B.C. film fills a weekend of screenings at Maple Ridge's ACT art centre

A new film festival in Maple Ridge is trying to give B.C. films more opportunities to shine on screen.

The inaugural Maple Ridge Festival of B.C. Film begins Friday and runs until Sunday, showcasing six shorts and six feature films with Q&A's with producers and actors for three nights of locally inspired culture.

"I think it's great that all of our talent isn't just being used to create Hollywood type films but to showcase and highlight subject matter that we're interested in," saidLindy Sisson who has helped organize the weekend of screenings.

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Sisson saysMaple Ridge has benefited from the industry boom and has seen more independent filmmakers use the area because of the reduced cost of permits and maximized tax credits.

The location is also an attractive feature.

Canadian director Patricia Rozema definitely thought so when she chose Pitt Meadows for the backdrop of the post-apocalyptic drama Into The Forest starring Evan Rachel Wood and Ellen Page.

Some highlights of the weekend include the impactful 2015 documentary Fractured Land, Into the Forest, and Black Fly starring Maple Ridge's own Dakota Daulby.

The first screening begins Friday night at 8 p.m. PT, with the last screening on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the ACT arts centre in Maple Ridge.