There are always familiar faces at Fokus. This film holds extra nostalgia, reminding us of a time when the ban of Samosa sales was the most drastic change in our McGill lives.

“McGill for Samosas”, a comedy video produced by Tory Fortunato, Eddie Cai, and Maria Jimenez, is another standout that parodies the infamous “We are the world” video. Even the interviewees proudly telling the camera that they have been packed in line for three hours are enviable. Some of the films even take on added meanings with footage from a world before COVID, such as Callum Sheedy’s documentary “The Story Behind OAP.” Clips of big crowds drinking beers, hugging friends, and dancing to the vibrations of OAP performances create a euphoric viewing experience. Healing takes place as the women ask big questions and share vulnerabilities while the mother creates her art in front of the camera with her daughter behind it. The two women discuss Maxine’s alienation from her mother’s art as a teenager as well as her mother’s challenges of nurturing both her passion for ceramics and her love for her daughter. She cuts between wide shots of her mother immersed in her work and more intimate close-ups. Maxine Grenon Dequoy’s film “Rachel Grenon, Céramiste” is particularly heartfelt as Grenon Dequoy invites us into her mother’s ceramics studio and showcases their mother-daughter relationship.

Some may make you laugh, forgetting the woes of life, and some take you into intimate moments that may cause you to think in a new way. The introductions between each section added a personal touch that set Fokus apart from any other streaming experience by situating the festival in the McGill community.Įach of the films triggers a range of emotions that is cathartic to experience. The festival livestream was hosted by the Fokus committee with a video of one of its coordinators introducing each category. In the 72-hour category, students were given 72 hours to produce a film that incorporates various prompts, such as including the dialogue “Don’t touch that!” and using olive oil as a prop. Running at just over an hour and forty minutes, Fokus 2020 was composed of four categories: comedy, documentary, and experimental submissions, as well as a 72-hour filmmaking competition. “ increas the accessibility of the festival by making the programming available online for free… we were also able to include closed captioning for the festival, which is typically something left out during the in-person screening.”įokus sheds the competitiveness of a traditional film festival by giving filmmakers of all levels a chance to share their artistic endeavors on the big screen.

“ reliev the stress and financial impact of booking venues,” she said. However, Fortunato also described how a digital Fokus had its share of benefits. “With an online film festival, you just can’t have that same spontaneous discussion.”

“The biggest challenge about an online film festival is that you’re always going to miss the community aspect,” shared Fortunato. Current President of TVM and Executive Director of Fokus Tory Fortunato spoke to me about moving Fokus to an online platform. Viewers then participate by voting for their overall favorite film at the end of the night.įokus 2020 was originally set to premiere last April, but when COVID-19 hit, the committee was forced to relocate to Facebook and Youtube via a livestream that took place on October 8th. Esteemed judges ranging from Cultural Studies professors at McGill to the Co-Director of Cinéma Moderne score the works, honouring one film per category with an award. Organized by TVM: Student Television at McGill, Fokus sheds the competitiveness of a traditional film festival by giving filmmakers of all levels a chance to share their artistic endeavors on the big screen. Whether a diehard cinephile or a novice filmmaker, Fokus Film Festival provides McGill students with the opportunity to share their films with the community.

Fokus baseball