The Wrestler (2008 film) an aging professional wrestler who, despite his failing health and waning fame, continues to wrestle in an attempt to cling to the success of his 1980s heyday. He also tries to mend his relationship with his estranged daughter and to find romance with a woman who works as a stripper. The film received universal critical acclaim and won the Golden Lion Award at the 65th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered. Film critic Roger Ebert called it one of the year's best films, while Rotten Tomatoes reported that 98% of critics gave the film positive reviews. The success of
Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival feature films and 13 shorts, including the first iteration of the festival's popular "Short Film Showcase" in the form of a "best of 2012 shorts" programming block and a midnight film on the Saturday night of the festival. Running from November 30 to December 2, 2012, titles that year included the World Premieres of and In The House of Flies, along with screenings of Beyond The Black Rainbow, Devil's Night, Famine and the Canadian Premiere of Blood for Irina. 2013 marked the first year the festival utilized a traditional festival submission layout with the introduction of a full programming team.