Charlottetown Film Fest

The 10th annual Charlottetown Film Festival (ChFF) will take place from October 17–20 at City Cinema, with generous support from the Charlottetown Film Society. This year’s festival will introduce its new programming director, showcase feature films from across the country, highlight a new international spotlight, and much more, including the return of the Charlottetown Film Forum.

Sean Maheux Galway is the new programming director, joining ChFF from previous programming roles at the Atlantic International Film Festival (AIFF), the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, and the Toronto Irish Film Festival. Galway, a film programmer and producer currently based in Halifax/Kjipuktuk, has also coordinated film industry content for WIFT-Atlantic, Lunenburg Doc Fest, and the AIFF Partners co-production market.

Feature films at ChFF2024 will  showcase titles from across Canada, with several Atlantic premieres. 

The festival will open with Matt and Mara, directed by Kazik Radwanski and starring Matt Johnson (Blackberry and the upcoming Anthony Bourdain biopic TONY) and Deragh Campbell (Anne at 13,000 Feet). The closing night film is Sharp Corner (winner of Best Film, Best Director, and Best Cinematography at AIFF), directed by acclaimed Nova Scotian filmmaker Jason Buxton and starring Ben Foster and Cobie Smulders.

Other program highlights include Universal Language by Matthew Rankin (People’s Choice Award at Cannes Directors Fortnight, Canadian Oscars submission for Best International Film), Drive Back Home from New Brunswick (directed by Michael Clowater and starring Alan Cumming), and Seeds—an Indigenous comedic thriller directed by and starring Kaniehtiio Horn (Who’s Yer Father? and Letterkenny).

New to the festival this year is an international spotlight: ChFF is bringing the documentary Housewife of the Year to PEI for its Canadian premiere. Following the real-life story behind the housewife pageants held from the 1960s–1990s, this wry documentary sheds light on the troubled gender politics of Ireland and the bonds formed between women across the Emerald Isle.

Celebrating music in film, ChFF will present Teaches of Peaches (Best Documentary, Berlin Film Festival), a fiery portrait of Canadian electroclash icon Peaches. The film follows her 20th anniversary tour and tells the story of her career and the album that influenced a generation of feminist and queer culture and music around the world.

The short film programmes showcase emerging and established talent, while bringing a diversity of perspectives and filmmaking styles to inspire surprising conversations. ChFF 2024 will feature over 20 titles from across Canada and the East Coast—including new films from PEI filmmakers Millefiore Clarkes, Teresa Kuo, and Logan Fulford. 

The Charlottetown Film Forum returns for its second year alongside the festival, offering three days of workshops and panel discussions for filmmakers and industry professionals. The lineup will include panels on making comedy television in Canada, creating memorable characters across formats, and in-depth discussions on the independent film landscape, among other topics. New this year, attendees can book limited one-on-one meetings with decision-makers. The Forum will also host networking mixers and community events, providing plenty of opportunities to connect after ChFF screenings. Centered on independent filmmaking strategies, the Film Forum is designed for Islanders to create stories at home while bringing the Canadian industry to PEI to peel back the curtain on the creative, production, and financing aspects of filmmaking. A full schedule will be released closer to the festival.

Visit charlottetownfilmfest.com to buy tickets, all-access passes, and a detailed schedule. Follow @CtownFF on FB and @charlottetownfilmfest on IG for updates.