45th Atlantic International Film Festival launches Wednesday night

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The Atlantic International Film Festival returns

Atlantic International Film Fest: Part 2

Atlantic International Film Fest: Part 1

Sponsored content: Atlantic Int'l Film Festival

The Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF) kicks off its 45th annual event on Wednesday at the Cineplex Cinemas Park Lane in Halifax.

The AIFF is an eight-day long film festival that celebrates film and filmmakers.

The opening night will premiere the film “Sk+te’kmujue’katik (At the Place of Ghosts),” a film from Bretten Hannam, a Two-Spirit L’nu writer-director.

Hannam told CTV Atlantic’s Crystal Garrett the film touches on several themes including intergenerational trauma.

“It also touches on the history of the land and the history of the Mi’kmaq people,” Hannam said.

Sk+te’kmujue’katik centres around two brothers who must come together after years apart to overcome their past trauma.

“This experience was just extremely healing for me as a person,” said Blake Alex Miranda, who plays the lead role in the film. “Everyone has stuff from their past that they want to work through, and I think film is the medium that many people turn to.”

Hannam hopes the audience will be able to connect the film to their own lives.

“I would hope that by the end of it, they see something in the film that helps them reflect on their own relationships with their family, with the land around them, their own community,” Hannam said.

The film premieres Wednesday night at 7 p.m. followed by an Opening Night Gala Celebration at 9 p.m.

The audience will also have the opportunity to ask the cast and crew questions.

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