TICKETS FOR FILMS SHOWING IN-CINEMA ARE AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE, OR AT THE DOOR
Welcome to NorthwestFest and Rainbow Visions 2023! Thank you so much for supporting our filmmakers. We sincerely hope you enjoy the festival!
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Showing in-cinema:
Questions? Check out this FAQ for some of the most common info/fixes.
Thursday - May 4th NWF Opening Night
Short film package includes: A Boat for my Brother, Homeless Love Stories, Keepers of the Way, The Interceptors, and Waves Apart; a roundup of our programming committee’s favourites short films!
Still incorporates documentary, archival, and scripted elements to tell the story of Michael J. Fox's rise to stardom in 1980s Hollywood, alongside his private journey living with Parkinson's disease, produced with unprecedented access to Fox and his family.
FRIDAY - May 5th NWF
preceded by the short: Of Water & Trains
Isaac and Alan found each other over a shared love for Chuck Norris and teamed up in Uganda to create their own low-budget action movies and the global success, Wakaliwood Productions.
Immediate Family showcases a group of musicians that formed the studio band for famous artists in the 1970s and beyond, and how they contributed to the creation of the singer-songwriter sound that impacted music history.
SATURDAY - May 6th NWF
preceded by: Missing by Midnight
Over 25 directors, including Frank Darabont, Tom Holland, Mick Garris, and Taylor Hackford, come together to answer what draws them to adapt Stephen King's books, and share their thoughts on the most film-adapted living author in the world.
Explore the untold story of how the publication Michelle Remembers, co-written by a Catholic psychiatrist and his patient, fuelled the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, resulting in wrongful convictions, pop culture hysteria, and destructive consequences.
preceded by: #MoCrazyStrong
A group of wheelchair-bound athletes participating in the BC Summer Race Series share their stories of overcoming adversity and inspiring others to celebrate life, love, and friendship.
preceded by: KC
Love her or hate her, almost everyone has a Barbie story. For filmmaker Lagueria Davis, it all started with her 83-year-old Aunt Beulah Mae asked a seemingly simple question, "Why not make a Barbie that looks like me?"
preceded by: The Root of it All
Greener Pastures examines the challenges faced by American farmers due to climate change, globalization, and the mental health crisis.
SUNDAY - MAY 7th NWF
Experience Stanley Kubrick's divisive horror masterpiece, which initially received mixed reactions and criticism from Stephen King and his fans, but is now considered one of the greatest horror films ever made.
Cracked illuminates how rapid advances in reproductive science have left countries, cultures, and laws struggling to catch up. Labeled is a harrowing journey into the lives of three Indigenous women who were abused and exploited during their time in Edmonton’s sex industry.
Only in Theaters explores the Laemmle family's multi-generational commitment to filmmaking and their impact on world cinema, while also highlighting their unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and changing times.
preceded by: Part of Me
Two determined country singers from Eswatini make their way to Nashville and Texas to record their songs and compete in a battle of the bands.
MONDAY–FRIDAY: MAY 8–11th NWF
preceded by: Elle
Imaginging the Indian is a timely documentary that examines the movement to eradicate offensive Native American mascots. Using archival footage and interviews, the film highlights the impact to Indigenous peoples and marginalized groups.
preceded by: Bring Back the Whistle Dog
It Ain’t Over presents an intimate portrait of baseball legend Yogi Berra, delving into his unparalleled accomplishments on and off the field. Preceded by the short film Bring Back the Whistle Dog, featuring TSN 1260’s Dustin Nielson and Lieutenant Eric.
preceded by: The Storm Chaser
Narrated by Jason Momoa, Deep Rising exposes the geopolitical, scientific, and corporate intrigues behind a secretive organization set to extract massive amounts of metals from the deep seafloor.
The Conspiracy is an animated film narrated by Mayim Bialik and featuring the voices of Liev Schreiber, Jason Alexander, Lake Bell, and Ben Shenkman, exploring the myth that Jews are plotting to take over the world through the first-hand accounts of three prominent Jewish families.
Only in Theaters explores the Laemmle family's multi-generational commitment to filmmaking and their impact on world cinema, while also highlighting their unprecedented challenges during the pandemic and changing times.
preceded by: Growing Up Behind Barbed Wire
In an attempt to solve a family mystery and overcome intergenerational trauma, two film-obsessed brothers create a movie as they search for their missing mother.
preceded by: My Grandmother is an Egg
Filmmaker Barbara Kopple documents the three-year journey of civil rights leaders Marc Morial and Janet Murguía, as they strive to empower African American and Latino-American communities in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the 2020 presidential election.
preceded by: The Cuban Way
Subject digs deep on the effects of sharing one's life on screen by hearing from participants of famous documentaries such as Capturing the Friedmans, Hoop Dreams, The Staircase, The Wolfpack, and The Square.
Filmmaker Sean Patrick Shaul explores the history and impact of censorship in music, from early 20th century to the "Parental Advisory" crusade, highlighting how it has influenced art and shaped society's perception of free expression.
FRIDAY - May 12th RVFF & NWF CROSSOVER
One Halloween, a killer wearing a cursed parasitic mask went on a killing spree and, years later, when the same mask reappears, Angel and their friends must confront their fears to find the masked killer before they kill again.
Filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz, tells the story of how doctors, activists, and Hollywood stars came together in Los Angeles in the 1980s to battle HIV/AIDS and change the world's perception of the epidemic.
SATURDAY - May 13th RAINBOW VISIONS
The film follows two troubled teenage lovers, Amy Blue (Rose McGowan) and Jordan White (James Duval), who pick up a young handsome drifter named Xavier Red (Johnathon Schaech). The trio embarks on a journey full of sex, violence, and people from Amy’s past.
preceded by: Holding Moses
Filmmaker Zach Meiners, a survivor of conversion therapy, uncovers that his former therapist is still practicing, leading him to expose and empower survivors of this secretive and often deadly practice.
preceded by: Finding the Light
A gay seminary scholar and a straight activist investigate the roots of homophobia in conservative churches and make a surprising discovery about an incorrect translation of the term “homosexual” in the Bible.
preceded by: Transenders
We Are Tenacious is the story of Penny Logue, a transgender Alpaca rancher and founder of the Tenacious Unicorn Ranch, who along with her Queer ranching family, overcomes various challenges in the pursuit of true liberation.
preceded by: Blush
A touching and unexpectedly uplifting love story about a Scottish comic book artist with a brain tumor, who uses his art to communicate his experience of cancer.
SUNDAY - May 14th RVFF & NWF
Follow the journey of filmmaker Omar Mouallem as he explores the mysterious origins of the rogue fast-food chain Burger Baron and uncovers the struggles of Arab immigrants in Alberta.
preceded by: Idaho Babe
1988 England's new law stigmatizing gays and lesbians causes a gym teacher, Jean, to live a double life until a new student arrives, putting her in a challenging crisis in this tense drama.
preceded by: Evan Ever After
Natasha Lyonne leads an amazing cast in this queer film classic comedy about Megan, an all-American girl who is sent to a "sexual redirection" school to learn heterosexuality but falls in love with another girl.
The Empress of Vancouver is a bold and celebratory documentary that explores the life of trans icon Oliv Howe as she prepares for the 40th anniversary of her coronation.
Short film package includes: A Boat for my Brother, Homeless Love Stories, Keepers of the Way, The Interceptors, and Waves Apart; a roundup of our programming committee’s favourites short films!