Speaking volumes on bilingual big screen

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This article was published 01/03/2023 (1312 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The pandemic chill has lifted for Freeze Frame, a bilingual local film festival screening kid-friendly flicks from around the world.

After two years of online and hybrid events, executive and artistic director Pascal Boutroy is looking forward to welcoming audiences back to the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain, 340 Provencher Blvd.

“That’s where you get the most out of it,” he says of the live moviegoing experience. “In a dark room with a big screen, that’s how you really project yourself the most into the film.”

The 28th edition of Freeze Frame kicks off Sunday and runs until March 12 with 20 French and English screenings of eight different films taking place throughout the week.

Boutroy is a filmmaker and the festival co-founder. His programming goal is to pick films that highlight different cultures and modes of storytelling while appealing to a range of age groups.

“Basically, I pick out the best ones I can find,” he says. “From very sweet films for the little kids and more challenging films for the teenagers.”

This year’s festival opener is Oink, a stop-motion story from the Netherlands about a nine-year-old named Babs, her pet pig and the familial trials and tribulations that follow Oink’s arrival. Creator Mascha Halberstad will be on hand for Sunday afternoon’s free screening and will be joining filmmakers from Slovenia and Canada in offering workshops during the festival to kids and local industry professionals.

Other films in the lineup include Bangla Surf Girls, a documentary about three young girls who join a surf club in Bangladesh; Yuku and the Himalayan Flower, an animated musical about a little mouse on a big quest; and No Dogs or Italians Allowed, an animated feature about anti-Italian sentiments in France in the early 20th century.

“It’s quite interesting,” Boutroy says of the latter. “Because it shows that you can actually tackle, in animation, some subjects that are a little grave, in a funny way. This one tackles the kind of racism that the family of the filmmaker experienced when they moved from Italy to France — but it’s done with a really nice touch and humour.”

Monday through Friday, Freeze Frame hosts school groups from across the city. Boutroy is always impressed with how well young audiences take to films from elsewhere, many of which are presented with subtitles.

“The first year there was a great Japanese film that was about two hours long,” he says. “The kids laughed at the right place, they were silent at the right time… students and children will always surprise you and it’s often in a good way, they understand way more and they can take way more than you can think.”

Freeze Frame selects a youth jury each year, made up of kids interested in trying out the art of film reviewing, as well as a youth video contest, featuring work by aspiring filmmakers ages six to 18. The latter videos will be screened next Wednesday, March 8.

Tickets for the week passes and individual events are available online, by phone or at the door.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @evawasney