BLUE MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL BOLSTERS ITS PROGRAMMING AND SPONSORSHIP TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL ENTHUSIASTS, AND LOCAL CREATIVES AS THE FESTIVAL ENTERS ITS 2ND EDITION
BMFF to screen Nabil Ayouch’s Casablanca Beats and Oliver Stone’s Nuclear Now as part of programming for local community
The Blue Mountains, ON – April 27, 2023 – The Blue Mountain Film Festival (BMFF) today unveiled programming and industry opportunities aimed at the Blue Mountain community, specifically for high school students, environmental thought leaders and enthusiasts, and local creatives in the screen-based industry. Special screenings include Nabil Ayouch’s CASABLANCA BEATS, including a Q&A with the lead actor Anas Basbousi; and three-time Academy Award winner Oliver Stone’s NUCLEAR NOW followed by a panel discussion with lead environmentalists. The festival runs from June 1-4 at the Blue Mountain Village Conference Centre. The full programming lineup will be announced on May 1, 2023, with the Creative Forum programming announced on May 4, 2023. More information can be found by visiting the BMFF website.
“BMFF is committed to bringing the best in international cinema and culture to its film-going patrons as well as creating engaging dialogue around timely issues. We are proud to bring important projects like Casablanca Beats and Nuclear Now to the local community who are incredibly engaged in world issues,” said Helen du Toit, Festival and Artistic Director for BMFF. “In our second year, we are also expanding opportunities for the creative community who are a vital part of the dynamic fabric of the area.”
SCHOOL PROGRAMME
Blue Mountain Film Festival, in partnership with Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts will host a special screening of CASABLANCA BEATS by celebrated Moroccan filmmaker Nabil Ayouch at the Village Conference Centre for local high school students. Three hundred youth will attend the screening and participate in a special Q&A with the film’s lead actor/rapper Anas Basbousi on May 31st.
Inspired by filmmaker Nabil Ayouch’s experience of opening a creative arts centre for youth in a Casablanca ghetto notorious for breeding terrorists, this contender for the Palme d’or at Cannes 2021 fuses dramatic fiction with documentary elements to punchy effect. The film traces the impact of a rap class led by real-life rapper Anas on a diverse group of young Moroccan youth. Anas pushes the students to explore personal and political themes, testing the limits of free expression in this modern Islamic society. The kids’ improvement under his tutelage is clear, and their propulsive rhymes keep the movie bristling with energy.
NUCLEAR NOW
In partnership with Watershed Trust, BMFF presents a special screening of Oliver Stone’s NUCLEAR NOW. The screening will be followed by a debate between champions of Nuclear Power and Alternative Energy sources. Participants to be announced.
With unprecedented access to the nuclear industry in France, Russia, and the United States, iconic director Oliver Stone’s documentary, Nuclear Now! explores the possibility for the global community to overcome challenges like climate change and reach a brighter future through the power of nuclear energy — an option that may become the only viable way to ensure our continued survival sooner than we think.
CALLING LOCAL CREATIVES!
BMFF is dedicated to creating opportunities for local creatives in the screen-based industry and ensuring they have access to the Creative Forum, which will once again welcome some of the industry’s top minds. Through public donations and support from Blue Mountain Village Foundation, ten local creatives will receive an all-access pass to Creative Forum and four full days of regular screenings. Applications are open for producers, directors, and/or writers. Applicants will need one of the following to be eligible: a minimum of 1 film festival credit (short or feature) or an award for a web or tv series. Recipients will be selected by Helen du Toit by May 15, 2023.
Public donations can be made through Blue Mountain Village Foundation and will support BMFF’s environmental programmes. Donations over $25 will receive a tax receipt. Please visit BMFF website here for more information or to donate.
Sponsors and supporters for BMFF 2023 include Blue Mountain Village, Blue Mountain Resort, Bruce Grey Simcoe, Town of The Blue Mountains, Directors Guild of Canada (Ontario), Telefilm Canada, Film Finances Canada, Sutton Entertainment, Urban Post, Grey County, Simcoe County, Tatham Engineering, NBCUniversal, Primont Homes, Mountain Life Magazine, Classical 96.3, Royal Lepage Locations North, and Canada Life.
About the Blue Mountain Village
Between the foot of the Niagara Escarpment’s scenic Blue Mountains and the rugged shores and crystal-clear waters of Georgian Bay, the picturesque Blue Mountain Village is Southern Ontario’s premier four-season destination. A cobblestoned pedestrian village framed by turn-of-the-century Ontario architecture, the Village offers a wide variety of family accommodations, award-winning festivals and events, over 50 unique shops and restaurants, Iwa Spa, and much more. For a complete listing of Village events, please visit www.bluemountainvillage.ca
About Blue Mountain Resort
Blue Mountain Resort is Ontario’s largest mountain resort. Winter at the Resort boasts 43 ski and snowboard trails across 365 skiable acres, enhanced by a world-class snowmaking system. Summer months offer a variety of activities, including golfing at Monterra Golf, playing on the attractions in the Adventure Park, and hiking or biking in the 30km trail network in the Explore Park. At the base of the Mountain, guests can enjoy a stay in one of the 1,000 luxury accommodation units in the pedestrian Village. With 53,000 square feet of state-of-the-art conference space, Blue Mountain caters year-round to groups and special events. Blue Mountain is owned by Alterra Mountain Company. Visit www.bluemountain.ca for more information.
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For more information, please contact:
Andréa Grau, Touchwood PR andrea@touchwoodpr.com