A free festival that highlights films from diverse voices, the Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival is a surefire shot to find your next favourite flick. A mix of shorts and feature-length films by local, national and international creators offers something for everyone, while live music and industry seminars round out the schedule.
What is the official name?
The Emerging Lens Cultural Film Festival.
What is it also known as?
Sometimes people simply call it “Emerging Lens”.
When is it?
April 19-22.
What is it?
A film festival celebrating movie-makers both new and established and near and far, Emerging Lens is a buffet for movie-lovers. “Our films this year speak to the heart and soul of our humanity,” a press release from the fest says. That means viewers can expect heartfelt local, national and international flicks from diverse voices.
For those looking to break into the industry (or just wanna know how it works), a host of seminars are also on offer.
Where is it held?
This event is split across a few venues: Opening day is at Pier 21 while April 20’s screenings are at the Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute. April 21’s films are shown at the Halifax North Memorial Public Library. April 22’s events are held at the Black Cultural Centre.
How long has it been going?
This is the festival’s 13th year.
Where do I get tickets?
No tickets are needed as all screenings and events are free.
Are there festival passes?
Nope, as screenings and events are free.
What is the must-see show?
The opening night at Pier 21 kicks off with a performance from Kailin Glasgow before a screening of the feature-length documentary Subjects of Desire—which explores North America’s shifting beauty standards, and how they often embrace Black women’s aesthetics while rejecting Black women themselves. The movie was named one of Canada’s top 10 films at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and showed at SxSW Festival.
This article appears in Apr 1-30, 2023.
