After two years of having to pivot to alternate formats due to the pandemic, the Meaford International Film Festival (MIFF) has announced that it is returning to its normal live event for its 16th season. Presented by the Meaford Culture Foundation on Labour Day weekend, MIFF opens Thursday, September 1, and runs to Sunday, September 4, and will include its signature format: 4 Nights, 4 Dinners, 5 Films, 4 Parties, 4 Matinees.
MIFF Artistic Director Anna den Hengst, has selected five award-winning films to be screened at this popular annual festival. Selections from Canada, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United States will be featured over the four-day festival at Meaford Hall.
“Whether you’re into documentaries about incredible people in extraordinary circumstances, appreciate cinematic grandeur, like to laugh, or enjoy learning more about the public figures we all remember, MIFF has something for you,” said organizers.
Opening the festival on Thursday afternoon is a fascinating documentary that tells the remarkable story of Hedy Lamarr, one of the most ravishingly beautiful actresses of the 1920s and ’30s whose real accomplishments are largely unknown, as an inventor whose concepts were the basis of modern cell phone and bluetooth technology.
Thursday evening’s feature film tells the extraordinary true story of a man on the verge of marriage, which compels him to reveal his hidden past for the first time. A rare, animated documentary that tells a far too familiar tale of persecution and corruption, as Amin generously reveals the trials and torments that saw him and his family flee Kabul because of victimization, alongside his personal story that saw him make a life in Denmark and how he’s been able to live his life the way he wishes, with who he wants.
Friday’s feature is a Danish tale of four high school teachers who consume alcohol on a daily basis to see how it affects their social and professional lives as part of an experiment. This dark comedy will make us laugh after the last couple of years we had. It also sheds light on Denmark’s unusual drinking culture.
Saturday’s film features a fantasy retelling of the medieval story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. A cinematically stunning film that offers us insight into what people considered entertainment in the Medieval era.
Finally, closing the festival on Sunday is a film that casts an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall, and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. Ahead of her time, Tammy Faye Baker was a much more complicated person than given credit for, and Jessica Chastain’s phenomenal and Oscar-winning performance offers a deeper perspective into her unique life. For a complete listing of films and times, please visit www.meafordfilmfest.ca.
Each evening’s screening is accompanied by a film from the Grey Bruce Youth Film Festival and a special guest who will discuss the film. The 4 dinners this year will be catered by some of Meaford and area’s best executive chefs including The Kitchen Catering & Café on Thursday, Intimate Fare on Friday, The Red Door on Saturday, and The Dam Pub on Sunday.
This is your opportunity to see a film that you might normally pass by and share the experience with fellow enthusiasts in the party tent afterwards. We look forward to seeing you at MIFF this Labour Day Weekend. For more information, please visit www.meafordfilmfest.ca, or to purchase tickets contact the Meaford Hall Box Office at 877-538-0463 or online at www.meafordhall.ca.
