PRODUCTION CALENDAR UPDATES

For those full members in good standing who have their volunteer hours in and their required workshops in and who have been nursing their script and getting feedback and are close to the finish line of development, if you are planning on organizing  a short film production this year with the Film Co-op’s help, remember you first have to talk to Cat and go through the production committee and board of directors with a full proposal before you can book any dates on the member production calendar.  Cat will take you through the whole process and send you the required documents, email her anytime.

No tentative booking of dates is allowed now.

You may find you are not eligible at this point but it’s always good to check in and find out the process if that is where you are headed.

Never assume anything, always ask the staff if you have questions.

The weekends will fill up quite quickly and are already filling up. Never schedule dates with your crew and cast before first checking with the Film Co-op to ensure they are actually free please.

New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative Member Production & activity Calendar

Click here to go to Calendar

(Refresh web page if info does not show up on Calendar)

member film shoots and activities are added on an ongoing basis.

(Click on shaded dates to get information on scheduled member film and video shoots and activities for 2011)

UPDATED ON THURSDAY, JAN 20, 12 NOON.

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SPOTLIGHT ON RENEWED MEMBERS - GARY BELDING

(Above photo 1 by Tom Belding - www.tombelding.com)

Gary has been a member of the NB Film Co-op for the past few years and one of the original members of Actors Helping Actors.   Starting out as an extra in a few feature films, Gary has been an actor and principal in a number of film projects through the Film Co-op and now has 4 credits on the Internet Movie Data Base.  

Gary is also a Distinguished Toastmaster which is the highest educational award which can be bestowed to a Toastmaster and very few members ever achieve this status.   The award was presented to him at a Toastmasters International Conference in Vermont, USA in 2008.    Public speaking and acting have much in common such as building confidence, memorization techniques to sound natural, and ability to improvise with little to no preparation. 

What is next, that is where patience and anticipation interact.    

Email Gary

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NB FILM CO-OP FILMS INSPIRE

By Tim Rayne

The following brief article is on three Film Co-op films that have longed stayed with me as works of inspiration. These three films taught me to appreciate politics in film, art house sensibilities, and genre filmmaking respectively. Errol Williams’ Driftwood, Derrick Powers’ Silent Faces, and Doug Sutherland’s Love Potion continue to influence me to this day.

Errol Williams’ short film Driftwood has stayed with me for years and has influenced me in creating regional films. Driftwood tells a story of the difficulties faced by an elderly immigrant without any money dealing with addiction. Errol paints a beautiful, personal and deeply emotional portrait that uses a simple basement location for its primary location with wonderful performances by the two leads – Errol Williams plays one of the leads (the son). Williams, in all of his films, has demonstrated a sincere interest in racial and political issues. But, for me, Driftwood embodies an emotional and personal resonance more than any of his other works. There is a beauty in the minimalist aesthetic and painfully realistic performances in Driftwood. The son can only listen and watch his father’s alcoholic anguish play out. The dramatic performances that are in the foreground of the film are captured beautifully in grainy 16mm film. It feels like less of a work of fiction than a documentary capturing a moment in time. I had the privilege to meet Errol before he passed away and was amazed that a man who had such love and zeal for life could create such challenging works of oppression and racial discrimination.  A true inspiration and talent, Errol Williams will continue to live on through his oeuvre of important cultural and artistic work. 

Derrick Powers’ film Silent Faces introduced me to an important and integral influence on me in the area of European art house cinema, in particular, Ingmar Bergman.  In the late 90s, the NB Film Co-op would have film screenings on York Street and members would take turns selecting films. Mr. Powers selected Bergman’s Persona for a screening that has caused me to purchase most of the filmmaker’s work. Powers’ film Silent Faces, starring another filmmaker in this article Doug Sutherland, captured my imagination and provided me with an appreciation of subtle, minimalism, and pacing in world cinema. Gorgeously shot on Black and White 16mm, with incredible performances, and great locations, Derrick proved that sophisticated and existential  filmmaking can be produced anywhere. For people who know Derrick, Silent Faces is a very personal film that explores themes that are difficult and challenging. Mr. Powers made the first true art house film at the NB Film Co-op in my opinion. Silent Faces remains and will always be one of the finest works of cinema produced in this region or arguably any other.

Doug Sutherland’s extremely ambitious and fun genre film Love Potion was the first feature film produced through the Film Co-op. In the early 90s, Sutherland and crew and cast would shoot on the weekends and whenever possible.  Love Potion’s buddy movie appeal is a refreshing and exciting gonzo approach to regional filmmaking that was ahead of its time. Mr. Sutherland is the Godfather of Anglophone independent filmmaking in the Province. His tongue and cheek playfulness towards the New Brunswick setting captures regional humour to a tee.  Doug’s fearless approach to filmmaking produced a unique film that still makes me laugh to this day. As a result of making this film, Doug has gone on to make two other great films that show his continuous growth and sophistication as a filmmaker (check out Lakefront and Back up Man). Doug makes it look easy, but anyone who is aware of the process of film production, can easily see his incredible talent. Doug Sutherland continues to inspire me to be the best filmmaker I can possibly be, in particular, in the area of genre filmmaking. 

I remember a couple years ago, CBC radio interviewed me about the filmmaking process. They asked me, out of all people, if Steven Spielberg was an influence on me. I told them, I don’t have to look outside of my own Province for inspiration, the talent is already here.

Email Tim

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DONATE TO THE NEW BRUNSWICK FILMMAKERS’ CO-OPERATIVE

The NB Film Co-op is a non-profit and registered charity with a registered charity number. Donations of $10 and higher will receive a charitable tax receipt.

Anyone interested in donating can talk to staff directly about how they would like their donation to assist the organization. As well, donations can go to the specific areas listed on the below website link.

Be sure to specify in a message when you donate as to where you want your money to go. A charitable tax receipt will be issued and mailed to anyone who donates so be sure to include your mailing info when you donate online.

http://www.nbfilmcoop.com/Donations/Donate!.html

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TIME TO RENEW FILM CO-OP MEMBERS!

Don’t forget to renew your memberships in January Members!

Membership Renewals are annual and should be paid in January each year at the latest. You can renew in person at the Film Co-op, by mail or by paypal by going to this link on the Film Co-op website: 

http://www.nbfilmcoop.com/members.htm

Thank you to the below members who have renewed or renewed for multiple years:

Jennifer Mersereau, Fredericton, Marcella Laaper, Fredericton, Joan Headley, Fredericton, Susan Thompson, Fredericton, Tim Rayne & Nathalie Rayne, Fredericton, Suzy Short, Saint John, Pauline Cronin, Saint John, Glendon McKinney, Fredericton, Glen Ross, Fredericton, Konrad Stief, Steeves, Prosser Brook, Matt Carr, Geary, Alan Edwards, Fredericton, Gary Belding, Fredericton, Denis Cormier, Fredericton, Britany Sparrow, New Maryland, Rob Gemmell, New Maryland, Irenia Roussel, Fredericton, John McNutt, Fredericton, Brian Carty, Fredericton, Eric Paquet, Saint John, Larry Tannahill, Fredericton, Ralph Pritchard, Shediac, Christine LeBlanc, Fredericton, Danny Thebeau, Dieppe, Bruce LeGrow, Fredericton, Nathan Savage, Saint John

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COME ON NEW MEMBERS, CONTACT CAT AND START VOLUNTEERING TO GET YOUR HOURS IN....THERE IS LOTS TO DO!

Click here to get a pep talk on getting more involved with the Film Co-op

Click here to send Cat the volunteer hours you have put in so far as a member of the Film Co-op.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

- Thank you to Jared Carney for his volunteer videographer work helping out AHA Fredericton

- Thank you to Glendon McKinney for donating a book to the Film Co-op library entitled: The Lord of the Rings: The Making of the Movie Triloguy