Cinefest Sudbury reveals more details about next month's festival

The lineup for Sudbury’s international film festival, which begins Sept. 17, has officially been revealed.

Cinefest managing director Patrick O'Hearn said Thursday there will be a variety of films airing both in person as well as virtually.

“What we’re most excited about obviously is being able to return mostly to in-person presentations," O'Hearn said.

"We still have a virtual component, but being able to showcase as many films as we typically have in theatre, being able to bring audiences back fully without staggering seats and staggering out show times and everything like that."

The virtual side of the festival features 87 films, including a mix of short films and feature films. The festival will open this year with the film titled 'Ashgrove.'

It’s set in the future where one of the world’s top scientists is battling to find a cure to a crisis that affects the world’s water supply.

“It’s just a wonderful story and a little bit timely. It deals with the pandemic and it has a lot of twists and turns. It’s a great thriller and the performances are absolutely spectacular,” said Tammy Frick, Cinefest's executive director.

“It will really set the tone I think for people for a whole week of cinematic indulgence.”

Again this year, a number of films showing at Cinefest were shot in northern Ontario. Back this year is the Cinema Indigenized programming.

“We have 'North of Normal,' which is our Friday night gala which was shot in Sudbury, North Bay and Mattawa," said O'Hearn.

"We have a film called 'Ever Deadly,' which is screening at TIFF. This is just a great look at her music but also the efforts that we’re all undertaking right now for reconciliation."

Cinefest officials said they are in need of roughly 200 volunteers. Passports and general admission tickets are now on sale, with gala tickets available Aug. 26.