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The second annual International Film Festival of Ottawa resumes in-person screenings at three downtown venues

International Film Festival of Ottawa

From March 9 to 20, cinephiles can finally change out of their sweatpants and attend in-person screenings of the features and shorts included in this year’s International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO). 

Instead of streaming movies from your couch with a bowl of stale microwavable popcorn in hand, you can enjoy the festival’s eclectic lineup of films at three venues in Ottawa’s downtown core. But for those who prefer watching films at home, the second annual IFFO also offers online screening options. 

The Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), ByTowne Cinema and the Mayfair Theatre provide festival attendees with a more engaging way to celebrate Canadian and international  films that have been cherry picked by the IFFO’s programming team.

“For our second edition, we’ve curated a collection of some of the best feature-length and short films from Canada and around the world to premiere at IFFO 2022,” says Tom McSorley, executive director of IFFO and Canadian Film Institute. “Our dedicated programming team has worked hard to deliver a diverse, challenging, entertaining and intelligent array of films from more than 20 countries.”

Those with a passion for film can gain access to the entire lineup of in-person and online screenings with the IFFO pass, which is on sale now for $200. Folks can also purchase a 5-film pass for in-person and online screenings for $50 or general admission tickets for $15 each.  

The 2022 edition of IFFO is jam-packed with mentally stimulating, entertaining films that will delight cinephiles, Ottawa locals and visitors. 

On opening night, attendees are encouraged to dress in creative black-tie attire for the screening of Canadian film Wildhood by Two-Spirit L’nu director Bretten Hannam. It tells the story of a rebellious Two-Spirit teenager who runs away from home to find his birth mother and reclaim his Mi’kmaw heritage.

The International Film Festival of Ottawa offers two stacked weekends that are perfect for a getaway trip to Ottawa. Some of the must-see films include Kubrick By Kubrick from director Grégory Monro, We’re All In This Together by writer, director and actor Katie Boland, Silent Land by director Aga Woszczyńska, Gagarine by Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh and All My Puny Sorrows by director Michael McGowan, which is an adaptation of Miriam Toews’s best-selling novel. 

On March 19, you can catch Sook-Yin Lee’s performance at Pique, a new quarterly artist-driven music and multimedia event.  She’ll be doing a Q&A at IFFO for a screening of the 4K restoration of Shortbus.  

The two-week festival will wrap up with a screening of Yuni, an Indonesian drama that’s a favourite among all audiences. The coming-of-age film follows a young student who is determined to pursue her education instead of getting married, despite the expectations of her community.

In addition to enjoying all of the shorts and feature films, festivalgoers are invited to attend IFFO’s two free industry programming events. SAVE AS takes place in-person and online on March 10, and examines the preservation, promotion, distribution and exhibition of Canada’s cinematic heritage. 

On March 18, folks interested in getting behind the scenes of the production industry can attend the online Screen Summit. The event also addresses topics relevant to all Canadian industry professionals and provides some quality networking time.

To buy tickets or a pass to the festival, visit iffo.ca/boxoffice.

For up-to-date information on screenings, tickets and other festival-related events, follow IFFO on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  

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