The Regina International Film Festival and Awards (RIFFA) has officially kicked off in Regina, with screenings taking place across the Queen City until Saturday. The first film screening, Tomoshibi, took place at the Mackenzie Art Gallery at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The film focused on the 2011 Japan tsunami survivors and how they were able to adapt to life after the natural disaster. A virtual festival also took place from Aug. 12 – 16. Here is where you can watch the rest of the screenings, including the Saskatchewan nominees. Tuesday The rest of Tuesday’s films will be screened at the RCMP Heritage Centre at 5907 Dewdney Ave. “Our Contexts” short program will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The films featured in this program included Final Sale (Vente Finale), The Bull & Baby (ZEZENA ETA UMEA), Free Fish, Ujjirijavut (We See Changes), and Ramon who Speaks to Ghosts. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., “Aging, Connection, Community” short program will feature five films: How to Rebury Your Friend, Broken Dawn (무례한 새벽), I Believe in Flying, Tales of Minho, and Othahyu:ni’kéha’ Kaniwʌhtaló:tʌ’ Ksliye:twánhaks (wolf blood: the threads that bind). The feature film, Akashi, will be screened at 8 p.m., showcasing a multigenerational love story told across parallel timelines. Wednesday Taking place at the Mackenzie Art Gallery’s Shumiatcher Theatre at 3475 Albert St. at 11 a.m., A Bigger Place (Un Lugar Más Grande) is a feature film that tells the story of a Mexican community facing the challenge of self-governance after running the town hall out of their territory. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the RCMP Heritage Centre, the “Across Provinces” short program will be screened. The submissions include ᐃᒪᕐᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐆᒪᔪᑦ / Living waters, Moon Noonk Edouard, Diamond Belly, The Bookstore That Never Sleeps, and Motel Grand-Pré. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the feature film Beyond the Mountains will be screened at the RCMP Heritage Centre. The film tells the story of a student who must survive by scavenging after he is scammed and left homeless. At 8 p.m., Complaint nº713317 will be screened. The feature film focuses on what happens to a retired couple in Cairo, Egypt, after their fridge breaks down. Thursday At 11 a.m. at the Mackenzie Art Gallery, Illustrated Legacies: Graveyard of the Pacific, is a feature film that blends animation and oral history to tell the story of trade routes and coastal alliances along the B.C. coast before Canada’s formation. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., the “Uprisings” short program will feature nine films, including SOS, The Lamb in the Room, Reply, Sisyphus of the factory, The Dead Sing for the Living, Les Semelles du quartier, Before the Sun, Sash Window, and Materia. The program will take place at the RCMP Heritage Centre. Also taking place at the RCMP Heritage Centre at 6 p.m., Halved is a feature film that focuses on a girl in the Philippines who must choose between family, survival, and love. From 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the RCMP Heritage Centre, The Fox is a feature film that features a man who listens to a sly fox who promises to transform his partner into the perfect woman. The cartoon Hoppers can be watched outside around 8 p.m. at Horizon Station Park at 4701 Buckingham Dr. Friday A Cree Approach – nêhiyawîhtwâwin is a documentary that will be screened at the Mackenzie Art Gallery at 11 a.m. The film focuses on a woman’s journey to reclaim the Plains Cree language. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the RCMP Heritage Centre, the Family Shorts program will feature eight films, including Princess Dina Bo Bina, Foxing Kitsune-tsuki, My Grandmother is a Skydiver, Deaf Ear (Kargoosh), EMERGENCY, Like a spark, Hiding in the Bubble, and Prehistoric (Maghabl-e Tarikh). Also at the RCMP Heritage Centre, the feature film Muganga will be shown at 6 p.m. The film focuses on a Congolese doctor who risks his life to treat women who are victims of sexual violence. The Saskatchewan Shorts Program will take place at 8 p.m. at the RCMP Heritage Centre. Four of the seven films that will be screened are nominated in the Best Saskatchewan Short Film Category. Those include: The other Saskatchewan films that will be screened are the Ceremonial Garden, Airborne, and Piyak Oskân (Family). Saturday Taking place at the Mackenzie Art Gallery at 11 a.m., Mainprize is a feature film that tells the story of a rural Saskatchewan doctor whose confidence is shaken after tragedy. The festival will conclude with an awards ceremony on Saturday evening from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Darke Hall at 2255 College Ave., where films in 10 categories will be honoured. The awards will recognize excellence in international, Canadian, Indigenous, documentary, animation, student, and Saskatchewan filmmaking. Tickets for each screening can be found here. LOOK program RIFFA is also a longtime supporter of mental health initiatives. The LOOK program gave the opportunity for those living with mental health challenges to create films in a safe and supportive environment. The program guided 10 students through a curriculum, with industry professionals volunteering their time to mentor students and bring their creativity to life on the screen. Their work was premiered at a screening at the Mackenzie Art Gallery on Monday.
