The prodigal son returns – filmmaker Ian Kerr will return to his hometown Sunday for a showing of his film Facing Ali at the Tidemark Theatre at 7 p.m.
Kerr will be attending the film showing as part of the Campbell River Festival of Film (CRFF) series and it represents the culmination of a dream of sorts for festival co-founder Kevin Harrison, Timberline high school principal.
“This has been a dream of mine since we started the CRFF 14 years ago,” Harrison said. “I am so excited to have Ian an ex-student come back home to showcase his work. In this case an Academy Award nominee.
The Campbell River-raised and now Vancouver-based Kerr began working in television at age 16 at the former community access cable channel CRTV. He was a media student of Harrison’s at Timberline and then he graduated from BCIT in 1993. He began working as a news cameraman at a Vancouver news station before making the transition to documentary and commercial projects.
Kerr was nominated for Outstanding Cinematography- News Coverage/ Documentaries at the 32nd annual Emmy Awards for News and Documentaries in 2011.
Kerr’s work was recognized for the film Lost Mummies of New Guinea a National Geographic Explorer documentary shot in March 2010.
The film follows an expedition of three Westerners into the land of the Anga people – possibly the last culture with living memory of human mummification and where some plan to revive the tradition.
Facing Ali is not just a movie about one of the greatest boxers of all time but a look at the culture that went with it. Ten of Muhammad Ali’s former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion. Shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary, it includes lots of stock footage and interviews. Kerr will introduce the film and then do a Q&A afterwards. Tickets can be purchased through the Tidemark Theatre for $10.