The fourth annual Breast Fest, the world’s first and only breast cancer film festival, opens today November 18 in Toronto with Patricia Zagarella’s groundbreaking and thought-provoking documentary Baring It All.
Presented by Rethink Breast Cancer, Breast Fest was initiated to inspire dialogue, facilitate learning and foster community through film and arts. This year’s festival, continuing through November 20, includes powerful documentary and dramatic films along with a high profile speakers series that address key issues that are currently affecting the breast cancer community.
To introduce some of you to what Breast Fest is all about. Here is a short interview with Artistic Director Michelle Rothstein.
Hye: How has Breast Fest evolved since its inception four years ago?
Michelle: Around 2006 Alison Gordon (VP of Rethink Breast Cancer) saw that there were many stories about breast cancer on YouTube, so she asked “why don’t we put a film festival together?” The idea was to educate, create awareness and involve the community. Over the years, we have added panels and for the first time this year, we will have a benefit! We have decided to call it Tits N’ Sass, which is an evening of comedy. Funds raided from this benefit will go directly to Rethink Breast Cancer. The festival has really evolved.
Hye: In terms of submissions to the festival, how many do you get? And how do you, with the help of your Advisory Committee, go about making your final choices?
Michelle: We have an online component, which is the Shorts Contest. Anyone across Canada can enter but the winner is chosen by online voting from all over the world. This year’s we received 30 submissions with 5 finalists. The winner, Unchastened, was chosen by votes from 83 countries worldwide.
In terms of feature films, I do most of the “hunting” for the festival. The advisory committee watches all the films, we cast a vote and have discussions as well. The committee is made up of cancer survivors, members of the film industry as well as the general public. For this year, we looked at 15 films but could only choose 6, which sometimes is hard. We focused on films that address certain subject matter that we’d like to highlight at the festival. For instance, we chose One of the 1 Percent – The Sandy Ahenakew Story to show what aboriginal women and their families’ experience is when dealing with breast cancer. They have unique needs.
Hye: Could you expand a bit on the Shorts Contest and the Amazing Grace Award… how do the short films honour filmmaker Grace Cianciotta‘s memory?
Michelle: Well, Grace got involved with Rethink shortly before she passed. Sadly, she did not make it to the first Breast Fest. Here father is involved [Rethink] and helped establish the award. Grace loved the humour and savy aspects of Rethink. She loved film so much. The power of the moving image as a vehicle for telling people’s stories can affect people from all over the world. [That is why the voting is open to the public from around the globe]. These short films are about the human condition, realities of the disease and showing us how they deal with it.
Hye: This year, the festival has a great line up of films and events. Do you have any suggestions for us?
Michelle: The Dutch film Stricken by Reinout Oerleman is a great narrative film. It’s dynamic, has a great cast. It deals with husband’s coping mechanisms when he finds out his wife has been diagnosed. We’re also excited about the Comedy & Cancer Panel: How humour is used to discuss serious illness. Richard Course will moderate. I will suggest this to anyone who is still new to Breast Fest.
Hye: Lastly, what is your vision for Breast Fest and how do you see it growing in the future?
Michelle: I’d love for Breast Fest to travel. It is a really important cultural event for breast cancer and the community all over the world. Breast Fest is engaging and creating awareness, dialogue and expanding the community…this is very different. It is still the world’s only one film festival of its kind!
Breast Fest tickets are selling fast! It runs all weekend long. All screenings will take place at the Royal Ontario Museum Theatre, 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario. Opening night tickets are $18 and tickets for all other screenings are $10 per. Tickets for Tits N’ Sass are $25. To view show times and purchase tickets, or to find out more about the festival, please visit www.breastfestfilmfest.com.
