Ingrid Veninger’s “He Hated Pigeons” will open the 14th annual Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto. The fest is an international showcase of female directors, and runs from June 14–19 this year. The June 14 screening will be accompanied by the performance of a live, improvised score by award-winning singer-songwriter Jane Siberry. Veninger will also be celebrated with the Honorary Director Tribute on June 18.
Leslie Ann Coles, the founder, artistic, and executive director of the Female Eye Film Festival, referred to Veninger as the “DIY queen of Canadian filmmaking.”
“She is a wondrous filmmaker of extraordinary vision and talent,” Coles said. “I have long admired Ingrid’s poignant work and her ability to capture the soul of her characters, who often linger long after the closing credits have faded to black.”
Past Honorary Directors include Mary Harron, Lea Pool, Nancy Savoca, Catherine Hardwicke, Patricia Rozema, Kari Skogland, and Deepa Mehta.
“It’s an amazing list to be part of,” said Veninger. “The Female Eye Film Festival walks the talk in presenting films directed exclusively by women when many others offer rhetoric in the name of gender parity but show little to no action.”
Veninger’s next film, “Porcupine Lake,” has been acquired for Canadian distribution by Films We Like.
For more info on the Female Eye Film Festival or to buy tickets, head here. Check out the trailer for “He Hated Pigeons” below.