The Ottawa Canadian Film Festival (OCAN) took place online for the second year in a row. The festival showcased 14 Canadian films to attendees over Vimeo from Nov. 12 to 21.
OCAN was only four years old when COVID-19 forced organizers to move its annual celebration online. The pandemic provided challenges to festival organizers, but co-founder Blair Campbell said there are benefits to the new virtual format.
“We’ve had people dialing in from other countries to watch films, which is awesome,” Campbell said. “Our mission is to spread the scale of the talent of Canadian independent filmmakers to as many people as we can.”
Campbell said the intimacy of a physical festival is lost. However, the virtual festival allows for better accessibility and being able to showcase Canadian films around the world helps artists.
“The need to have these films shown is the single most important thing for an artist, obviously, but the pandemic has reduced so many other opportunities,” Campbell said. “By offering the festival on an online basis, we’re trying to get those films seen by as many people as possible.”
Campbell said OCAN is an opportunity for Canadian filmmakers to make a name for themselves.
Minimal focus on COVID-19 in this year’s films offered people the chance to briefly escape the pandemic and focus on Canadian filmmakers’ talent.
“We had a few pandemic-themed films, some really excellent ones that came through, but they were nowhere near the numbers that I expected that we’d actually see,” Campbell said. “That was a surprise.”
In order for a film to be featured at OCAN, both the director and the writer need to be Canadian, and the film needs to be reviewed by a jury of 25 former film workers or film buffs.
Allison Elizabeth Burns, Ottawa-based director of the short film The Debate that was featured in this year’s festival, said OCAN is a great way for local filmmakers to gain exposure.
“It’s fantastic to have my piece showcased in my home city. Not that that makes a ton of difference when it’s a virtual festival,” Elizabeth Burns said. “It feels really nice to have Ottawa behind me, supporting me and encouraging me.”
Elizabeth Burns’ background in contemporary dance played into the creation of her short film, in which she uses dance to convey the film’s themes.
“You can equate this [film] to any argument that’s happening on a global scale right now. Between left and right, where if you get far enough in one direction or another, you look the same,” Elizabeth Burns said. “Just as intense, just as irrational on either side of the discussion.”
Elizabeth Burns said she sees a chance to expose Canadians not just to Canadian film but to contemporary dance as well.
“Most of what I do in my career is about promoting dance and just sharing my love of dance with other people who are interested and open to it because I think it’s wonderful,” Elizabeth Burns said.
Despite the ups and downs of running the fifth iteration of the festival virtually, Campbell said he hopes the future of OCAN includes the best of both virtual and in-person events.
“When we’re going back to a physical festival, we will also be running other online events during the year. We think that’s the solution moving forward,” Campbell said. “It’s really going to be a hybrid of both the benefits of both approaches.”
Featured image from Ottawa Canadian Film Festival.
