The hush of a small-town theatre as the screen lights up and a story begins to unfold, that’s the kind of magic the Bleeding Tree Film Festival will bring to Creston this spring.
First held in Cranbrook last year, the festival will return from May 2 to 4 with two evenings of intense short films delving into the niche genre of dark drama — a blend of horror and raw, personal trauma.
“We started (Bleeding Tree) last year as dipping a toe in the water, just to see how people would respond,” said Mark Wolfe, co-organizer alongside his partner Kerry McArthur. “It was an amazing suite of films, and that's what's encouraged us to do it again but to bring it home … I think Creston is ready to go to the next level.”
While dark dramas may not be for everyone, the film-making couple is eager to show off their new production, Exophoria. It will premiere the week before the festival, featuring several local cast and crew members.
They were first introduced to the genre through directing their own film, The Orchard. Released 2022, it follows a man with a troubled past who inherits his grandfather’s orchard and falls back into addiction after an unfortunate incident with pruning shears.
Wolfe said past screenings have drawn solid crowds, especially for those excited to catch a glimpse of familiar Creston landmarks in the film. It is now streaming on multiple platforms such as Amazon Prime and Tubi.
For this year’s Bleeding Tree Festival, the curated selection of dark drama shorts from around the world will be shown at the historic Tivoli Theatre. And the experience will extend beyond the screen, with a full day of industry talks from film professionals, including directors, educators, and actors.
One of the highlights will be a talk with Jaime Hill and Ross Paul, the two actors who played the parents in the viral horror hit Skinamarink.
“The Saturday is going to be a pretty rich buffet of insight and information sharing from some well-positioned industry people,” said Wolfe.
The festival is part of Wolfe and McArthur’s mission to position the Creston Valley as a hub for film and video production.
“It's a community that has very traditional roots in agriculture and food production and yet, it's such an amazing place,” said Wolfe.
They have spent the past decade helping build their vision — first through their web-based video magazine during the pandemic and then by co-founding the Creston Valley Film Society, which helped launch the long-running 7th Siding Festival of Film.
“Bleeding Tree is just an extension of that,” said Wolfe. “We're continuing to bring more attention to the community as something of a film destination and film centre.”
Support for the event has come from Creative BC and the Town of Creston, which has helped to lock down top-tier speakers.
Passes for the Bleeding Tree Film Festival can be purchased online at www.bleedingtree.ca for $45 or $15 for individual screenings. Cash will also be accepted at the door to all events.
