RMNP festival showcases indie films

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This article was published 11/07/2015 (3995 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WASAGAMING — Films exploring various topics related to the environmental movement, social justice, and humans interacting with the natural world will be highlighted at the third annual Riding Mountain National Park Film Festival next week in Wasagaming.

What’s different about a film festival?

Every year Hollywood releases upwards of 500 films. A number of these will be blockbusters while some will turn out to be duds. Among them, only about 100 of these will find their way to theatre chains in Canada. If we are lucky, one or two foreign films will also sneak onto the marquee.

For the big studios, the demands of bringing in huge box office returns to pay for multimillion-dollar production costs usually means that only films that are likely to have a mass appeal get made.

In the rest of the film industry that does not experience the support — or the control — of giant Hollywood studios, thousands of independent filmmakers are telling many other fascinating stories that are difficult for the public to access.

Without the constraints forced on them by big studio budgets and daunting expectations for a massive return on investment, independent filmmakers are able to explore a wider range of subjects and themes than their L.A. counterparts.

In addition, rather than relying on special effects, expensive post-production or computer generated imagery to prop up weak plots, smaller budgets for indie projects mean that the director relies on a strong script or compelling subject matter in order to hold the audience’s attention.

Fortunately, film festivals like the Riding Mountain film fest provide opportunities for film buffs to see some of these gems. From July 16 to 19 at the Visitor Centre Cinema in Wasagaming, 16 independent films from around the world will be screened.

Among them, four films with Westman connections are being featured.

In “A Path Less Travelled,” Scotty Gwyer of Minnedosa, who studied interactive media arts at Assiniboine Community College, tells of the ups and downs of living off the grid. His film will be screened on July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

“Pacific Challenge” by Manuel Arango is a documentary about how, in 1973, a group of men from across the globe set out on a 14,805-kilometre, six-month voyage in three balsa wood rafts and successfully crossed the Pacific.

The purpose of this expedition was to recreate the voyage of the Kon-Tiki, another balsa wood raft which made a similar crossing in 1947 as part of a study on human migration.

The film’s local connection is with Greg Holden of Onanole who took part in the 1973 expedition and shot some of the footage. Holden will be in attendance to answer questions about his experience as a crew member, also on July 19 at 7:30 p.m.

“Innovation Alley,” by festival director Steve Langston and fellow filmmaker Chris Mitchell, gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the experiences of risk-takers and innovators from Manitoba.

From an unassuming facility in the Exchange District of Winnipeg, Assent Works and Ramp Up Manitoba have created a grassroots business incubator, the largest maker space in North America. Some of the entrepreneurs who work there will succeed, many will fail, but each will be richer for the experience. It will screen July 16 at 7:30 p.m.

One of the signature events of the film festival is A Taste for Film. This celebration of food and film will be catered by the Foxtail Café at the Visitor Centre Cinema.

The evening’s menu will feature locally sourced produce and meat to showcase the abundance of wholesome and delicious food available in the area. The evening’s menu is described on the festival’s website. Tickets are $25.

Two films will be shown that are in keeping with the theme of sustainability and the locavore movement.

The first film that will be screened at A Taste for Film is “Makwa Mee Nuun,” a short doc by Chris Petkau. It tells of three generations of Anishinabe medicine women from Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation and their community’s turbulent relationship with Parks Canada.

In 1936, many of the local Anishinabe people had their land wrongfully expropriated in order to create Riding Mountain National Park. The medicine women continued to pick medicinal plants in the area and actively worked toward reconciliation with Parks Canada. It screens at 7:30 p.m. on July 18.

The second film on Saturday evening will be “Open Sesame” by Sean Kaminsky. One of the world’s most precious resources is at risk. This documentary illuminates what is at stake and what can be done to protect the source of nearly all our food: seeds.

Seeds provide the basis for everything from fabric, to food to fuels. Seeds are as essential to life as the air we breathe and the water we drink, and yet the forces that threaten our continued access to them receive very little attention.

For the full festival schedule, visit rmnpfilmfest.ca.

Tickets may be purchased in advance at the Friends of Riding Mountain Nature Shop in the Visitor Centre or at the Friends Learning Centre at 354 Columbine. Tickets will also be available at the door.

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