2023 Atlantic International Film Festival Explained

2023 Atlantic International Film Festival
Opening:The Queen of My Dreams by Fawzia Mirza
Closing:Flora and Son by John Carney
Location:Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Founded:1980
Date:September 14–21, 2023
Chronology:AIFF
Main:Atlantic International Film Festival
Previous:2022
Next:2024

The 2023 edition of the Atlantic International Film Festival, the 43rd edition in the event's history, took place from September 14 to 21, 2023 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1]

Some screenings at the festival were disrupted by Tropical Storm Lee, but the festival was not cancelled and all affected screenings were rescheduled for another time.[2] Following the conclusion of the official in-person festival, the Atlantic Canadian films from the program were also made available on a dedicated streaming platform for three additional days to help publicize the films in the rest of the region.[2]

Awards

AwardFilmRecipient
Gordon Parsons Award for Best Atlantic Canadian Feature The King Tide
Best Atlantic Canadian Director Sweetland
Joan Orenstein & David Renton Award for Outstanding Performance in Acting Mother's Skin Briar Ainslie
Who's Yer Father?
Best Atlantic Documentary Celestial Queer: The Life, Work and Wonder of James MacSwain Erin Foster, Sue Johnson
Best Atlantic Short Documentary Songs of Unama'ki Dawn Wells, Jeff Miller
Best Atlantic Short Film Mother's Skin Leah Johnston
Best Atlantic Short Film, Honorable Mention Father Archie Todd Fraser
Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriting Sweetland
Best Atlantic Cinematographer Mitata (Grandfather) Desmond Simon
Best Atlantic Editor The King Tide Justin Oakey
Best Atlantic Original Score Evelyn Devon Ross

Official selections

Gala Presentations

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
Flora and Son United States, Ireland
The Queen of My Dreams Canada
Sweetland Canada

Reel East Coast Shorts

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Province
Escape the Usual Colby Conrad Nova Scotia
Evelyn Prince Edward Island
Father Archie Todd Fraser New Brunswick
The Healing Jar Andreas Cass Newfoundland and Labrador
Hebron Relocation Holly Anderson Newfoundland and Labrador
Mother's Skin Leah Johnston Nova Scotia
Slay Nova Scotia

Narrative New Waves

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
Backspot Canada
Banel & Adama Banel et Adama France, Senegal, Mali
Boca Chica Gabriella Athena Moses Dominican Republic
Doubles Canada
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Vampire humaniste cherche suicidaire consentant Canada
I Used to Be Funny Canada
In Flames Canada
Richelieu Canada
Seagrass Canada
The Settlers Los Colonos Felipe Gálvez Haberle Chile, Argentina, France, Denmark, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Sweden, Germany
With Love and a Major Organ Canada

World Cinema

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
About Dry Grasses Kuru Otlar Üstüne Turkey, France, Germany, Sweden
Anatomy of a Fall Anatomie d'une chute France
La Chimera Italy, France, Switzerland
Close to You Canada, United Kingdom
Days of Happiness Les Jours heureux Canada
The Delinquents Los delincuentes Argentina, Brazil, Luxembourg, Chile
Fallen Leaves Kuolleet lehdet Finland, Germany
Fitting In Canada
The King Tide Canada
Monster 怪物 Japan
The Old Oak United Kingdom, France, Belgium
Perfect Days Japan
The Promised Land Bastarden Denmark
Red, White & Brass Damon Fepulea'i New Zealand
Seven Veils Canada
Suze Canada
Tautuktavuk (What We See) Canada
Tótem Mexico, Denmark, France
Who's Yer Father? Canada

Late Night Visions

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
Deliver Us Cru Ennis, Lee Roy Kunz United States
Raging Grace Paris Zarcilla United Kingdom
Red Rooms Les Chambres rouges Canada

Classics Restored & In Focus

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
The Grand Seduction Canada
John and the Missus Canada
Life Classes Canada
The Mother and the Whore La maman et la putain France

Documentaries

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
Against the Tide Sarvnik Kaur India
Analogue Revolution: How Feminist Media Changed the World Canada
Celestial Queer: The Life, Work and Wonder of James MacSwain Sue Johnson, Eryn Foster Canada
The Elephant 6 Recording Co, C.B. Stockfleth United States
I Lost My Mom J'ai placé ma mère Canada
In the Quiet and the Dark Nance Ackerman Canada
Innocence Guy Davidi Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Israel
Invisible Beauty United States
Canada
Orlando, My Political Biography Orlando, ma biographie politique France
A Quiet Girl Adrian Wills Canada
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood Savvusanna sõsarad Anna Hints Estonia, France, Iceland
Someone Lives Here Canada
Songs of Unama'ki Dawn Wells, Jeff Miller Canada
Stolen Time Helene Klodawsky Canada
Swan Song Canada
Unsyncable Megan Wennberg Canada

Shorts

English titleOriginal titleDirector(s)Production country
6 Minutes per Kilometre 6 minutes/km Catherine Boivin Canada
27 France, Hungary
48 Hours Azadeh Moussavi Iran
All the Days of May Tous les jours de mai Canada
Aphasia Aphasie Canada
Atlantis Canada
Blueberries for Iris Zoe Cleland Canada
Carnaval Justine Martin Canada
Daughter of the Sea Nicole Gormley, Nancy Kwon United States
Electra Czech Republic, France, Slovakia
Entrée Akshay Shirke Canada
Favourite Only Child Juliette Poitras Canada
The Gaze Stacy Gardner Canada
Gold and Mud Conor Dooley United States
Human Resources Ressources humaines Trinidad Plass, Titouan Tillier, Isaac Wenzek France
I Have No Tears and I Must Cry Luis Fernando Puente United States
I Promise You Paradise Paradis Morad Mostafa France, Egypt, Qatar
In Between Clara Prévost Canada
In the Garden of Tulips Julia Elihu United States
Joie de vivre Dada Canada
Klette Michael Abay Belgium
A Love Letter to Léopold L. Foulem Lettre d’amour à Léopold L. Foulem Canada
Madeleine Canada
Mamita Luis Molinié Canada
Mickey Stevey Hunter Canada
The Miracle Nienke Deutz Belgium
Miserable Miracle Ryo Orikas Canada
Miss Campbell: Inuk Teacher Heather Campbell Canada
Mitata (Grandfather) Desmond Simon Canada
Modern Goose Karsten Wall Canada
Nun or Never Heta Jäälinoja Finland
Payback Jesse Harley Canada
The Score 97.9 Violet Shoshana Pask Canada
Shallots and Garlic Bawang Merah Bawang Putih Canada
Signal and Noise Jess Shane, Katie Matthews Canada
The Skates Les Patins Canada
Starry-Eyed Emma MacCabe Canada
Summer 96 Été 96 Mathilde Bédouet France
Summer 2000 Été 2000 Virginie Nolin, Laurence Olivier Canada
Things Unheard Of Ramazan Kilic Turkey
Canada
Two Apples Bahram Javahery Canada
The Vacation Jarreau Carrillo United States
The Waves Young Yumi South Korea
Wolf Kathleen Dorian Canada

Notes and References

  1. https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/lifestyles/atlantic-international-film-festival-returns-to-halifax-sept-14-21-100883539/ "Atlantic International Film Festival returns to Halifax Sept. 14-21"
  2. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/community/atlantic-international-film-festival-halifax-2023-1.6964156 "Atlantic International Film Festival shares a love of film"