Film Festival rolls this week

The Yorkton Film Festival has been part of the local culture, and that of the Canadian film sector since its first event 70-years ago.

The 2017 edition of North America’s longest-running film festival takes place in Yorkton starting Thursday and running through the weekend.

However, the Festival has announced a special screening for this year’s festival: the documentary “Dirty Work”, produced by Yorkton’s own Tracy Seeley.
Dirty Work will be screened  tonight (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. at the Land Titles Building of the Godfrey Dean Cultural Centre. Producer Tracy Seeley will be in attendance to lead discussion after the film. The film and discussion are open to the public and free of charge.

“We were very excited to have the film submitted to this year’s festival; and having known the Seeley family very well for many years, I knew we had to put together an event to highlight the work done by a former Yorkton resident,” said YFF executive director Randy Goulden.

“In addition to this film being done by a Yorkton resident, it is also documentary that tells a story that needs to be told. It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but it needs to be talked about and we need to take action,” added Goulden.

Dirty Work is the story of activists in India who risk their lives rescuing children from slave labour. “This was a very meaningful story to me. I had an incredible team and it’s an honour to have our work recognized in my hometown,” says Seeley.

The opening night screening of ‘I Am The Blues’, will be held at the Painted Hand Casino at 7 p.m. Thursday.

“From juke joints to church halls, up the mountain and down to the bayou, I Am The Blues travels the back roads with the last of the blues legends. I Am The Blues takes the audience on a musical journey through the swamps of the Louisiana Bayou, the juke joints of the Mississippi Delta and Moonshine soaked BBQ’s in the North Mississippi Hill Country. Visiting the last original blues devils, many in their 80’s, still living in the deep south, working without management and touring the Chitlin’ Circuit. Let Bobby Rush, Barbara Lynn, Henry Gray, Carol Fran, Lazy Lester, Bilbo Walker, RL Boyce, Little Freddie King, Jimmy ‘Duck’ Holmes, Lil Buck Sinegal, LC Ulmer and their friends awaken the blues in all of us,” describes a Festival synopsis of the film.

Of course the entered films can be viewed by the public via mini cinema, which has all of the festival entries from this year available to view on demand. Admission is free and open to the public.

Friday the Saskatchewan premiere of the award-winning documentary In the Name of Confucius is scheduled. The screening is at 3 p.m. in the Ravine Room at the Gallagher Centre.

In the Name of Confucius is the first documentary exposé of the Chinese government’s multi-billion dollar Confucius Institute (CI) program and the growing global controversies surrounding it, including the erosion of academic freedom, violations of human rights, foreign influence, and even potential infringements on national security.

The screening is free admission, and will be followed by a Q&A with Toronto-based filmmaker and journalist, Doris Liu, the director of In the Name of Confucius.

Friday the always popular Lobsterfest takes place at the Yorkton Wildlife Federation.

“Join the festival at our signature event, a delicious east coast meal with a side order of skeet shooting,”

Be sure to bring your tickets. Shuttles to the event leave from the front of the Gallagher Centre starting at 5:30 p.m.

Then Saturday evening the Golden Sheaf Awards will be presented at the annual gala.

For tickets to Lobsterfest, the Gala, or information on other events check out www.yorktonfilm.com.