Special Presentations Added to Cinéfest 11 Lineup

July 27, 2011 filed under Canadian , Features , Northern Connections , Special Presentations and World Cinema

Cinéfest Sudbury is pleased to announce the early selections for the Special Presentations programme for the 23rd edition of the festival. This year’s Special Presentations programme will include Canadian, world, documentary and Northern Connections feature-length films and will be representative of the best in contemporary filmmaking.

La Sacrée [Dominic Desjardins, Canada, 2011] In order to marry a wealthy businesswoman, a professional conman must first solve his infertility problem. In order to do so, he must begrudgingly return to his home town in Ontario, where he finally decides to set up shop in order to launch a microbrewery. Will he succeed in reinvigorating the town’s dying economy? Will he ever reveal himself for what he truly is? Dominic Desjardins (Everybody’s Couch) directs this first-ever full-length Franco-Ontarian comedy featuring Sudbury’s own Marc Marans, singing sensation Damien Robitaille, and a slew of other familiar Franco-Ontarian faces. La Sacrée is distributed in Canada by FunFilm Distribution.

The Skin I Live In (La piel que habito) [Pedro Almodovar, Spain, 2011] Based on Thierry Jonquet's novel "Mygale", this revenge tale tells the story of a plastic surgeon on the hunt for the men who raped his daughter. Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas), an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against every assault. In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert needed a further three things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human guinea pig. Scruples were never a problem. Marilia (Marisa Paredes), the woman who looked after him from the day he was born, is his most faithful accomplice. And as for the human guinea pig… The Skin I Live In is distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.

Take Shelter [Jeff Nichols, USA, 2011] Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and six-year-old daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart), who is deaf. Curtis makes a modest living as a crew chief for a sand-mining company. Samantha is a stay-at-home mother and part-time seamstress who supplements their income by selling handmade wares at the flea market each weekend. Money is tight, and navigating Hannah’s healthcare and special needs education is a constant struggle. Despite that, Curtis and Samantha are very much in love and their family is a happy one. Then Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an encroaching, apocalyptic storm. Faced with the proposition that his disturbing visions signal disaster of one kind or another, Curtis confides in Samantha, testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes. Take Shelter is distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.