FILM IN FERNIE
THE REEL CANADIAN FILM FESTIVAL
WELCOMES JONAS CHERNICK
Jonas Chernick and
Cleopatra Coleman
in James vs His Future
Self. Chernick will be
in Fernie to open the
12th Annual Reel
Canadian Film Festival.
Fernie has become a popular filming location
for big-budget productions. Liam Neeson was in
Fernie in 2017 to film Cold Pursuit.
The 12th Annual Reel Canadian Film
Festival returns to Fernie at the Vogue
Theatre on January 24-26, 2020.
Celebrating some of the best new
Canadian films, the festival features 5
new full-length productions, selected
short films and two receptions. Young
local filmmakers are encouraged to
participate in a film-making workshop
with The Arts Station or work on their
own productions and enter them to be
presented on the big screen at ‘Little
Reels for Kids’ on Saturday afternoon.
This year, the schedule for opening night
at the festival will start with a welcome
reception at the Grand Central Hotel
next to the theatre, followed by the
screening and a Q&A in the theatre.
Festival Passes are on sale at
fernielovesfilm.ca.
The festival will open with James vs. His
Future Self, the 2019 sci-fi comedy
by Jonas Chernick who wrote the
screenplay, performs in the lead role and
also co-produced. Chernick will be in
attendance for opening night and for a
Q&A following the screening.
James vs His Future Self by director
Jeremy LaLonde, won Best Canadian
Feature Film, Best Sci-Fi Film and Best
Feature Film (Bronze) at the Toronto
After Dark Film Festival. The story
features time-travel-obsessed aspiring
scientist James (Chernick) facing the
confrontation of his antagonistic future
self, played by veteran actor Daniel Stern
(Home Alone, City Slickers, Diner).
Possibly one of Canada’s busiest
performers, 46-year-old Chernick has
over 60 film and TV roles under his belt
A scene from James vs His Future Self.
28
including lead roles in award winning
feature films Lucid and Seven Times
Lucky, and in the CBC adaptation of
the Terry Fallis book The Best Laid Plans,
for which he won a 2015 Best Actor
Canadian Screen Award (the new name
for the combined Gemini and Genie
awards). He currently has a recurring
role in the CBC/Netflix drama Workin’
Moms and holds credits as screenwriter,
story editor and, or, producer on several
productions. His latest film, The Prague
Orgy was recently released in the Czech
Republic and Slovakia. Chernick also
has over a dozen major theatre roles to
his name and co-founded the theatre
company The Conspiracy Network.
He graduated from the University of
Manitoba with a major in Film Studies
and Theatre.
REEL fans will remember Chernick as
the uncomfortable yet endearing star
of hilarious sex comedy My Awkward
Sexual Adventure which opened the 5th
Annual RCFF in 2013, with director
Sean Garrity in attendance. The film was
named as one of TIFF’s top ten films
for the year and won four major awards
including 2 Canadian Comedy Awards.
Chernick was nominated for an ACTRA
Award for outstanding performance
for his role in the film. He also received
a 2003 Blizzard Award for Inertia,
Cult classic Hot Tub Time Machine was partially
filmed in Fernie and celebrates 10 years in 2019!
and a 2008 Gemini for The Border.
Jonaschernick.com.
The Reel Canadian Film Festival is held
at the Vogue Theatre, 321 2nd Avenue.
The Vogue has been a legacy supporter
of the festival since its inception in
2008 and supports several other film
events in addition to bringing the
best blockbuster features to Fernie
at the fully renovated, family-owned
independent theatre, including the Banff
Mountain Film Festival World Tour
(Jan 2nd) and the IF4 International Fly
Fishing Film Festival (March 5th). On
the 2nd Sunday of every month, the
theatre is home to Indie Films Fernie, a
program of The Arts Station bringing the
best of TIFF to Fernie. Another highlight
of the Fernie film calendar is the Fernie
Mountain Film Festival, February 21-22,
at the Fernie Community Centre.
29