FILM
What: Nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up
Where: Cinecenta, University of Victoria, Student Union Bldg., 3800 Finnerty Rd.
When: June 26 and 27, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Tickets: $5.75 for students, seniors and children; $7.75 for non-members
Why: Nîpawistamâsowin is an award-winning documentary about the death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree man whose 2016 case drew widespread media attention after the man who shot him on a rural Saskatchewan property was acquitted of charges against him. The film (directed by Cree filmmaker Tasha Hubbard of Saskatoon) focuses on Boushie’s family’s calls for justice after an all-white jury decided the case. Nîpawistamâsowin has won Hot Docs and DOXA awards for its handling of the divisive issue.
FILM
What: Tales from The Winnipeg Film Group
Where: Cinecenta, University of Victoria, Student Union Bldg., 3800 Finnerty Rd.
When: June 25, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $5.75 for students, seniors and children; $7.75 for non-members
Why: Dave Barber, who co-directed this 2017 documentary about theWinnipeg Film Group, will be in attendance for the screening of this film about the charitable, artist-run organization dedicated to promoting the art of cinema in the Prairies. Award winners Guy Maddin, Caroline Monnet and Matthew Rankin are among the centre’s alumni, which gives you an idea of the impact the Winnipeg enclave of artists had on the nation’s filmmaking identity.
MUSICAL THEATRE
What: The Wicked Witch of the West: Kansas or Bust
Where: Mary Winspear Centre
When: June 21, 7 p.m.; June 22 and 23, 2 p.m.
Tickets: $20 from marywinspear.ca or through the Mary Winspear box office (2243 Beacon Ave., 250-656-0275)
Why: A student production based on the musical from the Connecticut-based duo of Bert Bernardi (book and lyrics) and Justin Rugg (composer), this sequel to The Wizard of Oz follows the Wicked Witch of the West on a fantastic voyage to recover Dorothy’s slippers. The broomstick-riding witch eventually heads to Wichita, Kansas, where the Wizard now resides. The original characters are all involved, so fans of the original starring Judy Garland will likely find laughs aplenty, courtesy of the students at Sidney’s Mountain Dream Productions.
