Cariboo Chilcotin Film Fest organizer Krista Liebe (left) poses with filmmaker Trevor Mack, whose films will be featured in this year’s Cariboo Chilcotin Film Fest and Mack’s former teacher Tim Hurley, during Mack’s presentation ahead of the film fest to the Columneetza campus of Lake City Secondary. Submitted photo.

The Third Annual Cariboo Chilcotin Film Festival is coming to Williams Lake screens May 3 and 4.

Spread over two evenings, the film fest will feature a panel, new to the event this year, and ten films.

“I’m really excited and I was completely and utterly surprised by the fact that it is only the third festival and we received so many submissions,” said organizer Krista Liebe.

Each film in the festival has a connection to the Cariboo Chilcotin, whether it was filmed here, features Cariboo Chilcotin actors, or was made by Cariboo Chilcotin people.

“I had this idea quite a long time ago,” said Liebe. “I thought getting to know more people here, there should be enough talent in the Cariboo Chilcotin.”

The event has blossomed from there.

Thursday evening will feature The Doctor’s Case, written and directed by James Douglas of Wells and Barkerville, as well as Wild Horses – Unconquered People, a film written and directed by Susan Smitten but that explores the relationship between Xeni Gwet’in and the wild horses of Nemiah Valley.

A panel discussion will follow the event, featuring James Douglas, actor JP Winslow, Xeni Gwet’in’s Roger William and Friends of the Nemiah Valley’s David Williams.

“Panels are something that all film festivals have and usually they just talk about one film and how they got the ideas and so on,” said Liebe. “So what I thought is, let’s bring a film by non-First Nations and a film made by a First Nation and host one on that.”

Audience members will have a chance to ask questions to each panel member and each member will have the opportunity to explain a little of the background behind their film.

“We have different people from two totally different films and they each get a chance to answer questions from the audience and talk about their film. James Douglas is going to be totally excited about how well his film is doing and Roger and David will be very excited because this film disappeared for several years.”

In fact, Liebe has been trying to hunt down Wild Horses, and, possible as a result of her search, the film has been remastered and updated.

“It was important for me, being an outsider, and seeing what is happening in the city, to create an event which is of equal interest to First Nations and everybody else.”

The second evening of the event will feature Great Slave Rock Slabs, featuring Williams Lake mountain biker Cory Brunelle; ?Etsu, by Trevor Mack and Sech’el a film collaborated on and acted in by Trevor Mack for the Maoriland Film Festival in New Zealand; two films by writer and director Jeremy Williams, filmed at Alkali Lake; The Wildfire Summer of 2017 – A Photographer’s Journey, by Chris Harris, with music by Ken Marshall; Afterlight by Nemiah Valley’s Jesaja Class; and The Hill, a film telling the story of how the hill to Bella Coola was built by former Chilcotin resident Barbara Gossman.

The evening will feature exhibits of local history, book and DVD sales, as well as entertainment during intermission provided by Harry Jennings and Marco Sylvain.

Liebe is excited and has a story about each individual film or filmmaker that she’s eager to share over the course of the festival.

She started working with Trevor Mack when he was 19, bringing him to Williams Lake to showcase or debut his work. He’s now 25 and the Film Club sponsored him to do presentations at each of Lake City Secondary’s campuses (Mack graduated from Columneetza) to help encourage budding Cariboo Chilcotin filmmakers. Each session was reportedly jam-packed with students.

“I hope that we get younger people involved in films,” said Liebe. “As a kid from the reserve going to school here in town he is really making it pretty big and he is just at the beginning of his career.”

It’s from the initial showings with Mack that Liebe said the idea of a film festival grew.

Liebe’s equally excited about showcasing another young Cariboo-Chilcotin filmmaker this year. Afterlight is 21-year-old Jesaja Class’ debuting film, the youth being known for his skills as a magician.

“We do it to support our local talents,” said Liebe.

On Thursday, May 3, doors to the film fest open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $10. For the showings on Friday, May 4, doors open at 6 p.m. and tickets are $15.

Tickets are available at the Open Book, Kit and Kaboodle and at the door. The event itself takes place at the Gibraltar Room.

For more information visit the film fest’s Facebook page by searching Cariboo Chilcotin Film Fest.

“The biggest thing for me is somehow I feel we have had a big influence in getting the interest up in films about this area and not just in tourism, but films which tackle subject matters specific to this area,” said Liebe.</s>A Sudbury-born former fashion designer has begun work on her second film.

Kelly Winsa of Wesley and Winsa, has penned a feature film called Aiti. The film takes place in Northern Ontario in 1946.

"It's about taking in one child, whether you want to or not, and how it can make a tremendous change in the world," Winsa said of the film. "It takes place on Manitoulin Island."

This is where Winsa grew up, having spent many summers on the island.

"It's a wonderful feeling in my heart (to have a film based on an area she has spent so much time in)," Winsa said. "I understand the spirituality, to some degree, of that place, as a young child."

In 2012, Winsa wrote and executive produced Hi Honey, a 20-minute comedy that won several awards, including the Golden Honu People's Choice Award at the Big Island Film Festival, Best Comedy at the Honolulu Film, Awards, and Critic's Choice at the Blue Water Film Festival in Michigan.

Winsa will be filming a short version of the feature film in Toronto, and is funding the film with a Kickstarter campaign, which began earlier this month. There is interest from a major producer for the film.

After securing funding the short film of Aiti is expected to be shot in the fall.

Winsa will be working with a Toronto-based team for the short term in hopes that she will then be taking the project to Northern Ontario, where she will executive produce the two-hour feature.

In the film, "on one snowy eve, 1946, Rose arrives at Margy's doorstep. Margy doesn't want the girl, but allows her one night. She begins an ancient tale," a description of the film reads on its Kickstarter website.

"It's such a beautiful place," Winsa said of Manitoulin Island. "It's isolated and the woman is isolated. The whole change of the characters takes place in the quiet of nature."

To help fund the film, go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1238410016/aiti-short-film/faqs.</s>Story highlights "Rafiki," a movie about love between two women, has been banned in Kenya

The film board said the movie intends to promote lesbianism in the country

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) A movie about love between two women has been banned in Kenya, ahead of its premiere at international film festival Cannes.

Kenya's Film and Classification Board (KFCB) said Thursday "Rafiki" was banned because of intent to "promote lesbianism," in the country.

"The film has been restricted due to its homosexual theme and clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law," a statement from the board said.

It added that the film should not be distributed or shown anywhere in the country and anyone found with a copy would be in breach of the law.

Kenyan actors Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva at Cannes Film Festival.

Kenyan filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu, who directed the movie, took to Twitter to express her disappointment, saying,"We believe adult Kenyans are mature and discerning enough to watch local content but their right has been denied."</s>Second GINTAMA Film Releases First Teaser To The Sequel

The second film in the live action Gintama film series has recently unveiled its first teaser to excite the fans for the film coming later this summer.

After an anime series and at least 72 compiled volumes following a fully completed series, Gintama, has also released its first feature film that garnered upwards of 8 million dollars in Japan in its first four days! Now this August we wil be seeing its sequel releasing to theaters and to get the fanbase excited, a teaser was revealed! On Hideaki Sorachi's website for the manga a teaser was shown, with a highlight reel of scenes from the first film. check out the teaser below!!

 

 

 

 As for this upcoming film, Gintama 2, the main cast from the original will be reprising their roles. This includes Shun Oguri, Masaki Suda, and Kanna Hashimoto as Gintoki Sakata, Shinpachi Shimura, and Kagura. Are you excited for the new film coming? Gintama 2 hits theaters in Japan on August 17th.</s>Kenya Film Classification Board says anyone in possession of the film, Rafiki, would be found in breach of Kenya's law

The first Kenyan film to debut at the Cannes Film Festival has been banned in Kenya due to its lesbian storyline.

The film Rafiki, which means "friend" in Swahili, traces the love story between two young women.

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) said the film "seeks to legitimize lesbian romance".

KFCB warned that anyone found in possession of the film would be in breach of the law in Kenya, where gay sex is punishable by 14 years.

The film's director Wanuri Kahiu wrote on Twitter that she believed "adults in Kenya had been denied the right to discern the content they want to watch".

"I'm really disappointed because Kenyans already have access to watch films that have LGBT content, on Netflix, and in international films shown in Kenya and permitted by the classification board itself," she told Reuters.

The film, which will be shown in Cannes next month, is adapted from the 2007 Caine Prize-winning short story, Jambula Tree, by Ugandan writer Monica Arac Nyeko.

It follows two close friends, Kena and Ziki, who eventually fall in love despite their families being on opposing sides of the political divide.

The ban has been criticised by the film's supporters on social media, as well as Kenya's National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (NGLHRC).

The commission used the hashtag, #KFCBbansLesbianFilm, in a tweet announcing the ban. The hashtag sparked a number of supportive tweets from Kenyans who criticised homosexuality.

The KFCB banned several American children's programmes last year, including The Legend of Korra and Hey Arnold, stating that they showed "disturbing content glorifying homosexual behavior".

In 2014, it banned the Oscar-winning film Wolf of Wall Street for its "extreme scenes of nudity, sex, debauchery, hedonism and cursing" and in 2016 it forced Coca-Cola to scrap a kissing scene in a television advert because it "violated family values".</s>NAIROBI – Kenyan authorities have banned a film that tells the love story of two women and is set to debut at Cannes Film Festival next month, saying it promotes lesbianism.

The film Rafiki, a word that means friend in KiSwahili, was this week invited to premiere at the prestigious festival in France -- the first Kenyan film to receive to be invited.

On Friday, the Kenya Film Classification Board said it had banned the film.

"Anyone found in its possession will be in breach of law," the board said in a tweet, referring to a colonial-era Kenyan law under which gay sex is punishable by 14 years in jail.

Board spokeswoman Nelly Muluka tweeted: "Our culture and laws recognize family as the basic unit of society. "The (board) cannot, therefore, allow lesbian content to be accessed by children in Kenya."

Film director Wanuri Kahiu said: "I'm really disappointed because Kenyans already have access to watch films that have LGBT content, on Netflix, and in international films shown in Kenya and permitted by the classification board itself."

"So to then just ban a Kenyan film because it deals with something already happening in society just seems like a contradiction," she told Reuters.

Homosexuality is taboo across Africa and people who are gay face discrimination or persecution. In recent years, however, campaigners for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender rights have become increasingly vocal.

The ban coincides with a landmark case brought by gay rights campaigners to repeal Kenya's law on gay sex on the grounds that it deprives sexual minorities of basic rights.

The film is adapted from an award-winning short story Jambula Tree by Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko.

The film commission used a hashtag, #KFCBbansLesbianFilm, that immediately sparked a barrage of supportive tweets from Kenyans who decried homosexuality.</s>NAIROBI, Kenya — “Rafiki,” a Kenyan film, is headed to the Cannes Film Festival. But even though festival-goers in the south of France will have the chance to see the film, people in Kenya will not. Kenya has banned its first feature film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, accusing it of having “clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law.”

Director Wanuri Kahiu said she is “incredibly sorry” to confirm the ban of “Rafiki,” or “Friend” in Swahili, by the Kenya Film Classification Board. Her film depicts a love story between two women.

In Kenya, gay sex faces up to 14 years in prison. Many countries across Africa have laws against homosexuality, with people facing severe harassment and physical threats. Gay rights are “not of any major importance” in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta told CNN in an interview earlier this month.

“I think that there are discerning audiences not only in Kenya but the entire world that are able to judge what’s good and bad and it’s not what’s defined by the Kenya Film Classification board,” the film’s director told The Associated Press. She said she has tried to have the film classified for viewers 18 and above.

“It’s limiting freedom expression of artists in the country and hence the growth of the industry,” she added.

Kahiu has said in earlier interviews she had been nervous about the film’s reception in Kenya but found support from government authorities and the local film industry.

But on Friday, the film board accused producers of changing the original script that was licensed for production and said it “shall pursue the legal means to hold them accountable.” The original script didn’t have romantic scenes between the female actors, the board said.

“It is our considered view that the moral of the story in this film is to legitimize lesbianism in Kenya,” the board’s statement said. “Any attempt to introduce and normalize homosexuality in Kenya flies in the face of the law and the constitution and must be resisted.”

The board said it met with the director earlier this month and asked her to edit out the film’s “offensive” parts. On Wednesday, the director instead told the board to go ahead and make a ruling, it said.

Kenyan gay rights activists quickly raised an outcry, while the Cannes festival shared Kahiu’s comments on Twitter. “Rafiki” debuts at the festival next month.

Kenya’s National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission pointed out that the film board’s CEO, Ezekiel Mutua, praised “Rafiki” earlier this month to local radio station Hot 96 FM, calling it “a story about the realities of our time” and “the issues of homosexuality.”

In those comments, Mutua said authorities wanted to avoid “a situation where it is nominated and we are not celebrating it here.”

The film’s ban comes as Kenya’s High Court has begun hearing arguments in a case that challenges parts of the penal code seen as targeting the LGBT community. The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission argues that the sections are in breach of the constitution and deny basic rights by criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adults.

Kenyatta told CNN that the laws are supported by “99 percent” of the Kenyan people.

The court on Monday is expected to announce a date for its ruling.</s>NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan authorities have banned a film that tells the love story of two women on the grounds that it promotes lesbianism but activists said the ban would only promote interest in the movie.

“Rafiki”, a word that means friend in KiSwahili, was this week invited to premiere at next month’s Cannes Film festival — the first Kenyan film to receive such an invite.

The Kenya Film Classification Board announced the ban on Friday and said in a tweet: “Anyone found in its possession will be in breach of law”, referring to a colonial-era Kenyan law under which gay sex is punishable by 14 years in jail.

Board spokeswoman Nelly Muluka tweeted: “Our culture and laws recognize family as the basic unit of society. “The (board) cannot, therefore, allow lesbian content to be accessed by children in Kenya.”

Film director Wanuri Kahiu said: “I’m really disappointed because Kenyans already have access to watch films that have LGBT content, on Netflix, and in international films shown in Kenya and permitted by the classification board itself.”

“So to then just ban a Kenyan film because it deals with something already happening in society just seems like a contradiction,” she told Reuters.

The ban represents a reversal by the board whose head, Ezekiel Mutua, praised the film earlier this month.

“It is a story about the realities of our time and the challenges that our kids are facing especially with their sexuality,” he said on privately-owned HOT 96 FM radio.

Homosexuality is taboo across Africa and people who are gay face discrimination or persecution. In recent years, however, campaigners for lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender rights have become increasingly vocal.

“It’s appalling, it’s a shame ... Kenyans will view the film whether it has been banned or not, they will find a way to view it,” Lorna Dias, a lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender rights activist, told Reuters.

“In fact, Ezekiel Mutua has probably created enough of a platform to make even the least interested people curious.”

The ban coincides with a landmark case brought by gay rights campaigners to repeal Kenya’s law on gay sex on the grounds that it deprives sexual minorities of basic rights.

The film is adapted from an award-winning short story “Jambula Tree” by Ugandan writer Monica Arac de Nyeko.

The film board used a hashtag, #KFCBbansLesbianFilm, that immediately sparked a barrage of supportive tweets from Kenyans who decried homosexuality. In 2015, the board banned the film “Fifty Shades of Grey”.</s>Kenya has banned its first feature film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, accusing it of having "clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law".

Director Wanuri Kahiu said she was "incredibly sorry" to confirm the ban of Rafiki, or "Friend" in Swahili, by the Kenya Film Classification Board. Her film depicts a love story between two women.

In Kenya, gay sex attracts a prison sentence of up to 14 years. Many countries across Africa have laws against homosexuality, with people facing severe harassment and physical threats.

"We believe adult Kenyans are mature and discerning enough to watch local content but their right has been denied," Ms Kahiu said on Twitter.

The director has said in interviews she had been nervous about the film's reception in Kenya but found support from government authorities and the local film industry.

But on Friday, the film board accused producers of changing the original script that was licensed for production and said it "shall pursue the legal means to hold them accountable". The original script did not have romantic scenes between the female actors, the board said.

"It is our considered view that the moral of the story in this film is to legitimise lesbianism in Kenya," the board's statement said.

The board said it met the director earlier this month and asked her to edit out the film's "offensive" parts. On Wednesday, she told the board to go ahead and make a ruling, it said.

Kenyan gay rights activists quickly raised an outcry, while the Cannes festival shared Ms Kahiu's comments on Twitter. Rafiki debuts at the festival next month.

The film's ban comes as Kenya's High Court has begun hearing arguments in a case that challenges parts of the penal code seen as targeting the LGBT community.

The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission argues that the sections are in breach of the constitution and deny basic rights by criminalising consensual same-sex relations between adults.

The court on Monday is expected to announce a date for its ruling.</s>NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has banned its first feature film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, saying it has “clear intent to promote lesbianism in Kenya contrary to the law.”

Director Wanuri Kahiu said she is “incredibly sorry” to confirm the ban of “Rafiki,” or “Friend” in Swahili, by the Kenya Film Classification Board. Her film depicts a love story between two women.

In Kenya, gay sex faces up to 14 years in prison. Many countries across Africa have laws against homosexuality, with people facing severe harassment and physical threats.

The director has said in interviews she had been nervous about the film’s reception in Kenya but found support from government authorities and the local film industry.

But on Friday morning, the film board accused producers of changing the original script that was licensed for production and said it “shall pursue the legal means to hold them accountable.” The original script didn’t have romantic scenes between the female actors, the board said.

“It is our considered view that the moral of the story in this film is to legitimize lesbianism in Kenya,” the board’s statement said. “Any attempt to introduce and normalize homosexuality in Kenya flies in the face of the law and the constitution and must be resisted.”

The statement said the board met with the director earlier this month and asked her to edit out the film’s “offensive” parts. On Wednesday, the director told the board to go ahead and make a ruling, it said.

Kenyan gay rights activists have quickly raised an outcry, while the Cannes festival shared Kahiu’s comments on Twitter.

The film’s ban comes as Kenya’s High Court has begun hearing arguments in a case that challenges parts of the penal code seen as targeting the LGBT community. The National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission argues that the sections are in breach of the constitution and deny basic rights by criminalizing consensual same-sex relations between adults.
The Kenya Film Classification Board bans the lesbian romance film Rafiki saying it intends to "promote lesbianism".