Independent Filmmaker Gary Burns Given Retrospective at the Canadian Film Institute

The Canadian Film Institute presents The Enlightened Screen: Gary Burns, the first installment of an ongoing screening and guest artist series which will profile Canada’s leading independent filmmakers. The inaugural event in the series will spotlight acclaimed Calgary indie filmmaker Gary Burns, who burst onto the Canadian film scene in the mid-1990s. Since then, he has written and directed distinctive , incisive dramas and docudramas.

Running from Thursday October 18th to October 20th, the Enlightened Screen will showcase six of the Calgarian’s feature-length films. The retrospective opens with The Suburbanators, Burns’ 1995 breakout film. The amusing, low-budget, independent comedy, which was well received on the festival circuit, follows three groups of people in Calgary whose lives perodically intersect.

On Friday night, Burns will be in attendance to introduce his Waydowntown, a story of four young workers who have a bet going to see who can last the longest without going outside. Following the screening, Burns will participate in a discussion with CFI Executive Director Tom McSorley and a question-and-answer session with the audience.

Closing out the three-day retrospective is The Future Is Now!, Burns’ most recent release, which follows a cynical man who is given the opportunity to travel around the world in the hopes that he can be reborn with an optimistic view on life. Burns will once again be on hand to introduce the film.

“Burns’ quirky, engaging films also bring a whole new meaning to the term ‘western alienation,'” says CFI Executive Director Tom McSorely. “Gary Burns continues to produce challenging, and inquisitive cinema and the Canadian Film Institute is honoured to have him in Ottawa to present his work.”

Each screening will take place at the Auditorium at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa. Tickets are $12 for the night of the Festival. The box office opens 30 minutes before each film begins. Visit www.cfi-icf.ca for complete listings.

For details, contact CFI Executive Director Tom McSorley (mcsorley@cfi-icf.ca) or Programmer Jerrett Zaroski (zaroski@cfi-icf.ca) at 613-2328769.