Festival featured films from both sides of the camera
Troy Shantz Sarnia’s very own film festival brought a hint of Sundance and Cannes to the downtown over the weekend. Organizer Ravi Srinavasan greets a packed Imperial Theatre on the opening night of SWIFF on Nov. 3.
Sarnia’s very own film festival brought a hint of Sundance and Cannes to the downtown over the weekend.
The 2nd annual South Western International Film Festival featured 15 international and Canadian flicks, up from seven at last year’s launch.
“It has grown quite a bit,” said organizer Ravi Srinivasan, a Corunna native and St. Patrick’s grad.
For those inspired to make films, SWIFF included a series of workshops to teach the art of cinema and give participants an opportunity to get behind the camera.
Sarnia native Lauren MacKinley instructed a workshop on short film production. The city is a perfect place for aspiring directors to experiment with the art, she said.
“I kind of want to give them a sense that they can do this."
The workshop had about 15 participants and covered the basics of planning, writing and producing a short film.
SWIFF also featured a Virtual Reality demonstration, and brought back its music series CineGAZE, which included Canadian rockers The Sadies.
This year’s festival was backed by multiple sponsors and had strong attendance at both the screenings and special events.
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