The Yorkton Film Festival is announcing that its Spotlight on the News screening series is returning for 2016.
鈥淭he series deals with stories that have been present in the media, whether that鈥檚 local, provincial, national or international,鈥� said Yorkton Film Festival Executive Director Randy Goulden. 鈥淭he aim of the series is to lift the curtain on some of the issues that come up in the news, and explore them a little further in a way that news sometimes can鈥檛.鈥�
On January 3, 2016 a traffic collision on Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Road north of Saskatoon claimed the lives of four members of the same family after their vehicle was struck by a drunk driver. From the wake of this tragic accident, questions about Saskatchewan鈥檚 DUI record have been raised. According to Statistics Canada in 2011 Saskatchewan led the nation in impaired driving rates, with 683 reported incidents per 100,000 population; the average in Canada was 262.
With this accident and these statistics in mind, the first screening in this series is entitled Ted鈥檚 Story: Honouring Melissa. In 1998, Melissa Hoeving was killed by a drunk driver in Regina. Ted Gross, the drunk driver, had a blood alcohol content three times over the legal limit. This documentary explores Ted鈥檚 journey to take responsibility for his actions, and the journey of the Hoeving Family to find the courage to forgive.
Ted鈥檚 Story: Honouring Melissa will be screened at the Godfrey Dean Cultural Centre on Monday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m.
