Now entering its 20th year, the Whistler Film Festival is going national for the first time. And there’s another first—it’s also going to run for almost three weeks, from December 1 to December 20, rather than the weeklong event that it has been in the past.

That's not all. People will be able to continue buying tickets to see movies until the end of the month.

And because it’s being held virtually, due to the pandemic, the Whistler Film Festival’s 30 features and 67 shorts can be seen from the comfort of people’s homes no matter where they reside in the Great White North.

“It’s been an interesting transition from a physical festival where you invite everyone to go up to Whistler,” managing director Angela Heck told the Straight by phone. “The team here has really risen to the challenge.”

Like in previous years, this festival will feature conversations with industry leaders, only this time they'll take place online.

American-Canadian actor Colm Feore will receive the Canadian Icon Award for his career in film and television, which included playing Pierre Trudeau in the miniseries Trudeau and Det. Martin Ward in Bon Cop, Bad Cop.

Feore stars in Sugar Daddy, which was directed by Wendy Morgan and which has its world premiere at the festival on the opening day.

On Wednesday (December 2) at 4 p.m., Feore and costar and writer Kelly McCormack will join CBC broadcaster Eli Glasner in an online discussion as part of the festival's Talent Talk Series.

Heck said that Sugar Daddy’s production crew was entirely female.

More than 70 percent of the Whistler Film Festival’s titles are Canadian, which organizers say exceeds any other festival. This year, 56 percent of the movies were made by first-time filmmakers. And 47 percent were created by women or nonbinary directors.

“The tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion are baked into how we’re proceeding with all of our programing,” Heck noted.

On December 9, Irish actor Gabriel Byrne will speak about his new film, Death of a Ladies’ Man, in which he plays a man who loses his mind to the music of Leonard Cohen. Byrne will join the Globe and Mail’s Johanna Schneller in conversation at 4 p.m. on the same day that the film, directed by Matt Bissonnette, premieres at the festival.

Byrne has also been named the winner of the festival’s Maverick Award.

That will be followed two days later by Quebec actor Rémy Girard (The Barbarian Invasions) in conversation with the festival’s director of film programming, Paul Gratton, again at 4 p.m.

Girard will talk about his new film, You Will Remember Me (Tu Te Souviendras de Moi), which will have its English-language premiere. The festival has granted its Career Achievement Award to Girard, who is a household name in Quebec.

And on December 13, Hong Kong–American actor Tzi Ma will be the Talent Talks guest in recognition of his Trailblazer Award. It coincides with the Canadian premiere of his film A Shot Through the Wall.

Festival encourages young filmmakers

While the celebrities always attract plenty of attention at the Whistler Film Festival, Heck is equally proud of the role that the event plays in nurturing Canadian moviemakers.

To cite one example, N’Quatqua First Nation writer-director Allan (A. W.) Hopkins will be premiering his new feature film, Indian Road Trip, at the Whistler Film Festival.

It was developed through the festival’s Indigenous Filmmaker Fellowship program, originally as a short film in 2015.

“So the news to me is really how the Whistler Film Festival incubates the talent through its talent program and provides the opportunities to meet the decision makers and the people who can greenlight your film and get it made,” she said.

Festival patrons can watch any film at any time following its premiere date. They’ll have 24 hours to view it after the purchase is made—all the way until December 31.

“All of the proceeds of the films are being shared 50-50 with the directors or the rights holder,” Heck said. “By supporting the Whistler Film Festival, you’re not only getting great curated content, you’re also supporting the filmmakers themselves in these challenging times.”