NBFC E-news - Thursday, Jan 14, 2010
Spotlight!
It's still difficult to believe that Alumni Co-op member Errol Williams is no longer with us. Errol Passed away suddenly in 2007.
Errol was a huge supporter and contributor to the NB Film Co-op. As a long time member filmmaker he remained involved in the organization throughout the years whether he was living in Fredericton, Halifax or Bermuda.
Errol had a great interest in stories that focused on people overcoming adversity. In 1990, he and long time friends and collaborator's Chris Campbell and Tony Merzetti produced Echoes in the Rink: The Willie O’Ree Story’, a documentary on the life story of the first black player in the National Hockey League who remained unnoticed in history books despite his great achievements until recently. The film was completed in 1997.
In 2002 he released ‘When Voices Rise’ which was edited by Chris Campbell. The film was about the 1959 Theatre Boycott which dealt with the many attempts to dismantle segregation in Bermuda which resulted in unprecedented change for the Island. The film won the BIFF Audience Choice Award and went on to be shown at festivals around the world including the NB Film Co-op's Silver Wave Film Festival.
"Always a man who could put a smile on your face, Errol's charm was infectious. He was the kind of person who would want us to celebrate his living more than mourn his passing. He was a man of action—of livingness. It was a kind of self-evident truth about him", says long time friend Tony Merzetti.
Errol will be remembered by many alumni and newer members of the Film Co-op as well as so many others who loved him dearly.
Check out Cat's tribute website for Errol at:
http://www.nbfilmcoop.com/errol_williams/index.html
For those who knew Errol, please continue to send in your tributes.
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IMPORTANT THINGS for MemberS of the NBFC to do!
- Renew membership (contact cat)
- Put in required volunteer hours (contact cat)
- If goal is to create a film in the future through the Film Co-op, take the 5 required workshops through the annual film co-op workshop series starting up in February. (contact cat)
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MEMBER RENEWALS FOR 2010 -
Dennis Poirier (Fredericton), Doug Cochrane (Moncton), Christine LeBlanc (Fredericton), Britany Sparrow (Fredericton), Rob Gemmell (Fredericton). Matthew Carr (Fredericton), Phi Angers (Fredericton)
Nathan Blagdon (Fredericton), Dan Thebeau (Dieppe), Stephanie Marin (Riverview), Angele Bourgeois (Fredericton), Tim Rayne (Fredericton), Nathalie Rayne (Fredericton), Andrew Long (Fredericton), Arthur Thomson (Fredericton), Ken Neilson (Mt. Pleasant), Gary Belding (Fredericton).
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NEW MEMBERS NEW MEMBERS NEW MEMBERS
STEPHANIE MARIN - RIVERVIEW NB
Stephanie Marin, Dip. Digital Filmmaking (Centre for Arts and Technology), has been creatively writing for approximately ten years, recently relocated to Riverview, New Brunswick, Marin is interested in multiple aspects of filmmaking. She also considers herself a writer/poet and has completed her BA in English Literature from Mount Allison University. There she completed a creative thesis of five short stories titled Seeds . She has recently completed directing a student short film called Anahita, which thematically explores belief and the conceptualization of truth.
Marin hopes to expand her skills as a filmmaker in Editing, Continuity, Screenwriting, Production Management and Set Design. She looks forward to meeting many new people in the NB Film Co-op and is very interested in collaborating with or working on any upcoming projects members have in the works. :D Please contact her at:
stephaniemarin@gmail.com
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU
- Thank you to the Film Co-op's generous patron Don Chapman for yet another very generous donation to the organization!
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NEW BRUNSWICK FILMMAKERS CO-OPERATIVE ACTIVITY CALENDAR
(Refresh web page if info does not show up on Calendar)
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MEMBER UPDATES MEMBER UPDATES
New Brunswick’s Gia Milani is being honored at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City Utah on January 28th, 2010. Gia’s script, All the Wrong Reasons, won the Slamdance 2009 Script Accessible Award. The same script, story edited by Jonas Chernick, of CBC’s The Border, was just backed by Telefilm and NB Film for a second round of development funding. Gia hopes to have the film in production in late 2010. She and her partner have two other projects in development and hope to have announcements about them soon! You can reach Gia through her website at www.shoreroadpictures.com
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2010 promises clear blue skies for Azure Sky
With two features in development and a short film on the go, 2010 already promises to be a busy and happily productive year for the team at Azure Sky Films.
"We have a lot going on right now and it's exciting," said Azure Sky Producer Lita Llewellyn. "For me what is most gratifying is being able to collaborate with so many wonderfully talented people."
Amongst the list of Azure Sky collaborators is Elizabeth Yake of True West Films. (It's All Gone Pete Tong) Azure Sky and True West are partnering to co-produce the feature film project Sharkjumping. Sharkjumping was written by another member of the Azure Sky team - Tony Sekulich and placed in the top 5 at the 2008 Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition.
"We were pretty excited about the script to begin with and then when Elizabeth came on board, it's hard to describe what that did for our enthusiasm," Llewellyn said. "Her track record speaks for itself and she's been an absolute joy to work with. Her experience in the industry is amazing and she brings invaluable insight to the table."
The other feature film project in development for Azure Sky is Dan vs. Darwin, a feature comedy also being written by Tony Sekulich. Azure Sky is in formal development with Telefilm Canada and New Brunswick Film to turn Sekulich's treatment into a full feature screenplay.
She said they were extremely grateful and encouraged to receive the support of Telefilm. "We are really enthused that Telefilm would come in with their full support for this project. I think it says a lot about their willingness to develop emerging feature film producers in this region as well as about the project itself."
Dan vs. Darwin is a comedy that tells the story of Dan Bower, a wealthy self-absorbed playboy who gets cut off from the family fortune and must fend for himself as a poor commoner. While living this poverty stricken existence in Saint John, New Brunswick, he meets Beth Whitley, a woman for whom he immediately falls hard. The problem is he feels completely incapable of wooing a woman where it doesn't involve expensive restaurants, flashy gifts and rides in his Porsche. Dan has a steep learning curve on how to survive without the trust fund and how to communicate honestly with women.
Dan vs. Darwin is a comedy that boasts a unique and fresh take on matters of the heart by separating scientific fact from romantic mythology on how and why we choose who we choose.
Along with the two feature projects, Azure Sky Films is producing The Omaha Fly-By, one of the shorts originally conceived as part of the Diplomatic Relations series.
"This was one that we had to cut two years ago but I always knew we would do it some day," explains Tony Sekulich. "We felt like we owed it to everyone involved in creating that story to let it see the light of day."
"I like the new version even more than what we had before," Sekulich said. "This could be one of those blessings in disguise if the film turns out anything like what we currently envision."
The revamped Omaha Fly-By is being directed by Joel Thompson with Jesse Anthony as DOP.
"You gotta have both," Sekulich said referring to the young filmmaking duo. "They work so well together on set and provide the rare combination of efficiency and quality.
Llewellyn said the team at Azure Sky Films Inc. looks forward to 2010 with much anticipation and loves that there is such an abundance of creativity in Eastern Canada. She cited one other key advantage of producing films in this region.
"The beer tastes better here."
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Training & Development
The 2010 Film Co-op Annual Workshop Series in Fredericton will start up in February. The Workshop Schedule will go online in Mid-January. Registration opens on January 22.
The 2010 Film Co-op Annual Workshop Series in Moncton and SJ will start later. The Workshop Schedule for these programs will go online in February
Contact Cat at: info@nbfilmcoop.com if you have any questions about training.
For any members wanting to do projects: You must have your 5 required workshops in and your volunteer hours (30 hours) and you must be a full member (associate members can upgrade). As well, you have to be a member of the Film Co-op for at least 5 months before you are deemed eligible to do projects.
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Festivals
SILVER WAVE 2010 IS COMING!
10th ANNIVERSARY FOR SWFF!
(Photo by Jeff Crawford - 2008 Silver Wave Award Winner Kendra Black)
Click Here (View PDF of SWFF 2010 Call for Submissions)
Click Here (View PDF of SWFF 2010 Application Form)
SWFF does not return festival materials and master screening copies to filmmakers. Please enclose a pre-paid envelope to get your tape and any other materials back after SWFF.
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The Arts
NEW! FREDERICTON MARCH BREAK KIDS ANIMATION CAMP!
March Break Animation Camp
Ages 7 to 14
When:
Monday, March 1st to Friday, March 5th, 2010
Start and End Time:
9am to 5pm (half hour for lunch and two breaks)
Location:
Charlotte Street Art Centre, 732 Charlotte Street, upstairs multipurpose room.
Cost:
$150 per student
Call to register now as seating is limited to 15 students.
Larry Mersereau 474-9195 or email
larry3dguy@yahoo.ca
Please send your child with a lunch as we will not be providing one.
Come learn the fun of animation! Your child will learn how to make flip books, write a story with storyboard, design and create their own characters, the importance of colour, background and props, and how to animate their character. The students will receive a DVD of their movie after the camp.
Generous Sponsor: New Brunswick Filmmakers' Co-operative.
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NOTICE TO ALL NB FILM CO-OP MONDAY NIGHT FILM SERIES GOERS
Due to major renovations happening in the Tilley Hall Theatre on UNB Campus. The Film Co-op Monday Night Film Series will be on hiatus until Fall 2010 when it will start up again in a new revamped theatre!
Thank you for your patience.
General Information
The Monday Night Film Series takes place at Tilley Hall, Room 102, UNB Campus
Tel: 455-1632 or email info@nbfilmcoop.com
The NB Film Co-op presents the Fredericton Monday Night Film Series. The series partners are the Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival and the UNB Faculty of Arts.
The series presents limited release, independent foreign and Canadian films for one-night screenings, with the goal of diversifying local access to cinema. These films are new or recent releases, which would not otherwise be available to Fredericton audiences on the big screen.
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Biz & Indie Film News
Moncton actress finds her niche in Plaster Rock
Published Thursday December 31st, 2009 in HERE
By Jim Lavoie
Four young men and women are boated into a hunting lodge in the wilds of northern New Brunswick to partake in a cross country ski race which the winner will reap a cash prize of $250,000.Each contestant is a former athlete or high-profile celebrity who has already received $20,000 for their time just to travel and enter the race in the desolate area. The only problem is, once left at the lodge by boat, there is no way out, and each contestant begins to realize they have more at stake than the cash prize.
Plaster Rock is a fast-paced thriller-horror film which takes place in remote wilderness where you need more than luck to survive.
"What begins as a test of athletic prowess becomes a quest for discovery just to stay alive," exclaims Jackelyn Giroux, director of the film. "I happened to be up by Plaster Rock doing some location scouting and I met, by chance, two local residents who had a fascinating story about a bizarre set of tragic events that had happened in the area years ago. Their story sent shivers up my spine and I knew then, what my next film was going to be about. I also had found the perfect shooting location and with this in mind I wrote the script for Plaster Rock."...Click here for full article
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NB FILM UPDATES
Please be advised that effective immediately, Margo Flewelling will be working in Policy and Planning with Brenda Boucher. During the transition period of January to March, however, as the film industry is being integrated into the Arts Development Branch, she will continue to offer support as needed. Margo may be reached at the same coordinates she had previously: Margo.flewelling@gnb.ca and 453-6508.
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NATIONAL MEDIA CREATIVITY COMPETITION: ROOTS
Everyone has a story to tell.
Radio Canada International invites all Canadians and permanent residents to tell us about their origins by entering ROOTS (and its French-language counterpart RACINES), a brand-new short film and multimedia production competition.
The deadline for entries is March 7, 2010. The competition is open to amateurs and professionals alike, but you must be at least 18 years old to enter.
Simply upload a 3 to 8 minute video that speaks of your roots and touches on part of your history or an aspect of your culture. A few examples of roots include language, geography, ethnicity, spirituality, ecology, philosophy, cuisine, medical conditions, and so much more!
Entries can come in any form: fiction, report, documentary, photomontage, animation… And any genre: comedy, detective, drama, slam, art video…
We welcome anything unique, original, touching, or surprising that might captivate viewers and catch a jury’s eye!
In spring 2010, the juries appointed by Radio Canada International will select the works that best meet competition criteria: consistency with the theme, originality, artistic value and technical quality. The public will also be able to vote online for their favourite entries. A total of eight recipients (four for each language) will share prizes, to include high-tech gadgets such as camcorders, computers, iPod Touch players and iPhones.
The ROOTS competition – and its French-language counterpart RACINES – is another in a long line of Radio Canada International special projects, which have resulted in such Web series as J’adopte un pays, Voir double, L’érable à palabres as well as the Migr@tions and Digital Diversity competitions.
ROOTS gives all members of the community the opportunity to use sound and visuals to express how they feel about their past and their origins, while highlighting the contributions all cultures make to the great Canadian mosaic.
Come one, come all—enter ROOTS today and tell your story.
Information, entry and rules: www.rcinet.ca/roots
Join ROOTS on FaceBook - Facebook Page
Contact in Atlantic Canada»» Pamela Lovelace
E: creativepam@gmail.com P: (902) 240-3002
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Advertise
Volunteer Needed—few hours/week
We are looking for 1 individual who has an interest in drama/theatre and working with youth. Volunteer will work with a high school student who will be preparing a short performance to be performed at a couple of local daycare or senior centers. Volunteer is needed 1 or 2 weekday afternoons/week for an hour or two.
Scheduling can be flexible depending on what the volunteer can offer. Project to start in early Feb and runs until early June. Main role of the volunteer will be to mentor and provide guidance to the student. If the volunteer wants to incorporate some “teaching” or wants to act in the performance that is possible, but not a requirement.
We’d like to select a volunteer by mid-late January. For more info please contact Andrea Harmatiuk, NBACL at: aharmatiuk@nbacl.nb.ca or 453-4416. THANKS!
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SCRIPTS WANT TO BE PRODUCED
Up to three short comedy scripts available for free to determined director and/or producer who needs a project or two or three. Contact Frank at maenus@hotmail.com
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CREW CALL - VOLUNTEER LABOUR
Allen Galloway's directorial debut "Paintbox" is looking for volunteer crew members to assist with production. We are looking for the following people: Script Supervisor, Assistant Camera (must be trained), Sound Recorder (must be trained) and Art Department (hair, costumes, set dec, props). We are going to be shooting in Fredericton on March 5-7.
If anyone is interested in these positions please contact Producer Britany Sparrow at britsparrow@gmail.com