Sugar Daddy at Whistler
by Staff
(November 6, 2020 – Toronto, ON) Organizers of the 20th annual Whistler Film Festival have announced their lineup and it includes films that will be streamed as well as a number of films that will screen in what they are calling the “in-theatre” portion of the festival.
There are two opening films this year. First up when the festival launches on December 1 is the world premiere of the Canadian feature Sugar Daddy, costarring Colm Feore and Kelly McCormack (pictured above), who also penned the screenplay. McCormack plays a musician who works as a paid dinner companion for older men…enter Colm Feore. The film is directed by Alabama-born actress-director Wendy Morgan.
The in-theatre launch on December 3 brings the world premiere of the Canadian film In Her City from director Carl Bessai. The film is a series of short vignettes that focus on young urban women in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles.
“With a particular emphasis on Canadian content creators and distinct and emerging new voices, the Whistler Film Festival continues to fill a valuable niche within the Canadian film festival ecosystem,” said Paul Gratton, WFF’s Director of Programming. “This year, we’re excited to bring the magic of WFF to a national audience through our online offerings and in-theatre for our regional fans. WFF has evolved into a premium showcase for exciting new motion pictures not previously shown at other film festivals. With our strongest lineup ever of Canadian gems to topical American Indies, our 20th edition selections simply crackle with the energy and creativity that result when brand new voices are mixed in with more established filmmakers.”
There are 89 films on the schedule with 32 of them being features. The online portion runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 20, and those titles will remain available until Dec. 31 with a 24-hour window throughout Canada, but with some restrictions in Quebec. The in-theatre screenings will run from Dec. 3 to Dec. 6 in both Vancouver and Whistler, B.C.
Cinematic excellence remains at the heart of the Whistler Film Festival with 16 film awards in seven juried competitions. One of the most coveted awards is the Borsos Award for Best Canadian Feature, named in honour of Canadian filmmaker Phillip Borsos. This year, 15 Canadian films will contend for the five coveted Borsos Competition awards. Titles up for consideration include the World Premieres of An Introvert’s Guide To High School directed by Sophie Harvey, a comedic look at how high school pressures affect less outgoing students; In Her City directed by Carl Bessai; Indian Road Trip directed by A.W. Hopkins, a humorous First Nations road trip with scams, hidden loot and all kinds of funny hijinks; Mercy directed by Sam Flamont, about life in a medium-security prison after the shooting of a wounded deer; Sugar Daddy directed by Wendy Morgan starring and written by Kelly McCormack; and All-In Madonna directed by Arnold Lim about a young woman learning that her Dad may be murderer.
The festival says it will share net online proceeds on a 50/50 basis directly with the filmmakers or Canadian rights holders, as a way to support filmmakers struggling during the pandemic.
The full lineup and more information is on the WFF website. Click here for a link to the Whistler Film Festival and other December 2020 film festivals.
