Highlights from LIFF

The Lethbridge Independent Film Festival is an unpretentious, scrappy little festival lovingly curated by festival director Tess Mitchell. In its third year, LIFF offers a broad range of programming including a screening of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis with a live soundtrack by Edmonton-based, electronic musician, MORRISMORRIS; two screenings of experimental shorts; a show-stopping, VR experience by Blackfoot Nation Films; as well as two programs oriented towards younger audience members. Mitchell, a self-proclaimed cinephile who has been serving popcorn since the age of 15, hopes that there is something for everyone at LIFF but says that her heart lies with the festival’s experimental and youth-oriented programming. Indeed, this is where LIFF truly shines. The Visions Cinema outdoor screening offered not only a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears but a touching meditation about memory and the tenuousness of connection held, gently, in a relaxed viewing environment. We watched the program while lying in the shade of a nearby tree, a magpie diligently looking for sticks in its branches. The family friendly screenings were enjoyed alongside a running commentary from the children in the audience as they discussed what they were seeing on the big screen without being shushed; a selection of challenging work in both form and content that took seriously the children’s ability to process and understand difficult subjects and feelings.