Plenty to savour at this year's edition of Sudbury's International Film Festival

Sudbury's annual international film festival, Cinefest, is back next month for its 36thedition.

And this year's lineup includes a several films shot in the local region.

The movie "Dada" was filmed on Manitoulin Island and it's about a young woman and her divorced father and their interaction as they drive around outside a nuclear power plant.Director Aaron Poole's story is described as involving the erosion of language, the failure of mentorship and the threat of the abyss.

Another film in the Cinefest lineup this year is "Seeds,"which was shot in North Bay.

It follows a Mohawk woman who is offered a job as an online influencer for a seed and fertilizer company. However, she is called back to her First Nation community and has to work to save thelegacy of her people. Actor Graham Greene makes an appearance in the film as the protagonist's "spirit guide" in this dark drama-comedy.

Patrick O'Hearn, the executive director of Cinfest Sudbury, says the festival highlights films that advance diversity through their storytelling, including Red Fever, Aberdeen and Seeds.

"They want to provide a human perspective and show how people have been impacted or how we can emerge from some of the challenges we've been facing," O'Hearn said.

"For a long time, we haven't showcased this kind of diversity. Being able to remind people of the humanity in all our experiences, to highlight the nuances and ongoing challenges in our structuresmany of which still need significant changeis extremely important."

Michael Scherzinger, the festival's managing director, supports this view.

"Film evokes a universal experience. Everyone enjoys going out to see movies and experiencing stories on the big screen. It creates a communal connection that is unique,"Scherzinger said.

Other films on offer this year include a remake of the classic "The Count of Monte-Cristo," as well as one with current resonance as "Intercepted" deals with the Russia-Ukraine war.

One quirky film which may turn heads is called "Can I Get A Witness?" Set in the future, and featuring Canada's Sandra Oh, a news release says it depicts a world where many of the world's problems have been solved, climate change is controlled, poverty is eradicated, and trans-species equality is achieved.

The one catch in the film is that humans must end life at 50, and teenage artists must document it and make sure all protocols are followed.

Cinefest runs from Sept. 14 to 22 at Silver City Cinemas in Sudbury.