Films and filmmakers from Milton and all of Halton Region are well represented at the 8th annual Milton Film Festival in both the short and feature film programs. Audiences can stream all their films online from January 27th through the 31st.
Milton native Shawn Lovering’s short film IS THIS HOUSE A HOME is produced by his Hamilton-based company, Wild and Light Studio, with all of the crew from Halton Region. It is a tender look at a mother and daughter and the plight of hidden homelessness.
Director Taylor Grist and the Georgetown Little Theatre present THOSE WHO WAIT, a short romantic drama that weaves the tale of a woman struggling against inaction to redeem the love of her life. The film is part of the local theatre group’s efforts to continue performing in the midst of the current pandemic.
Akil Mckenzie’s short documentary LEGACY VOICES spotlights Halton’s Caribbean seniors as they share their stories of coming from their native countries to Canada. The film was produced for the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton.
Current and former students from Sheridan College in Oakville have several entries in the Short Film program, including MASKS UP by Huzeifa Essaji, ON THE FENCE by Paula Ner Dormiendo, SHIFT by Chen Sing Yap, and WHAT COMES NEXT by Darren Summersby.
Local feature filmmakers include Milton director Jawad Mir, whose hugely popular documentary ONLY 78 had its Ontario premiere at the 2018 Festival. Mir is back this year with co-director Ahmad Ebrahimi for their new feature documentary CITIZEN OF MORIA, which follows Ahmad’s travels after he is forced to leave Afghanistan by the Taliban and winds up in Europe’s worst refugee camp – Moria.
Another returning Halton filmmaker is Oakville’s Paul Saltzman, who will be presenting his latest feature documentary MEETING THE BEATLES IN INDIA, in which he retraces his journey of over 50 years ago when he spent a life-changing time with the Beatles at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s ashram on the banks of the Ganges River and took some now-iconic photographs.
Saltzman, Mir, and many other filmmakers and special guests will be available for livestreamed Question and Answer sessions, in which audience members can send in their questions in real time.
The complete list of 13 features and 17 short films can be seen on the Festival website In addition to one or two shorts being included with every feature film ticket, the Festival is also offering a Short Film Extravaganza screening which includes all of them, available for viewing for the length of the Festival.
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