The Forest City Film Festival focuses on bringing you the best films connected to Southwestern Ontario. That connection can be a director, a composer, or any creative soul. If you like music, you’ll LOVE the films we found for you this year!
Our selection of films will connect you to performers expanding Canada’s culture of music and creativity. You’ll find links to tickets and trailers at the bottom of this story.
Crossing Tracks
The film “Crossing Tracks” emphasizes London, Ontario’s bustling music scene as Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music. The documentary invites you on the journey of a vinyl record, following singer-songwriter C.J. Lee, as he tours his debut LP Hitchcock Sequel, through the musical landscape of London and Southwestern Ontario.
Anyone who grew up or moved to London during the pandemic was never truly exposed to the local music scene. Watching “Crossing Tracks” introduces the viewer to the London scene. After watching the documentary and seeing these venues that many of us had passed by but never visited, you’ll feel inspired to see a performance at one of London’s many historical venues.
Ever Deadly
The documentary “Ever Deadly” chronicles the life of Tanya Tagaq, an Inuk creative who’s gained international acclaim with her unique form of Inuit throat singing.
“Ever Deadly” is paired with the not-to-be-missed “The War Racket,” featuring music composed by Buffy Sainte-Marie.
“The War Racket” is a captivating and mesmerizing visual collaboration with animation by the multi-talented Kurt Swinghammer. The song protests capitalists and corrupt politicians using Swinghammer’s animations to emphasize Sainte-Marie’s critical message: war and violence only benefit the rich.
July Talk: Love Lives Here
Other music-first films with ties to Ontario include “July Talk: Love Lives Here” and our Flashback Friday film “Once Were Brothers.”
Brittany Farhat directs the documentary “July Talk: Love Lives Here,” featuring the Juno Award-winning rock band July Talk. The band attempts— and succeeds—in performing Canada’s first post-lockdown show at a drive-in theatre.
July Talk: Love Lives Here
You’ll get up close and intimate as the band members of July Talk navigate the financial and safety risks of staying together during COVID-19 while advocating for diversity and inclusion in their concert with the tagline: Love Lives Here.
Once Were Brothers
“Once Were Brothers” is a documentary about the group of multi-instrumentalists who formed The Band. The critically acclaimed film, which won a Canadian Screen Award for Best Sound, features reflections on their experience and influences from Ontario to Mississippi, how their music evolved, and how they did too!
With appearances from Bruce Springsteen, rhapsodising about the Band’s influence and craftsmanship, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton,Van Morrison and Martin Scorsese this Canadian film is a captivating piece of work about one of the best musical groups ever.
Writing in Slate, Jack Hamilton says, “When the Band were at the height of their powers there was simply nothing else like them, and there likely never will be. In “Once Were Brothers,” the blues musician Taj Mahal likens them to a North American version of the Beatles, a claim that’s both hyperbolic and also, in many respects, true. I can’t think of another self-contained musical outfit from this continent that combined such virtuosic technical ability with such extraordinary songwriting acumen.”
All these films emphasize the importance of music in a community and the creation of rich cultural values.
The War Racket
Ever Deadly
October 15, 4:00 PM, Wolf Performance Hall
Link to Film Synopsis, Trailer and Tickets
July Talk: Love Lives Here
October 22, 12:45 PM, Wolf Performance Hall
Link to Film Synopsis, Trailer and Tickets
Once Were Brothers
October 20, 6:30 PM, Wolf Performance Hall
Link to Film Synopsis and Tickets
Crossing Tracks
October 18, 6:30 PM, Wolf Performance Hall
Link to Film Synopsis, Trailer and Tickets
