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Visa problems hit Vancouver film festival

06.10.2008 22:03 Arts - Source: cbc.ca

The Vancouver International Film Festival is suffering from a spate of no-shows by filmmakers due to visa complications, according to the Globe and Mail newspaper.

Iranian director Manijeh Hekmat is still waiting for a visa to attend the festival next week. Hekmat's film, 3 Women, is about three generations of Iranian women. She has been invited to the movie's North American premiere.

Three other filmmakers have already been denied visas by the Canadian government, according to Saturday's article.

Gao Wendong of China was also turned away. His film, Sweet Food City, got a special mention on Thursday night from the jury of the Dragons and Tigers Award for emerging Asian filmmakers.

Emily Tang's divorce tale, Perfect Life, was given that honour. Tang received the $10,000 award for "the subtlety of [her film's] wonderfully free storytelling."

Programmer Tony Rayns told Thursday night's audience that Gao had been "turned away by the Canadian government" in what's "become an annual tradition."

Chinese director Yu Guangyi (Survival Song ) was also denied a visa because he wanted his family to accompany him to Vancouver, festival officials said.

Filipino Charliebebs Gohetia, who directed The "Thank You" Girls, did not make it into Canada either.

"It's the Immigration Department that makes those determinations and they are not obliged to provide reasons for each case to us. So we're left with questions on how we could better facilitate it next year," festival director Alan Franey told the Globe.

Customs and Immigration Canada said it would be inappropriate to comment on specific cases.

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