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National Film Board of Canada documentaries at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival. Whistler showcases world premiere of BC director Robert Moberg’s Way of the Hunter, BC premiere of Calgarian Laura Marie Wayne’s award-winning Love, Scott.

PRESS RELEASE
01/11/2018

November 1, 2018 – Vancouver – National Film Board of Canada

The 2018 Whistler Film Festival (WFF) is celebrating excellence in Western Canadian filmmaking with the launches of two National Film Board of Canada (NFB) documentaries: the world premiere of Way of the Hunter, a short documentary by Williams Lake, BC-based writer/director Robert Moberg, as well as the BC debut of Calgary filmmaker Laura Marie Wayne’s acclaimed feature debut, Love, Scott.

As part of the NFB’s industry-leading commitment to women’s filmmaking and digital media creation, NFB Commissioner Claude Joli-Coeur will be taking part in the WFF’s Content Summit workshop, Women on Top: Making Media Equitable, on Friday, November 30. The NFB was recently recognized for its initiatives in gender parity with a Gold Parity Certification from Women in Governance—the first public cultural institution to earn this distinction from the Canadian non-profit organization.

About the films…

Way of the Hunter (16 min)
World premiere: Friday, November 30 at 1 p.m., Shortwork 2, Maury Young Arts Centre

Deep in the Great Bear Rainforest, against the backdrop of British Columbia’s breathtaking wilderness, a former hunter comes to terms with his past and looks with hope towards the future. Exploring one man’s evolving relationship with the natural world, Way of the Hunter tells the compelling story of Robert Moberg, a hunter who’s traded his gun for a camera.

Turning away from the hunting lifestyle he’d always known, Robert had taken to trolling trophy hunters on social media. But as the toxicity of his actions began to catch up with him, Robert reached out to eco-wilderness guide Mike Willie of the Musgamakw Dzawada’enuxw First Nation—who’d made national news in 2015 for convincing a sportsman to call off a grizzly hunt. These two men from different cultures gradually develop a friendship, and on a wildlife-viewing trip deep into the rainforest, they discuss their love of the land and their hopes for a peaceful coexistence with all who live on it.

Way of the Hunter is produced by Selwyn Jacob and executive produced by Shirley Vercruysse for the NFB’s BC and Yukon Studio.

Love, Scott (75 min)
Thursday, November 29 at 4 p.m., Squamish Lil’Wat Cultural Centre
Friday, November 30 at 12:30 p.m., Village 8 – Theatre 6

While walking one night in small-town Nova Scotia, Nanaimo-born Scott Jones, a gay musician, is attacked by a stranger he encountered earlier that evening and becomes paralyzed from the waist down. What follows is a brave and fragile journey of healing and the transformation of this young man’s life. Directed by his close friend, Laura Marie Wayne, making her feature documentary debut, Love, Scott was filmed over three years, from Scott’s very first raw moments in the hospital to a trip back to the place he was attacked, as he’s faced with the choice of losing himself in grief or embracing love over fear.

Set against a stunning score by Sigur Rós, Love, Scott was named Best Canadian Feature (Narrative or Documentary) at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival and Best Feature Documentary at its US premiere at the North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, in addition to receiving a Special Mention at Ireland’s GAZE International LGBT Film Festival.

Love, Scott is produced and executive produced by Annette Clarke for the NFB’s Quebec and Atlantic Studio.

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Related Products

Electronic Press Kit | Images, trailers, synopsis: Love, Scott | Way of the Hunter

Associated Links

Whistler Film Festival
Women on Top: Making Media Equitable
NFB’s initiative in gender parity

Media Relations

  • About the NFB

    Founded in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is a one-of-a-kind producer, co-producer and distributor of distinctive, engaging, relevant and innovative documentary and animated films. As a talent incubator, it is one of the world’s leading creative centres. The NFB has enabled Canadians to tell and hear each other’s stories for over eight decades, and its films are a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB is also recognized around the world for its expertise in preservation and conservation, and for its rich and vibrant collection of works, which form a pillar of Canada’s cultural heritage. To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 6,500 of which can be streamed free of charge at nfb.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have earned over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an Honorary Academy Award for overall excellence in cinema.