The Chilliwack International Film Series will put a spring in the step of local movie lovers on Wednesday evenings this Feb. 1 to March 8, with a special March 15 ShortFest.
Hosted by the Chilliwack Community Arts Council in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival Circuit, this semi-annual series features weekly screenings of six internationally acclaimed feature films.
All films start at 7 p.m. and take place at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas.
Tickets for individual films and ShortFest can be purchased at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas for $6 per person on the day of each screening.
Series passes are $30 each and available for purchase online through chilliwackartscouncil.com as well as in-person at the Chilliwack Community Arts Council (20-5725 Vedder Rd.; after January 3, 2017), The Book Man Chilliwack (45939 Wellington Ave.), and Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (45380 Luckakuck Way). Each series pass includes a bonus ShortFest pass for the March 15 screening.
Here is the lineup for the 2017 spring film series (click on movie titles to see trailers):
The Eagle Huntress • Feb. 1 • UK, Mongolia, USA / 87 min / G / Documentary, Adventure. Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. Directed by: Otto Bell. Starring: Aisholpan Nurgaiv, Daisy Ridley (narrator).
Jean of the Joneses • Feb. 8 • Canada, USA / 82 min / NR / Comedy, Drama. The whip-smart tale about the twenty something scion of an all-female Brooklyn clan wrestling with her literary aspirations, romantic mishaps, and the chaotic preparations for her estranged grandfather’s funeral. Directed by: Stella Meghie. Starring: François Arnaud, Gloria Reuben, Anna Hopkins.
Manchester by the Sea • Feb. 15 • USA / 136 min / 14A / Drama. An emotionally overwhelming and critically acclaimed drama about a reclusive handyman who must face his painful past when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown after the sudden death of his beloved older brother. Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan. Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol.
The History of Love • Feb. 22 • France, Canada, Romania, USA / 134 min / PG / Drama. The story of a long-lost book that mysteriously reappears and connects an elderly man searching for his son with a girl seeking a cure for her mother’s loneliness. Directed by: Radu Mihaileanu. Starring: Gemma Arterton, Sophie Nélisse, Elliott Gould, Derek Jacobi.
Lion • March 1 • Australia / 118 min / G / Drama. A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. Directed by: Garth Davis. Starring: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara.
Weirdos • March 8 • Canada / 84 min / PG / Drama. It’s the summer of 1976 and 15-year-old Kit is running away from home. With the help of girlfriend, Alice, Kit hitchhikes through the stunning maritime landscape towards a new home with his glamorous, artistic mother Laura. However, as Kit and Alice near their final destination they find their relationship tested as Kit approaches a realization that will change his life forever. Directed by: Bruce McDonald. Starring: Dylan Authors, Allan Hawco, Molly Parker, Julia Sarah Stone.
ShortFest • March 15 • A special screening featuring an exclusive selection of short films from international filmmakers. Please note: seating is limited.