South Western International Film Festival

Still hungry for new films? We highly recommend you check out the Regent Park Film Festival, opening today! The entire programme is available online for FREE, and they have a bunch of films, workshops, and panels lined up. Tune in here: http://regentparkfilmfestival.com/2020/

Star Riz Ahmed on his new track Once Kings: This is the most personal music I’ve made. I’ve done a lot of stuff about what’s going on in the world. But this is what’s going on in me. This is from the heart. My mum singing at the end. Footage from my childhood. Hope it connects. Don’t miss his critically acclaimed performance in MOGUL MOWGLI directed by Bassam Tariq, on now as part of #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: cutt.ly/mogul-mowgli

Tune in tomorrow for Opening Night! Join Sarnia-born Oscar nominee Sami Khan for a live Q&A following his latest film THE LAST OUT, presented in partnership with NOVA Chemicals. Book your ticket: cutt.ly/last-out

Award-winning independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt spoke to NPR’s Jesse Thorn about centering her latest Western, FIRST COW, around... well, a cow. This critically acclaimed film is a must-see. Watch it now as part of #SWIFF6's closing night lineupand don't forget to vote for the Audience Choice award after the screening! WATCH NOW: cutt.ly/first-cow

The Short Film Series is back! THE FANS, from acclaimed Russian director Seva Galkin, explores the crisis of masculinity caused by ‘Russian Section 28’, banning positive representations of LGBTQ+ people among minors. This film will go head-to-head for the Audience Choice Award! Watch for FREE from Nov. 16-22 at #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: https://cutt.ly/swiff-guide

The Short Film Series is back! Celeste turns to her mother for support and comfort after she is bullied at school. Instead of the warmth she’s expecting, she receives a lesson in aggression, manipulation, and hard power - in the form of a makeup tutorial. ORNAMENTATION IS A GIFT, directed by Raymond Smiling, will go head-to-head for the Audience Choice Award! Watch for FREE from Nov. 16-22 at #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: https://cutt.ly/swiff-guide

The Short Film Series is back! STRONG SON, directed by Ian Bawa, is an endearing portrait of a South Asian man and his relationship with the father who shares his passion for weightlifting. This will go head-to-head for the Audience Choice Award! Watch for FREE from Nov. 16-22 at #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: https://cutt.ly/swiff-guide

Director Nicolás Pereda for Cinemascope on the picturesque setting of his new film FAUNA: "The film really started as a small family drama. In the film, you cannot see the mine that the characters speak of, but there is an actual mine there. Once I set the film there, I thought about the relationship between violence and the exploitation of natural resources." Catch FAUNA as part of #SWIFF6's closing night lineup. WATCH NOW: cutt.ly/fauna-movie

The Short Film Series is back! SËR BI, directed by Moly Kane, follows a young woman preparing for her marriage while desperately and courageously trying to erase her past. This will go head-to-head for the Audience Choice Award! Watch for FREE from Nov. 16-22 at #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: https://cutt.ly/swiff-guide

A moment of silence because the legendary Sigourney Weaver absolutely killed these looks. MY SALINGER YEAR tells the true story of author Joanna Rakoff's encounter with J.D. Salinger. You won’t want to miss this closing night film directed by Canadian Philippe Falardeau. WATCH NOW: http://cutt.ly/salinger-year

Imperial Theatre, Sarnia ON. will be lit up red tonight for #LightUpLive. Please support them if you're able. SWIFF wouldn't be what it is today without these folks!

Only a few hours left to watch the Canadian and International Short Film Series! DUSTIN, directed by Naïla Guiguet, is an award-winning French drama following a trans woman at a rave with her boyfriend. Since its release earlier this year, DUSTIN has been selected to show at Festival de Cannes and TIFF, where it took home the IMDbPro Short Cuts Award for Best International Short Film. Will it win #SWIFF6's Audience Choice Award? WATCH NOW: https://cutt.ly/nhy1M8W

#swiff6 November 19-22 2020. Visit swiff.ca for more info.

Every year, we ask you to give one feature film and one short film the honour of being awarded Audience Choice. This year looks a little different, but we still want to know: Which films blew you away? You can cast a ballot for every film you've unlocked, and you'll be prompted to vote after each screening. Voting for the Shorts Series closes tonight at 11:59PM EST. Feature voting will remain open until the final film's 48-hour screening window closes on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020. WATCH #SWIFF6 NOW: cutt.ly/swiff-guide

Justice Ginsburg on her regrets, or lack thereof, for NPR: "I'll tell you what Justice O'Connor once said to me. She said 'suppose we come of age at the time when women lawyers were welcome at the bar'... because that route was not open to us, we had to find another wayand we both ended up in the United States Supreme Court." Don't miss the critically acclaimed documentary RBG, presented in partnership with The Girl Gang Canada, as part of #SWIFF6. WATCH NOW: cutt.ly/rbg-doc

Like the SWIFFs before it, #SWIFF6 we’ll offer world-class film programming and Q&As. But this year, you’ll also have access to a whole host of free workshops and masterclasses you and your pod can enjoy from the comfort of your own home. Here’s where we need your help: we need to raise $3000 in 30 days to make #SWIFF6 a reality. Check out our Kickstarter for details and perks: cutt.ly/SWIFF

This year, due to #COVID19 protocols we made the tough decision to take SWIFF6 online. Our team is small but mighty, and we want to keep bringing new voices, diverse stories, and the future of filmmaking to Sarnia-Lambton but we need your help. We need to raise $3000 in 30 days to make #SWIFF6 a reality. What’s in it for you? Complimentary Tickets All-Access Passes... Free Food and Drinks From Local Restaurants Limited Edition SWIFF Baseball Caps Producer and Executive Producer Credits Check out our Kickstarter for details!

Help us make #SWIFF6 a reality. The SOS (Save Our SWIFF) crowdfunding campaign launches TOMORROW and we have 30 days to raise $3000. Visit Kickstarter for more details and to browse the perks up for grabs: cutt.ly/SWIFF Thanks to The Sarnia Journal for chatting with Executive Director Ravi Srinivasan about what to expect at this year's edition of SWIFF.

SWIFF wouldn't be what it is today without our friends at Imperial Theatre, Sarnia ON. Since they're unable to reopen for the foreseeable future, let's help them through these tough times. If you're able, please consider making a tiny donation if not, share it with 5 friends! Check out this awesome video and click the link in their post to donate

Watch THE SKIN WE'RE IN: Urgent, controversial, and undeniably honest, this film is a wake-up call to complacent Canadians. Racism is here. It is everywhere. Following celebrated journalist Desmond Cole as he researches his hotly anticipated book, this documentary from acclaimed director Charles Officer pulls back the curtain on racism in Canada. We also recommend reading Desmond Cole's book of the same name. Please consider buying from a Canadian Black-owned shop like A Different Booklist.

SWIFF is committed to supporting, programming, and championing Black and Indigenous artists and their work. We recognize the role the film industry has played in perpetuating racism, from racist depictions of people of colour to institutionally withholding opportunities from artists and filmmakers of colour. We're inspired by the notion that film can also play a role in challenging and dismantling racism. We will continue to bring challenging but necessary conversations a...bout identity and racism to the community. We will continue to support Sarnia-Lambton Local Immigration Partnership - LIP and their efforts in the community by amplifying their work through our conversations and our film screenings. We encourage our audience to reach out for volunteer opportunities. We also encourage our audience to seek out the works directed by our Black and Indigenous alumni: Charles Officer (NURSE.FIGHTER.BOY), Thyrone Tommy (MARINER), Alicia K. Harris (LOVE STINKS), Zamo Mkhwanazi (SADLA), Wanuri Kahiu (RAFIKI), Barry Jenkins (MOONLIGHT), Mati Diop (ATLANTICS), Tasha Hubbard (BIRTH OF A FAMILY & NÎPAWISTAMÂSOWIN: WE WILL STAND UP), Lisa Jackson (HIGHWAY OF TEARS & BIIDAABAN: FIRST LIGHT), Alanis Obomsawin (OUR PEOPLE WILL BE HEALED), Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (ANGRY INUK). For access to more works by Black filmmakers, The Criterion Collection has taken down the paywall for films by early pioneers of African American Cinema such as Oscar Micheaux; classics by Maya Angelou, Julie Dash, William Greaves, Kathleen Collins, Cheryl Dunye, and Charles Burnett; contemporary work by Khalik Allah and Leilah Weinraub; and documentary portraits of black experience by white filmmakers Les Blank and Shirley Clarke. We highly recommend you watch, read about, and reflect on these works. We denounce systemic racism and violence against Black and Indigenous communities. We stand with Black and Indigenous filmmakers, artists, co-workers, friends and family. We will continue to drive towards a future marked by empathy and inclusion. See more

Bringing new voices, diverse stories, and the future of filmmaking to South Western Ontario since 2015. Submit to #SWIFF6 today: buff.ly/3d72YwO

Get ready for #SWIFF6: November 5-8, 2020. Submit your film today: buff.ly/3d72YwO

The Earlybird deadline just passed, but you still have until Wednesday, July 8 to submit your film to #SWIFF6. Check out the awards up for grabs: People's Choice Feature Award Best Short Film Cash Prize Short Film Audience Award ... Submit on FilmFreeway: https://buff.ly/3d72YwO

Submissions for #SWIFF6 are open and the early-bird deadline is just a few days away. Good to go? The first five people to use the code SWIFFMAY this month on FilmFreeway will get 25% off their submission fee. Submit your film: https://buff.ly/3d72YwO

Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is now accepting applications for CrossCurrents Canada Doc Fund! They are looking for short and feature-length documentary projects in development or production, with grant amounts ranging from $10,000 CAD to $50,000 CAD. There is no fee to apply! Deadline: May 27, 2020 Eligibility requirements & more: https://buff.ly/2JuPOMR