(June 22, 2017 – Toronto, ON) The last film on today’s schedule at the 15th Female Eye Film Festival is the award-winning Werewolf from East Coast director Ashley Mckenzie. It screens later in the evening ay 9:30 but it’s well worth staying up for.
This afternoon kicks off with a collection of three documentary films, two shorts and a feature. The shorts, together, run just over 20 minutes and include Rough Waters, directed by Claire Imler and Troy Charbonnet. Submerged in the darkness of her depression and struggling to stay afloat in the rough waters of her life, Katie uncovers what matters most in her journey to recovery. And, Before the Wave, a Thailand, Myanmar/Canada co-production directed by Molly Willows. Before the Wave is a lyrical documentary featuring a captivating community of indigenous, stateless Moken sea nomads who live off the coast of Burma and Thailand. Today living as a ragtag community of ocean-frolicking outliers, the vibrant community survived the Boxing Day tsunami 10 years ago.
The Greece/Australia feature runs 57 minutes and is titled Dogs of Democracy. Directed by Mary Zournazi, the film explores life on the street through the eyes of stray dogs and the community’s everyday experience with them, where the dogs symbolize hope for the people during Greece’s anti-austerity movement. It is a universal story about love and loyalty and speaks to what we can learn from animals.
The day’s focus seems to be on short films with two back-to-back short film programs on the schedule. The first, starting at 4PM, contains 8 short films coming from directors in Australia, Canada and the United States. The whole program runs 86 
minutes and as we’ve said before, the great thing about short films is if you don’t like one particular film there will be something else to watch in just a few minutes. The shortest, at just under 3 minutes, is the Canadian film Mallory Memphis, directed by Paige K. Boudreau. Mallory Memphis is a childhood urban legend come to life. It explores themes of beliefs and peer pressure told by an unreliable narrator.
The longest, just over 22 minutes, is the Australian film The Ravens, directed by Jennifer Perrott. When young Ruby’s father returns unexpectedly from war, his volatile state makes it difficult for the family to reconnect. Ruby’s anxieties are projected onto a pair of ravens, vigilantly defending their nearby nest, who become a catalyst for the troubled family’s journey from crisis to healing.
The second shorts program runs in conjunction with the Female Eye Photo Exhibit and if we’re reading things correctly the photo exhibit from 6PM to 7:30PM as well as the Shorts Program from 7:30 until 9PM are free. This event takes place at 140 Wineva Avenue instead of at the Fox Theatre.
As mentioned, the night’s feature is Werewolf and in keeping with the theme the short that screens before it is titled Beautiful Dead Things. Werewolf won the Best Canadian film at Festival du Nouveau Cinéma and was winner of three awards at the Atlantic Film Festival. It also screened as part of TIFF’s Canada’s Top 10 Film Festival. There will be an audience Q & A with the filmmakers following the screening.
Click here for the complete schedule at the 15th Female Eye Film Festival.
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