Bone Cage (2020)

Jamie works operating a wood processor, clear-cutting for pulp. At the end of each shift, he walks through the destruction he has created looking for injured animals, and rescues those he can. Jamie's desire to break free from this world is thwarted by the very environment and circumstance he's trying to escape. 

Director: Taylor Olson

The Beothuk Story

For over 200 years, European history has taught us that Newfoundland's Beothuk people are extinct. Giving voice to the Indigenous people, archaeologists, genealogists, and historians from across Atlantic Canada, The Beothuk Story debunks this myth. Here, for the first time in Canadian documentary history, the Beothuk people speak for themselves. This is their story.

Director: Christopher Aylward -  Toronto Metropolitan University professor from St. John's who has completed a documentary on the Beothuk people of Newfoundland and Labrador 

Bernie Langille Wants to Know What Happened to Bernie Langille

Bernie Langille never met his grandfather, a corporal in the military who died 15 years before Bernie was born. However, Bernie grew up hearing from family members about the bizarre circumstances of his namesake’s death - along with the painful conviction held by the Langilles that a military cover-up is to blame for their loved one’s demise and is also keeping them from attaining justice.

Determined to see if he can bring healing to his family before the fourth generation of Langilles is born, Bernie sets out on an existential investigation to find answers as to what happened on that snowy night in 1968. He begins by visiting Bernie Sr.’s grave. An unexpected excavation leads to the discovery of a series of numbers etched on the gravestone, which turn out to be Bernie Sr.’s SIN number. Believing his late grandmother must have put the numbers there for future family to unearth the truth, Bernie uses the SIN number to follow a paper trail that leads him to medical experts, former friends and neighbours, dueling family perspectives and a difficult secret that exposes the troublesome legacy of a complicated man.

*This is the full length film, produced after the short film we viewed last year.

Bystanders

Koumbie makes her feature film directorial debut with Bystanders.

"[Bystanders] has six incredible young diverse actors, and I knew that I wanted that to be a huge part of what would become my first feature." – director and co-writer Koumbie.

In Koumbie's Bystanders, six childhood friends gather for their annual reunion that begins to unravel when they learn that one of them is guilty of sexual assault. 

(from HalifaxPresents.com)

Dawn, Her Dad and the Tractor

On a Nova Scotia dairy farm, John Andrew has just lost his wife to cancer. His son Donald, now Dawn, returns home to mourn her mother and fulfill her promise to repair her relationship with her father. 

Directed by Shelley Thompson

Dawn, Her Dad and the Tractor received five nominations for the Screen Nova Scotia awards in 2022, including Best Feature Film, WIFT Best Nova Scotia Director (Thompson) and ACTRA Award Outstanding Performance nominations for Francine Deschepper, Reid Price and Robb Wells. This film also won the 2022 Nova Scotia Masterworks Prize.

My Name is Wolastoq

A candid and powerful window into the movement to preserve and celebrate Wolastoqui culture and identity. The film follows a young Wolastoqew man, Riley Gaffney, who undertakes a journey to explore and claim his Indigenous cultural identity, while also following the efforts of Wolastoqi elders who work to create awareness and momentum for efforts to reclaim the original Indigenous name of the Wolastoq (Saint John) River.

Produced by Nate Gaffney, a Wolastoqiyik First Nations filmmaker.

Documentary - The Ice Walk

The Ice Walk exposes a hidden history of the exile of Prince Edward Island’s original inhabitants to a small island off its coast and explores the present-day desire of allies to rectify these injustices. Mi’kmaq Elders and other community members tell their harrowing stories of crossing the ice to get basic provisions from the mainland. When allies decide to walk the ice in an act of reconciliation, they are challenged to reflect on the commitment they would be willing to make now that they know the terrible truth.

Directed by Eliza Knockwood

Belle-ile-en-mer

A group of Acadians from Canada travel to Belle-Île-en-Mer in France, to celebrate with their cousins, the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Acadians on their island. Situated near the Britanny coast, we discover a French community of the Acadian Diaspora that is still proud of their culture. 

Written & Directed by Phil Comeau

The Flying Sailor

When a nearby ship explodes, a sailor embarks on an unexpected existential journey. An exploration of the fragility of life through a sailor's near-death experience inspired by the real-life catastrophic Halifax explosion of 1917. 

Directed by Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby