Staff
The Meaford International Film Festival returns for its 12th season on Labour Day weekend, with four films over four nights, beginning August 30.
“The first Meaford International Film Festival, MIFF, was produced in 2007. This unique cultural event proved to be very successful and has grown to become our largest fund raiser, enabling investment in our Community Outreach Program and capital improvements to Meaford Hall,” said the Meaford Culture Foundation, a registered charity which organizes the event.
All of the films presented during MIFF will be shown at Meaford Hall, and the parties will be found in the big tent outside the hall in Market Square.
Community Outreach now represents the bulk of the support offered by the foundation to enable art, music, literacy, theatre, film, and cultural awareness, with an emphasis on creating opportunities for our youth. During the four nights of the event, each evening MIFF showcases a short film selected from Grey Bruce Youth Film Festival, and the young director has the opportunity to discuss the film on stage with Artistic Director Joanne McKenzie.
“To keep our small towns vibrant, we need to attract people to buy and eat locally and we need to offer stimulating venues to keep our youth in town. A recent municipal survey confirmed MIFF is an economic driver. MIFF also draws from a wide catchment area from Toronto to Tobermory, with over 50 percent attending from outside Meaford,” says McKenzie.
This year, MIFF organizers have chosen award-winning films from the UK, Poland, Germany, Chile, as well as Canada. They all offer great storytelling, acting, and cinematography.
“Our artistic director believes balanced journalism and a healthy dose of dissension is good for society and liberalism. Her film choices typically offer perspective on some of the issues of today and provide a different lens to view history. Pirate Radio, RUMBLE: The Indians That Rocked the World, and A Fantastic Woman show her hand in this regard,” noted Ted Brown, vice-chair of the Foundation.
Also featured this year are In The Fade, a story about human resilience and the power of our collective humanity, and Loving Vincent, a visual masterpiece with 65,000 hand-painted slides.
“There’s a lot of entertainment value, whether you choose a matinee or an evening film. If you join us for dinner, pre-movie cocktails begin at 4:30 p.m. Then, on to the Tent Party following each movie. Keep your ticket stub to gain access to the Tent and your one free wine or beer,” said Brown. “The menus are online and the outdoor eating experience under the upscale dining tent area is not to be missed. Dinners include both HST and gratuities. You will have to hurry as the Dinners are almost sold out!”
For tickets, visit the MIFF website: www.meafordfilmfest.ca
