Roll out the red carpet: AIFF kicks off in Halifax Wednesday night with film 'Sharp Corners'
Movie lovers in Halifax are set to celebrate some of the top films in the world during a more than week-long celebration, and it all kicks off with an opening gala Wednesday night.
Our partners at the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) say it’s a hot ticket to have – the opening night gala screening of “Sharp Corner” has officially sold out.
However, the festival’s executive director anticipates a few rush seats will be available around 6:30 p.m. at Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane for the film.
“It is the second feature from Nova Scotian writer and director Stephen Buxton, it just had its premiere at TIFF, which was very buzzy. It’s a big production that was shot here, it stars Colby Smulders, Ben Foster. It’s kind of a little bit of thriller, it’s got a creepiness to it,” Martha Cooley said during an interview with CTV Morning Live Atlantic.
The festival also has the Canadian premiere of the controversial drama “The Apprentice” starring Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong.
The dramatic biopic explores Donald Trump’s early career in real estate in1980s New York City.
“It premiered at Cannes (Film Festival), it was kind of unclear what was going to happen with the film. Obviously, there was some concerns about releasing it in the States, it wasn’t sure if it was going to get picked up by a distributor for legal reasons,” Cooley said.
“We’re really excited to show it. It’s also a really strong film, it’s a really amazing piece, it’s by director Ali Abbasi whose film ‘Holy Spider’ we played at the festival a number of years ago, (she’s) a really interesting filmmaker and I think people are going to get something out of it.”
In addition to film screenings, AIFF will also host several events, such as panels, interviews and more.
“We’re doing a lot of live script reading this year, which should be really fun. It’s scenes from 90s rom-coms, it’s going to be really funny, it’s local actors, that’s going to be a blast,” Cooley said.
A conversation with filmmaker Matthew Rankin is also scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
His feature “Universal Language” has been selected as the Canadian entry for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards.
“He’s originally from Winnipeg – it’s set in sort of a fictional hybrid of Winnipeg and 1980s Iran. It’s very wacky, it’s a little bit Wes Anderson-y and his film it premiered at Cannes, so it was one of the only Canadian features at Cannes, which is a big thing,” Cooley said.
A full list of events and showtimes is available on the festival’s website.
CTV’s Katie Kelly will also be live from the festival Wednesday night on CTV News at 5 and 6.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'There is no electricity': Canadian travellers in Cuba urge caution in hurricane's wake
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
America votes: How celebrities are reacting to Trump's decisive victory
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
Volkswagen models recalled for airbag safety precaution
Recall notices have been issued for some Volkswagen models from 2006 to 2019 for airbag safety issues.
3 Winnipeg police officers charged with breach of trust, theft
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation
Canadian arrested in Florida for allegedly possessing child sex abuse content
A 25-year-old Canadian man was arrested in Florida last weekend after police say he was caught with child sex abuse content.
B.C. father sentenced for impaired driving crash that killed 7-year-old son
A B.C. man who crashed his car when he was high on meth, causing the death of his seven-year-old son and injuring his two other children and their mother, has been sentenced to six years in prison and banned from driving for 35 years.