Errington filmmaker Richard Boyce continues to go from strength to strength with his latest documentary, Rainforest, The Limit of Splendor.
The latest triumph for the film, which details the loss of Vancouver Island’s old growth forests, came at the Whistler Film Festival, where Boyce’s work was named as the winner of the $1,000 Best Mountain Culture Film award.
In reviewing the film, the judges praised Rainforest for “re-exposing our most critical environmental issue, while at the same time pushing the cinematic experience and limits of storytelling, cinematography and editing.”
The win comes hard on the heels of a successful showing at the Montreal International Film Festival.
“We had a packed house, twice, which was very nice,” Boyce said.
“There was a debate there as well, between me and a professor with the University of Quebec, who had a PhD in forestry. After the film we sat on the stage in front of the audience and he said look, regulations have changed and isn’t it good they’re not doing what they used to.
“The audience just pounced on him and I couldn’t really help him after that. He was on his own.”
At the Whistler festival, he said, the presentation began with an introduction and song by local hereditary chief Adam Dick.
“That put everyone in a really amazing mood for the film,” Boyce said.
“Then we had a really good question and answer session, with everyone engaged. Two days later, they gave me this really nice award.”
The the Vancouver, Whistler and Montreal film festivals don’t mark the end of the road for the film.
“I have several submissions in to other film festivals and I’m just waiting for them to make their formal announcements,” Boyce said. “I also want to do a tour of the Island and will probably show it again in this area in late January or February.”
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