The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) has selected Debra Kellner’s Inside My Heart as one of four films slated to make its world premiere in its Impact stream.
Directed by Kellner (La Vagabonds De La Forêt), the France/Canada copro chronicles the stories of three refugee families fleeing their war-torn countries over a period of nearly three years. Frank Giustra, Serge Lalou and Richard Copans are producers on the doc.
VIFF’s Impact program, which highlights films that have the power to spark change, has also added director Lefteris Charitos’ feature about legendary diver Jacques Mayol, Dolphin Man: The Story of Jacques Mayol (Greece/Canada/France). Set to make its Canadian premiere in the program, the doc weaves together footage from the 1950s and underwater photography to discuss the Mayol’s impact on free-diving and his relationship with the sea. Dolphin Man is narrated by actor/producer Jean-Marc Barr (Bad Banks), who previously played the famous diver in the film The Big Blue (1988).
Other films set to make their world premiere include director Andrea Sorini’s Baikonur, Earth (Italy/Kazakhstan), Bill Benenson’s The Lost City of the Monkey God (U.S.) and Bruno Sauvard’s Wine Calling (France). The Vancouver fest has also added the world premiere of director Connie Field’s Whistleblower of My Lai (U.S.) to its previously announced M/A/D lineup.
As part of VIFF’s Impact programming stream, the festival is also teaming up with the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada (JGI) to host a screening of the Brett Morgen’s doc Jane (2017) followed by an in-depth conversation with the scientist on October 4. The doc previously screened as part of VIFF’s year-round program last year. Proceeds from the event will go towards JGI Canada, which promotes the understanding and protection of chimpanzees.
In addition to the screening, VIFF also unveiled the 10 nominees for its Impact Award, which includes a cash prize of $5,000. The Oslo Diaries (Israel/Canada), which screened at this year’s Hot Docs and made its world premiere Sundance, was the sole Canadian film selected for the competition.
Directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, the doc commissioned by the documentary Channel details the secret talks between the Israelis and Palestinians held in Norway’s capital in 1992 in an effort to improve Israeli-Palestinian relations. In January, HBO acquired the U.S. television and streaming rights to the doc. The Oslo Diaries will make its broadcast premiere in Canada on the documentary Channel on Sept. 12 at 10 p.m. HBO will screen the doc the following day.
Also competing for the prize are director Karim Aïnouz’s Central Airport THF (Germany/France/Brazil), Adam Mazo’s Dawnland (U.S.), Markus Imhoof’s Eldorado (Switzerland/Germany), Ayelet Albenda’s In My Room (Israel), Nicolas Brown’s The Serengeti Rules (U.K.), Reem Saleh’s What Comes Around (Lebanon/Egypt/Greece/Qatar/Slovenia), Stefano Savona’s Samouni Road (France/Italy) Stephanie Soechtig’s The Devil We Know (U.S.) and Almudena Carracedo’s The Silence of Others (Spain/U.S.).