Grace Film Festival: May 2015 Official Selections

Watt Town : Holy songs from Jamaica (46) STEPHANE DELPHIN - Jamaca/France

Mid 19th century, a spiritual revolution breeds a new religion : The Zion Reival : appeared nearly one century before Rastafari, that black jamaicains embraced because African cosmology and Christian Baptist corpus could be blent. Still nowadays, 3 times a year, a Revival pilgrimage happens in Watt Town, St Ann.

Cotton Candy (16:31) Karol Kołodziński -  Poland

What if you could influence the mind of younger you and make him choose differently? Marcel goes on a meeting with his girlfriend Alice. On his way he meets strange girls from his past. Can those circumstances change his attitude towards his present relationship?

Intrinsic Moral Evil (10:45) Harm Weistra - Netherlands

Intrinsic Moral Evil seems to be a tale of identity and coming of age. But above all, the three dancers play with the viewer’s perception and expectations. The layered story gradually develops; revealing its last secrets just before the end credits start. Inviting the audience to make its own interpretation.

I Never Said I Wasn't Happy (38:4) Sara Peak Convery - USA

Filmmaker and artist explores the implications of her parents' conflicted marriage.

The Martyr (10) Darren Langlands - UK

MI5 Agent Laura Kent explains her actions to an internal inquiry in the aftermath of a major terrorism incident.

THE WORLD IT IS.... (1:57:05) BISWAJEET BORA - India

The film is set in Mumbai, tells the story of ever growing human detachment with nature and how an urban family gets trapped in the concrete jungles of a metropolis. It’s a deep contrast between the most populous city of India, Mumbai and the natural beauty of Assam, this film is a satire on the mechanical and fame-driven lives of people of Mumbai.

The Complicated Dance to the Wheel of Life: Official Selection: Hope: Grace Film Festival

The Complicated Dance to the Wheel of Life
Philippines
Runtime: 11:35
Category: Hope
Screen Date: April 2015


Michael, a PWD (Person With Disability), is losing hope. For him, life is already a mess. Dreams are not meant for him. But, while he is rolling his wheelchair, he will encounter people who will change his view on life. He will eventually learn how to do the complicated dance to the wheel of life.

Director: Arjanmar H. Rebeta

Country: Philippines

Director’s Statement

"Our dreams do not end because of the things we lack. It starts with the things that we have."

INDIFERENCE: Hope: Official Selection: Grace Film Festival

INDIFERENCE
Brazil
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Runtime: 1:08
Category: Hope
Screening Date: January 30, 2015


What is the worst thing in this world? Why we don't look around us?
It's so simple to change the world...Very simple, indeed!

Director: Leonardo Liberti

Leonardo Liberti is a italy-brazilian director. With 2 documentaries, not published yet, in Europe about the history of San Francisco (Assis), Leonardo has 6 Cannes Lions, Latin Grammy nomination, VMA Brazil Nomination, Gold DVD and many first places on TOP 10 MTV, including independent artists.

Liberti has more than 100 works signed to more than 70 branches and artists.

The 21st Chromosome: Love: Grace Film Festival: Official Selection

The 21st Chromosome
Canada
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Runtime:
Category: Love
Screening Date: January 31, 2015




How do you tell the story of someone who's in your family but doesn't have a voice to say whether or not they want that story told? If you're filmmaker, Kirsten Johnson who has a younger sister with Down Syndrome, Autism and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, you don't follow her around with a camera, in fact, you don't film her at all. Instead, you painstakingly hand-draw over a thousand drawings, you personally recreate distressing incidents from the past, you bring characters to life in imaginative scenarios that illuminate what's it's like to have someone in your life whose personal reality you can only begin to fathom.

A truly unique method of storytelling that explores a challenging subject matter with humour, empathy and depth.

Director: Kirsten Johnson

Kirsten Johnson comes to film via a strong background as a painter and performer. Her art work appears in private and public collections all over North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, including Montréal's prestigious Colart Collection which purchased 3 paintings from her Catfight series. Her work can be found in the collections of novelist Ann Marie-MacDonald, director Jeremy Podeswa, puppeteer Ronnie Burkett, comedy empresario Mark Breslin and many other of Canada's cultural elite. As an actor she has worked with such directors as Jeremy Podeswa, David Cronenberg and once was Ophelia in an 8 hour production of Hamlet staged by the infamous, Hillar Liitoja and his DNA Theatre. She is a founding member of the Harold Awards which have been celebrating Toronto’s alternative theatre scene for twenty years. She turned to filmmaking in a serious manner a couple of years ago as a way to fuse these different practices.

Whether making films, acting or painting she puts an emphasis on intellectual curiosity which she inherited from her philosophy professor father and emotional empathy and interest in the human which she inherited from her Psychiatric Nursing professor mom.

Director’s Statement

Originality is of huge importance to me as a filmmaker. Not for its own sake but because for me the process of film making is a process of discovery. It’s also heavily influenced by my multi-art career status. As both a painter and a theatre artist – I’ve acquired huge experience as a story teller. My film making benefits from these skills while still remaining relatively new and fresh. My films have a strong visual component and have an inventive, imaginative approach that seek to communicate outside of any existing template.
I seek to capture truth but believe the “Truth” can sometimes only be truly captured through metaphor. I want the audience to be engaged and I think the best way to accomplish this is to surprise and approach subjects in unexpected and various ways.
Overall, I want people to go on a joyous yet challening ride. I want people to be surprised that they’re having so much fun while thinking so deeply.

The Biggest Hanicap: Love: Grace Film Festival: Official Seclection

The Biggest Handicap     Buy Tickets
Italy
Language:Italian
Runtime: 9:40
Category: Love
Screening Date: January 31, 2015

 A blind guy and a deaf-mute girl meet on a ring in the Roman metropolis to play a boxing match. Viewers expect to see the two opponents anger and violence, and instead will be disappointed because something unexpected will happen.

A film by Enzo Bossio.