On Deck at Doc Fest ...Passes Now on Sale • Official Selections! • How to WatchWhat's on in Lunenburg • Community BoostJoin the Team • Thank you
PASSES NOW ON SALE!
Film Passes for this year's 7-day festival areNOW ON SALE!All-Access Passes come with access to every filmthis year's (mostly) online festival has to offer.
Curate your own at-home viewing experience and enjoy our largest selection of international documentaries to date, plus insightful livestream Filmmaker Q&As.
Watch for the full film program and schedule in upcoming newsletters!ALL-ACCESS FILM PASS
SUGGESTED PRICE: $35
HOUSEHOLD PASS
for watch parties with people in your household watching together!
SUGGESTED PRICE: $50
Single tickets coming soon ...
Buy Now
OPENING NIGHT ONSITE SOCIAL!
Coming soon ...OPENING NIGHT SOCIAL PASSThursday, September 234-6pmKick off Lunenburg Doc Festwith an opening night social on the waterfront! Delicious hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and vibrant conversation.Join us in celebrating the launch of another remarkable edition of Doc Fest!A limited number of ticketsfor this not-quite-the-gala ;) special event go on sale soon. All Covid protocols within the public health directives will be in place throughout the event.
See Opening Night Social and Onsite Eventsdetails in our next newsletter!
OPENING NIGHT FILM!
Our opening night film is ...
Tell you on September 8th!Our opener is all locked up and *TOP SECRET* until next week!A tribute to music change-makers, the subject of this year's opening night film features never-before-seen archival materials, rare recordings and interviews, and tunes that will transport you to a defining era in music.Get the inside story about a journey that altered the music landscape in decades past and that continues to inspire artists and audiences to this day.All will be revealed on September 8!Stay tuned ...
DOCS, DOCS, DOCS!NEW OFFICIAL SELECTIONS
REBEL HEARTS
2021 • USA • 104 minDirector • Pedro KosVIEWING REGION: Canada
In 1960s Los Angeles a trailblazing group of nuns, The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, bravely stood up to the patriarchy of the Catholic Church, fighting for equality, their livelihoods, and their own freedom against an all-powerful Cardinal who sought to keep them in their place. Their bold acts of faith, defiance and activism turned the Church upside down, helping to reshape our society in ways that continue to resonate today. From marching in Selma in 1965 to the Women’s March in 2018, they challenged the notion of what a nun and a woman were supposed to be.
REBEL HEARTS
WITH DRAWN ARMS
2020 • MEXICO/USA • 84 minDirector • Glenn Kaino & Afshin ShahidiVIEWING REGION: North America
At the 1968 Olympics, Tommie Smith raised his fist during the medal ceremony. This defiant gesture has reverberated ever since, adopted by generations of civil rights activists in the fight for social justice. 50 years later, in an attempt to unpack the true scope of his sacrifice, artist Glenn Kaino partners with him to finally tell his story through art.
WITH DRAWN ARMS
RETURNING HOME
2021 • CANADA • 72 minDirector • Sean StillerVIEWING REGION: Atlantic Canada & Quebec
Canada’s Indian residential school legacy and the decimation of wild pacific salmon stem from a common story: a world where relationships are severed in the service of power, where people become detached from one another and the complex webs of interdependence. Among the Secwépemc in British Columbia, one such story is that of Phyllis Jack-Webstad, a residential school survivor whose experiences inspired the Orange Shirt Day movement. RETURNING HOME follows Phyllis on a nationwide educational tour, while her family struggles to heal multigenerational wounds at home in Secwépemc territory. In the midst of a global pandemic and the lowest salmon run in Canadian history, the film also explores the absence of salmon along the upper Fraser River, and how a multi-year fishing moratorium is tearing at the fabric of Secwépemc communities. By bearing witness to the trauma experienced by Phyllis and her family, RETURNING HOME holds a mirror to the trauma experienced by the natural world, too. For the Secwépemc, healing people and healing the natural world are one and the same.
RETURNING HOME
SEYRAN ATEŞSEX, REVOLUTION and ISLAM
2021 • NORWAY • 81 minDirector • Nefise Ozkal LorentzenVIEWING REGION: North America
In the 1960s, the hippies championed the idea of a sexual revolution. They received neither Fatwas nor bodyguards. Today, Seyran Ateş – a Turkish- German lawyer, author, feminist, and one of the first female imams in Europe – is fighting for a sexual revolution within Islam. In return, two fatwas were issued against her, she has received uncountable death threats, and has been living under constant police protection for several years.
While working at a women’s centre in 1984, she was shot in the neck by a Turkish nationalist. Seyran Ateş’ choice after the failed assassination attempt was very clear: she could give up or fight back. She experienced the threshold between life and death; this experience has given her strength to keep following her revolutionary ideas.
SEYRAN ATEŞ
APENAS EL SOL (Nothing But The Sun)
2020 • PARAGUAY • 74 minDirector • Arami UllonVIEWING REGION: North America
Facing the consequences of a violent uprooting, Mateo Sobode Chiqueno has been recording stories, songs, and testimonies of his Ayoreo people since the seventies. In an attempt to preserve fragments of a disappearing culture, Mateo walks across communities in the arid and desolate Paraguayan Chaco region, and registers on cassettes the experiences of other Ayoreo who, like him, were born in the vast forest, free and nomadic, without any contact with white civilization, until religious missionaries forced them to abandon their ancestral territory, their means of subsistence, their beliefs and their home.
APENAS EL SOL
Buy Your Pass Now
Previously Announced Film Selections
LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD2021 • USA • 90 minDirector • Jeremy WorkmanVIEWING REGION: Canada
LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD follows 20-year-old sensation Lily Hevesh – the world’s most acclaimed domino toppler and the only girl in her field – as she rises as an artist, role model, and young woman. LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD is a coming-of-age story cloaked within a unique portrait of an artist, a story of how passion and artistry can make dreams come true, and an unlikely American tale of a quiet Chinese adoptee who transforms into a global artistic force with over billion YouTube views.
Just wait ... 'til you see what we have planned for an onsite event.It may involve A WHOLE BUNCH OF DOMINOES! ;) Friday, SEPT 24
WRITING WITH FIRE2021 • India • 93 minDirector • Rent Thomas and Sushmit GhoshVIEWING REGION: North America
In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men, emerges India's only newspaper run by Dalit (‘low caste’) women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions, be it on the frontlines of India's biggest issues or within the confines of their homes, redefining what it means to be powerful.
TAMING THE GARDEN2021 • Switzerland, Germany, Georgia • 92 minDirector • Salomé JashiVIEWING REGION: North America
A powerful man and anonymous man has developed an unusual hobby. He buys century-old trees, some as tall as 15-story buildings, from communities along the Georgian coast and has them excavated to collect them for his private garden. In order to transplant trees of such dimensions, the landscape surrounding them is ripped apart and the people living around them are forced to adapt to the disruption. As the film follows this process, it portrays the needs and values of today’s Georgian society and reflects on the theme of forced migration, where "uprooting" is more than a metaphor.
CLIMBING IRAN2021 • Italy • 53 minDirector • Francesca BorghettiVIEWING REGION: North America
"People often ask me: "why do you put nail polish?" When I climb they are all gone and scratched. Then I look at them and I feel: "Oooh! I did a lot of climbing today!".After being a young champion in different sports -from karate to kickboxing- Nasim followed the call of the mountains, and decided to go beyond the barriers imposed on women in her country setting up her own route on the Persian rocks. “Gravity doesn’t ask me what my passport is. It takes you down in the same way, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, black or white, Iranian or Italian..."
GOOD EARTH: The Pots And Passion Of Walter Ostrom2021 • Canada • 49 minDirector • Israel Ekanem* Atlantic Canadian *VIEWING REGION: North America
One of Canada’s foremost ceramic artists, Nova Scotia-based Walter Ostrom’s passionate art practice is explored through his own words and those of former students and colleagues around the world.
HELL OR CLEAN WATER
2021 • Canada • 88 mins
Director • Cody Westman* Atlantic Canadian *VIEWING REGION: Canada & US
In what appears to be an impossible task, Newfoundland diver Shawn Bath has devoted himself to cleaning up the ocean floor one rotting tire at a time. On the brink of bankruptcy and a break-up, his obsessive endeavour catches the attention of locals and a controversial non-profit organization who would like to assist him in scaling up his operations. Driven by passion and held back by bureaucracy, this inspiring story highlights the enormity of human-caused environmental damage and the power of an individual's determination to make the world a better place.
THE CONDUCTOR
2021 • USA • 90 mins
Director • Bernadette WegensteinVIEWING REGION: North AmericaThe Conductor takes the audience into the heart of classical music, and into the soul of one of its top artists, the internationally renowned conductor Marin Alsop — the first woman to serve as music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, and the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra — giving us backstage passes to the artistry and energy that rewards her audiences and inspires her students.
DROPSTONES
2021 • Canada • 57 min
Director • Caitlin Durlak
VIEWING REGION: Canada & USSet on Fogo Island off the coast of Newfoundland, Dropstones is an intimate family portrait that follows a matriarch, Sonya, shortly after she has returned to the home she once yearned to escape. As Sonya raises her two young sons, Luke and Sean, she finds herself drawing on her island’s traditions to meet the challenges of motherhood.
COME BACK ANYTIME2021 • Japan • 81 minDirector • John Daschbach
VIEWING REGION: Canada
COME BACK ANYTIME presents a window into the lives of self-taught Japanese ramen master Masamoto Ueda and his wife Kazuko, who have run their tiny Tokyo ramen shop, Bizentei for more than 40 years. Ueda serves his legendary ramen to scores of devoted customers who have joined him over the decades in making the restaurant an intimate place of community.
A.RTIFICAL I.MMORTALITY
2021 • Canada • 75 min
Director • Ann Shin
VIEWING REGION: Atlantic Canada
If you were able to create an immortal version of yourself, would you? This film explores the latest advancements in AI, robotics and biotech with visionaries who argue for a new age of post-biological life. As scientists point us toward a world where humans and machines merge, we have to ask ourselves will AI be the best, or the last thing we ever do?
HIGH MAINTENANCE
2021 • Israel/Poland • 66 min
Director • Barak Heymann
VIEWING REGION: Canada
Israeli artist Dani Karavan has created nearly 100 environmental installations all across the world. He has won some of the most prestigious international art awards. Yet Karavan is far from satisfied. Karavan becomes embroiled in a serious political and artistic conflict over his latest commission. "High Maintenance" is a straightforward, yet intricate film, emotional and personal without being melodramatic, and as painful as it is humorous and passionate.
BANGLA SURF GIRLS2021 • Canada • 86 mins
Director • Elizabeth D. Costa
VIEWING REGION: North America
Bangla Surf Girls is an observational coming-of-age documentary about three teenage girls who get a rare sense of agency over their lives when they join a surf club. Over the course of three years, we follow Suma, Ayesha and Shobe as they fight unsurmountable odds to follow their dreams.
REBEL OBJECTS
2020 • Costa Rica • 70 mins
Director • Carolina Arias Ortiz
VIEWING REGION: North America
Carolina returns to Costa Rica to try to rebuild the relationship with her father. After a few months, her father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. At that moment, Carolina meets Ifigenia, an archaeologist expert in the stone spheres found in the south of Costa Rica; the country's great enigma. She decides to follow Ifigenia's journey through an erased indigenous history. Through objects and their stories, Carolina learns a different way to relate to death.
ALL-ACCESS FILM PASS• EARLY BIRD •SUGGESTED PRICE: $25*NEW*HOUSEHOLD PASSfor watch parties with people in your household watching together!SUGGESTED PRICE: $50Tickets for select onsite events and single tickets coming soon ...
Buy Now
Stay tuned to Lunenburg Doc Festfor more exciting film announcements!
OPENING NIGHT ONSITE SOCIAL!
The 8th Lunenburg Doc Fest will kick off with an opening night social in beautiful Lunenburg on Thursday, September 23rd.
Join us for delicious hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and vibrant conversation. We look forward to celebrating another remarkable edition of Doc Fest with you.
A (very) limited number of tickets for this not-quite-the-gala ;) special event go on sale soon.
All Covid protocols within the Health Protection Act Order and public health directives will be in place throughout the event.
HOW TO WATCH
Watch this section in future newsletters for helpful tips on how to customize your own at-home festival experience. A handy "How to Watch Guidelines & FAQ" is also available on our website here. (If you joined us for Lunenburg Doc Fest 2020 your Eventive account should still be active, making your upcoming film selections that much easier!)
VIEWING REGIONS
Please note, each film at LDF 2021 is available in one of four viewing regions.
Atlantic Canada (NS, NB, PE, NL)
Canada
Canada & USA
North America
The viewing region will be displayed in our upcoming Film Guide at https://lunenburgdocfest.eventive.org/.
VIRTUAL VIEWING FAQ's
Q. Where can I find a list of the films I've 'unlocked'?A: After you Pre-Order or 'Unlock' the screenings you want to watch, go to
http://watch.eventive.org/me to see the full list of films you selected.
Q. What happens if I need technical support during the festival?A: Our virtual festival platform, Eventive, offers live chat support to help you through any issues should they arise.
Get live chat support at https://watch.eventive.org/helpQ: What are these icons on the top-right corner of Eventive?A: These icons will help you navigate your Eventive account.From left to right, they represent:
Film Guide: Click this film-strip icon to browse our film program and schedule.
My Passes: Click this icon to view your pass(es).
My Tickets: Click this icon to view your individual tickets.
Log out: Click this icon to log out of your Eventive account. You will need to be logged in to view Lunenburg Doc Fest content.
Q: What if I don't remember my Eventive password?A: You can reset your password here:
https://lunenburgdocfest.eventive.org/forgotQ: What affects image quality of the films?A: The player auto-adjusts to internet speed. Your internet speed may change depending on how many other users are on your home network, the time of day, etc. If your internet connection is inconsistent you may experience playback problems. If on wifi, try moving closer to your router to improve the connection.
Q: Can I watch content on my iPhone or iPad?A: Yes, you can watch content using Safari on iOS 11.2 or later -- check to ensure you're on wifi first!
Q: How do I watch a livestream Filmmaker Q&A? A: Go to the livestream page (
https://watch.eventive.org/lunenburgdocfest/live) for the schedule of livestreams and to enter livestreams when they are active. Look for the countdown clock on upcoming livestreams to see how long until they’re live.
JOIN THE TEAM!
Support comes in many forms.
Volunteer with Lunenburg Doc Fest and be part of the local vibrant cultural community!We seek adult volunteers who share a passion for film, engaging community and supporting a great and growing non-profit organization.
Click HERE to apply!WHAT'S ON IN LUNENBURG
"SEAFARING WOMEN'S PERSONAL ENSIGNS"Artist Talk & Exhibition by INBAL NEWMAN,
Winter 2021 Artist-in-Residence & Summer 2021 Artist FellowArtist Talk: Thursday, September 9 at 7:00pm
(online registration required)Exhibition: Friday, September 10 to September 30, Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 4:00pm daily.Inbal Newman, Winter 2021 Artist-in-Residence and Summer 2021 Artist Fellow, presents a continuation of her ongoing series of hand-stitched standards designed to recognize remarkable seafaring women. The in-person event will include the original series of six ensigns and will introduce four newly created flags.Artist Talk seating is limited; reservations are required. To book, please send an email to
learn@lunenburgarts.org, subject line: “Inbal Newman Artist Talk”. Please include your name, phone number, and number of attendees, our School will then follow up to confirm your booking.The exhibition will be on display in the LSA storefront at 151 Montague Street, on the corner of Montague and Prince Streets from Friday, September 10 to Thursday, September 30, 2021.
Celebrations continue in Lunenburg and across the country for the 100th Anniversary of Canada’s famous schooner, Bluenose. Launched in Lunenburg Harbour on March 26, 1921, "The Queen of the North Atlantic" would soon become a legend, renowned for becoming the fastest racing ship in Canadian history and then immortalized on the Canadian dime. The Bluenose 100 Committee of the Lunenburg Marine Museum Society has created a wonderful collection of in-person and virtual events to share the story of Nova Scotia's treasured Bluenose. Details of the year-long celebration can be found at
www.bluenose100.caMany thanks to Bluenose 100 for supporting this year's Lunenburg Doc Fest Youth Workshop!
Lunenburg Doc Fest’s first COMMUNITY BOOST program was very well-received and helped support the community that has always supported us.Lunenburg Doc Fest will once again pay it forward and turn a portion of our donations into COMMUNITY BOOST Gift Cards. We are excited to invite you to participate in Doc Fest’s 2021 COMMUNITY BOOST!For every $500 donated, a Doc Fest sponsor receives $50 in COMMUNITY BOOST Gift Cards (in $25 denominations), redeemable at a variety of local businesses. (If you are unable to redeem your card you may gift it to someone else, or contribute the value back to Lunenburg Doc Fest for which you will receive a charitable tax receipt.) Participating businesses that accept the cards are swapped for equal value in cash from Lunenburg Doc Fest.Doc Fest’s COMMUNITY BOOST is our way of sending our continued support to the community that has always supported us.Please join us and benefit from a little ‘boost’ to our community thanks to LDF’S COMMUNITY BOOST.
2020 Community Boost cards are valid through August 31, 2021.The 2021-22 participating businesses list will be announced soon.
THANK YOU
DIAMOND SPONSORSAnonymousRoyal Bank of Canada (RBC)TELEFILM CanadaPLATINUM SPONSORSCBC AtlanticChippie Kennedy & John McLennanMary-Lou PyeThe Huskilson FamilyChristina (Tina) McArthur & Richard RubensteinSaltboxGOLD SPONSORSAdams & KnickleJohn & Jenice BentonRichard Brown & Deborah Kennedy BrownRena & Henry DemoneColin Carroll & Colleen GallowayCamelia FriebergGorgeous Mistake ProductionsInge HattonHB StudiosMargaret & Ian LightstoneElizabeth Wishart & Bruce MacCormackPat McGowan & Dennis CarterNova Scotia Building SuppliesCarol PostalLou & Karen PutneyAllan E. Rubenstein, MDTown of LunenburgNancy & Brad Unsworth
SILVER SPONSORSColoursmithEleven Eleven Group of CompaniesDavid & Roseann FineLunenburg Foundation for the ArtsNova Wood Products Ltd.Julia PriceElizabeth RhinelanderRoland SitzlerEd VaughanWest Nova FuelsBRONZE SPONSORSIronworks DistilleryLaughing Whale Coffee RoastersPierre Lesperance & Suzie deWittNancy NicholsonNorthern SunChristian ScheidemannThe Knot PubFRIENDS OF THE FESTIVALAmos PewterGerald HallowellMarilyn & Brian Mackay-LyonsRuth Anne NicholsonRobert PressonDavid PatrickAlan ScottSkysailSvenja Dee, TulipwoodDebora WalshRandall WillisPeter D'entrementHimmelman's Trophies and GiftsGlen & Stephanie Halfyard
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative
Centre for Art TapesDOC AtlanticEastlink Community TVHB StudiosHot DocsLincoln Street FoodLunenburg Arms Hotel and SpaNarrative ResearchOutpost EastGarth & Dorothy TurnerWilliam F. White
JOIN THE SPONSORSHIP COMMUNITY!
Lunenburg Doc Fest is grateful for the support of our Sponsorship Community! If you share a passion for film or wish to connect with our film enthusiast audiences, a Lunenburg Doc Fest sponsorship package will ensure distinguished exposure for you or your brand. The Festival offers a variety of sponsorship levels and packages and you will directly benefit by reaching a culturally savvy audience through festival program guide advertising, social media, logos on printed materials, a sponsor highlight at each screening, and more.Please consider donating to Lunenburg Doc Fest to support our mission and help the festival continue to present evocative documentaries for all ages, special community events, and free educational opportunities for youth and seniors. An official charitable tax receipt will be issued for all eligible gift amounts per CRA guidelines.Lunenburg Doc Fest accepts donations via CanadaHelps.org, e-Transfer to treasurer@lunenburgdocfest.com, or cheque to Box 1497, Lunenburg, NS B0J 2C0.Securities including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds donations may be made via CanadaHelps.orgU.S. FRIENDS:Lunenburg Doc Fest is an approved beneficiary of the Council for Canadian American Relations (CCAR), a 501(c)(3) public charity in the U.S. that is a "qualified donee" under the Income Tax Act (Canada). For information about CCAR please visit ccar-nyc.org or contact info@ccar-nyc.org.Thank you!
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