Guelph International Film Festival Showcases Local Talent
From Arts in Guelph - November/December, 2005
by Anna Contini
It's back! The Guelph International Film Festival (GIFF) will once again feature a wide selection of global feature films, documentaries and shorts, while showcasing visiting directors, workshops and programming for children and teens. This year the event will take place November 4 to 6 and present the works of several talented filmmakers including Mark Hamilton and Karen Duthie, both of whom are natives of this community! Screenings will take place at several venues around town such as cafés, pubs, galleries, churches and the University of Guelph.
In the 1980s, GIFF ran for seven consecutive years drawing large audiences to its unique mix of international feature films and documentaries. After a 13-year hiatus, the Festival was revived in 2003 by the Guelph International Resource Centre (GIRC), a 25-year-old non-profit organization that educates Canadians about global issues and local connections. Since the beginning, the Festival has featured films and videos that offer a global perspective and provide a broader viewpoint on day-to-day events than normally presented by news media. GIFF's goal is "to serve as a catalyst towards increasing community understanding of the world and its diversity."
This year the renowned festival will screen over 30 films from all over the world. Mark Hamilton is a local filmmaker and Rockwood area resident who has produced Louisiana Fenceline, God's Hand in Cancer Alley, a poignant documentary about the effects of toxic chemical pollution in a region of Louisiana known as "Cancer Alley." The film profiles residents of a rural trailer park who, after discovering that their water supply is contaminated with vinyl chloride, come together to organize a healing revival at the local church. "I was interested in doing a film about toxic chemical pollution, something that in most cases is invisible," says Hamilton who shot and edited as a solo cameraperson, and directed the film over a four-year period. "The theme of the church's role in times of crisis surfaced completely unexpectedly," he adds.
Another film to be featured in the lineup is 100% Woman produced by Guelph native Karen Duthie. Shot over two years, this gripping documentary follows the life of reigning Canadian mountain bike champion Michelle Dumaresq, who spent the first 20 years of her life as a male. The award-winning film is a thought-provoking journey into the world of competitive cycling, fairness in sport and the nature and definition of gender. Duthie, an avid mountain biker herself, moved from Guelph to British Columbia in the early 90s. Not only did she pursue biking in the mountains on Vancouver's North Shore but she also studied film, graduating from the prestigious Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. "I knew instantly that I wanted to make this film because it provides a rare window into the world of women's competitive cycling and addresses a highly controversial issue, for which there are no black and white answers," says Duthie.
Both Mark Hamilton's and Karen Duthie's films will open the Festival with screenings taking place at Chalmers United Church on Friday, November 4, starting at 7 p.m. In addition, both Hamilton and Duthie will be part of a Directors' Panel entitled How Films can Change the World, scheduled for Sunday, November 6, 4 to 6 p.m., at Ed Video Media Arts Centre. The panel will bring together five feature filmmakers in attendance at this year's Festival to discuss what inspires them to create the films they do and their perspective on how films can affect their subjects and their viewers. There will also be a question and answer session between the panel and the audience.
Other highlights of GIFF include the opening gala at Old Quebec Street (following the screenings at Chalmers Church), a dazzling array of film shorts, a special screening for youth at Norfolk United Church, a children's program at the Guelph Public Library and a wrap-up party at the Bookshelf. GIFF passes are $55 or $50 for GIRC members. Many screenings are free or by donation. For further details and information about this year's festival please visit www.guelphfilmfest.org or call (519) 822-3110.