Whistler Film Festival announces a stacked 2016 line-up of films

Today, The Whistler Film Festival – now in its 16^th year of bringing some of the best films from around the world to B.C. – announced their stacked line-up of premieres and previous festival favourites.

It kicks off on November 30 and runs to December 4^th, beginning with a screening of the hotly anticipated Oscar frontrunner La La Land. The throwback musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone and directed by Whiplash helmer Damien Chazelle makes its Western Canada premiere on the festival’s opening night after snagging the highly coveted audience award at TIFF back in September. A film that almost seems destined for some sort of high level award’s season considerations, La La Land continues its upbeat march to the Oscars via a stop at one of this country’s most high profile and continually growing film festivals.

Speaking of TIFF audience awards, Whistler has also snagged screenings of Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire (starring Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy and Armie Hammer, the winner of the Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award) and Australian filmmaker Garth Davis’ debut feature Lion (starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, the runner-up to La La Land’s top prize).

Whistler has also become known as a place for several high profile award season contenders that have bypassed Toronto’s big September shindig, including A Most Violent Year and Carol in recent years past. This year, Whistler has landed a pair of similarly high profile Canadian premieres. Shortly after its U.S. debut, Whistler will host the Canadian premiere of Miss Sloane, filmmaker John Madden’s look at the American gun lobby, starring Jessica Chastain. Whistler also marks the Canadian premiere of Beginners director Mike Mills’ 20^th Century Women, starring Elle Fanning, Alia Shawkat, and boasting what many are calling a standout performance from Annette Bening.

In addition to some high profile American and international titles, Whistler also boast a strong Canadian contingent of films and a great deal of Canadian and international industry sessions and talks. The documentary contingent this year is particularly high on Canadian content, including Dilip Mehta’s Mostly Sunny and the sports minded Celtic Soul, featuring actor Jay Baruchel getting in touch with his love of one of the world’s most famous soccer clubs. Also included among the film’s homegrown programming is Toronto filmmaker Justin McConnell’s thriller Red Mile, Chris Craddock’s Alan Thicke starring block comedy It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway, Adam Levins’ mockumentary Population Zero, April Mullen’s  lesbian romance Below Her Mouth, former Power Ranger Amy Jo Johnson’s directorial debut The Space Between, and Jean-Francois Pouliot’s unnerving comedy The Three Little Pigs 2, which is the highest grossing Canadian film of the year despite mostly not being screened outside of Quebec. There’s also a special screening of 1984’s Hockey Night, a beloved made-for-television film starring Megan Follows and Rick Moranis in the tale of a young girl who wants to play goalie for an all boy’s hockey team. Hockey Night hasn’t been restored before this point, let alone exhibited theatrically, so this will be a special occasion for many nostalgically minded festival goers.

The festival closes, somewhat appropriately given Whistler’s position as one of the world’s foremost ski destinations, with the Canadian premiere of Shades of Winter: Between, documentarian Sandra Lahnsteiner’s look at female athletes.  But between the toe tapping opening and adrenaline pumping closing, there’s plenty of great talent from around the world to be showcased. For a full list of programmes, tickets, travel planning ideas, and a look at all the films being shown, check out the festival’s website.