My name is Breanna Perrelli. I’m an animation enthusiast and all around visual artist that deals primarily in video. It’s always been my dream to produce my own animated shows, but since I’m just starting out, animating anything beyond a two minute short is an astronomical challenge and time hemorrhage. Those who love it know what it feels like to slave over a single gesture for days only to have a non-animator say “meh, it’s only animation” or even “animation is for kids”.

Hilarious concept- since that would imply that you need a crack team of people with some of the world’s longest attention spans working around the clock to cater to those with some of the shortest.

Anyway, seeing as I’m just starting off, I’m a crack team of one. Two depending on if I can bribe a friend, and a twenty minute pilot for any of my many ideas is all but impossible.

My solution was to develop a graphic novel. Take plans for an animated show, and drop them into what is essentially a polished storyboard. I know, what a complete bastardization of a gorgeous medium

And so began Moon Drop: The dark side of the light side.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Synopsis

Cid Lorette The main character posing as a mad scientist.

Moon Drop is a sci-fi comedy about Cid Lorette, a space-loving rocket scientist chosen to represent his company in Moon Mania, a series of televised pitches by global corporations to the government of Earth in an attempt to partner with them in a plan to monetize the moon.

When Global Parking’s pitch to partner with the Corrections Corporation of Earth is accepted, a pledge to convert all correctional facilities into low cost surface lots if the government agrees to subsidize transporting the inmates to the moon, Cid is thrown into a downward spiral.

Since Cid’s pitch to mine the moon for rocket fuel ores was rejected, not only was he fired but he is forced to watch his dream of space travel blast off along with a cartful of criminals and the last of Earth’s rocket fuel.
In a last ditch attempt to follow his dreams, he poses as a mad scientist and commits a crime, making it to the moon as a criminal with some street cred.

The theme presented some challenges. Being a script-based comedy, a lot of the scenes were talking heads that I needed to spice up with some action. Also, the less-than-serious tone lead to a flat panel comic-strip-esque style with minimal backgrounds, a style that I thought would have graphic novel enthusiasts reaching for my throat.

But here I am, relatively strangle-free. The response was surprisingly positive. My motto for the work that I do is: over all, entertain. If I can make someone smile, than my project is a success, and in this medium, I may be less talented, but I can reach more people with a fully formed idea. In the end, I guess people are mostly good sports and agree with me.

Will this become a series? I’ve been asked many times. Graphic novel writing/illustrating is definitely one of the hardest things I’ve done, and I don’t’ think it will ever sparkle like the work of someone who does it well, but at the same time I’m curious to know where Cid Lorette will find himself in the future’s future.

You can view or buy all sweet 40 pages of Moon Drop at
http://moondrop.breannaperrelli.com.

For my IPP I created a promotional video for Bikram Yoga Winnipeg – a hot yoga studio in Osborne Village.

I’ve always had a love for video, storytelling and creating visually. So, creating some sort of video project was a natural choice. My interest was in documentary film making and I had initially planned to do a documentary. I just needed to find a subject that I really cared about and felt inspired by.

Bikram Yoga is something that I have personally been practicing over the past few years and that I feel quite passionate about. It’s not for everyone, being a 90-minute series of poses practiced in a humid room heated to 40 degrees celcius. It’s a sweaty and somewhat gruelling class, but for me and many others it has so many benefits. It really is a full mind, body, spirit experience – as cheesy as that sounds. You feel amazing afterwards and for me it is one of the only ways that I can turn my mind completely off and just be in the moment.

I decided to do a documentary about Bikram Yoga. But as I talked more about it I realized that this project lent itself much more naturally to a promotional video. The idea of a promotional video seemed potentially less creative to me, but I wanted to do what was best for the project. And as it turned out, it was actually a very creatively rewarding experience.

I love shooting visually beautiful things that I can find creative ways of capturing. So, the vibe and look of the yoga studio was really fun to shoot. My goal was to capture visually what it’s like to do a Bikram class and through interviews with the owner and participants to inspire viewers to possibly even try a class themselves.

Every part of this project was so much fun to work on. I really enjoyed the shooting and the people I interviewed were so interesting. Lighting the project was a great experience. It’s still something I’m working on, but I love the way the right lighting can make everything look so much more professional. My favourite part though would definitely be the editing – taking all the pieces and putting them together to create the finished product. This was also the most challenging part. I spent a lot of time weeding through hours of footage until I found the inspiration to start making something that flowed and had the look and feel that I wanted.

I’m extremely happy with how the project turned out and although I’m still drawn to documentary film making I would definitely do another promotional video. It was fun and rewarding and surprisingly very creative.

You can view other work I’ve done on my youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/jeninthecity1/feed
or visit my website at www.jenmcdonald.net

Ouroboros is a web series whose first episode aired last Friday, January 6 2012. Filming for Season One of the series wrapped in early December and the rest of the month was spent editing and getting ready for the January 6th premiere.

My method of filming was a little unorthodox. The visuals and the dialogue are not synced, the reason is made apparent later in the season. We recorded the dialogue in mid-November and I had all the actors read their lines individually and spliced them together when I was editing in December. This allowed me greater freedom to shoot what I liked and gave the whole series an odd, disjointed feel. I would set up the lighting, get the actors blocked properly, and then I would start filming, but I wouldn’t necessarily tell the actors I was filming. Some of the best shots I got were when the actors were unaware that I was filming and just relaxing.

There is one particular shot where Jaremy Ediger’s character Alex is playing video games and is discussing some existential point. His line in the episode is “I would” and he looks at the camera. That was not at all intentional. I got that shot when someone off camera had said something and he turned his head to listen. I felt it gave the scene a kind of eeriness, given the subject matter, and hopefully gives the audience a feeling of unease as he looks straight at them. Alexandra Rohne’s performance as Anima is made even more unnerving by little head tilts and eye movements some of which were directed, but most were not. This style of filming meant that the series was ultimately created in the editing room and gave me lots of space to shape the episodes how I envisioned.

Writing the score before filming also shaped how the episodes would turn out. Editing along to the music, with the variation of swells and decrescendos, helped give the episodes an almost music video-like quality. Trent Reznor has definitely been a huge influence while writing the score. I listened to Year Zero, The Downward Spiral, and Ghosts I-V constantly while writing the script. I also drew inspiration from Mike Patton (who scored the amazing Crank 2: High Voltage) and Akira Yamaoka (who scored the Silent Hill video game series).

A new episode airs every Friday on the Gr3ySp4d3 YouTube channel.

6 Tips on How to Submit to Festivals and What a Distributor Can Do For You

By Claudia Garcia de la Huerta

This past weekend On Screen Manitoba partnered with WNDX to present a panel discussion on programming for festivals that featured TIFF Short Cuts Canada programmer Alex Rogalski and Executive Director of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC), Lauren Howes.

On Friday afternoon, WNDX and OSM offered industry members an opportunity to sit down with Alex and Lauren for some one-on-one time before the next day’s panel.

The goal was to give Manitoba film & video artists an opportunity to discuss their work, their approach and how best to market their works with a seasoned film festival programmer and distributor. The unique paring proved to be very insightful and those that took advantage of this opportunity did not leave disappointed.

After the sessions were over, OSM got a chance to sit down with Lauren & Alex. We asked them to list the top 3 things filmmakers should know and heed when it comes to submitting to festivals and what to consider if you’re thinking of going with a distributor.

We started with Programmer Alex Rogalski.

Submitting to Festivals:

1. Research, Research, Research!

Not every film fits with every festival. Know whom you’re submitting to. A 15-minute romantic comedy is not going to be accepted to a documentary festival that specializes in 10-minute films.

2. Save your money and time on packaging.

Don’t send unnecessary material. Programmers receive thousands of submissions. A well-labeled DVD with your name, film title, a run time and contact detail is all you need. The film itself needs to impress, not glossies and cast lists.

3. If you’re not getting rejected, you’re not submitting enough!

If a festival rejects you it does not mean your film is bad. It just may not fit the festival. Keep submitting!

Lauren Howes on Distribution:

1. Distributors handle all submissions to festivals.

And more importantly, distributors don’t pay submission fees. That means YOU don’t pay submission fees.  It also means that they act as a buffer when those rejection letters come in . . .

2. Distributors have already developed important relationships with festivals.

They’ve built up their networks so you don’t have to. They also have a better handle on what each festival is looking for

3. The CFMDC turns 45 in 2012!

This means 45 years of experience and a catalogue of films that would make anyone envious! “It’s pretty spectacular company to align yourself with!” says Lauren.

Both Alex and Lauren agreed that no matter how you get into the festival, once you’re there, it’s up to you to get your name out there and make the best use of your time.

1. Get out of your comfort zone.

Make a point of meeting someone new at every event you attend during the festival. Sticking only to the people you know is not a good use of your time.

2. Research who you’re meeting with.

Take the time to do some research before you go to the festival. Find out who’s going to be there and if you can, send them an email introducing yourself and letting them know you’d really like to meet them.

3. Show up to your screening!

“You’d be surprised,” says Alex, “by how many times I’ve introduced a filmmaker at and screening and they’re not there! This is your time to shine. Don’t blow it by not attending.”

_______________________________________________________

ALEX ROGALSKI

Alex Rogalski is a Short Cuts Canada Programmer for the Toronto International Film Festival. In this role, he is responsible for introducing audiences to excellence in short-form Canadian films. Rogalski also programmes for the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival and the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in Toronto.

Rogalski is also the Co-ordinator of the One Take Super 8 Event. His Super 8 programmes have been included in the Images Festival, Pop Montreal and the WNDX Festival of Avant Garde Film. He coordinated Canada’s Top 10 – Short Films in 2008, and curated film programs for the Pacific Cinematheque (Vancouver) and Winnipeg Cinematheque.

Rogalski has a Masters of Arts in Communications and Culture from York University in Toronto and continues to participate in academia. Most recently, Rogalski was an invited guest lecturer at Ryerson University, Concordia University, Montreal, University of Regina, Saskatchewan and Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio. He is also a board member of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre.

LAUREN HOWES

Lauren Howes has been working as the Executive Director of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre since 2006. Previous to her move to Toronto, she worked as the Distribution Manager of Video Out Distribution part of VIVO Media arts in Vancouver. Through her work in distribution she attends numerous film festivals and media art markets worldwide promoting Canadian media art. She has presented curated programs in Dublin, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Hamburg, Paris and Seoul. She graduated in 1996 with a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University. Howes is currently the Chairperson on the Board of the Media Arts Network of Ontario (MANO) and served on the Board (2008-2010) of the Independent Media Arts Alliance.

Jeremy Torrie says this is a difficult time for feature filmmakers, but that hasn’t stopped the Ojibway filmmaker from nearing completion of shooting his latest feature, Path of Souls.

Despite the financial uncertainties of making an independent feature film, Torrie has forged ahead with conviction and taken his cast and crew all over North America and such Manitoba locales as Seven Sisters, Bannock Point and Fort Alexander to tell the story.

Torrie, who also wrote the film, describes it as P.S. I Love You meets Donnie Darko. He recently spoke with On Screen Manitoba’s Trevor Suffield on a rare day off to talk about how the shooting is going and the path to get it to this point.

___________________________________________________________________

How is filming going so far?

It’s been, obviously, pretty frenetic. It’s been a real challenge because we’ve had to travel in and out of town every day. We’re losing two hours a day for our shooting, so what we’re doing is really only getting to shoot page counts in eight hours or less. So it’s a real challenge. But the good thing is we have two cameras so we’re shooting as much as we can, side-by-side.

Has this hurried shooting schedule forced you to rethink the way you shoot?

You have to be thinking on your feet. There’s stuff where we lose a quarter page of dialogue here, and it was an already long-running script, but that’s something that we’ve obviously had to do in certain instances. We shoot what we can and basically we are getting the scenes.

Jeremy (in straw hat) with his crew on location

How is the footage looking?

There are some unbelievable images. We’re shooting everything backlit, against the sun as much as we can and that’s resulted in some nice stuff. And of course we’re using our RED Epic-M cameras and what they have is HD-RX. That’s a special technology that RED has developed that allows you to shoot up to six extra stops of dynamic range. What that does is allow you to shoot things a lot more like film because you’ve got that much more dynamic range in your shots. It makes a huge difference. With this all of a sudden you’ve got detail in clouds. It’s a really, really useful tool and allows us to shoot a little more freely.

Will this technology change the way you make your films in the future?

Of course. We got it partly because of the technology, partly because its 5K resolution, and partly its because its so tiny. We’ve got two with a third one coming that will allow us to shoot 3D. We’ve got a 3D feature as our next one called, Glimmer, which is an Ontario co-production and that’s with Amy Smart.

Jeremy and Cory Sevier

What are some of the struggles you’ve faced along the way to get this made?

We had Telefilm say that it was the most profound thing they read, but they didn’t give us any money because they felt it read like a documentary. I just said I’m trying to satisfy two things here: I’m trying to tell a native story and the way we tell stories is different than the traditional feature film narrative. It’s not a three-act structure. When you’re meeting with Elders it’s not going to be a sound-bite and one page of dialogue, it might be five or six pages and that’s the way it is. So I’m trying to satisfy both camps in honouring the teachings, but at the same time delivering a product that is entertaining and informative and hopefully people will want to watch again and again because they’re finding more and more in each layer. It’s got a very shocking ending with a twist to it, and it’s there for a reason, not shock value.

When did you know this film would actually be made?

I first took this to Elder Dave Courchene Jr. at Christmas and he read it and thought it was the right time to do this story, because it’s intelligent and it takes a certain type of conciousness and awareness to deal with spirituality, to deal with Quantum physics and to deal with traditional medicine. I think that whatever we have put out there into the universe, it’s rewarding us for our hard work.

Has anything in the shoot surprised you so far?

We ended up casting Laura Harris (Defying Gravity, Dead Like Me) and she is the star, it’s her story. And she’s been really, really good. She knows the character so well. And that’s been a great thing because if we don’t have a character our audience can empathize with and feel, then you don’t have a movie.

Jeremy and Laura Harris

Even bigger than that was Adam Beach. What he’s able to bring to set and the performance and how he tunes in and he just gets it and nails it. He had a couple of instances where he had to do a few takes because he just couldn’t find it. But literally, he’d come in, get ready, we’d be rolling then Bam! First or second take and he got it and you just go, wow.

He was doing one scene where he teared up and it made me cry. It was just so unbelievable that he could do that. And that’s something that I don’t think people have been able to see him do with a character. Adam loves the film and can’t wait for it come out. It was nice to be able to show a different side of him.

What does it mean to have Adam in your film?

Having him attached to the picture has an impact. With people I’d been chasing with a script and getting them to commit, all of a sudden once we get Adam, they now know it’s real. Notwithstanding that we have Lorne Cardinal and Gary Farmer, well-known experienced actors, that should also speak for itself.

Adam Beach and Laura Harris

When did you know this film would actually be made?

I first took this to Elder Dave Courchene Jr. at Christmas and he read it and thought it was the right time to do this story, because it’s intelligent and it takes a certain type of conciousness and awareness to deal with spirituality, to deal with Quantum physics and to deal with traditional medicine. I think that whatever we have put out there into the universe, it’s rewarding us for our hard work.

What’s the timeline for the rest of the film?

We’re assembling it now. The idea is if Sundance accepts a late entry from us, who knows? There’s a Native American component to the whole festival and I am an alumni of the program so you never know. However there’s other festivals. There’s Cannes, Tribeca, Venice and a lot of high profile festivals that I think realistically we can compete in. I would like to think we’ll be in a festival before TIFF, I mean that’s a year away now. I want it in Walmart and I would be happy to have it on the air at this time next year, but who knows? If a distributor happens to like it and decide to roll it out later, then we’ll have to talk about it.

Any final thoughts?

When you start making a film you have the perfect idea in your head of how it’s going to turn out and what its going to look like, and some things might not be as good was what you imagined on the page or in your mind. But at the same time, there’s something magical about seeing these characters come to life and create this world and hopefully audiences are going to be intrigued by it too.

___________________________________________________________________

Torrie has also created a Indie GoGo account to allow for donations to assist with post-production. For different contribution levels, items your donation will get you include a signed script, a DVD of the film and an invitation to attend the World Premiere.

Visit here for information on how to contribute and here for the official website.

The On Screen Manitoba member showed his short film, The Lost Dreams of Narcissus and Echo, at the festival’s Short Film Corner.

The Short Film Corner is designed to allow filmmakers the opportunity to network and show their projects to industry professionals and distributors, something he took full advantage of.

“For me it was an amazing experience because I had access to distributors, other filmmakers and producers – but also got to see what the industry really looks like,” said Seth, who worked as Assistant Producer on Shelagh Carter’s upcoming film Passionflower.

“Seeing the world of film almost presenting itself to you was like going to film school within three days.”

Seth, who recently graduated from the University of Manitoba where he majored in Film Studies, said there is an incredible amount of exclusivity at Cannes that left him with a lot of respect and pride in how things are done in Canada.

He says the access the general public has to industry development sessions and films at an event like the Gimli Film Festival is huge. But if you don’t have some sort of industry access at Cannes you won’t see a single movie.

“I thought that it would be more of a celebration of film and the film experience, but it’s a bit more of a celebration of film as industry. So for a newcomer, I’m still trying to figure out and reconcile how this experience will affect me in the long run,” said Seth, who wrote, produced, directed and edited the beautifully shot Freyja’s Gift.

Before he left for Cannes, and at the suggestion of Guy Maddin, Seth spoke with Liz Jarvis from Buffalo Gal Pictures for some advice.

“She was wonderful and we ended up speaking for a couple of hours. The advice she gave me that made my trip was that she knew it was going to be totally overwhelming and I wouldn’t know what to expect or plan anything. She said get out there and meet as many young filmmakers as you can who are doing things like you and just build a relationship with them.”

And that’s just what Seth did. He passed out business cards and networked with filmmakers from North American and the UK, all of whom he is still in contact with.

Seth wants to continue that spirit of networking back in Winnipeg and is excited to meet with other aspiring filmmakers.

“I’m very eager to meet young filmmakers who have ideas and want to get their stuff out there and talk about what I’ve seen, what’s available and what we can do. Coming away from Cannes I feel very eager in realizing that distributors need our work. They want to see good quality work because their platforms can’t survive without it,” said Seth, who is a Winnipeg Film Group board member.

“I don’t know about anywhere else, but I do know that in Winnipeg and Manitoba, from what I’ve seen in my work in the Winnipeg Film Group and the U of M, we’ve got talent. And being able to mold that talent and polish it is something I’m eager to do.”

Seth’s The Lost Dreams of Narcissus and Echo will be a part of the Winnipeg Film Group’s Membership Premieres on June 12.

For more information on Hersh Seth, and to contact him, visit www.HershSeth.ca, by email contact@hershseth.ca, or on twitter @hershseth.

Farpoint Films’ John Barnard admits his latest project, The Book of Vaudeville, is a story that has been almost a century in the making.

Barnard’s documentary, produced by MTS Winnipeg On Demand, has its roots in a scrapbook that is more than 90 years old, was hidden in the walls of the Orpheum Theatre and survived a demolition of the building.

Now, Barnard is taking to the stage of The Pantages Playhouse Theatre on April 14 to recreate the book live with a free show that will be included in his film.

He’ll be doing it with the help of some of the city’s most talented performers including: Dean Gunnarson, Ross McMillan, Sarah Constible, Onalee Ames, Jacqueline Lowen, Stephen Eric McIntyre with special guests The Owen Clark Jazz Band.

Barnard recently chatted with On Screen Manitoba’s Trevor Suffield to talk about recreating history and bringing it to life, how this documentary is changing his directing style and if this could possibly be the downfall of the acclaimed director.

Q: How did you first hear about the Book of Vaudeville?

A: It begins in the early 20’s when a guy named Manny Finkleman, a vaudeville dancer, began cutting articles from the Winnipeg Free Press and Tribune and pasting them in a scrapbook in the Orpheum Theatre which he, or someone, hid in the walls of the theatre.

It basically stayed in the walls of the theatre until 1950 when the theatre was demolished and this book literally survived a dynamite blast and went down with the rubble of the theatre.

On that day in 1950 a Winnipeg guy named Gene Shelly, who had an interest in vaudeville and magic, was walking by the rubble, saw something poking up, climbed the fence and pulled this gigantic scrapbook from the pile of bricks that was there, stole it and brought it home to his house and forgot about it for 50 years.

He died and the book got donated to the City of Winnipeg Archives where we found it.

Q: How did you go about creating a documentary about this book?

A: We’re taking a bunch of Winnipeg performers and bringing them to the Archives to look at the book, pick an act from it and recreate a contemporary version of that act. We have Dean Gunnarson who actually knows how to do this stuff and he’s going to do an escape based on Harry Houdini and his brother Hardeen, who both came to Winnipeg at one time.

Q: How is filming this different from your other projects?

A: The documentary is so many things, it’s comedy, it’s history, it’s reality TV and it’s a freak show because these people have picked the weirdest acts to do. It may be a smash success or it may be a total disaster!

Q: Are you taking a different approach to filming this?

A: I’m doing this as a proper POV documentary where I’m with my camera following them around as an observer. And I actually am physically operating the camera and running along beside them so it’s a little unusual for me, I’m doing it a little bit differently than I normally do. And I’m trying not to interfere as much as I normally would – normally, to the point of everyone’s irritation, I control everything really carefully but this time I’m trying not to do that and let them figure stuff out on their own.

Q: Why should people come and watch The Book of Vaudeville?

A: Come and watch the potential final fiery downfall of Barnard, live and to be taped! Seriously, this is no stuffy history lesson, this should be weird and strange and unusual.

Q: Finally, if you were performing on this vaudeville night what would be your name and what would be your specialty?

A: I’ve never thought of that and no one has given me a vaudeville nickname. I would never do this. I wouldn’t touch this with a ten-foot-pole. I’m not an on stage person and don’t want to be seen that way and I can’t imagine doing such a thing.

But I have no problem throwing other people into a perilous position!

_________________________________________________________________________________________

The Book of Vaudeville live FREE show is on April 14^th at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit www.farpointfilms.com.

The film is set to premiere on MTS Winnipeg On Demand before the end of 2011.

If you are an On Screen Manitoba member and would like to be featured please email info@onscreenmanitoba.com.

The month of March brings with it a rejuvenation of spirits, a frenzied anticipation of spring and a release for the built up cabin fever that we experience. We start to pack up our winter boots and our parkas; we nervously put away our trusted extension cords and we start to get ready for a new season of street repairs.

This year, On Screen Manitoba brought its members a welcomed surprise to cap off the season. OSM proudly presented the CLOSE UP Speaker Series: a three part speaking event that brought industry experts to Winnipeg to share their experiences, information and helpful tips to current and future filmmakers.

We kicked off the series on March 17 with Tracey Deer, a Gemini award winning director, producer and writer from Quebec who shared her experiences as a young Aboriginal woman from the Kahnawake Mohawk territory. Tracey spoke to the filmmakers in attendance, explaining the importance of telling our stories in an honest and transparent fashion. Through laughs, and sometimes tears, Tracey took us on a journey of her work, starting with the inspiring One More River, then the emotional and powerful Mohawk Girls, and finally sharing Club Native with us. Before and after each film Tracey talked of her experiences and challenges in creating the productions. Tracey’s speaking style and the content of her words left those in attendance with an insider’s look at the dedication and willpower that is needed to take your craft to the next level. Visit here for video highlights.

Jason Ryle, Executive Director of the imagineNATIVE Film Festival in Toronto, joined us on March 21 and brought the film festival experience to our filmmakers in attendance. Each fall, the festival presents a selection of the most compelling and distinctive Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival’s screenings, parties, panel discussions, and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. Jason explained the ins and outs of the Festival, how to schmooze and how to utilize the resources available at the festival venues. He explained that if you are looking to showcase your film to a national and international audience, that the festival experience should always be close to the top of your list of events to participate in. Visit here for video highlights.

Finally, on March 28th Wanda vanderStoop, Distribution Director for Vtape introduced us to the wonderful world of distribution. Wanda spoke to the importance of maintaining your rights to your work, how to ensure that an artist is paid for their work through artist’s fee, and inside tips and tricks to finding ways how a filmmaker can cut those pesky costs associated with showcasing their work at festivals and the like. Filmmaker’s and industry professionals alike asked a multitude of questions and walked away with a greater understanding of how to show their work to a larger audience. Video highlights will be posted shortly.

On Screen Manitoba would like to thank Tracey, Jason and Wanda for sharing their knowledge to our members: the topics were both inspiring and informative.

Meegwetch also goes out as well to the members, filmmakers, and students that enjoyed our hospitality and provided great feedback.

A big thanks to the Financial Support from Telefilm Canada the Partnership from Film Training Manitoba.

We are currently planning more speakers for our new year. If you have any ideas or suggestions of topics and presenters that you would like covered, please feel free to contact Dennis at 927-5891 or dennis@onscreenmanitoba.com.

In the Spirit of Friendship,

Dennis Sinclair
Aboriginal Initiative Coordinator

Filmmaker Shawn Linden has been chomping at the bit to get back in the director’s chair after an almost four year hiatus.

After spending many years learning the ropes on local film productions as a set dresser, Linden made a big splash on the filmmaking scene in 2007. His self-financed film Nobody garnered great reviews, awards and played in festivals around the world.

His latest project, Rose By Name, which he will direct from his own script, is being produced by Suki Films and has just begun preproduction in Quebec. It will shoot in both Quebec and Manitoba this summer.

Linden recently talked with On Screen Manitoba’s Trevor Suffield about Rose By Name and what he has learned about the industry since Nobody was released.

Q: Why such a long break between films?

A: Nobody came out of nowhere and it was made before I had any kind of real contacts in the film industry. Nobody was privately financed and it was made outside of the normal film system. So at the end of Nobody I still didn’t have many of the things that normal people have when they’re able to get to their second film. So it took a little while for that.

Another reason is that Rose By Name is one of a group of screenplays that I was trying to get out all at once and those are kind of all coming into fruition right now. Everything is coming together at the same time and all four are optioned and three of them have Telefilm development money. It’s all happening at once instead of one after another.

Q: How did you initially make the transition from being a set dresser on such projects as Falcon Beach and 2030 C.E. to writer/director?

A: I went to university with the goal of becoming a writer and director so I took Film Studies and Philosophy and once I got out I though the best way to learn how a film is made from the ground up was to actually go to the ground and take part. So I joined the union and spent the next seven years on film sets for 13 hours a day. That gave me the know-how and the experience to handle a set for Nobody, which was out of nowhere. I had never even done a short film before Nobody, it was the first time I even picked up a camera.

Q: Would you consider yourself primarily a writer or director?

A: The job is mostly done by the time I’m finished writing a script because it’s kind of visualized at the time I’m writing it out. Directing is just a natural extension of your writing if you’re doing both.

Q: How did you get involved with Suki Films?

A: We sold Nobody to Super Channel that was one of our first sales of the movie. About four months later after that sale, Suki (Films) had phoned them just asking if there were any interesting directors they had come across and I guess my name was mentioned.

Q: What experiences from your first film will you be using to direct Rose By Name?

A: Not as much as it might seem because all of my really close friends are top-shelf movie crew here in the city, so when my friends volunteer it means I had all of the really great camera guys and a great first A.D.

They’re vastly different movies but I would be bringing a bit of the style of Nobody, which had a lot of involved shots, kind of complicated single shots that cover a lot of stuff, as opposed to machine-gun-fire editing. I would still probably stick with that style because I like that with other movies.

It was so long ago since I’ve actually sat down and acted as director, but I think it should be very comfortable to slip back into because I am so familiar with the material and I’ve been working so consistently with it.

Q: Can you tell me about the other projects you have on the go?

A: Hunter Hunter is a production that I’m doing with Frantic Films here in Winnipeg. It is a horror/thriller and it just got development money in January and I’ve just finished the rewrite for it this month and hopefully we’ll be shooting it in the fall of this year right after I’m done doing Rose By Name.

There is also Kill or Die, which will be a Quebec production and was optioned by the same company, Suki Films that has Rose by Name. It just got its development money in January as well.

The other one is The Dualist, which is a script that was optioned by Gold Circle Films, which has been here for New in Town and A.T.M. and all kinds of movies here, but they actually optioned it without having any connection with it at all. But I’m just writing that, not directing or producing.

Q: With so many story ideas in your head, how do you decide which one you will pursue and write?

A: There are vast stories with a whole lot more scope in my head but the bigger stories take more time, and right now they are just vague little ideas. Those stories need time to grow by themselves wherever they are stored in your head until you’re mature enough to handle them properly.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Linden also has another film coming out soon that he wrote, The Doomsday Scrolls, which will soon air on the SyFy network.

For more information, visit here.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are an On Screen Manitoba member and would like to be featured please email info@onscreenmanitoba.com.

Actor, writer, singer/songwriter Ernesto Griffith grew up in some what of a fairy tale setting, full of castles and rolling hillsides in Surrey, England. At the age of 11, he found himself living in the drastically different prairie landscape of Brandon, Manitoba.

It was this massive change in environment that started to shape Griffith’s storytelling skills during his formative teen years. Exploration of the stranger in a strange land theme led him to the story of Billy Beal.

Beal was a black pioneer who moved from Minnesota to Swan River, Manitoba in 1906. He served on the Board of School Trustees in Swan River for 37 years; started the first library in Swan River; developed a literary society and built the first radio in Swan River – Just a few of his many accomplishments.

Griffith and Winston Moxam co-wrote and co-produced the feature film, Billy, which depicts the life of this amazing man. In the film Griffith plays the role of Billy from his late 20’s until the age of 94. He also served as 2nd unit director with Moxam directing. The film has received rave reviews across North America, was awarded the Human Rights Commitment award and most recently won Best Narrative Feature Film at the Winnipeg Real to Reel Film Festival.

Earlier this week, Griffith spoke with On Screen Manitoba’s Trevor Suffieldabout how Billy has changed his life.

Q: How did you first hear about Billy Beal?

A: When we first moved to Brandon, I hardly ever saw any black people, so I asked some kids where are the black people. That’s when they said they had heard about this old guy, Billy, up in The Pas. I kind of thought, that’s weird, why would a black guy move to The Pas? Because I thought it was crazy for my family to move to Brandon at the time.

Many years later I started hearing stories about this guy Billy Beal and that he started a school and a library, and was a photographer and I thought that sounds interesting. So then, I wasn’t an actor at the time, but I said I wanted to play this guy so I started writing this small 10-minute script.
Years later I was talking with Winston Moxam about doing a project and he knew about Billy Beal, and I did to, so he said lets write about him and we did.

Q: What kind of response has the film received?

A: Amazing! When I was in Montreal, people were actually blown away because the budget was so low. I mean it is low budget but it doesn’t look low budget, so people couldn’t believe we made it look so good with so little money. And they were blown away by the acting and most people don’t realize that I’m the older version of Billy as well. And people are actually thanking us for showing a bit of history that is very rarely spoken of or documented.

Q: Do you feel it was destiny for you to play Billy and share his story?

A: I would have to say it was because of all the information I would find out about him. I’d be at home one day and someone would tell me ‘oh yeah I heard about this guy Billy’ and start telling me information about him, I just happened to be at home sick that day.

Certainly information kept coming up, but when I was ready to give up, all of a sudden I would meet somebody or get a phone call or an email out of the blue and say ‘hey, I heard you were doing this movie, and I know somebody that knew Billy!’
I think it was meant to be.

Q: Have you ever been mistaken for Billy?

A: When I was in Montreal, people were calling me Billy, and I was looking behind me and realized they meant me. And people were saying the movie was excellent and amazing. Even today, I was in the mall and somebody says ‘are you Billy?’ and I said yeah, how do you know? She goes I saw you at the film festival and you were excellent. I wasn’t expecting this. When you do a movie you kind of think that somebody will like it, but the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

Q: What are you currently working on?

A: My new company is doing a documentary on the real Billy Beal. I’m also in the process of raising funds to have a plaque placed in Swan River for Billy Beal since he contributed so much to the Swan River Valley area. And if I can’t raise the funds then I’ll pay for it myself because I feel it’s that important.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Griffith noted that Billy was completed with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts, Manitoba Film & Music, National Film Board of Canada, Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Film Group, ACTRA and Telefilm Canada.

He added that the cast and crew, featuring Blu Mankuma, Bob Huculak, Sarah Constible, Gord Tanner, Ardith Boxall, Harry Nelken, Jon Ted Wynne, Susan Kelso and the entire Skene family were instrumental in the film’s success.

Billy will be screening at the Garrick Theatre on Friday evening at 7 p.m. as part of the Human Rights Film Festival, and will play at Cinematheque this summer.