For nearly a quarter of a century, the Gimli International Film Festival (GIFF) has fostered connections between filmmakers and film enthusiasts, building a unique community united by the magic of cinema.
This year, GIFF saw over 10,000 individuals visit the Icelandic town to take in a variety of film screenings of local, national, and international feature films, documentaries, and short films, not to mention the iconic RBC Sunset Beach Screenings. This year also saw a record number of film submissions, reaching 1,400 in total, with the majority being short films.
“Festivals are getting back to pre-pandemic attendance levels, and GIFF is no different,” said Teya Zuzek, this year’s executive director.
A sense of community stood out in GIFF’s 24th year, filling the five-day festival. This focus fits this year’s programming theme of community and connectedness, which was also felt in most of GIFF’s special events.
“We saw filmmakers speaking with filmgoers and industry people connecting with other industry people. It just felt like everyone was excited to be here for GIFF 2024 and thrilled to connect,” said Zuzek.
The GIFF’s annual award reception is a beloved tradition, honoring filmmakers and their works. Notable winners this year included The Eternal Memory, recipient of the Grand Jury Award, The Audience Choice for The Day Iceland Stood Still, and Zacharias Kunuk who received the prestigious Alda Award.
The 48-hour Fest was this year’s best-attended event. The films with the most patrons were Daughter of the Sun, We Grown Now, The Day Iceland Stood Still, My Wonderful Stranger, In Her Name, and Every Little Thing.
Other awards presented include:
Best Canadian Short – Unibrow
Best International Short – 27
Best Manitoba Short – Modern Goose
ACTRA Performance Awards – Harkaran Jhinger in My Son Went Quiet and Courtney Sawyer in Daughter of the Sun
Barry Lank Award – Sonya Ballantyne
Best Manitoba Director – Branden Joseph DeFoort for These Four Walls
Indigenous Spirit Award – Andrew Konoff for Plaansh a Roo
An award that stood out to Zuzek this year was the winner of the Audience Choice, which went to Joyce Delaronde at the Winnipeg Indigenous Filmmakers Collective Screening, sponsored by Warner Brothers Discovery Access Canada.
The festival’s most prestigious award, the 13th annual RBC Emerging Filmmakers Pitch Competition, was awarded to Coby Friesen for Cruising in Gomorah.
Cruising in Gomorrah follows the lives of two childhood friends, Chris and Alex, who go camping together at an idyllic yet supposedly haunted beach. Tensions mount as Chris’ deep Christian faith clashes with Alex’s worldly desire. Things start to get weird when a looming presence of good and evil permeates the beach, awakening unconscious desires of longing and forcing the friends to come to terms with their sexuality.
Friesen, a queer filmmaker in his 30s, currently resides in Winnipeg. While he hails from Saskatchewan originally, he relocated for education fourteen years ago and has since made the city his home. Although he initially pursued acting as a potential career, Friesen eventually realized that creating his own narratives brought him greater fulfillment. In 2016, Friesen began sharing comedic sketches on YouTube before officially releasing a short film in 2022.
The idea for the film came from a day spent at a secluded beach on a summer day, Friesen said.
“I began to research cruising and began to be really intrigued by what felt like this sort of secret queer history. There’s a few films out there that use cruising as a narrative device that inspired me along the way,” they said.
Friesen also remembered a backpacking trip he had with a childhood friend in his early twenties, which was very formative and showed how both of them were becoming different people.
Together, both of these pieces worked as the structure for their film.
In addition to the $10,000 in production funds, Friesen also received various forms of industry support. This includes a $5,000 Sunbelt Rentals Grant certificate, as well as a story-editing and directing mentorship from the National Screen Institute of Canada. Furthermore, they were given a credit of $2,000 towards equipment rental, along with one-year memberships to both the Winnipeg Film Group and On Screen Manitoba. As a cherry on top, their film Cruising in Gomorrah will have its premiere screening at next year’s GIFF.
“It feels like a lot has led up to this win. It took many years of exploring, being curious, and just plain hard work. I feel affirmed and honoured for the privilege of this opportunity,” said Friesen.
“Hopefully, this will just open more doors. I’m beyond excited to be able to tell one of my stories at this scale,” they added.
Friesen’s advice to aspiring filmmakers is, “Keep going. Perseverance does pay off. In my experience, things don’t just happen, but your commitment and love of storytelling can carry you a long way. It’s worth it.”
For the next year, Friesen’s primary focus will be his emerging film.
“I want to pour everything I’ve got into this experience. Beyond that, I want to make more movies. I’ve got lots of stories to tell,” they said.
Next year, the GIFF will celebrate its 25th anniversary, and Zuzek said she is excited to see what the film festival will bring.
“We are excited to share it with fellow filmmakers and film lovers alike.”
In the aftermath of the pre-pandemic, as individuals crave to get back into the normalcy of everyday life and activities, it’s evident that GIFF has helped fulfill the need for community and connectedness through the power of film.
