Students from Bluenose Academy watching a documentary as part of the 2022 Lunenburg Doc Fest. Photo: Lunenburg Doc Fest.
The 12th annual Lunenburg Doc Fest begins this week, bringing global and local stories to the South Shore from September 17 to 21.
The festival features international award-winning documentaries alongside Atlantic Canadian films, live music, and special community events.
The festival begins Wednesday, September 17, with the Kick Off at the Lunenburg Opera House.
The evening features Great White North Invasion, a documentary about scientists tagging and tracking sharks in Atlantic waters, followed by Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, which revisits the iconic women-led music festival.
Opening Night follows on Thursday, September 18, with a Sunset Gala at Zwicker Wharf leading into the Atlantic Canadian premiere of Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted. The documentary explores the career and character of the cult soul musician, who will take the stage for a Q&A and live performance after the screening.
The program continues through the weekend with screenings, industry workshops, and social gatherings.
Friday includes the Festival Party at Lightship Brewery, while Saturday’s schedule features the industry lunch and the DOC-Atlantic Breakthrough Reception at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic.
The festival wraps up Sunday, September 21, with its Closing Night Film, Silver Screamers, which follows a group of older gay men as they set out to make their own horror movie.
Organizers say the festival is about more than films, offering a chance for audiences to celebrate storytelling, connect with filmmakers, and experience Lunenburg’s waterfront venues.
The full schedule and ticket information for Lunenburg Doc Fest, running September 17–21, is available on the festival website.
