North Bay, Ontario – (Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024) The North Bay Film Festival is set to return from November 15th to 17th, 2024, at the historic Capitol Centre. This year’s festival will feature a lineup of ten films over three days, showcasing both award-winning features from around the globe and local talent. The program includes special screenings, engaging Q&A sessions, an indie filmmaking panel, and free workshops designed to enhance the festival experience. Early bird passes are currently available for $50 at Capitol Centre Box Office, providing an excellent opportunity to enjoy all that this year’s festival has to offer.

The opening night Gala screening features The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal, a documentary by Mike Downie celebrating Canada’s beloved rock band. The film’s producer, Bryn Hughes, will be attending in person, doing a Q&A after presenting the first two episodes of this documentary series. This screening will be followed by a Gala Reception.

The 2024 North Bay Film Festival will showcase a diverse range of films, including the recipients of the two top awards from the Cannes Film Festival: Anora, the Palme d’Or-winning tragicomedy from Sean Baker that explores a dancer’s tumultuous romance with a Russian oligarch’s son, and All We Imagine As Light, the Grand Prix winner, that follows two women in India at pivotal moments in their lives. Other highlights include Evil Does Not Exist by Academy Award-winning Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, a haunting tale set in a rural Japanese village. The Substance, starring Demi Moore is a gripping body horror film that won Best Screenplay at Cannes. Kneecap, an award-winning hip-hop biopic representing Ireland at the Academy Awards will also play, and will be preceded by a live performance by North Bay’s own Gaelic rapper, Dave McCallum.

The festival is also showcasing three locally shot films: All The Lost Ones, a poignant look at climate change in a fictional civil war; Seeds, a tense thriller that weaves the Kanien’kehá:ka connection to the land with a cat-and-mouse game, followed by a Q&A with actor Dylan Cook; Drive Back Home, an intimate road trip story starring Alan Cumming. Another film with a local connection, Kryptic, by Kourtney Roy is a psycho-thriller about a woman searching for a monster-hunter. Roy, award-winning photographer, and first-time feature filmmaker who was born in North Bay but now resides in Paris, returns for the festival, doing a Q&A for Kryptic as well as a free talk on Sunday at 1pm on Building a Visual Universe.

New this year, the festival is offering a free Friday afternoon screening of the critically acclaimed Sing Sing, based on the real-life arts rehabilitation program at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, highlighting the transformative power of art within the prison system.

In addition to this year’s stellar film lineup, the festival is proud to feature their 2024 Spotlight Artist, Evelyn Pakinewatik! As the 2024 Spotlight Artist, Evelyn will be presenting a media installation titled, A Dream About Water, opening on Saturday, Nov 16th, and will be available for viewing until Nov 30th in the Digital Creator North Bay space located in the basement of the Capitol Centre. Evelyn has also curated the short film program, In A Good Way, featuring 4 films including her 2024 short, Anywhere, followed by a Q&A. Known for her vibrant exploration of Indigenous identity and culture, Evelyn’s work encourages audiences to engage with the profound connection between art and the environment.

Other special events at the festival include Animate Your Imagination: A Free Workshop with Industry Pros on Friday, Nov 15th from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM. Presented by Lakeside Animation Studios, one of Canada’s leading animation studios, this workshop will offer storytelling techniques from industry professionals. A free Indie Filmmaking panel will be held on Saturday, Nov 16th at 3pm, moderated by Derek Diorio, an acclaimed local writer, director, and producer with 5 independent feature films to his credit.

For the latest news and updates, as well as information on ticket and pass purchases, visit northbayfilmfestival.ca/nbff2024.

The festival extends a heartfelt thanks to the Title Sponsor for the 2024 North Bay Film Festival, Canadore College. We also appreciate our Gold Sponsor: IATSE 634, Churchill’s Prime Rib House & Terrace Suites, our Silver Sponsors: ISO, Capitol Centre, Raymond Brand, and our Funders: Ontario Arts Council, City of North Bay, and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, as well as all of our other sponsors and supporters who have made this festival possible. Your commitment to the arts and the local community plays a vital role in bringing our vision to life, and we are grateful for your continued dedication.