The Forest City Film Festival (FCFF) is preparing for its annual event, running next month from the Oct. 19 to Oct. 27. The festival showcases a variety of films, all of which have a connection to the southwestern Ontario region.

The festival is introducing new events, like the Lifetime Achievement Award and Music Video Night. This year's opening night will feature live performances along with a screening of numerous videos that feature the music of local artists, directed by local filmmakers.

Some of the contenders featured in the music video category are local artists like Sunshine Makers and their music video for their song “Baby It's Yours.” The video was shot across the city in notable locations like Victoria Park and Laser Quest. Fanshawe alumna Brittany Farhatt is in line with a video she filmed with Juno-award-winning artist, Donovan Woods, for his song “How Good,” which was shot in Grand Bend and Sarnia.

FCFF also hosts Q&A panels with filmmakers and notable personnel from the film industry. Three of the guests that are attending this year's festival include animator Joe Haider, who's worked on many notable projects like Lion King and Aladdin, as well as Emmy-award winning screen-writer Kurt Smeaton who is credited on hit shows like Schitt's Creek and Kim’s Convenience.

One of the most anticipated films and the first to be screened is Adrianne and the Castle, a film written and directed by Londoner Shannon Walsh. The film is a true love story about an artist from Illinois, who vows to finish off designing their home into a castle that he and his late wife dreamed of having.

A new program was introduced this year that focuses on projects that are written and directed by Indigenous filmmakers. This category was brought together by the festival's Indigenous curator Judith Schuyler, and serves as a platform for Indigenous artists to inspire and tell their intricate stories through the art of film.

One of the pictures featured in this year's program is Happy Thanksgiving, a comedy that tells the story of a man whose interaction with a bank teller takes him on a downward spiral after she wishes him a happy Thanksgiving. The documentary, Tecumseh, tells the story of the Shawnee warrior chief who fought and played an important role in the War of 1812.

On Oct. 26, the FCFF will also be hosting and honouring a London native and decorated Hollywood actor who has starred in multiple award-winning pictures. Victor Garber will be attending this year's festival to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award in Entertainment, the first award of its kind.

Visitors will be able to attend the screening of a selection of Garber’s most iconic films as well as partake in a discussion panel alongside the actor about his career and work.

Garber’s work spans across many successful films like Godspell (1971) and in fellow Canadian James Cameron's Titanic, where he played the role of Thomas Andrews.

To find out more about the films or purchase tickets, visit the FCFF’s website to find the scheduled listings of screen times.