Into the Forest, '100 % a Canadian film', launches 26th annual SJIWFF

Into the Forest, directed by Patricia Rozema and starring Ellen Page, kicked off the 26th annual St. John's International Women's Film Festival (SJIWFF) at the Arts & Culture Tuesday.  

"It's 100 per cent a Canadian Film," said Rozema. "I'm glad because it's doing quite well and it has the Canadian flag on it, [it] makes me happy."

SJIWFF is a five day festival promoting women filmmakers that attracts more than 4,000 participants. 

Rozema said people take the festival seriously and the event's turnout has been phenomenal.

"So people from St. John's and, I guess, all around the province and Atlantic Canada and the world are assembling to see what women have come up with lately," said Rozema. "You know when you make a movie you just want everyone to see it."

Rozema's film is set slightly in the future. It follows two sisters, which Rozema described as being from an educated and culturally sophisticated family, having to fend for themselves in a remote area during a worldwide blackout.

Her film stars fellow Canadian Ellen Page and American actor Evan Rachel Wood making it a big draw.

Rozema's film actually started as an American independent, but due to funding issues it hit a road block. 

The film was being shot in British Columbia. Since Rozema and Page are both Canadian's, the filmmakers applied Canadian funding. The rest is history.

Rozema believes the festival serves a great purpose. It gives women a place to have a say and showcase their creativity.

"You've poured your heart into something and refined it to such a place that you really feel like it has something to say," said Rozema. "It's an important voice."

Rozema said her film has been bought by distributors and should appear in local theatres sometime in the spring.