the Bastien.

The solid buzz, coming-of-age concept, and early praise for the director make me excited for this one.

Triangle Of Sadness

Buzz out of TIFF and Cannes ranges from general malaise to uproarious applause.

This is going to be a love-it-or-hate-it entry, but the two wins at Cannes Film Festival, including the Palme d’Or for director Ruben Ostlund have me curious.

A satirical comedy is always a hard sell, and this one follows a cruise meant for the wealthy that sinks, leaving survivors trapped on an island.

One can’t go wrong with Woody Harrelson and Harris Dickinson, who’s enjoying a successful summer with the release of underrated Where The Crawdads Sing. I’m curious, also, to see the breakthrough of would-be star Charlbi Dean, who passed away just a few weeks ago.

Given Ostlund’s filmography includes The Square and modern classic Force Majeure, I’ll be tuning in for sure.

Saturday:

Close

Not once have I seen a 2SLGBTQIA+ film go to FIN that wasn’t a transcendent experience, and I cannot wait for the well-reviewed Close.

It’s nabbed raves from The Telegraph, The Playlist, and The Hollywood Reporter, and sports a jointy-awarded Grand Prize of the Festival from Cannes. It was also nominated for the Queer Palm and Palme D’or.

It looks at the friendship between 13-year-old boys leo and Remi, and the toll it takes when that friendship is disrupted. Searching for answers, Leo confronts his friend’s mother.

Director Lukas Dhont has been lauded before for his 2018 feature Girl, and I expected this one to be a hidden gem in the festival schedule. It plays on a Saturday afternoon, and I hope you make time for it.

Decision To Leave

Features don’t get much better than those made by Park Chan-wook. Oldboy and The Handmaiden are iconic, and he returns with crime film Decision To Leave.

Already winner of Best Director at Cannes, Decision To Leave follows a detective who’s investigating the death of a man. But things get dicey when he meets the man’s wife.

The incredible cast includes Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, and Go Kyung-Pyo. It has a noir vibe that’s hard not to notice. This could be a really big hit at FIN.

Compulsus

A vocal presence and incredible lover of the arts community in Halifax for years, director Tara Thorne first made her name as a journalist.

Now she seems to have her hands in absolutely everything, and her debut feature Compulsus is a supreme force.

Words can’t describe how necessary it is for you to see this film, and Thorne proves she has a voice that will be compulsory to listen up for in the future as well.

Sunday:

Aftersun

A Cannes favourite, Aftersun is a film I simply can’t wait to dive into.

Winner of the French Touch Prize of the Critics’ Week Jury, it seems like it will have real emotional depth, and may prove to be a wonderful Sunday selection.

It follows Sophie, who reflects on the vacation she took with her father two decades previous. She begins to come to terms with who her father was – and the fact she didn’t know as much about him as she thought.

This one is bound to be an intimate, difficult tearjerker, and I’m here for it.

Rosie

Lauded recently at TIFF, and nabbing a Best Canadian Feature Film nomination in the process, Rosie has the makings of an indie hit.

It follows an orphaned Indigenous girl who becomes saddled to her aunt and her friends in 1980s Montreal.

Writer-director Gail Maurice is best known for being in front of the camera in Trickster and last year’s popular festival film Night Raiders. It’ll be interesting to see how she handles her first full-length feature.

Monday:

The Son

Florian Zeller’s film The Father nabbed Anthony Hopkins a Best Actor Oscar at the 2021 Oscars, and now the director is back with another high-profile effort.

Beloved Hugh Jackman stars as a man beginning his life with his partner and their baby. But when his ex-wife shows up with their teenager, things get thrown into disarray.

Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Zeller’s movie is chalk full of fabulous performers, including Jackman, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Hopkins, Laura Dern, and Zen McGrath.

This is one of the FIN films I’m most excited for.

Bones Of Crows

Writer-director Marie Clements was lauded for her 2019 feature Red Snow, and now she’s back with this interesting effort.

It follows Cree Matriarch Aline Spears and her push through the residential school system in Canada. I’m considering it an absolute must-see, even though the content may be difficult to handle.

Grace Dove stars, along with Phillip Lewitski. The latter wowed FIN last year with his stunning turn in Nova Scotian Bretten Hannam’s WIldhood. I can’t wait to see Lewitski again here.

Peter Von Kant

BAFTA-nominated director Francois Ozon is an absolutely celebrated French director, lauded for hits like Swimming Pool, Jeune et Jolie, and Tous S’est Bien Passe.

His queer-themed Peter Von Kant was a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival, and I already have my tickets to see this one.

It follows a director who lives with his assistant Karl, who he’s particularly degrading to. He soon meets a man named Amir, and falls in love with the man despite his low standing.

I’m interested to see how it all shakes out in this one, and I love to take chances at FIN. Here’s to the hope this one pays off.

Tuesday:

Alice, Darling

It’s kind of hilarious that a story about lead Anna Kendrick becoming stuck in an elevator at TIFF is getting more press than the film itself.

That said, director Mary Nighy’s debut feature is getting incredibly-good reviews, and it’s worth checking out for the cast alone. Kendrick, Kaniehtiio Horn, Wunmi Mosaku, and Charlie Carrick are all on-hand.

It follows a woman who is unwittingly pulled into an intervention by her friends to extract her from an abusive relationship.

I don’t know about you, but after three Pitch Perfect entries, I’m excited for Kendrick to get in touch with her dramatic side again. This incredible actress may just put on one heck of a showcase here.

Stellar

I’m all over this one simply for the premise. It is delightfully off-kilter and weird, making it an interesting choice for a late-night viewing.

Director Darlene Naponse’s film was spotlighted on The Toronto Star, and I’m mostly excited to see a film with an Indigenous cast.

It follows two Indigenous people whose encounter sets off a cosmic and environmental link between past and future.

Most exciting is Elle-Maija Tailfeathers in the lead role. The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open absolutely floored me in 2019, and I’ve been excited every time I see her face ever since.

This looks to be another in a long line of truly enigmatic performances from her.

Wednesday:

Call Jane

A nominee for Best Film at the Berlin International Film Festival, Call Jane is one of this films I really hope people take a chance on this year.

Phyllis Nagy is best known for her Oscar-nominated screenplay for Carol, but her directorial debut has plenty to be excited about.

It follows a married woman – pregnant and wishing she wasn’t – who works with women to find help in a time when legal abortion doesn’t exist in America.

It doesn’t get much better than Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver. Throw in Chris Messina and Kate Mara, and there’s plenty of star power to go around.

You Can Call Me Roger

Local filmmaker Jon Mann has realized a long-time ambition with this documentary.

It follows Assembly of First Nations regional Chief Roger Joseph Augustine. An important story about the man’s life and dedication to his people, it will prove to be an incredible work by the accomplished Mann.

Mann gained acclaim for his Stephen King short story adaptation Popsy, and he associated produced North Star, a short starring the incomparable Colman Domingo and Kevin Bacon. It’s racking up accolades as I write at festivals all over.

He’s a passionate filmmaker with a strong voice, and Roger is a documentary well worth putting at the top of your list.

You Can Call Me Roger Teaser from Popular Demand Pictures, Inc. on Vimeo.

Thursday:

Bystanders

Koumbie is a director, producer and actress who brings a vigour and passion to every project she touches.

I remember the awe I felt the first time I saw shorts Keep and Hustle & Heart, and her performance in fellow FIN selection Compulsus is also great. With Bystanders, she’s created a topical piece I’m considering must-see filmmaking this year.

It follows a group of friends who share conflicts, quarrels and intimate issues one fateful night, and it’s set to be a tense drama.

She also co-writes with partner and frequent collaborator Taylor Olson here, a combination that always spells a great production for me.

With performances from lead Marlee Sansom, Katelyn McCulloch, Olson, the incredible Cavell Holland, and Peter Sarty, I can’t wait to see these talented locals on-screen.

Lemon Squeezy

Kevin Hartford has been making hilarious shorts for half a decade now, and his debut feature is absolutely absurd in the best way.

The feature centres on Max, a teen who feels dejected when he asks an older man to prom and is entirely blown off.

He turns to religion to quell the pain, and begins to believe he inadvertently triggered the apocalypse.

I actually have seen this one, and even if the off-the-wall brand of comedy isn’t your thing, you’ll surely get a total kick out of lead Reilly Brennan. I really adored this film, and if you just want to giggle to end your FIN experience, this is your ticket right here.