UPDATE: Maxime Giroux’s forbidden Montreal love story Félix and Meira awarded Best Canadian Feature, Best Director and Best Screenplay, as well as Best Performance to Hadas Yaron.
Six Canadian films will compete in the 11th annual Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature at the Whistler Film Festival next month, which runs from December 3rd to 7th. For tickets- click here.
The Films: Sean Garrity’s cross-dressing fashion fairy tale After the Ball with Portia Doubleday, Lauren Holly and Chris Noth; Jeffrey St. Jules’s surreal 1960s musical Bang Bang Baby with Jane Levy, Justin Chatwin and Peter Stormare; Maxime Giroux’s forbidden Montreal love story Félix and Meira with Martin Dubreuil and Hadas Yaron; Cameron Labine’s sibling survival thriller Mountain Men with Tyler Labine and Chace Crawford; Deanne Foley’s Maritime rom-com Relative Happiness with Melissa Bergland, Aaron Poole and Johnathan Sousa; and Sophie Deraspe’s Wolves with Evelyne Brochu set at a northern seal hunt.
After the Ball – Kate Has Designs. On Rocking the Runway. But She Can’t Catch A Break. So Kate’s Becoming Nate. It’s a Major Makeover. But Can She Win Her Prince. Before The Night Is Over? Fairy Tales Are Always In Fashion.
After The Ball – Official Trailer from Pacific Northwest Pictures on Vimeo.
After the Ball is a cross-dressing twist on the classic fairy tale Cinderella set in the world of high fashion. Talented designer Kate (Portia Doubleday) wants to save her father Lee Kassell (Chris Noth)’s company from the clutches of her evil stepmother (Lauren Holly) and two evil step sisters who run it. So Kate becomes talented designer Nate to get inside the “Castle”. Directed by Sean Garrity, this is a world premiere for the fashion fairy tale.
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Screenings – December 5th at 7:00 pm in the Rainbow Theatre/ December 6th at 1:30 p.m. in Whistler Conference Centre Ballroom.
Bang Bang Baby – When you live too much in your fantasies, reality begins to look like a nightmare… When rock legend Bobby Shore (Justin Chatwin)’s car breaks down in the 1960s small town of Lonely Arms, it looks like young Stepphy ( Jane Levy from Suburgatory and Monster Trucks)’s dreams of stardom might come true. But what if Bobby finds out about the chemical factory leak which is mutating the locals? Peter Stormare co-stars as Stepphy’s alcoholic Dad. Writer/director Jeffrey St. Jules won TIFF’s Best Canadian First Feature Film award for his surreal musical.
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Screenings – December 6th at 8:30 p.m. in Village 8 Cinemas, Theatre 6/December 7th at 7:30 p.m. in Rainbow Theatre.
Félix and Meira – A Montreal love story between a lonely Francophone (Martin Dubreuil) and married Hasidic Jewish Mother ( Hadas Yaron). Director’s Maxime Giroux’s feature about a forbidden love won TIFF’s Best Canadian Film award this year.
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Screening: December 5th at 10:15 pm in Village 8 Cinemas, Theatre 7.
Mountain Men – A sibling survival thriller with Tyler Labine and Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford as estranged brothers? Can’t wait to see it. Director Cameron Labine’s movie is about two brothers who trek to their remote Rocky Mountain family cabin to evict a squatter when a fire leaves them exposed to a harsh winter and forces them to get along in order to survive. Produced by Jason James, the movie shot in Revelstoke this past April.
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Chace Crawford is attending the festival.
Screenings: December 4th at 8:00 p.m. at Rainbow Theatre/December 7th at 2:30 p.m. at Rainbow Theatre.
Relative Happiness: There Is No Recipe for Love. Based on Lesley Crewe’s Cape Breton novel, director Deanne Foley’s film is about warm, zaftig bed-and-breakfast owner Lexie (Melissa Bergland) who desperately seeks a date for her beautiful sister’s wedding when the perfect guy (Johnathan Sousa) walks in. Aaron Poole co-stars as the right guy.
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Screenings: December 5th at 9:30 p.m. at Rainbow Theatre/December 6th at 12:00 p.m. at Rainbow Theatre.
Wolves (Les Loups) – Quebecois director Sophie Deraspe’s new film is about a young Montreal woman Élie (Orphan Black’s Evelyne Brochu) who shows up at the annual spring seal hunt on a remote northern Island. Why is she there? Maria, a village mother, sets out to find the reason for her presence.
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Evelyne Brochu will be attending.
Screenings: December 6th at 9:30 p.m. at Rainbow Theatre/December 7th at 11:30 a.m. at Village 8 Cinemas, Theatre 6.
The Borsos Competition:
The Borsos Competition for Best Canadian Feature jury: WFF Honourary Ambassador Jason Priestley (director of Cas & Dylan, Beverly Hills 90210), Michael Hirsh (co-founder of Nelvana) and Kim Cattrall (Sensitive Skin, Sex and the City).
The Prizes: $15,000 Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature presented by Directors Guild of Canada. $15,000 Post Production Prize from Encore Vancouver for winning film.