The Arts Station

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION, the second feature film by emerging Brazilian filmmaker Cao Hamburger, won immediate critical praise upon its release. This touching coming-of-age story was nominated for the top prize, the Golden Berlin Bear, at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival, and won the coveted Audience Award at the 2007 Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival.

The story is set in Brazil in 1970, when military dictatorships were on the rise in South America 'wreaking havoc on the political economies of the region ' and the Vietnam War was raging. But none of this matters to twelve-year-old Mauro (newcomer Michel Joelsas), who 'like so many others that volatile summer' is more interested in the World Cup of soccer. Mauro's situation, however, is rather distinct from that of other sports-fanatic children: his parents, left-wing activists, have been forced to go into hiding in order to pursue their underground activities and, in haste, they leave Mauro with his grandfather.

However, the catch is that his grandfather isn't actually around. Mauro is eventually and unwittingly put into the care of his grandfather's neighbour, a surly old Jewish man, Shlomo (Germano Haiut) who works at the local synagogue and has few friends. Nearly alone, Mauro faces many obstacles adjusting to his new situation, but his days are punctuated with bursts of joy and discovery as he gets to know Shlomo; the feisty adolescent Hanna; Irene, an imaginative little girl; the community Rabbi, who happens to be a huge soccer fan; and a host of diverse characters. As Mauro begins to find his way, he discovers that life can be simultaneously bitter and sweet.

Joelsas is a revelation as the young Mauro, and the rest of the ensemble bring the denizens of this transitional era to vivid life. Equally poignant and humorous, THE YEAR MY PARENTS WENT ON VACATION is one of those rare films that taps into the personal, the social, the historical and the political while staying true to its essential subject matter: the trials of journeying into adulthood.

CRITICAL NOTES
"Sensitive, delicate and involving, The Year My Parents Went on Vacation is a silky-smooth dramedy about a boy thrust into the alien environment of a Jewish community when his politicized parents are forced to flee the country." Deborah Young, Variety

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Blackstone Resort; Vogue Theatre; City of Fernie; BC Arts Council; Timberline Lodges; and the Toronto International Film Festival.

An Arts Station Program

The Tracey Fragments

Naked under a shower curtain in the back of a bus, 15-year-old Tracey Berkowitz is looking for her younger brother Sonny, who thinks he is a dog. Her journey steers her into the seedier side of the city and dangerous fantasies of Billy Zero – her rock ‘n roll saviour.

Through the brutality of high school, broken parents and psychiatric stopovers, Tracey’s stories begin to fuse truth with lies, and we begin to discover the real reason for Sonny’s disappearance.

Directed by Canadian Bruce McDonald (Hard Core Logo) and based on Maureen Medved’s novel, the film is a tragic comedy and a modern day Catcher in the Rye shown through a bold use of split screen.

“Ellen Page portrays Tracey as strong but unsure, lapsing into girlish doting or dramatic concern effortlessly. Her range and ability to become the character is once again showcased here.” - Sarah Gopaul, POP JOURNALISM

“Ellen Page, who continually chooses challenging roles – not for The Oscar, but for the experience – delivers another stand-out performance as Tracey. You name it, she conquers.” - Erik Davis, CINEMATICAL

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Guy Maddin is coming to Fernie for the screening of his film on March 10. There will be a post screening reception at the Old Elevator Restaurant. All movie goers are invited to attend.

Guy Maddin (Sullivan Brown) reluctantly returns to his childhood home, an abandoned Canadian island, where his parents ran an orphanage. As Guy fulfills his dying mother’s request to paint the lighthouse which served as the orphanage, memories of strange events there overpower him. An undercover investigation by child author/detective Wendy (Katherine Scharhon) and a revolt by the repressed children, blew open a cover-up by Guy’s parents. Wendy disguised herself as her brother Chance and discovered that Maddin’s inventor father performed outré scientific experiments on the orphans. In black and white, with title cards, plus narration by Isabella Rossellini.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.
As well, for Brand Upon the Brain, tickets will be available in advance, at the Arts Station, between 11am and 2pm, the day of the film.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Blackstone Resort; Vogue Theatre; City of Fernie; BC Arts Council; Timberline Lodges; and the Toronto International Film Festival. And a special thanks this month to the Old Elevator Restaurant.

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Set in Afghanistan during the sixties, amid political and military turmoil, The Kite Runner is an unforgettable story about loyalty and redemption, and a powerful exploration of father-son relationships. Amir, a young boy, struggles to succeed in his father‘s eyes and sets out to win his affection by competing in a kite-running tournament, in which participants with honed kite-battle skills seek to eliminate their foes by maneuvering their own kites – which have special strings, often even coated with glass – to slash the strings of others. When Amir wins, and his kite is the last in the sky, Hassan, his best friend goes to retrieve the final downed kite as a trophy; however, tragedy ensues, setting off a chain reaction of life-changing events for both boys. Much later, after leaving his home, Amir returns to Afghanistan when he is called upon to rescue Hassan‘s son from the Taliban front lines.

Marc Forster‘s has emerged as a versatile director capable of excelling in a diverse array of filmmaking genres within his films, from the fantastical, innovative biopic Finding Neverland, to the psycho-thriller Stay and, most recently, the sharp-witted and comically brilliant Stranger than Fiction.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Blackstone Resort; Vogue Theatre; City of Fernie; BC Arts Council; Timberline Lodges; and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

In the spring of 1992, after vagabonding around the country for two years, Christopher McCandless, a 24-year-old Virginian and Emory graduate, hitchhiked to Alaska and set off into the wilderness with little more than a .22-caliber rifle and a 10-pound sack of rice. He lived there for four months, before finally starving to death. When his body was discovered he weighed only 67 pounds. Directed by Sean Penn, the film adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s bestselling book is as much about the insatiable yearning for family, home, and connection, as it is about the search for the truth of McCandless’ demise.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Blackstone Resort; Vogue Theatre; City of Fernie; BC Arts Council; Timberline Lodges; and the Toronto International Film Festival.

The Lost People of mountain Village & Resorting to Madness.

These two films address impacts of the modern ski resort industry on mountain communities and environment. A hilarious look at our over consumptive lifestyle, including suggestions to protect and maintain mountains and their communities.

The Think Tank Cinema is presented by Advocates for Local Living.

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Based on Dallaire’s memoirs by the same name, Shake Hands With The Devil is a riveting character study as well as a crucial rendering of Canada’s recent political history. In his most memorable role to date, Quebec superstar Roy Dupuis delivers an almost transcendent performance, portraying the beleaguered Dallaire with great economy of expression. Canada’s involvement in the ill-fated UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda is one of this country’s most documented legacies; the opportunity to witness it through the lens of dramatic reconstruction should not to be missed.

[indie-tickets]

Special Thanks to: Park Place Lodge, The Old Elevator Restaurant, Vogue Theatre, City of Fernie, BC Arts Council, TIFFG

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Premiering to great acclaim at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, Waitress is a warm and quirky film that leaves a long, lingering and sweet impression - a universally compelling gem.

Jenna (Keri Russell) works in a diner that serves as a hub of her small town’s social activity. Her modest but intriguing claim to fame is the diverse array of delectable pies that she bakes daily and which reflect her feelings about her life, which is well on the way to spiraling out of control.

Tragically, writer and director Adrienne Shelly was murdered during the completion of this film.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

Special Thanks to: Park Place Lodge, Old Elevator, Vogue Theatre, City of Fernie, BC Arts Council, TIFFG

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Edith Piaf, France’s greatest songstress, is honoured in this amazing film that opened the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival to great fanfare. After a childhood spent at her grandmother’s brothel, the teenaged Piaf traveled with the circus run by her alcoholic father before being discovered while singing on the streets of Paris. How can one not remember the great songs, “Non, je ne regrette rien� “My Lord� and “La Vie en Rose�. Marion Cotillard and Gerald Depardieu are brilliant together.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

Indie Film Fernie at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Ave.

Radiant City, Canada

There’s a desperate housewife in the parking lot, a loaded gun in the kids’ closet – and sprawl is eating the planet. There goes the neighbourhood. Welcome to Radiant City. Canada’s king of surreal comedy Gary Burns and partner-in-crime Jim Brown head to the burbs to document the Late Suburban Age.

AND………
Special Reception to meet the Directors
Monday, September 10 at 8:45 at The Old Elevator

After the film, join the IFF team and meet Garry Burns & Jim Brown, the Directors of Radiant City. This is a wonderful opportunity for movie-goers to hear more about the film and ask questions of these awesome film-makers.

Tickets at the Door. FDAC Member: $9/adult; $8/youth. Non-member: $10/adult; $9/youth.

FDAC Member Seasons Pass get 4 films - $28 (just $7/show)
Non-member Seasons Pass, get 4 films - $32 (just $8/show)
Order Now - Call 423-4842 or email info@theartsstation.com

Special Thanks to: Park Place Lodge, The Old Elevator, Vogue Theatre, Fernie Fix, City of Fernie, BC Arts Council, TIFFG