After three long years, the International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO) will be celebrating its third edition by finally hosting its first fully in-person festival from March 8 to 19.
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While IFFO’s original in-person debut was scheduled for March 2020, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to delay their festival’s opening to the following year, where it was adapted into a virtual format. According to Tom McSorley, IFFO’s executive director, a virtual festival just didn’t have the same feeling as a live one.
“It’s very much a kind of strange, alienating feeling for a film festival organizer because you don’t meet your audience in-person,” says McSorley.
In 2022, the festival returned for its second edition using a hybrid format where people could enjoy films either in-person or stream them online. However, with COVID restrictions easing up even further this year, McSorley and his fellow organizers are ecstatic to finally be able to present the third edition of IFFO as it was originally intended.
“What’s super exciting is that the festival is entirely an in-person event,” says McSorely. “In a weird sort of way, it’s kind of the first move back at the first one again, you know the spirit of it. That it’s going to be live and there are going to be filmmakers here, meeting audiences, etc. So we’re really excited about doing a proper IFFO in a live scenario. ”
Screenshot of Queens of the Qing Dynasty. Photo provided.
IFFO will feature a wide selection of interesting films from around the world, viewed and handpicked by McSorley and the programming team. Most of these films are also perfectly suited to the theme of International Woman’s Day, which is when the festival debuts. According to McSorley, of the 35 feature films lined up for IFFO 2023, more than half were directed (and in some cases written) by women filmmakers!
“We’re really proud of the selection this year and that’s also reflecting what’s happening in the world,” says McSorley. “More and more women, particularly young directors, are emerging on the scene. So, we’re thrilled that our festival reflects a very good trend in contemporary world cinema.”
IFFO 2023 also provides locals and movie enthusiasts with the opportunity to enjoy new and diverse experiences through a variety of international films—and even a few Canadian ones.
“The role of a film festival is to expose audiences to film experiences,” says McSorely. “Even in the age of streaming, not everything gets put online. So, our job is to discover what’s happening and … things that are important to show.”
Screenshot from Under the Fig Trees. Photo provided.
Along with the festival’s opening film (conveniently titled I like Movies), IFFO’s lineup also includes such films as:
- Under the Fig Trees from Tunisia, described as a beautiful and powerful collective drama.
- Queens of the Qing Dynasty from Canada, a visually striking film directed by Ashley McKenzie from Nova Scotia.
- Ice Under His Feet, a Russian documentary produced by an activist filmmaker who captures the protest movements criticizing Putin’s regime.
“We want the festival … to open people’s minds. To give them a sense of joy and of hope about the world,” says McSorley.
Screenshot from Ice Under his Feet. Photo provided.
As well as bringing talented filmmakers to Ottawa and giving them the chance to present their films to the locals, IFFO allows filmmakers and directors to meet with and socialize with the audiences that come to watch, and vice versa.
“That kind of social dimension of the festival is very important for us, too. So in addition to seeing films you’d never see probably anywhere else (that’s a pretty interesting experience unto itself) you also have these other aspects of the festival that are nourishing at a number of levels emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and artistically,” says McSorley.
“Those are the real key components of any festival experience.”
For the complete schedule and film guide, be sure to visit IFFO’s website. For more details on tickets, passes and other box office info, click here.
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