Cinéfest gives us first sneak peek of lineup at 30th anniversary festival

A sneak peek of what's coming up during the 30th anniversary edition of Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival was released at a July 25 press conference.

Cinéfest, by the way, runs this year Sept. 15-23 at SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas. 

The film reveal included three of the gala presentations that will be screened during the festival.

These include:

• What they Had (Sunday, Sept. 16) – Starring Hilary Swank and Blythe Danner, the film is about a woman who returns home to deal with her ailing mother and her father's reluctance to let go of their life together.
• Colette (Monday, Sept. 17) – Starring Keira Knightley, the period film is about a woman who is pushed by her husband to write novels under his name. Upon their success, she fights to make her talents known, challenging gender norms.
• The Sisters Brothers (Sunday, Sept. 23) – Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jake Gyllenhaal and John C. Reilly, the film is set in 1850s Oregon, where a gold prospector is chased by the infamous duo of assassins, the Sisters brothers. 

“The galas we announced today we think are going to capture people's imaginations,” said Cinéfest managing director Patrick O'Hearn.

“They're seeing well-known actors in roles that they've never taken on before, and they're exciting films that are getting a lot of steam heading into awards season as well.”

There were also two films shot in Northern Ontario screening at Cinéfest that were announced at the press conference.

These films are:

• An Audience of Chairs – Shot in Sudbury, the film is about a beautiful, gifted but mentally ill woman who loses her two young children when, caught up in a manic episode, she leaves them unattended on an island near her summer home. Although they are rescued unharmed, her world unravels. Her husband Duncan ends their marriage and takes the children back to his native Scotland. 
• Keely and Du – Shot in Temagami, the film is about an extremist anti-choice faction that executes a brazen kidnapping and transports a young pregnant woman to a remote location where she will be forced to bring her pregnancy to term.

For tickets and more information about Cinéfest, visit cinefest.com.

– Sudbury.com