The South Western International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Sarnia, Ontario. [1] Launched in 2015, the festival programs a lineup of Canadian and international films in November each year, [2] at the city's Imperial Theatre and Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery. [3]
The inaugural festival was opened with a gala screening of Into the Forest, a film by Sarnia native Patricia Rozema. [4]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the 2020 festival was staged online. [5] The 2020 festival included a retrospective program of the work of Sami Khan, a filmmaker from Sarnia whose short documentary film St. Louis Superman was an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the 92nd Academy Awards. [6]
The festival's longtime executive director was Ravi Srinivasan, [7] until his death in January 2023. [8] He was also an associate programmer with the Toronto International Film Festival, specializing in South Asian and Philippine films. [8]
The South Western International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Sarnia, Ontario. [1] Launched in 2015, the festival programs a lineup of Canadian and international films in November each year, [2] at the city's Imperial Theatre and Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery. [3]
The inaugural festival was opened with a gala screening of Into the Forest, a film by Sarnia native Patricia Rozema. [4]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, the 2020 festival was staged online. [5] The 2020 festival included a retrospective program of the work of Sami Khan, a filmmaker from Sarnia whose short documentary film St. Louis Superman was an Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary (Short Subject) at the 92nd Academy Awards. [6]
The festival's longtime executive director was Ravi Srinivasan, [7] until his death in January 2023. [8] He was also an associate programmer with the Toronto International Film Festival, specializing in South Asian and Philippine films. [8]