GIFF is Manitoba’s most prestigious film festival and the largest rural Canadian film festival. Each year, this cinematic celebration attracts aspiring storytellers to showcase the best of contemporary cinema across a selection of genres.
The 2023 edition runs from July 26 to July 30 and features new, exciting works from many of the National Screen Institute’s talented alumni, program participants, faculty and associate faculty. See the lineup highlights below:
While the other students wonder if new kid Robin is a boy or a girl, Robin forges a complicated bond with the school bully, making increasingly dangerous choices to fit in.
Director / writer / executive producer: Trevor Anderson (NSI Drama Prize)
Producer: Alyson Richards (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First)
Eva has left her homeland of Ukraine with nothing more than a few belongings. She has come to Canada in search of a new life, though the only language she speaks is Ukrainian. Upon arriving, she finds a cold and hard city filled with immigrants from all other corners of the world and spirals into self-sabotage while trying to keep it all together.
Producers: Kyle Irving (NSI Global Marketing), Lisa Meeches (NSI Storytellers)
Grinding away at the inherited family business, Mohamed works tirelessly making sales of knock-off perfume, while living as a knock-off version of his true self. Inside of this monotony Mohamed is lying to himself about his sexuality and leaning into the mask of masculinity in order to maintain the expectations of those around him, but in reality the biggest expectations of how he should be are set by himself.
Executive producer: Lauren Mackinlay (NSI Features First)
Banchi Hanuse’s doc takes us to the golden plains of Blackfoot Territory to the home of Logan Red Crow, a young Siksika woman whose passion is the Indian Relay. A sport for the truly brave, the Relay’s bareback riders vault from horse to horse in short, exhilarating races. Gentle and reflective, yet unshakeable in her determination, Logan is a champion in the making.
Director / writer: Banchi Hanuse (NSI Art of Business Management – Indigenous Edition)
Over a career spanning six decades, Cree musician, artist and activist Buffy Sainte-Marie has used her platform to campaign for Indigenous and women’s rights and inspired multiple generations of musicians, artists and activists.
Executive producers: Kyle Irving (NSI Global Marketing), Lisa Meeches (NSI Storytellers)
Seeking Fire (pictured) is a feature documentary about people’s relationship with money and how financial independence can fuel passion. Filmmakers Ian Bawa and Quan Luong travel the country meeting with people that are financially free, while also exploring their own relationship with money.
Writer / director / star: Ian Bawa (NSI Business for Producers, NSI Totally Television)
Producer: Chris Charney (NSI Features First)
Executive producer: Kyle Bornais (NSI Features First)
