2010 Competition
2009 Competition Other Festival Awards
mav-er-ick [mav-er-ik, mav-rik] – noun
1. a person who resists adherence to the norm; an individualist, a lone dissenter, non-conformist or rebel
2. a collection of independent thinkers; a gathering of unconventional persons possessing unorthodox views, practices and beliefs
Launched in 2009 at the 10th anniversary of the Calgary International Film Festival as a celebration of independence of spirit, thought and execution in filmmaking, the Mavericks program brought together a collection of the world’s top filmmakers – a group acutely committed to forging new ground in cinema and creating personal, signature films falling outside the normal parameters of narrative storytelling. Mavericks 2009 aimed to seek out the bold dissenters among the world’s directors, and recognize them for their role in challenging the boundaries of technology, business and societal views, knowing that what they redefine today in film structure and style could very well become the bright new standard of tomorrow.
Following the success of CIFF’s original Maverick collective and the announcement of the star film of the groundbreaking series (KARAOKE by Chris Chong Chan Fui – winner of an impressive $25,000 cash prize from American Express), Mavericks in 2010 took on an exciting, festival-wide flair and endeavoured to include other regional components like Alberta Spirit and YYC--- cementing Mavericks as a defining identifier for CIFF. Once again, a competitive body of ten international films and emerging directors were pitted against each other in one of the most promising film competitions on the planet at CIFF 2010. Following ten full days of spectacular screenings from the Mavericks series, an expert jury (Lee Carruthers, Carl Bessai, & Todd Brown) awarded this year’s winning film--- and added a Special Jury Mention too.
Of Benjamin Heisenberg's winning THE ROBBER, the jury writes: The Robber is a fascinating analysis of adrenaline and exertion, observing the human body as something machine-like, vacant, freed from moral compunction. Heisenberg’s film is great fun to watch: it is superbly constructed, vivid, tense, smart. For its intelligence and energy, it is a perfect Mavericks selection. The jury also wanted to highlight another exceptional title: Pas Fabrega's COLD WATER OF THE SEA. The jury states: Agua Fria de Mar stands out for the strange beauty of its images and the spareness of its story. Confident in both its subtlety and its silences, Fabrega’s film traces quiet affinities between its characters rather than naming such connections directly. What results is a film of remarkable power, filled with delicate revelations: this is a small, beautiful film that deserves our attention.
Beyond describing both the Mavericks film series and competition, they are indeed words that define the overall spirit of CIFF, the caliber of programming, the enormous reach of genres and groundbreaking ideas, and the overriding accessibility of a film festival that’s as far from stuffy and exclusionary and as close to dynamic, engaging, trailblazing and authentic as they come. As the slogan goes at CIFF 2010, “Only the best films made it.”
Original still isn’t easy, and as CIFF continues to forge ahead as a destination Canadian film festival fighting to institutionalize its position and voice, the 11th year of Calgary’s third largest cultural event showcased the difficult art of auteur filmmaking, while maintaining creative integrity, defending independent vision and honouring the ‘maverick approach’ necessary to forge new cinematic ground. Taking inspiration from the rebel advancement of Alberta’s motion picture industry, Mavericks 2010 was a celebration of all things CIFF.
CIFF 2010
Inspiring. Unique. Intriguing. Inventive. Emerging. Different. Bold. Wild. Marquee. MAVERICK.
