New TIFF season launches on big screen

September 7, 2016

While Toronto goes movie crazy with the influx of international celebs arriving at the Toronto International Film Festival, Bancroft rolls out its own red carpet for another season of independent TIFF films at the Village Playhouse. This year’s line-up kicks off on Sept. 13 with two screenings of the comedy Love and Friendship.

Operated by Hospice North Hastings, in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival’s Film Circuit program, independent films are shown monthly on the big screen to a growing crowd of film enthusiasts. Each screening welcomes guests early for snacks and a chance to visit the Playhouse wine bar and all proceeds from the Festival support programming provided by Hospice North Hastings, making the screenings a perfect example of caring through culture.

Love and Friendship is an adaptation of young Jane Austen’s novella Lady Susan, believed to have been written in the mid-1790s and published by her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, in 1871.
Set in the 1790s, earlier than most Austen tales, Love and Friendship follows beautiful young widow Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) who has come to Churchill, the estate of her in-laws, to wait out colourful rumours about her dalliances circulating through polite society. This film is both a comedic and a period gem and not only will it look great on the big screen but the Playhouse sound system has also been overhauled to provide an even more exciting film experience.

Films screen at the Village Playhouse at 4:15 and 7pm and patrons are encouraged to arrive early to visit with friends and enjoy the wine bar. Tickets are $10. Each screening features a trivia contest with prizes to be won. Special upcoming show announcements are also made first with North of 7 Film Fest audiences and Playhouse manager Heather Brough says this September screening will offer at least one early ticket purchase opportunity.

“The TIFF film audiences are our most loyal,” Brough explains. “They support what we do so we try to give them first shot at early tickets for shows we expect to sell out and on Tuesday we’re going to have some very exciting news to announce.”

While tickets are available at the door and online at www.boxofficebancroft.com, full season passes are also now on sale at the Hospice House or they can be purchased at the first screening. The full season passes are $100 and give you access to twelve screenings. Passes are transferable so if you can’t make a screening; you can send a friend.

The day after the season launches in Bancroft, Brough travels to Toronto to join other Film Circuit partners at their yearly screening event where Festival programmers select their films for the upcoming year. Brough says she can’t wait to see what’s on offer and following on the heels of a special dramatic screening last spring with filmmaker Brian D. Johnson, Brough says she’s already thinking about planning more special film events at the Playhouse.

For more details on the North of 7 Film Fest, please visit www.bancroftvillageplayhouse.ca or follow us on Facebook at North of 7 Film Fest.

Submitted