The world’s largest celebration of exclusively Canadian film is back for its 25th year.
The Kingston Canadian Film Festival (KCFF) is set to celebrate its 25 anniversary this week, running from Feb. 26 to March 2. With a wide range of programming that offers not only film, but music, comedy and more, KCFF recognizes a wide variety of Canadian talent, both local, and from further afield.
The Journal spoke with Executive Director Marc Garniss, ArtSci ’02, to learn more about this milestone, reflect on the festival’s past, and hopes for its future.
The festival will open with Sophie Deraspe’s Shepherds, and closes with Dale Heslip’s Blue Rodeo: Lost Together.
Garniss ed the KCFF team in 2012 as the general manager, returning as the festival’s director in his second year, becoming its first full time employee. Back then, KCFF only ran for its four-day run, disappearing for most of the year.
Now, it’s become a year-round entity.
Moving into different venues over the years, and now with a venue space of their own, KCFF has changed much over time, though its core values have remained the same.
“Probably since I started, the attendance has more or less doubled,” Garniss said in an interview with The Journal. “The local filmmaking community has changed a lot as well.”
Though much of the KCFF’s structure has evolved, their goal to and create dialogue around Canadian film has remained steadfast.
“Our mission statement hasn’t changed, but the skeleton of the festival has changed a lot for sure,” Garniss said.
Twenty-five years in operation marks a huge achievement for KCFF. It’s not one Garniss takes for granted amid tentative futures for other local festivals like Kingston Writer’s Fest.
READ MORE: Efforts underway to revive Kingston WritersFest after closure
“It’s a huge milestone, for sure. A lot of festivals you just assume are going to happen forever,”Garniss said.
“[Twenty-five years] that’s a lot of years to survive ups and downs, and bumps and bruises and all those things. So in that respect, to still be standing up for 25 years is a testament to the of the community and people that worked on the festival before my time,” Garniss shared.
Throughout its evolution, KCFF has moved beyond strictly film to other events, providing new ways for a variety of audiences to get involved, including students.
“That’s [students] always a demographic we’re trying to attract more,” Garniss shared.
“One thing we’ve done in the past six to seven years, more than we did in the early days, is to integrate things like music, and comedy, and we have a new industry day to the festival, providing new points of entry into the event,” he added. “There’s different paths into the festival now.”
This has helped not only to grow the festival’s audience but also to attract a younger demographic.
Non-film events like “In Conversation: Jay Baruchel” sit alongside some of Garniss’s own personal favourites, Blain Watters’ SINGLE WOMAN SEEKING CHILD, Jay Middaugh’s Still Alive in Kingston, and Kazik Radwanski’s Matt and Mara.
Though film remains at their centre, KCFF have also begun describing themselves as a “film and cultural festival,” highlighting Kingston’s rich arts scene which reaches beyond the screen.
Kingston is carving out a creative name for itself as an arts hub, something KCFF hopes to highlight. Garniss discussed that in the past, many people felt the need to move away from Kingston to foster their ions, and the “inferiority complex” Kingston may once have held about its creative potential.
But now, he’s noticed a shift.
“I think Kingston’s definitely become a city that can stand on its own a bit more for film and music, and not just feel like we’re going to lose all our top tier artists to Toronto and Montreal. A lot of them are staying here, living here, and identifying that they’re from here. I’ve definitely noticed that now,” Garniss shared.
The Kingston Film Office was launched in 2018, providing for local filmmakers, helping the scene in the city to grow roots, and thrive.
KCFF also offers an opportunity to help develop emerging artists in Kingston. The festival runs three year-round programs for youth, all-ages, and a music video program to local talent. The 18MM Program, KCFF Doc Factory, and Slaight Music Video Program all offer opportunities for budding Kingston creatives.
Garniss has high hopes for the festival’s future, as consuming art and culture remains an important part of people’s lives. He encourages this week’s attendees to give new films a chance, or their “plan B,” as they might stumble across an “unexpected gem.”
“Sometimes that plan B ends up being the best thing you see.”
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