The Pursuits Film Festival is back on Friday, April 8 with an evening of adventure films celebrating the outdoors in Ontario and beyond. The guest speakers are paddle guide/adventurer/ photographer Scott Parent and his daughter Acadia who will present on their stand-up paddleboarding mission on the Great Lakes and the resulting film Three Waters.
For 2022, the festival will again feature a silent auction, door prizes, good company, food, drink and cheer—with all proceeds going to support Georgian Bay Community School’s Pursuits Program, promoting outdoor leadership and experiential learning. The evening’s hosts are Pursuits alumni Josh and Cam Fletcher.
shorts »
We Are Still Here (Dir. Jacob Corston, Ruth Duncan, Aubrey Urbshott, 2 mins, 2021)
This film highlights efforts by Indigenous youth to embrace their traditional cultural practices and Indigenous identity in order to combat the destructiveness of colonial policies and ongoing forms of discrimination.
A Quality of Imagination (Dir. Caleb Roberts, 5 mins, 2022)
In a culture seemingly full of adrenaline junkies and “going bigger”, Ontario-born pro kayaker Benny Marr contemplates the ultimate form of self-expression, and the subtle moments that define one’s style.
SHIFT (Dir. Kelly Milner, 28 mins, 2017)
SHIFT is a documentary about a group of Indigenous youth who spent 10 years converting traditional trails around their hometown of Carcross, Yukon into a world-class mountain biking destination—and transform their community and themselves along the way.
feature »
Three Waters (Dir. Scott Parent, 75 mins, 2022)
A mission into the heart of Lake Huron, Scott Parent’s documentary traces an almost 500-km unsupported SUP journey from Drummond Island in the U.S. to Penetanguishene—following the migration of Scott’s Metis ancestors in 1828. Joining him on the tandem SUP is his nine-year-old daughter Acadia. The paddlers take deep-water samples along the route to be analyzed for microplastics research. On the many remote and hazardous stretches of shoreline and open water, they discover things even deeper about themselves and our relationship to the fragile and changing Great Lakes environment.
Where and When?
PFF5 happens on Friday, April 8 at Meaford Hall Arts & Cultural Centre. Tickets here. Doors open for silent auction at 6pm, presentations begin at 7pm. All films suitable for all ages. Festival Sponsors: Blue Mountain Resort, Georgian Bay Thunder, Meaford Culture Foundation, Miller Golf Design Group, Mountain Life Media. Three Waters Film Sponsors: Georgian Bay Land Trust, Blu Wave, Lake Huron Coastal Centre, Metis Nation of Ontario, Suntrail Source for Adventure.
