NEWS RELEASE
BLUE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL
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Helen du Toit, executive and artistic director for the Blue Mountain Film Festival (BMFF), has announced the first four of six compelling sessions for the festival’s inaugural Creative Forum.
Over three-and-a-half days, the forum will explore essential techniques in sound design, genre disruption, producing, eco-activism, production design, and directing. All sessions will feature industry-leading panellists and focus on maximizing creative potential across genres and platforms.
There will be multiple opportunities to network with senior filmmakers and key decision makers through the sessions and intimate sidebar events — all set against the natural backdrop of the Niagara Escarpment.
“We are delighted to be bringing our film community this robust programming in our inaugural year. In addition to the sessions, the Creative Forum pass will provide insider access to BMFF’s exclusive parties and networking events, allowing equal opportunity for industry professionals, film connoisseurs, and general film buffs alike,” said du Toit.
“The Blue Mountains offer the perfect setting for our guests to connect with major industry figures and each other while also connecting with nature. We are so grateful to our generous Creative Forum sponsors, DGC Ontario, Sutton Entertainment, justincase, Toronto Film School as well as for the support from Telefilm Canada and Canada Media Fund for giving us the opportunity to bring the Creative Forum to life.”
Kicking off the Creative Forum sessions is The Art of Sound, featuring master sound designer Jane Tattersall (Halo, Vikings: Valhalla) and executive producer Sheila Hockin (The Handmaid’s Tale, Halo). Tattersall will reveal how she creates post-production magic through sound while Hockin will discuss the essential art of collaboration and the role she plays in weaving all the elements of a film — including amazing sound design — into award-winning productions.
The forum’s Female Genre Mash Up features writer-directors Danis Goulet (Night Raiders, Barefoot) and Nyla Innuksuk (Slash/Back, Kajutaijuq). In this conversation, these ground-breaking filmmakers will share their experience of encroaching on established mainstream cinematic storytelling.
Prolific producer Dan Bekerman (The Witch, Falling) will lead Creative Producing in a Destabilized Industry. Along with top creative producers Allison Black (Giant Little Ones, Mean Dreams), Shant Joshi (Porcupine Lake, Last Car), Karen Harnisch (Sleeping Giant, The Oxbow Cure) and Jennifer Podemski (Moccasin Flats, Empire of Dirt), this in-depth discussion will explore the challenges and rewards of a producer’s fight for their artistic vision while working within the system.
The Creative Forum will conclude with Film and Eco-Activism, which will feature a screening and extended Q&A for Into the Weeds. This documentary explores the story of a groundskeeper who took on a multi-national agrochemical corporation after his terminal cancer diagnosis. Director Jennifer Baichwal (Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, Manufactured Landscapes) will be joined by a special guest to discuss the challenging terrain of eco-activism.
Two final Creative Forum sessions will be announced May 6 along with the film selection.
BMFF’s Creative Forum will run during the first four days of the festival, taking place June 1 to 5. Passes and special hotel rates for the Creative Forum are available for purchase. Individuals interested in attending are encouraged to book accommodations at Blue Mountain Resort early. Passes are available at Bluemtnfilmfest.ca.
Presented by Blue Mountain Village Association and located in the heart of Blue Mountain Village, 90 minutes from Toronto in the beautiful Blue Mountains, Ontario, Canada, the first annual international film festival is scheduled for June 1 to 5.
The festival includes five days of 25 international films with a spotlight on Canadian productions, a three-and-a-half-day Creative Forum, concerts, and parties. The festival is also supported by founding sponsor Blue Mountain Resort, Bruce Grey Simcoe, Town of the Blue Mountains, and supported by Telefilm Canada, Canada Media Fund, and the Government of Ontario.
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