The Whistler Film Festival (WFF) has announced the first Canadian titles in its 2023 lineup, with five films from British Columbia-based directors: Adaptation by Jake Thomas, Altona from the Affolter brothers, With Love and a Major Organ by Kim Albright, Zoe.MP4 by Jeremy Lutter, and She Talks to Strangers by Bruce Sweeney.
Altona, Zoe.MP4 and She Talks to Strangers will be having their world premieres.
"The Whistler Film Festival is internationally known as a festival that amplifies diverse voices and spotlights new regional, national, and international cinematic talent,” says WFF Executive Director Angela Heck in a press release. “We’re proud to kick off the countdown to the fest by highlighting some of the amazing filmmakers from British Columbia whose diverse stories are featured this year. We’ve championed some of these filmmakers since the development stages of their projects and are thrilled to present them at the festival."
Three of the five titles will be eligible for WFF’s coveted Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature, which offers a $35,000 prize package consisting of a $15,000 cash prize sponsored by the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia and a $20,000 production prize sponsored by Company 3.
The 23rd WFF takes place in Whistler from November 29 to December 3, 2023. The festival will then shift online, with select virtual screenings available across Canada from December 4 to December 17.
“As our festival gears up for what’s shaping up to be an incredible year, it is gratifying to note the high quality of Canadian films in this year’s lineup, with a particularly strong crop coming out of British Columbia,” says Paul Gratton, WFF Director of Programming, in a release. ”The number of documentaries submitted was also at an all-time high. We can’t wait to share what we’ve found with our audiences, both in theatres and online.”
This year's complete WFF lineup will be announced November 1. Early-bird passes are available now.
Find more information at https://whistlerfilmfestival.com/
