Guest Blogger: Allen Braude - Behind The Curtains Of Breast Fest

I’ve been programming films for festivals and events for 15 years. When I was approached three years ago to help organize and programme a new film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness and education I was very eager to be involved in such an important cause, although privately I wasn’t sure that there would be much of a range of films to choose from beyond what I expected would be informative and serious documentaries.  When I began watching potential films for the festival, I was thrilled to see a variety of films that addressed a range of issues and showcased a range of voices. Since that first year, the diversity of programming has continued to increase.

The third annual Breast Fest Film Festival takes place November 19 to 21 at the Royal Ontario Museum. I am excited that this year’s excellent line-up of films and speakers is the most diverse yet. This year’s festival features films from various areas of the world – East Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America – and a variety of genres and modes of storytelling. From drama, to a personal video diary, from a documentary on environmental issues to a wonderfully authentic coming of age story, these films give voice of a wealth of experiences and address a variety of issues. Within the films there are touching and moving moments, and moments of sadness and anger. There are many uplifting and inspiring moments and also wonderful moments of humour throughout the films. When I first became involved with the festival, I didn’t think there would be any humour in films that deal with breast cancer, but it quickly became clear that was not the case.

The films and speakers at Breast Fest will engage you, inform you and also entertain you, whether you have been directly or indirectly affected by breast cancer, or just want to see some great programming about an important subject. From now until the festival, I will offer a sneak peak of the programming. I hope you will be able to attend this great festival and that you will help spread the word about this year’s amazing line-up. If you have any questions, or any ideas for outreach, please add a comment or contact me at hello@breastfestfilmfest.com.

Allen Braude

Founding Member – Breast Fest, the world’s only film festival dedicated to breast cancer awareness.