This year, for the thirteenth year in a row, Kingston will play host to the Kingston Canadian Film Festival (KCFF)—and as usual there will be a number of Queen’s alumni and community members at the helm.
Along with Queen’s alumnus and KCFF general manager Marc Garniss, Artsci’02, another Queen’s connection among the KCFF staff is festival director Alison Migneault, a Queen’s Department of Marketing and Communications professional who joined the KCFF team in 2005.
Toronto-based filmmaker Jason Lapeyre, Artsci’97, is one of the many Queen’s alumni who have been featured at KCFF over the years. This year he returns with his award-winning film I Declare War, a black comedy about summer-time war games between neighbourhood kids that turn into a conflict of epic proportions when the players resort to adult levels of ruthlessness.
"It's a genuine pleasure to return to Kingston and the festival, especially after the warm reception we received last year,” says Jason. “There's an amazing sense of having come full circle when I get to socialize with some of the film professors that taught me, like Blaine Allan, and talk to them about the films I've been making that I was only dreaming about when I was a student here. The festival does a great job of making all the filmmakers feel welcome and appreciated."
The Kingston Canadian Film Festival (KCFF) was launched in 2001 by Alex Jansen, then a film student at Queen’s University. It began as a three-day event at the Screening Room Movie Theatre, where 15 of the 20 original screenings sold out. The following year, the festival added a second venue, increased the number of screenings substantially, and added a fourth day to the event, becoming the largest showcase of feature films from across Canada.
The KCFF runs from Feb. 28 until March 2. For more information, including the event schedule and ticket purchases, visit the KCFF website.
