Milton Film Festival
1010 Main Street East Milton, ON, Canada

Hooray! MFF alum Pat Mills ('Don't Talk to Irene') has a new movie out!

This is so terribly sad. RIP.

Going through some old, forgotten SD cards and ran across this, from September 14, 2011. It was during Roger Ebert's second last visit to TIFF, and he was doing a book signing for his autobiography 'Life Itself' while his wife Chaz kept us all entertained. The following April was the first year I went to Roger Ebert's Film Festival - the festival that inspired our own. He was there, and they played Citizen Kane, on a giant screen, with his brilliant commentary track. It made Chaz cry to hear his voice again. Two weeks before the next Ebertfest, he passed away. RIP, Roger.

Very excited and grateful to be receiving $6,200 in financial support from the Ontario Trillium Foundation through the Resilient Communities Fund! These funds will help cover costs to facilitate and promote our online film screenings.

Come join us for our (virtual) Oscar Watch Party! And be sure to fill out your Oscar Ballot before the broadcast starts for a chance to win! https://forms.gle/KkBQ8RCRhdnSU8Qr9

DAY TWO First up... NO ORDINARY MAN - Opens 5:00 PM An in-depth look at the life of jazz musician and trans culture icon, Billy Tipton. Complicated and beautiful, this documentary was a labour of love for the cast and crew. Plus, the short film JUNIOR. With special guest, co-director Chase Joynt, LIVE at 6:45 in conversation with Katie Pearce.... UNDINE - Opens 8:00 PM When the man she loves leaves her, the ancient myth catches up with her. But falling in love anew, Undine reworks the myth of the mysterious water spirit as a modern fairy-tale in a disenchanted world. Plus, the short film TRANSFER - directed by last year's Allegra Audience Choice Award winner, Benjamin Rouse. TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE - https://watch.eventive.org/miltonfilmfest

JANUARY 29, 8pm: We start with the short film EPHEMERA, directed by Guelph's own, Jason Romolo. It's a striking film with many meanings, much like the feature we have paired it with... One of the most talked about films to premiere at Sundance in 2020 is BLACK BEAR - a darkly comic exploration of art and identity that features one of the finest performances of Aubrey Plaza's career. The film also stars Canadian Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace) and Christopher Abbott. At a remote lak...e house in the Adirondack Mountains, a couple entertains an out-of-town guest looking for inspiration in her filmmaking. The group quickly falls into a calculated game of desire, manipulation, and jealousy, unaware of how dangerously convoluted their lives will soon become in the filmmaker’s pursuit of a work of art, which blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention. This film is a personal favourite of our programming team and one that you will think about long after the credits roll. Be sure to stick around after the show, where we will be chatting with screenwriter/director LAWRENCE MICHAEL LEVINE. Join us January 29th at 10:05pm for our live-streamed Q&A. https://watch.eventive.org/milto//5fc713c95561dd005325db17

Awesome discussion with Adam van Koeverden and Nadia, Butterfly director Pascal Plante, hosted by our own Autumn Scott!

In the News... the Oakville News! https://oakvillenews.org//what-to-watch-at-the-2021-milto/

THE EASIEST PRESENT YOU'LL BUY! All our tickets and multi-film passes can be purchased as gifts. When you go to make your purchase, just click the link in the lower right that says "Give as a gift" and create a redeemable gift certificate to send to the film fans on your list! https://miltonfilmfest.eventive.org/passes/buy

A WORLD OF FILM AWAITS...

ANOTHER ROUND (DRUK) Two titans of Danish cinema - director Thomas Vinterberg and actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) - reunite for the first time since their 2012 film THE HUNT in this thought-provoking comedy drama about four high school teachers who test a theory that their lives would be improved by a constant level of alcohol in their blood. Available starting Jan 30th. Tickets on sale NOW!

CITIZEN OF MORIA After the resounding success of ONLY 78 three years ago, Milton's own Jawad Mir is back, along with co-director Ahmad Ebrahimi, to present their compelling and timely new documentary. CITIZEN OF MORIA chronicles Ahmad's journey after being driven from Afghanistan by the Taliban to wind up in Europe's worst refugee camp - Moria. With a special livestreamed Q&A with Jawad and Ahmad, moderated by another old friend of the festival - Ron Base! Available online starting January 30. Tickets available NOW!

BLACK BEAR This offbeat psychological drama was an audience and critics favourite when it premiered at Sundance, and is being hailed as one of the finest performances of actress Aubrey Plaza's career. Available starting January 29. TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends, family and talented filmmakers all over Canada. We can ALL be grateful for The Arts during the good times, and the bad. We are grateful for artists, volunteers and industry professionals who help entertain us - and move us - year round. One example is #filmfreeway - a fast and easy way for filmmakers to submit their work to festivals all over the world; the industry standard that connects us all. We Proudly accept entries via FilmFreeway !! Check out our listing and submit TODAY. Deadline to submit your short or feature length film is October 30th.

Don't miss Wendy Donnan's Festival Insider Workshop next Wednesday October 21st on Zoom! One of the most useful weapons in an independent filmmaker’s arsena...l is a general understanding of the way film festivals work. This workshop will teach you how to be successful in the festival landscape. Whether you are an experienced filmmaker or newbie to the festival world, you will learn tips for getting your film into your chosen festival, plus how to create a festival plan for your film, which festivals to target, and how to prepare your film for submissions. You will also get an insider’s view of what festival programmers are looking for! A Festival guide will be given out to all registrants before the workshop starts. Led by OFFA Exec Director/Lead Programmer and filmmaker Wendy Donnan. Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mBUZUyVQQpmq8ZoV73119g More on the Fall Industry Series: https://offa.ca/fall-industry-series/ Comment below if you would like to join our email list for more information about upcoming events!

Don't miss Wendy Donnan's Festival Insider Workshop next Wednesday October 21st on Zoom! One of the most useful weapons in an independent filmmaker’s arsena...l is a general understanding of the way film festivals work. This workshop will teach you how to be successful in the festival landscape. Whether you are an experienced filmmaker or newbie to the festival world, you will learn tips for getting your film into your chosen festival, plus how to create a festival plan for your film, which festivals to target, and how to prepare your film for submissions. You will also get an insider’s view of what festival programmers are looking for! A Festival guide will be given out to all registrants before the workshop starts. Led by OFFA Exec Director/Lead Programmer and filmmaker Wendy Donnan. Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mBUZUyVQQpmq8ZoV73119g More on the Fall Industry Series: https://offa.ca/fall-industry-series/ Comment below if you would like to join our email list for more information about upcoming events!

As the leaves start to change outside and the temperature begins to drop... how quickly time passes, especially during these strange times... Remember, #spookyseason also means SHORTS season here at MFF! The deadline to SUBMIT YOUR #shortfilms is October 30th, 2020. All short films are eligible for the Allegra Audience Choice Award, which includes a cash prize of $100. Spooky, indeed! https://filmfreeway.com/MiltonFilmFestival-1551072

Thank you, TIFF!

SECOND LAST DAY OF TIFF! What an amazing - and weird - festival it's been. It was so sad to miss all the hustle and excitement of Festival Street, sprinting from the TIFF Bell Lightbox to the Scotiabank Theatre to catch the next film, popcorn for dinner... and of course, the experience of watching great films on a big screen with fellow film lovers On the bright side, everything was so much more accessible this year. Jen got to see a record 22 films plus a number of industry panels and Q&As, and Katie saw even more. It's given us lots of ideas for next year's Milton Film Festival, so stay tuned! Here are a few of our favourites... what were yours?

DAY 6 at TIFF 2020 "David Byrne's AMERICAN UTOPIA" directed by Spike Lee. Even if you're not a Talking Heads fan, you will be uplifted and inspired by this film. Here we see Byrne's highly successful Broadway spectacle, which got shut down as quickly as it began due to the pandemic. Somehow (in his usual fashion) Byrne and his bandmates translate alienation, racism, disenfranchisement and other depressing realities of our world into infectious feelings of positivity, inclusion, and shameless feel-good dancing. I think we could all use a bit of that these days, don't you?

DAY 5 at TIFF 2020: We got so busy watching great films, we forgot to post yesterday! One of the favourites this year, "MLK/FBI" is a documentary that explores the US government's surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King Jr. Featuring some amazing restored footage of both the American hero and other notable figures of the time, this film urges us to remember that progress is a hard-won battle - one that rages on today.

Day 4 at TIFF 2020: "NOMADLAND" After losing everything in the Great Recession, a woman in her sixties (the incomparable Frances McDormand) embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad. Beautifully shot and achingly real, this is another story bursting with a quiet, yet powerful, humanity from director Chloe Zhao (The Rider). Everyone here at MFF liked this one - not a surprise that it's already picked up the Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival.

Day 3 at TIFF 2020! So many great film this year - and we are so fortunate to have access to so many through TIFF Film Circuit. One of Jen's favourites so far is PIECES OF A WOMAN - a harrowing and deeply moving portrait of a woman working through grief and loss. Vanessa Kirby has already won at Venice and will surely pick up more awards, as will the great Ellen Burnstyn for her supporting role.

Day 2 at TIFF 2020. Watched even more films today and many more to come! Katie’s favourite so far: NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN Poland’s entry for Best International Film at the 2021 Oscars... Like an adult fairy tale with magic realism, socio-political concerns, dark humour and good morals under its sleeve... Another beautifully hypnotic home run from Polish cinema. Fans of Yorgos Lanthimos and Andrei Tarkovsky will appreciate this unique film

Day 1 at TIFF 2020 is done! Saw HOLLER, a terrific film reminiscent of Winter's Bone, but in the age of Trump. Lots more to come!

CALLING ALL FILMMAKERS: THE SHOW MUST GO ON... SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO MFF 2021 TODAY !! - FEATURE FILMS must be OVER 70 minutes in length - SHORT FILMS must be UNDER 20 minutes in length - While we will gladly accept films from anywhere in Canada, priority is generally given to films with a local connection to Milton and Halton Region... The deadline for submissions is October 30th, 2020. If your film is selected, you will be notified by December 1st, 2020. Films may be submitted online by completing this form, along with a link to a screener copy your film. All short films are eligible for the Allegra Audience Choice Award, which includes a cash prize of $100. http://www.miltonfilmfest.com/film-submissions/

Such a great night and a terrific film!