ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth
ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, a production of the Atlantic Film Festival, announces its full program for students and teachers taking place at select Cineplex Cinemas throughout the Maritime Provinces during the months of March and April this year.Since its inception in 2002, ViewFinders has brought films to over 75,000 young people in Atlantic Canada. Through daytime screenings and workshops that have become popular as an annual class-trip destination for local teachers and their students, ViewFinders offers the best of international and local film while celebrating the original works of Atlantic Canadian young people with a passion for film and video.
New this year, in addition to activities in the Halifax Regional Municipality, ViewFinders will offer FREE activities for students and teachers at Cineplex Cinemas in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. Although pre-registration is required, schools attending ViewFinders will only be responsible for the cost of transportation to and from the event.
“Our goal with ViewFinders is to provide educational opportunities through film and filmmaking to as many young people across the Atlantic Provinces as possible,” said Jason Beaudry, Program Director. “Providing our program in both English and French across the region – and free to all those participating – makes it much more accessible and easy to take part in.”
2016 VIEWFINDERS SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Cineplex Cinemas Yarmouth
March 22 – English Program
March 23 – French Program
Cineplex Cinemas Sydney
March 30 – English Program
March 31 – French Program
Cineplex Cinemas Charlottetown
April 6 – English Program
Cineplex Cinemas Saint John
April 13 – English Program
Cineplex Cinemas Dartmouth Crossing
April 27 – English Program
April 28 – French Program
This year’s film program highlights include, an animated remake of a Canadian classic, La guerre des tuques, fresh off of its Sundance Film Festival premiere in January. This fantastic film for all ages will also be presented in an English version called Snowtime!. And in an exciting partnership with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), ViewFinders will present close to 30 NFB films throughout its program, including the Atlantic Canadian produced Space School series of educational videos on Astrogeology with participation from the Canadian Space Agency, at select locations.
ViewFinders will also feature a number of short film programs for students of all grade levels. Each year, an educational advisory committee views and selects all films in the program and creates useful curriculum recommendations and activity suggestions to accompany each screening.
55 films from around the world will be screened at ViewFinders, including the following shorts from Atlantic Canadian filmmakers:
A Horse Throat – Jenna Marks (NS)
Alien Love Story – Ron McDougall (NS)
Bad Coyote – Jason Young (NS)
Cafétéria – Francine Hébert (NB)
First Weekend – Megan Wennberg (NS)
Impartaite – Andrea Dorfman (NS)
Island Green – Millefiore Clarkes (PEI)
Le goût des belvas – Stéphanie David (NS)
Magit’s Doll – Ann Verrall (NS)
Paper Thin – Jeffrey Parker (NS)
Ron Turcotte, jockey légendaire – Phil Comeau (NB)
Safety Cart – Mika Molloy-Reilly (NS)
Short – Spencer Hetherington (NB)
The Composer – Gwyneth Christoffel (NS)
The Fishing Trip – Evan Kelley, (NS)
ViewFinders will also be offering an Introduction to Screen Arts workshop at all locations. This workshop exposes students to the basic tenets of filmmaking and is modified based on the class, grade-level and overall level of proficiency of the participants.
To register your class for screenings and to learn about the ViewFinders Tour, please contact: Jenna MacLeod, ViewFinders Coordinator at:
Full program details and schedules for all ViewFinders Tour events will be released on Wednesday, March 9th and will be available at atlanticfilm.com/vf
“We are so excited to be taking the ViewFinders experience to students throughout the Maritime provinces this year. The opportunity to help inspire young people to understand and appreciate film from a multitude of perspectives is something the Atlantic Film Festival sees as a key objective for the Association,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director. “The ViewFinders Tour sets the stage each year for future filmmaker and audience participation at the Atlantic Film Festival.”
ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth would like to thank Bell Media, Telefilm Canada, CBC, Cineplex Entertainment, DHX Media, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), NSCC, The Postman Post-Production Studio, NSCAD University, William F Whites International, AFCOOP, ACTRA, Bell Aliant, Alliance Francaise Halifax, Atlantic Digital Reproductions Inc., The Workshop Creative Services, Chris Geworsky Photography and Phillips Public Relations Ltd. as well as the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia for supporting the 2016 event. ViewFinders would also like to thank the participating divisions of the Nova Scotia Department of Education.
ViewFinders will be launching the 2016 ViewFinders Youth Film Competition presented by DHX Media, in the coming weeks. The competition is for Atlantic Canadian youth, 18 and under. Prizes will be awarded in three categories (animation, live action and documentary), as well as a grand prize. Top entries are eligible for prizes that will be awarded at a special red carpet screening in June 2016.
About ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth
Named after the optical window of a camera, ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth began as weeklong film festival for young people and their families in 2002. Since then it has grown into an Atlantic Canada wide youth initiative that brings the Atlantic Film Festival experience to school groups and communities across the region.
Each year ViewFinders presents the best in regional, national and international films for youth, tackling issues from multiculturalism and community to sustainability and creativity. The program’s activities introduce the wonderful world of filmmaking through hands-on media workshops, and through film competitions, ViewFinders provides a platform for young filmmakers – a proven launching pad for the next generation of talent. ViewFinders is the first step in a life full of experiencing and celebrating the art of film and filmmaking.
ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth is a part of the Atlantic Film Festival family of programs. Today’s Atlantic Film Festival is now a year-round celebration, growing beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September to include: ViewFinders, the AFF Outdoor Film Experience and Strategic Partners.
Follow the Atlantic Film Festival on:
Our website: atlanticfilm.com
Facebook: atlanticfilmfestival, #AFF2016
Twitter: @thefilmfest #36AFF, #AFF2016
Youtube: youtube.com/atlanticfilmdotcom
Pinterest: pinterest.com/atlanticfilm
Instagram: @thefilmfest #36AFF, #AFF2016
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