Cinfest Sudbury showcasing northern films including Ethan Hawke flick

CinfestSudbury has releaseddetails about the films that will be shownin this year's film festival and some locally shot flicks will light up the silver screen.

Yesterday, more than 70 feature-length movies were announced as part of the lineup, including several made in northern Ontario.

• Ethan Hawke shoots Chet Baker biopic in Sudbury

Patrick O'Hearn,managing director of Cinfest Sudbury, said the northern films hold their own.

"There's nothing that kind of says to people who are attending those films that we're not world class. These films are definitely creating a lot of excitement, a lot of attention," he said.

One of those made-in-the-north movies that's generating buzz isBorn to Be Blue,a ChetBaker biopic starring Ethan Hawke.

Shot in Sudbury last year, Hawke stars as the legendary jazz trumpeter, exploring his "dark descent as a notorious heroine junkie in the 1960s."

"This is an amazing film," saidO'Hearn."I think a lot of people are going to be proud to see what they accomplished."

Another northern flick on O'Hearn's radar isSleeping Giantout of Thunder Bay. Though it originated as ashort film, he said the project picked up steam, and then got picked upby the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hesaid the north is trulyembracing it's burgeoning appeal as a film destination that some call "Hollywood North".

"It's fantastic. It gets the community excited, We're seeing, not just in Sudbury, but in SaultSte. Marie, North Bay, Timmins, places like that, when largeproductions take place in their backyard, people get involved."

CinfestSudbury runs from Sept. 19-27.

Listen to the complete interview with Patrick O'Hearn here:

Morning North5:28Cinefest announces film lineup

Cinefest in Sudbury has announced the rest of the films in its lineup for this year. Hear more about what you can check out at the movies next month.