In Community | By Fogo Island Inn | August 3, 2016

HAND.LINE.COD.

The Toronto International Film Festival® (TIFF) today announced that HAND.LINE.COD, a National Film Board of Canada (NFB) production, by executive producer, Annette Clarke and directed by Justin Simms will have its world premiere in Toronto this September as part of TIFF 2016.

Simms’ short film, HAND.LINE.COD, is set in the coldest waters surrounding Newfoundland’s rugged and breathtaking Fogo Island and follows a group of “people of the fish”—traditional fishers who catch Northern Cod live by hand, by hook and line, one at a time. Their passion and livelihoods are intimately connected to the sea. Their secret mission? To drive up the price of fish, the exact opposite of what’s been happening for the last 50 years, since the introduction of industrial fishing practices. After a 20-year moratorium on North Atlantic cod, the stocks are returning. Now, using proven techniques from centuries past, these fishers are leading a new revolution in sustainability and bringing their premium product directly to the commercial market for the first time. Hand-lined cod fillets are making their debut in Toronto’s finest restaurants, where the city’s top chefs clamour for this premium fish.

Simms takes viewers deep inside the world of the brave fishers returning to time-honoured methods that hold tremendous potential for the future. Travel with them from the early morning hours, spend time on the ocean, and witness the intricacies of a 500-year-old tradition that’s making a triumphant comeback. Watch them bestow the greatest honour they can give to any creature taken from the ocean. HAND.LINE.COD. is dedicated to the memory of filmmaker Colin Low.

Tony Cobb, President, of Fogo Island Fish, is thrilled that the film HAND.LINE.COD. has been selected to premiere at TIFF. “We send congratulations to Annette Clarke, Justin Simms, Andrew McCormick and the National Film Board of Canada for their magnificent film. We Fogo Islanders are very proud of our tradition of hand lining cod, one at a time and we appreciate the NFB showcasing this time-honoured tradition portrayed in a new and relevant way.” .

The 41st Toronto International Film Festival runs September 8 to 18, 2016.

#tiff16 #handlinecod #gonefishing

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