Beginning Thursday and running through Sept. 24, the online edition of the annual FIN Atlantic International Film Festival — FIN Stream — presents a selection of the best new films from the East Coast, Canada and the world, available for the first time to viewers in all corners of Atlantic Canada.
Along with the lineup of gala presentations, special presentations, feature film and documentary debuts, many of the online screenings will be accompanied by special live and pre-recorded Q&As featuring their creators and stars, like Lord of the Rings and A History of Violence star Viggo Mortensen, whose debut feature as a director Falling is FIN Stream’s opening gala presentation on Thursday, and producer/director/writer Brannon Braga (Star Trek) whose Halifax-shot adaptation of Clive Barker’s Books of Blood is the gala presentation on Sunday.
Other gala films followed by Q&As include Newfoundland director Ruth Lawrence’s Little Orphans, with producer Jenny Hawley and writer/actor Emily Bridger on Friday and writer/director William D. MacGillivray’s Under the Weather (w. producer Terry Greenlaw) on Saturday.
The Forbidden Reel, a documentary on Afghanistan filmmaking, by Oscar-nominated, Halifax-born director Ariel Nasr, will have a live Q&A following its Monday, Sept. 21 screening and the Reel East Coast Shorts Gala will be followed by a live conversation with the directors on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Gala presentations are available to view for ticket and pass holders starting at 7 p.m. on their scheduled night, and are available for a 24-hour window. There will also be a number of post-film Q&As following Atlantic Canadian and Canadian features which are viewable throughout the week of FIN Stream. These include:
- Bone Cage (N.S.) - Featuring director and lead actor Taylor Olson, producer Melani Wood and director of photography Kevin Fraser
- Bread In The Bones (N.S.) - Featuring director Darrell Varga, composer Lukas Pearse and subject of the film, Peter Reinhart
- Queen Of The Andes (N.B.) - Featuring director Jillian Acreman, producer Arianna Martinez and lead actress Bhreagh MacNeil
- Still The Water (P.E.I.) - Featuring director Susan Rodgers and lead actors Colin Price and Ry Barrett
- Wharf Rats (P.E.I.) - Featuring director Jason Arsenault and producer Jenna MacMillan
- Champions (Que.) - Featuring director Helgi Piccinin, producer Philippe Miquel and subject of the film, Stéphane Piccinin
Along with the special guest Q&A sessions, FIN Stream will also host a series of daily free Happy Hour Hangouts, conducted via Zoom, where film fans can log on and chat with friends and fellow FIN aficianados about what they’ve seen and what they’re looking forward to. The Hangouts start at 5 p.m., with a special late night Books of Blood hangout on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 9:30 p.m. For a list of Happy Hour Hangouts, with links and passcodes, visit www.finfestival.ca/happy-hour-hangouts.
Tickets for screenings, and the fully linked and interactive FIN Stream Program Guide, visit the FIN Atlantic International Film Festival website at finfestival.ca.
