The NFB at the Atlantic International Film Festival (FIN)
2019
With premieres and gala presentations, the 2019 FIN Atlantic International Film Festival will showcase the talents of visionary documentary filmmakers from across Atlantic Canada and the country, September 12–19.
To read full press release, please click the link below:
PressRelease_NFB@FIN2019
Assholes: A Theory
2019 | 81 min
Ever get the impression that assholes are taking over? Assholes: A Theory, a timely new doc from John Walker, investigates the breeding grounds of contemporary asshole culture and searches for signs of civility in a rude-’n-nasty universe.
A film by John Walker
Producers John Walker and Ann Bernier (John Walker Productions Ltd.), Annette Clarke (NFB)
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/ASSHOLES-A-THEORY
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Gala Presentation
Friday, September 13, 6:30 PM
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Trailer
Conviction
2019 | 78 min
Conviction envisions alternatives to prison through the eyes of women behind bars and those fighting on the front lines of the decarceration movement. Not another ‘broken prison’ film, this collaboration is a ‘broken society’ film—an ambitious and inspired re-build of our community, from the inside out. The film compels viewers to examine why we imprison the most vulnerable among us, and at what cost.
A film by Nance Ackerman, Ariella Pahlke, Teresa MacInnes
Producers and Executive Producers Teresa MacInnes (Sea to Sea Productions), Annette Clarke (NFB)
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/CONVICTION
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Monday, September 16, 6:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Trailer
nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up
2019 | 98 min
On August 9, 2016, a young Cree man named Colten Boushie died from a gunshot to the back of his head after entering Gerald Stanley’s rural property with his friends. The jury’s subsequent acquittal of Stanley captured international attention, raising questions about racism embedded within Canada’s legal system and propelling Colten’s family to national and international stages in their pursuit of justice. Sensitively directed by Tasha Hubbard, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up weaves a profound narrative encompassing the filmmaker’s own adoption, the stark history of colonialism on the Prairies, and a vision of a future where Indigenous children can live safely on their homelands.
A film by Tasha Hubbard
Producers Tasha Hubbard and George Hupka (Downstream Documentary Productions), Jon Montes and Bonnie Thompson (NFB)
Associate Producer Trudy Stewart
Executive Producers David Christensen (NFB), Janice Dawe, Kathy Avrich-Johnson (Bizable Media)
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/WE-WILL-STAND-UP
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Saturday, September 14, 11:30 a.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 5
Trailer
Standing on the Line
2019 | 80 min
In both amateur and professional sports, being gay remains taboo. For some athletes, the pressure to perform is compounded by the further strain of deciding whether or not to come out of the closet. They set out to overcome prejudice in the hopes of changing things for the athletes of tomorrow.
A film by Paul Émile d’Entremont
Producers Christine Aubé, Jac Gautreau and Maryse Chapdelaine
Executive Producers Michèle Bélanger and Dominic Desjardins
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/STANDING-ON-THE-LINE
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Saturday, September 14, 1:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 1
Trailer
Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger
2019 | 66 min
Alanis Obomsawin’s 53rd film tells the story of how the life of Jordan River Anderson initiated a battle for the right of Indigenous children to receive the same standard of health care as the rest of the Canadian population.
A film by Alanis Obomsawin
Producer Alanis Obomsawin
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/JORDAN
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Sunday, September 15, 3:00 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 1
Trailer
Luben and Elena: The Love of Art and the Art of Love
2019 | 75 min
Luben and Elena is a modern-day love story about renowned artists Luben Boykov and Elena Popova, who escape repressive communist Bulgaria and find refuge on the island of Newfoundland. Embracing the love of art and the art of love, they remind us that the greatest risk of all is to take either for granted.
A film by Ellie Yonova
Producer and Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/LUBEN-AND-ELENA
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Sunday, September 15, 9 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 2
Because We Are Girls
2019 | 85 min
A conservative Indo-Canadian family in small-town British Columbia must come to terms with a devastating secret: three sisters were sexually abused by an older relative beginning in their childhood years. After remaining silent for nearly two and a half decades, the sisters finally decide to come forward—not only to protect other young relatives, but to set an example for their daughters as well.
A film by Baljit Sangra
Producer Selwyn Jacob
Executive Producer Shirley Vercruysse
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/BECAUSE-WE-ARE-GIRLS
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Tuesday, September 17, 4:00 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 1
Trailer
Balakrishna
2019 | 15 min
When an extraordinary new resident – Balakrishna, an Indian elephant – arrived in the town of East River, Nova Scotia, in 1967, no one was more in awe of the creature than young Winton Cook, who became inseparable from his mammoth new friend. Using painterly animation, photographs and home-movie treasures, Balakrishna transmits the wistfulness of childhood memories, while evoking themes of friendship and loss, and issues of immigration and elephant conservation.
A film by Colin Mackenzie and Aparna Kapur
Producer Kat Baulu
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/BALAKRISHNA
SCREENING TIMES
Atlantic Shorts, Program 3 (tickets)
Saturday, September 14, 3:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Encore Screening:
Tuesday, September 17, 8:50 p.m. (tickets)
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 2
Trailer
Gun Killers
2019 | 10 min
Written and directed by Jason Young (Animals, Inside Time), Gun Killers takes us into the rural, secluded paradise that retired blacksmiths John and Nancy Little call home. As the tranquil light of a typical day of harvesting vegetables descends into night, we experience the secret work that John and Nancy are sometimes called upon to undertake for the RCMP.
A film by Jason Young
Producer Rohan Fernando
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/GUN-KILLERS
SCREENING TIMES
Atlantic Shorts, Program 3 (tickets)
Saturday, September 14, 3:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Encore Screening:
Tuesday, September 17, 8:50 p.m. (tickets)
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 2
Trailer
I Am Skylar
2019 | 15 min
I Am Skylar is the emotionally compelling story of an articulate 14-year-old girl who is thoughtfully defining her future and the woman she is to become. Surrounded by a family and a community who show her unconditional love as she follows her personal path, Skylar faces the complexities of being a transgender girl on the cusp of puberty with refreshing honesty and unshakeable dignity.
A film by Rachel Bower
Producer Rohan Fernando
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/I-AM-SKYLAR
SCREENING TIMES
Atlantic Shorts, Program 3 (tickets)
Saturday, September 14, 3:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Encore Screening:
Tuesday, September 17, 8:50 p.m. (tickets)
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 2
Trailer
Ice Breakers
2019 | 15 min
Josh Crooks is a promising teen hockey star in a sport where Black players like him are chronically underrepresented. Ice Breakers reveals the buried history of a pioneering Black hockey league in Atlantic Canada, as Crooks discovers that his unshakable passion is tied to a rich and remarkable heritage.
A film by Sandi Rankaduwa
Producer Rohan Fernando
Executive Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/ICE-BREAKERS
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Trailer
Radical (Five Feminist Minutes)
2019 | 5 min
Deanne Foley profiles fellow Newfoundlander Mary Walsh, the Great Warrior Queen of Canadian comedy, musing on time wasted as an object of desire and time well spent as the fearless agent of her own destiny. A joyous call to action.
A film by Deanne Foley
Producer Annette Clarke
ONLINE PRESS KIT
MEDIASPACE.NFB.CA/EPK/FIVE-FEMINIST-MINUTES
Radical was inspired by the following short from 1990 Edition:
Come into My Parlour
Joyously reclaiming “spinsterhood” from its sexist implications, the filmmaker recalls the undauntable great aunt who provided her first driving lesson. Female agency grabs the wheel in a beautifully constructed animated homage.
Director: Mary Lewis
SCREENING TIMES (tickets here)
Wednesday, September 18, 6:30 p.m.
Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, Theatre 8
Trailer
Media Relations
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About the NFB
For more than 80 years, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) has produced, distributed and preserved those stories, which now form a vast audiovisual collection—an important part of our cultural heritage that represents all Canadians.
To tell these stories, the NFB works with filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds, from across the country. It harnesses their creativity to produce relevant and groundbreaking content for curious, engaged and diverse audiences. The NFB also collaborates with industry experts to foster innovation in every aspect of storytelling, from formats to distribution models.
Every year, another 50 or so powerful new animated and documentary films are added to the NFB’s extensive collection of more than 14,000 titles, half of which are available to watch for free on nfb.ca.
Through its mandate, its stature and its productions, the NFB contributes to Canada’s cultural identity and is helping to build the Canada of tomorrow.