The Eagle Huntress kicks off the 2017 spring film series.

The Eagle Huntress kicks off the 2017 spring film series.

Eagles, weirdos and more in Chilliwack International Film Series

The Chilliwack International Film Series will put a spring in the step of local movie lovers on Wednesday evenings, Feb. 1 to March 8.

The Chilliwack International Film Series will put a spring in the step of local movie lovers on Wednesday evenings this Feb. 1 to March 8, with a special March 15 ShortFest.

Hosted by the Chilliwack Community Arts Council in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival Circuit, this semi-annual series features weekly screenings of six internationally acclaimed feature films.

All films start at 7 p.m. and take place at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas.

Tickets for individual films and ShortFest can be purchased at Cottonwood 4 Cinemas for $6 per person on the day of each screening.

Series passes are $30 each and available for purchase online through chilliwackartscouncil.com as well as in-person at the Chilliwack Community Arts Council (20-5725 Vedder Rd.; after January 3, 2017), The Book Man Chilliwack (45939 Wellington Ave.), and Cottonwood 4 Cinemas (45380 Luckakuck Way). Each series pass includes a bonus ShortFest pass for the March 15 screening.

Here is the lineup for the 2017 spring film series (click on movie titles to see trailers):

The Eagle Huntress • Feb. 1 • UK, Mongolia, USA / 87 min / G / Documentary, Adventure. Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter. Directed by: Otto Bell. Starring: Aisholpan Nurgaiv, Daisy Ridley (narrator).

Jean of the Joneses • Feb. 8 • Canada, USA / 82 min / NR / Comedy, Drama. The whip-smart tale about the twenty something scion of an all-female Brooklyn clan wrestling with her literary aspirations, romantic mishaps, and the chaotic preparations for her estranged grandfather’s funeral. Directed by: Stella Meghie. Starring: François Arnaud, Gloria Reuben, Anna Hopkins.

Manchester by the Sea • Feb. 15 • USA / 136 min / 14A / Drama. An emotionally overwhelming and critically acclaimed drama about a reclusive handyman who must face his painful past when he returns to his Massachusetts hometown after the sudden death of his beloved older brother. Directed by: Kenneth Lonergan. Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Kyle Chandler, Gretchen Mol.

The History of Love • Feb. 22 • France, Canada, Romania, USA / 134 min / PG / Drama. The story of a long-lost book that mysteriously reappears and connects an elderly man searching for his son with a girl seeking a cure for her mother’s loneliness. Directed by: Radu Mihaileanu. Starring: Gemma Arterton, Sophie Nélisse, Elliott Gould, Derek Jacobi.

Lion • March 1 • Australia / 118 min / G / Drama. A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family. Directed by: Garth Davis. Starring: Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara.

Weirdos • March 8 • Canada / 84 min / PG / Drama. It’s the summer of 1976 and 15-year-old Kit is running away from home. With the help of girlfriend, Alice, Kit hitchhikes through the stunning maritime landscape towards a new home with his glamorous, artistic mother Laura. However, as Kit and Alice near their final destination they find their relationship tested as Kit approaches a realization that will change his life forever. Directed by: Bruce McDonald. Starring: Dylan Authors, Allan Hawco, Molly Parker, Julia Sarah Stone.

ShortFest • March 15 • A special screening featuring an exclusive selection of short films from international filmmakers. Please note: seating is limited.

Chilliwack Progress