E-News Article - Britany Sparrow

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    Stumbling onto the big screen by accident
    Published Thursday December 31st, 2009 in HERE

    Brittany Sparrow is looking to make a name for herself as a filmmaker.

    By Matt Carter

    Life is filled with unexpected twists, turns and opportunities. From a one-off elective course in university to a film festival showcase in the United States, BC born New Brunswick resident Brittany Sparrow happened upon the big screen completely by accident.

    "I never set out to make films," said Sparrow, "but after taking a class taught by Tony Merzetti of the New Brunswick Film Co-op, I just fell in love with film making and have been making films ever since."

    Two years after her brief introduction to the world of film, Sparrow joined the NB Film Co-op and worked various jobs on close to 25 films before finally completing her first film in 2007.

    She is currently promoting her third film, The Morning After, a 12-minute feature which she produced with assistance from New Brunswick Film's Short Film Venture Grant Program.

    "It's about a student name Jeff who pretty much has everything in life planned out," said Sparrow. "He's got the perfect girlfriend, the perfect courses in school, and he dresses right. Basically, he's a guy on the fast track. His roommate however, is a bit of a partier but the two still enjoy spending time together.

    "One night the guys go out to the bar and have a few drinks. When Jeff wakes up the next morning, he can't remember anything that happened and there is a girl standing in his bedroom wearing nothing but a towel and it's not his girlfriend. That's the basis of the story but it does have a twist at the end and I think it's a pretty funny film overall."

    After premiering at the 2009 Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax and showing as part of NB's Silverwave Film Festival, her film is about to make its U.S. premiere at the 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival, an annual independent film festival in Palm Bay, Florida devoted entirely to celebrating challenging world of the short film.

    "A lot of people get their start with short films," said Sparrow, "but I don't think many people make short films as a career. They're not a big money maker."

    According to Sparrow, short films are a perfect way to learn the ropes of film making on a smaller scale.

    "Making shorts is a great way to get started in film because it involves the same process, the same crew positions, and all the same challenges as larger productions," said Sparrow. "Shorts are a great way to build experience and knowledge and prepare you for making bigger pictures.

    "With a longer film," she said, "you have more room for setting up characters and developing relationships between people in the film. With a short film you have to show a lot really fast."

    Promoting an independent film involves a lot of work, with many festival applications being sourced and submitted.

    "I'm still waiting to hear back from another 10 festivals," said Sparrow, "but I don't expect to hear back from any of them until March 2010 at the earliest. I'm trying to focus mainly on Canadian festivals because it's where I'm from and it's where I want to work. I don't want to be a filmmaker who goes to Hollywood and has a Hollywood life. I'd rather stay local so I'm trying to promote myself in Canada."

    Sparrow is currently working on her next film, another short that will hopefully be ready for screening at the 10th Annual Silver Wave Film Festival that will take place in Fredericton during November 2010.

    "I hope to shoot my next film in May and have the editing done in July. I'd like to have it ready to go for festivals next year."

    The Morning After shows as part of the 15 Minutes of Fame Film Festival on Jan. 16. To learn more about getting involved in film making, visit www.nbfilmcoop.com