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ArtsCultureFilm19TuesdayOctober12013ByMEAGANWOHLBERGThisyearorganizersoftheseventhannualYellow-knifeInternationalFilmFes-tivalYKIFFarebringingalocalcontexttothewidearrayoflmsfromthrough-outCanadaandthecircum-polarNorthscreeningOct.1-6intheterritorialcapital.TheforemostcelebrationoflmintheNorthwestTerrito-riesthefestivalisfeaturingover25lmsshortandlongwithanemphasisonstrength-eningcommunitypartnershipsandthelocallmindustryinYellowknife.EveryyearwetrytodosomethingdifferentandthisyearwhatwereallytriedtofocusonwascommunitypartnershipsYKIFFdi-rectorLesleyJohnsontoldTheJournal.SoweresortofnailingdownpartnershipswithgroupsespeciallyinandaroundYellowknifeandalsowhoaremorereectiveoftheterritorialcommunityingen-eral.Thatswhatwewantedtohaveabitmoreofafocusonthisyearkeepingitinthecommunityperspective.Thefestivalisbringinganarrayofcommunityor-ganizationssuchasNWTPrideYellowknifesAsso-ciationFranco-culturelleEcologyNorthDechintaYellowknifefilmfestreflectsNorthernrootsAnnualfestivalfocusesoncommunitypartnershipsInitiativesandthedepart-mentofHealthandSocialServicestonameafewonboardwithitsscreeningstolendalocalviewpointtomoreforeignlms.Johnsonsaidthefocusonthelocalistruetothefes-tivalsmissionwhichaimstoproleNWTlmsrstbeforebranchingouttotherestofCanadatheglobalNorthandthebroaderin-digenouscommunity.Thevisionbehindthefes-tivalisveryreectiveofwhoweareandwhereweareintheNorthandhowthatextendsoutinthebiggerrealmofhowwereaffectedinthelargerscopeoftheworldshesaid.Amajorvictoryforthisyearsfestivalwasthesuc-cessfulcaptureofthebrandnewandwidelyanticipateddocumentarybyAlgonquinfilmmakerAlanisObom-sawinHi-HoMistaheywhichprolesateenactiv-istfromAttawapiskatOnt.-aremoteandimpoverishedFirstNationcommunitythatearnedthenationalspotlightlastyearasthesceneofanongoingbattleforAborigi-nalrightsinCanada.WewereveryluckytogetthatandweliterallygotitverylastminuteJohnsonsaidofthelm.WevebeenintalkswiththeNFBNationalFilmBoardtogetthatlmanditsreallyhardtogetlmsthathavejustbeenreleasedbe-causetheyhavethisnaturallmfestivalcycle-theytrytodothemajoronesrst.ThatoneliterallyjustpremieredatTIFFafewweeksagoandtheNFBverynicelytoldusthatwecouldhavethelmafter.OthermajorlmstoshowinYellowknifeincludeMontrealfilmmakerXavierDolansnewcritically-acclaimedfea-tureLaurenceAnywaysandAcademyAwardnomineesKonTikiNorwayandRe-belleQuebec.ApartfromthelmswhichincludemanyshotrightinYel-lowknifeandthewiderterrito-rialcommunitythefestivalisofferingitsstandardmasterclasseswhichthisyearalsomakecommunitycapacity-buildingtheirfocus.KeynotepresenterDanisGouletaMtisfilmmakerfromSaskatchewan-TorontoisscreeningherlmBarefootanddeliveringaworkshoponwhatittakestomakelmsthatareinclusiveandrepresentativeoftheirsubjects.Barefootsetinatightly-knitnorthernSaskatchewanCreecommunityfollowsa16year-oldgirlsdesiretobecomeamother.Thelmwasshotinthecommunityinwhichitwaswrit-tenandemployedlocalactors.ShesaveryveryamazingdirectorandIreallyfeltthatherlmwasveryreectiveofwhereweretryingtogoasalmmakingcommunityintheNorthwestTerritoriesJohn-sonsaidofGoulet.Soweinvitedhertocomeupandshareherperspectiveasadirectoronhowshehascreatedsuchsuccessfulcommunity-basedlmsItswhatIthinkisveryreectiveofthedirectionthatweregoingintermsofNorthernlmmaking...Sheshouldhavesomeinterestingmethodolo-giesthatshesgoingtoshareinamasterclassaboutcom-munity-drivenlmmaking.OthermasterclasseswillfeatureNWT-born-and-raisedactorandplaywrightRenelttaArlukwhorecentlystarredinherrstfeaturelmMana.Arlukwillbegivingadviceonhowtogoaboutauditioningfortelevisionandlm.FellowNorthernerKirstenCarthewawriteranddirec-torwillalsobeatthefestivaltogiveamasterclassoncopy-writingcreativecommonsandpromotingfreeculture.AsusualthelmfestwillopenwithagalaandclosewithaperformancebylocalbandSinisterOculuswhoseliveperformancesincorporatevi-sualprojections.ThisyearforthersttimethefestivalwillhandoutawardsonSundaysclosingnight.Hon-ourswillgoouttothebestfea-turelmsanddocumentariesshortsbestNWTlmsandaudiencechoice.Forthefullprogramvisityklmfest.comByMEAGANWOHLBERGArtloverswillhavearareopportunitytogatheraroundadinnertableladenwithasucculentfeastoflmvisualartsdanceandmusicthisThanksgivinginYellowknifeduringthelivelaunchoftheonlinemultimediashowcasetheArtofGiving.Firstconceivedofyearsagobywell-knownYellowknifelmmakerFranceBenoitArtofGivingfeatures17ofherownshortlmscombinedwithvi-sualartsfrompotterytoquiltsphotographymusicstorytell-ingpoetryanddanceby15ofthecitysotherartistswiththethemeofdeliberategivingattheircore.ThefeastmaynotbeforthebellybutitwillbeaneareyeandsoulfullsaysBenoit.Ihavetwopassionsinlifelmandfood.SoitwasntastretchtothinkofaThanksgiv-ingdinnerasawaytocoalescealloftheshowsoeverybodyisparticipatingtowardsthesamethingbyhelpingsetupatablethatwillbeonstageshesaid.Theprojectemergedfol-lowingthesuccessofoneofBenoitsshortlmsHandtoToeAnExplorationintheArtofGivingwhichbrokethemouldastherstNWTlmtobeacceptedintotheHotDocsfestivalin2011-thelargestdocumentarylmfestivalinNorthAmerica.Theshortlmprolesvolun-teerswashingthefeetofhome-lesspeoplebothnamelessandfacelessatYellowknifesSal-vationArmyshelter.Reectingonthelmstrac-tionintheartworldBenoitsaidsherealizedthesubjectmatterhadmetaprofoundhumanneedinitsviewers.Rightawayshethoughtthisisaseries.Ifeltthiswasansweringsomethingshesaid.Peo-plewereconnectingwiththisbecauseitssomethingverysimplethathasrippleeffectsthroughthelivesofmanypeopleandIthinkwedesperatelyneedtoconnectwithotherfellowhumanbe-ings.TheFacebookfriendsisjustnotcuttingitwewanttodeeplyconnectwithpeople.Therearesomanylargeissuesmultifacetedproblemsintheworld...andthiswasbringingupsomethingverysimple.Benoitmovedontoshoot16followingshortlmsoverthenexttwoyearsonesthatshow-casegooddeedsfromacrossthecityfromthesimplicityofamanwhoinstallsclotheslinesforpeopleinthecommunitytoaladyplayingharpatthedementiatreatmentcentretohighschoolstudentsdeliveringhampersoffoodviaahumanchaintotheSalvationArmy.TherearesomanyotheractsofgivinginYellowknifethatareuniqueandoriginalanddeliberateandformethatwasreallyimportantIwasinterestedindeliberateactsofgivingnottherandomactsofkindness...Thereisacon-nectionthatishappeninganacknowledgement.SeveralofthelmsweremadewithassistancefromtheNationalFilmBoardofCanadatheNWTArtsCouncilandtheGNWTdepartmentofIndus-tryTourismandInvestmentalongwithprivatefunderssuchasDominionDiamondCorp.andthePublicServiceAllianceofCanada.NotonlydidtopicsforthefilmscometogethereasilybutgettingmuchofYellow-knifesartisticcommunityonboardwiththeprojectexplor-inggivingwithintheirowndisciplineswasalsoquiteef-fortlessBenoitsaid.WhatIdidwaslettheart-istscometomeinthesensethatIdreadsomethingaboutthemorIdseethemonthestreetanditwouldtriggerathoughtorsomething...AndonceIwouldcontactpeoplenobodyrefused.TheprojecttookthreeyearstocometogetherintimeforThanksgiving2013.AlongthewayBenoitsaidtheprocessreafrmedherinitialsuspicionsaboutthegenerosityofthecommunity.IfelttherewassomethingveryuniqueinYellowknifeabouthowwegiveandwhywegiveandthisprojectjusttotallyconrmedit.IdothinktheressomethinguniqueandspecialabouthowwegiveinYellowknifeIthinkpartofitisbeingfarawayveryoftenfromfamilyshesaid.Ithinkwestillhavesomeofthatfrontierspiritandifsome-thingdoesntexistwemakeithappen-wecreatetheserviceorprogram.Andbecauseitsasmallcommunityweseetheramicationsofwhatwedoimmediately...WereallmuchmoreconnectedandIthinkweareverygivingpeoplehere.BothalaunchpartyforthewebsiteandashowinitselfArtofGivingwillbeperformedscreenedanddisplayedliveattheNorthernArtsandCulturalCentreintimewithThanksgiv-ingweekend.TheeventwillfeatureliveoriginalperformancesbypoetMirandaCurrymusiciansCarmenBradenandPaulAn-drewhip-hopartistGodsonFrenchsinger-songwriterYvesLcuyeranddancerTomikoRobsonamongothers.NACCsfoyerwillbelledwithvisualartsfrompaintingstostainedglassandasnackoflemonadeandchocolatechipcookies-featuresofsomeofthestoriesofgiving-willbeservedduringintermission.Followingdinnereachfea-turedpiecewillappearonlineasthewebsiteislaunchedfordessertDancechoreographywillbecomevideoquiltswillappearasmagniedphotosoffabricspokenwordwillbecapturedasrecordingandtext.Astandardblackandwhitestylewithselectedcolourhigh-lightsisusedforallvisualsincludinglmnoneofwhichshowfacesasawaytobothre-spectprivacyandfocusontheactionratherthanthepeople.ItwillbeaverywarmandfuzzycelebrationofgivinginYellowknifeBenoitsaid.TheArtofGivingshowwillbehostedbyNACConFridayOct.11at700p.m.Ticketsrangefrom10-75withoptionaldonationstotheUnitedWay.FilmmakerhonoursThanksgivingwithfeastofartsArtsCultureMultimediaPhotocourtesyofYKIFFPhotobyKristenMurphyNunavutlmUvangaopensthisyearsYellowknifeInternationalFilmFestivalonOct.1.AphotobyKristenMurphyprolesJoeamanwhovolunteerstomakeanicerinkinhisneighbourhood.