Welcome to the Barrie Film Festival
Discover unique films year-round through Barrie Film Festival programming. We provide film fans unique experiences and seek out the best of the best in Independent cinema, featuring films from Canada and around the world.
We have our popular Screen One monthly film series at the Uptown Theatre the first Wednesday and Thursday of every month, where we showcase an international line up of cinematic gems. On the third Thursday of the month there is our 3rd Thursday program which provides an additional opportunity to enjoy a special BFF selection. The Reel Stories winter mini-festival will be returning downtown February 20-23, 2020 where we present the most current in documentary and fact-based films. During the summer months we offer free outdoor screenings on Barrie’s waterfront. From October 18 to 27, 2019 we will be hosting our 22nd annual ten-day festival at venues throughout the City of Barrie. This autumn film festival includes over 40 screenings, a Short Film Competition, guest Q&As and receptions
With over a 150 public events and screenings per year, there are many opportunities to enjoy award-winning and festival favorites on the big screen. Come see what the wide world of cinema has to offer.
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TODAY at BFF22⠀
KILLING PATIENT ZERO + GUEST Q&A! ⠀
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Written and Directed by: Laurie Lynd ⠀
Documentary | 14A for mature thematics | 100 min. | Canada⠀
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SCREENING:⠀
Sunday, October 20 - 4:00 pm + Guest Q&A with Director Laurie Lynd⠀
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barriefilmfestival.ca/now-playing/killing-patient-zero-400pm/
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After the Stonewall riots and at the height of the gay liberation movement in America, an entire generation busy celebrating its newfound emancipation was unaware of an impending epidemic – a disease that proved to be largely ignored by politicians and the mainstream media. Gaetan Dugas was a French-Canadian flight attendant who offered to help early scientific research into the origins of this new disease but an unfortunate series of events followed, and he would eventually be vilified as Patient Zero, the man who gave society AIDS. Based on Richard McKay’s groundbreaking book, Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic, this feature documentary clears Dugas of being anything other than a highly sexually active gay man, someone who – like hundreds of other gay men – refused to be re-pathologized by the scientists and doctors of the time. Many gay men and women who lived through that terrible time were also interviewed here, most notably, Fran Lebowitz. ⠀
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NOMINATED - Audience Award, Best Documentary, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, 2019⠀
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Laurie Lynd is a Directors Guild of Canada and Genie award winning writer/director whose film work has been screened at dozens of international film festivals, including SUNDANCE, TIFF and MOMA’s New Directors/New Films; his television work has aired on BBC, Sky TV, Logo, Showtime, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, CBC, CTV, CITY, A&E, Discovery and many other networks.
Here is what's on for BFF22 Day 3
Sunday, October 20
1:00 pm – All is True
1:30 pm – Modified – Environment Series - informal discussion to follow at The Local Gastropub
3:15 pm – Willie
4:00 pm – Killing Patient Zero - Guest Q&A with Director Laurie Lynd to follow screening
5:15 pm – Tel Aviv on Fire
7:00 pm – Pavarotti
7:30 pm – In Fabric
mailchi.mp/barriefilmfestival/r5lhwlqp86-1314901?e=55ae8d0e6b
Short Film Showcase
Saturday, October 19, 6:30 pm
Uptown Theatre, 55 Dunlop Street West, Barrie
barriefilmfestival.ca/programs/short-film-competition/
Presenting a highly varied selection of films submitted by regional, national and international filmmakers and curated by our panel of judges. All of the short films screened at the event will be eligible for the People’s Choice Award and ballots for voting will be available at the screening. The awards for all categories will be
announced directly following the screening at the Filmmakers’ Party, which this year will be held at the Sandbox Centre. A very big thank you to all those who submitted their work!
Good Luck tonight!
Short Film Line-up
Please note that this program is unrated and may contain coarse language, bullying, adult themes, drug and sexual references.
The Change
Writer/Director: Derby McNulty | 5:01 | High School Category | Canada
The Interview
Writer/Director: Noah Helinski | 4:54 | Simcoe County Category | Canada
Life Via Rail
Documentary | Director: Jonny Micay | Producer: Ethan Godel | 8:48 | Open Category | Canada
Otto & Bradley: Something Fishy
Studio Venti (3rd yr. film group at Sheridan) | Animation Director: Jennifer Yun | 6:27 | Simcoe County Category | Canada
Lobsters
Comedy | Director: Matt Huntley | 4:00 | Open Category | United Kingdom
The Literalist
Director: Lori Ann Potts | Writer/Producer: Nicole Bach | 3:49 | Open Category | USA
One (UNO)
Director/Producer: Javier Marco Rico | Writer: Belén Sánchez-Arévalo | 10:00 | Open Category | Spanish with English subtitles | Spain
Oracle
Director/Writer: Aaron Poole | Producer: Breann Smordin | 8:41 | Open Category | Canada
Memories
Director: Ian Rayburn | Writer/Producer: Christopher Pirri | 6:55 | Open Category | Canada
Our Reality Is Happy
Documentary | Director/Writer/Producer: Aniyah Faisal | 4:22 | High School Category | Urdu with English subtitles | Canada
Tough Love
Writer/Director: Nicholas Dragas | Producer: Denise Bodan | 4:37 | Open Category | Canada
Ian, A Moving Story
Director: Abel Goldfarb | Writer: Gastón Gorali | 9:00 | Open Category | Argentina
This is a Teenage Love Letter
Director: Tessa Hill | 6:49 | High School Category | Canada
Six Stops West
Director/Writer: Noah Gehman | 5:15 |
High School Category | Canada
Boy Bye
Director/Writer: Mitch Graszat | 10:00 | Simcoe County Category | Canada
Sunday Service
Director/Producer: Neil Shearer | Writer: Nikita Adoni | 8:00 | Simcoe County Category | Canada
Seeing Sound
Documentary | Director: Alec Jordan | With: Jacob Way-White | 4:31 | Simcoe County Category | Canada
Hearth
Director/Writer/Producer: Max Shoham | 1:10 | High School Category | Canada
Awards Presentation / Filmmakers’ Party
Saturday, October 19, 9:00 pm
Sandbox Centre, 24 Maple Avenue, 2nd Floor, Barrie
Admission: Free
Immediately following the Short Film Showcase, please join us at the Sandbox Centre for the awards presentation and some celebrating! Always a fun party, this
event offers an opportunity to mingle with the filmmakers, to enjoy some excellent music (courtesy of DJ Casey George) and to feast on some fabulous nibblies, this year provided by Cocina Mexicana Restaurant and J’adore Fine Cheese & Chocolate.
Program Sponsor: Invest Barrie, City of Barrie
Filmmakers Party Sponsored by: Downtown Barrie Business Association
People’s Choice Award: Simcoe Audio Video
Simcoe County Awards: Dr. Dove Dental Office
High School Awards: Manulife Investment Management
Music Sponsor: BDO