The 2025 Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF), running from September 10 to 17 at Halifax's Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane, will feature six compelling new works from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)-including two films by St. John's directors:
- World premiere of Wanda Nolan's short documentary The Muse;
- Nova Scotia debut of Duncan Major's animated short Imprint.
NFB animated delights at AIFF also include Alex Boya's Bread Will Walk, Martine Frossard's Hypersensitive and the North American premiere of Matea Radic's Paradaïz.
Virginia Tangvald discovers dark family secrets in her feature Ghosts of the Sea (micro_scope/NFB/Urban Factory), screening in the festival's Documentary Program.
The NFB and Telefilm Canada are also offering an open house at their shared space on September 10, followed by a meet-up for filmmakers aged 30 and under on September 11, where the NFB will share new opportunities for next-generation creators.
Works from Newfoundland and Labrador
Presented in the Atlantic Gala Shorts program, Sunday, September 14 at 7 p.m., Cinema 8, and streaming at AIFF Online.
The Muse by Wanda Nolan (18 min) | World premiere
- Take a road trip across Newfoundland with photographer Ting Ting Chen and her muse, Robert Tilley, as they explore memory, identity and the power of creative connections. Nolan's award-winning films include the NFB animated short The Mystery of the Secret Room.
Imprint by Duncan Major (5 min) | Nova Scotia premiere
- At 13, Duncan Major met artist Tara Bryan, a beloved figure in both the Newfoundland and Labrador and international arts communities. Together, they discovered a shared passion for letterpress printing that shaped his life. In her memory, he has created this poetic animated short as a heartfelt tribute.
Documentary Program
Ghosts of the Sea by Virginia Tangvald (micro_scope/NFB/Urban Factory, 97 min) | Atlantic premiere
Sunday, September14, 5:15 p.m., Cinema 6
Tuesday, September 16, 4:30 p.m., Cinema 5
- Virginia Tangvald's search for clues about the death of her brother, who was lost at sea, turns into a compelling quest to unravel the dark secrets surrounding her family and her father, famous sailor Peter Tangvald. Winner of the TV5 Audience Award for Best French-language Film at Montreal's Festival du nouveau cinéma, Tangvald's film was released alongside her critically acclaimed autobiography, Les enfants du large.
More amazing animation
Paradaïz by Matea Radic (9 min 28 s) | North American premiere
Shorts Program 1, Thursday, September 11, 6 p.m., Cinema 5
- Welcome to a place where the houses have holes, tomatoes are ticking time bombs and snails wander the streets in search of a safe space. In her short-film debut, Winnipeg-based artist Matea Radic uses absurdist animation, family photos, a wry sense of humour and her own slippery memories to return to the war-torn city of Sarajevo she fled as a child in the '90s.
Bread Will Walk by Alex Boya (11 min 17 s) | Atlantic premiere
Shorts Program 5, Tuesday, September 16, 7 p.m., Cinema 5
- A devoted sister races to save her brother, a bread-turned zombie. A mob of hungry living Can love defy appetite? This darkly delicious short by Montreal-based animatorAlex Boya, voiced by Jay Baruchel, was selected to screen in the Directors' Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival.
Hypersensitive by Martine Frossard (6 min 44 s) | Atlantic premiere
Shorts Program 2, Friday, September 12, 6 p.m., Cinema 5
- This animated short by Montreal's Martine Frossard recounts the turbulent, surrealistic journey of a young woman struggling to rebuild her self, in defiance of social norms that tell us to repress our emotions-reminding us that to be sensitive is to be alive. Selected for the Official Competition at this year's Cannes Film Festival.
Industry events at the NFB, 5475 Spring Garden Road, Suite 201, Halifax
Open House
Wednesday, September 10, from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Come check out the Telefilm Canada and NFB shared space in downtown Halifax. Whether you work in film or are just curious about cinema and culture, we'd love to meet you. Everyone is welcome, and light refreshments will be served.
New opportunities for next-generation filmmakers
Thursday, September 11, starting at 10 a.m.
