Tidings, Issue 15: January 2012

Welcome to Tidings, Issue 15

Happy New Year from all of us at WIFT-AT. In this issue of Tidings we showcase our newest promotion for the 2012 edition of Women Making Waves, call for WAVE Award nominees, spotlight Ashley McKenzie and her short film Rhonda’s Party, premiere our new column, Her Story, where woman genny operator Lori Bellefontaine talks about her experiences, and feature the four provincial pulses.

 

Women Making Waves

Interested in meeting other Atlantic filmmakers, TV professionals, interactive and trans-media creators for a weekend of learning & fun? Then come join us at the 2nd Annual Women Making Waves from March 9-11 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Women Making Waves conference is all about connecting and sharing for mutual support in our careers. There will be workshops, panels, plenty of networking opportunities for everyone (men and women!) involved.

FULL DELEGATE REGISTRATION

$150 Non WIFT-AT members

$125 WIFT-AT members

$100 Students/Seniors

10% Discount for Out of Towners

And, if you sign up before February 11, 2012, you can take advantage of our early bird special, and save 10%!

Take advantage of both discounts and save 20%!

Full registration includes opening reception, all events on Saturday including breakfast, lunch and dinner – and movie night, and Sunday events including the Awards Brunch.

For online registration, individual event pricing, and additional information, please go to our website.

Full program will be announced in the next couple of weeks.

WAVE Awards

Do you know a woman in the screen industry whose contributions, accomplishments, and dedication deserve to be recognized? Then nominate her for a WAVE Award!

On March 11, 2012, Women in Film and Television – Atlantic is pleased to be hosting its second annual Women Making Waves Awards Brunch. Unlike traditional awards, there are no categories for the WAVE Awards. The goal is to salute women in the screen industry for their contributions, accomplishments, emerging talent, vision, leadership, dedication, and outstanding behind-the-scenes support. As these awards are not province specific either, anyone (men and women!) from the four Atlantic Provinces can submit nominations, and there is no limit to the number of nominations made by any one person. Any woman in the industry, at any level can be nominated: from directors to set designers, to bookkeepers, producers, volunteers – every role is eligible.

To submit a nomination, please send a letter presenting why the Nominee should be recognized by WIFT-AT (800 words maximum), along with the resume and/or filmography of the Nominee, the contact information of both yourself and the Nominee, and a picture of the Nominee (if available). Nominations are due by Thursday, February 2, 2012 and can be submitted by email to Ally Cameron, 2012 WAVE Awards Coordinator, awards.wift.at@gmail.com.

All nominations will be kept confidential, with only the winners announced at the WMW Awards Brunch, Sunday, March 11, 2012. Join us for this celebration as well.

Who should be the 2012 worthy WAVE award recipients? We would love to hear from you!

 

 

Ashley McKenzie is quickly becoming one of Atlantic Canada’s fastest rising filmmakers. Her lively and spirited short film Rhonda’s Party, produced through AFCOOP’s Film 5 program, has screened at festivals across Canada and around the world as part of Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival, which screens short films on-demand through its on-board entertainment system. The film has garnered some serious recognition, including being named one of TIFF’s Top 10 Canadian Short Films and winning CBC’s Short Film Face Off, where Ashley and Rhonda’s Party Producer Nelson MacDonald received $50,000 to be put towards their next project.

Ashley is currently completing post-production on her short film When You Sleep funded through NSI Drama Prize with co-producers Nelson MacDonald and Martha Cooley. When You Sleep explores a young, misfit couple expecting a child and battling a rodent-infestation in their slum apartment. They are both feeling trapped and struggle to break from the co-dependent mess of their situation.

Her love for Cape Breton is apparent in Ashley’s work. The stories she has decided to tell have a direct correlation with her roots in New Waterford.

“It didn’t feel possible to make films the way I wanted to in New Waterford” Ashley says. “Coming from Cape Breton has really shaped my worldview into a social realist one, which definitely inspires the type of films I want to make.”

Ashley’s inspiration not only lies in the people and landscape of her hometown, but also in watching films by other women; Agnès Varda and Jane Campion as well as local filmmakers Andrea Dorfman, Ann Verrall, Heather Young, and fellow Cape Bretoner Jacqueline Mills. “It was very important for me to become aware of other female filmmakers in order to believe it was possible to do what I wanted. I needed those role models to take the leap towards telling my own stories.”

Ashley’s next project, entitled Stray, is a Linda Joy Award winning script set in New Waterford, which tells the tale of a young girl’s struggle to exist within a post-industrial town and how it shapes her outlook on life.

Visit Ashley’s website for information on her work and upcoming projects.

 

I grew up in Westmount – a community not too far from Sydney, Cape Breton. The only things Westmount is  really known for are the Canadian Coast Guard College and my mom’s pizza shop,”Lena’s Pizza” where I worked from the time I could make a pizza. My mom died on the night of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, January 28, 1986. She was 43. For the short time I had her in my life, my mom instilled in me strength, compassion and a respect for hard work – all very good qualities to have as a 14 year old.

I had no real idea of where my life was going. Would I take over the family business, or maybe work at the local hardware store? I tried both for a while, then moved out west where I worked at a hotel and ski lodge. But I missed home too much and after about eight months, I decided to come back.

No sooner was I back in Nova Scotia, when my sister (who worked at Cambridge Suites at the time) phoned and told me that there was a movie called Margaret’s Museum in town. As it turned out, the assistant director was staying in one of her rooms and he needed someone to organize his receipts. I had no idea about accounting, but the job paid eight dollars an hour. And the idea of being part of the making of a movie was very interesting to me.

The AD was Stephen Reynolds. He and his wife, Lori, gave me the opportunity to broaden my horizons in the film industry. Lori hired me for the wardrobe department where I spent three days doing the laundry after wrap – which was great but not exactly up my alley. Stephen offered me a job as a driver in transport and I jumped all over it. Again had no idea what that meant, but it sounded awesome.

From my very first day as a member of the film crew, I knew that this was something that I wanted to be part of for as long as I could. I was determined to have a career in the film industry and be part of that family of film makers. But all too soon, Margaret’s Museum finished up and I was once again unemployed. When would there ever be another movie shoot in Nova Scotia? Who knew?

I had no idea that Nova Scotia was a growing centre for filmmaking. I managed to get work on The Scarlet Letter, but only after hanging out in their production office for four twelve-hour days. They put me to work as a background wrangler. The Scarlet Letter was followed by Titanic and Simon Birch. By now, I was definitely hooked on this lifestyle. I now had my IATSE membership which opened the door to a year of work in Toronto and led me to upgrade my licence so I could drive heavy equipment.

I returned home to Nova Scotia to work in the Transport Department as a cast driver on Pit Pony. Fortunately for me, they were looking for someone licensed to drive a ten ton whom they could train as a Genny Op! I quickly picked it up – not without some taking some criticism – but in the end, I proved myself to the boys. I had managed to become one of five Genny Ops on the East Coast and one of the only female Genny Ops in Canada.

I’ve been very fortunate to work with the crews that I have over the years. I’d like to thank Bob Petrie for believing that I could hold my own with the boys and give them a run for their money.

The film industry may not be for everyone. There are a lot of birthdays, weddings, christenings and family gatherings missed and it is known to have broken up a few relationships. For me, it has been almost twenty years and despite a few broken relationships and an unhappy family member or two, I can’t think of a better, more exciting way of making a life and a living so close to home…

 

 

• Congratulations to Ashley McKenzie, whose short film Rhonda’s Party was recognized by the Toronto International Film Festival’s annual “Canada’s Top Ten”.  For the other winners, please visit http://tiff.net/topten/shorts. Jason Eisner’s Hobo With a Shotgun received similar recognition in the feature films category; the other winners can be found at http://tiff.net/topten/features

 

• Also, congratulations to Ashley McKenzie and producers Nelson MacDonald and Martha Cooley, whose short film, When You Sleep is being produced through the National Screen Institute’s Drama Prize

 

• The 2012 Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival (HIFF) is dedicated to the exhibition of film and video as art, in a noncompetitive setting free from commercial agendas, and focuses on the short film as a form of expression for Canadian artists.  It will take place from April 10-14, 2012.  Screening themes are “Atlantic Canada Narrative Screening” (celebrating films in narrative form from all four Atlantic provinces),  “Atlantic Women in Film Screening” (in partnership with WIFT-AT, celebrating films from Atlantic Canadian women), and “Atlantic Canada Experimental Screening” (seeking the unusual and unique from across the Atlantic provinces).  The deadline for entries is February 10, 2012, and submission materials can be found here.  For information on HIFF sponsorship opportunities please contact Greg Morris-Poultney at 902-405-4474 ext 3 or via email at admin@afcoop.ca.

 

• Film Nova Scotia will be holding information sessions on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 to prepare producers for the 2012 funding deadlines. All sessions will be held in the Acadia Room on the first floor of the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel, 1919 Upper Water Street, Halifax, NS. The sessions will include a Bridge Award Information Session, wherein an overview of the program guidelines and components of a good application package will be covered. Sessions will also include an overview of Film Nova Scotia program and tax credit guidelines, including   information on the EastLink TV Independent Production Fund.  Finally, producers will have the opportunity to hear an overview of the next steps to take once film financing is received. The session will focus on what producers need to know when going to the bank including required materials and next steps to follow.  Please RSVP to Maureen Joudrey at joudremf@gov.ns.ca before the end of the day January 16th, 2012, outlining which sessions you will be attending.

 

• AFCOOP launches new “Storytellers Contribute” fundraiser in support of its many film-related initiatives. The new campaign offers the community a chance to contribute to AFCOOP’s various initiatives through its web-based “Storytellers Contribute” fund-raising program, which seeks to provide essential filmmaking tools, training, and opportunities to its members and the community.  The project’s goal is to raise $17,000 before the end of January 2012. Donations can be made through AFCOOP’s fund-raising website at www.storytellerscontribute.ca. Gifts in excess of $25 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.

 

NB Film Co-op writer/director/actor/producer Lex Gigeroff passed away suddenly at Christmas at home in Fredericton. He was 49. Lex was a well-known creative person in the Canadian film world and internationally. Lex is best known as co-creator of the very popular science fiction series Lexx. He also acted in the comedy series Liocracy and the short film Treevenge as well as multiple other projects over the years. Most recently, he had acted in numerous films at the NB Film Co-op. Lex will be remembered by many members of the Film Co-op as well as so many others who loved him dearly across Canada and beyond. He was only a member for a few years at the NBFC but he left an indelible mark that will never be forgotten here.

TRIBUTES

Village of Gagetown Fire & Rescue Remembers Lex Gigeroff: Saturday, January 14 at 2pm at Branch 71 Legion on Tilley Road, Gagetown, NB.
Contact: Marilee Thomson – ff1mthomas@gmail.com

NB Film Co-op Lex Gigeroff Celebration of Life: Saturday, January 21 at 3pm at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre in the upstairs auditorium (732 Charlotte Street, Fredericton, NB)
Contact: Cat LeBlanc – info@nbfilmcoop.com

 

 

• MusicPEI has nominated three Island-based filmmakers for the music videos they produced for Island musicians for the 2012 PEI Music Awards. All three nominations include members of WIFT-AT!! The videos are:
• Silence, Bloodhound! for Christopher Rodgers, Directed by Susan Rodgers
• The Way We Do’er for Boxcar Dan, Directed by Jason Rogerson and Produced by Harmony Wagner
  Stealin’ for Catherine MacLellan, Directed by Millefiore Clarkes

 

• The Island Media Arts Festival is looking for films and videos of all genres from Atlantic Canadian
  Filmmakers (20 min or under is preferred, but negotiable). This little festival with a big heart takes place at locations across PEI from May 8-13th 2012. The Deadline for Submissions is February 15^th, 2012 and it’s FREE! IMAFestival is growing each year and includes panels, workshops, street-side projections, parties and more. Go to http://islandmedia.pe.ca/events/imaf/ for more info. The IMAFestival is a program of The Island Media Arts Co-op.

 

• The Island Film Factory has accumulated applications from a large number of individuals for their upcoming Digital Media Workshops. These workshops,  funded through SkillsPEI with the help of CulturePEI will take people with working skill sets in the areas of:  Production Manager, DOP, Field Audio Recorder, Grip/Gaffer/Electric, Editing (Long Form and Comedy), Online Editing and Sound Design, and bring them to the next level in their professional capabilities. The workshops will run throughout February and March 2012 and will be intensive sessions lead by top industry professionals in their selected fields. More info on the IFF and the Digital Media Workshops can be found here.

 

• The Island Film Factory has embarked on a series of Cultural Stakeholder Meetings with a wide range of interested stakeholders in the film and media industry on PEI. Two meetings were held in early December, and two more will take place in early January. These meetings  gathered professionals from every walk of the cultural sector on PEI; from independent film and video producers, to people involved in a range of cultural organizations: CulturePEI, The PEI Council of the Arts, The Confederation Centre Art Gallery, PEI Museum and Heritage, The Holland College Centre for Performing Arts, and many more. The aim of these meetings is to bring diverse interests together to map how they intersect with the film and media sector. The goal is to create a collaborative vision for the industry in partnership with the cultural and broader business sectors on PEI.

 

• Four Sisters, the short film by NL screenwriter Wanda Nolan, is now showing at the NSI online film festival. Her feature for Four Sisters is in development with Opportunity Knox Inc. with generous support from the NLFDC for the treatment portion of the project. Wanda is also working on a novel called Rabbittown.

 

• NL filmmaker Anita Reilly McGee has been very busy mentoring for the RBC Michelle Jackson Emerging Filmmaker Award. She is the Executive Producer for Ruth Lawrence’s film Two Square Feet.

 

WIFT-AT Programming Sneak Preview News

• Halifax’s Reel Talk begins a whole new season of Conversations in February at Carbon Arc. Candid, generous, inspiring, challenging, these one to one conversations with wonderfully active women in the Atlantic Film industry are hosted by a different WIFT-AT member once a month. Reel Talk offers a chance to spend the evening getting to know one artist and her work in a focused, intimate setting, in the live interview style of Inside The Actor’s Studio. Word has spread and the audience is growing.

 

• In Moncton in April, watch for more information on WIFT-AT’s La génie de Jacques Brel, une soirée rencontre avec la cinéaste Annett Wolf. The conversation with this award winning journalist, interviewer, filmmaker will take place on the third floor of Moncton`s Aberdeen  Cultural Centre on April 10 and will include a screening of Annett’s remarkable hour long interview with Jacques Brel.

 

• On March 9-11, join us for our second annual Women Making Waves Conference in Halifax, hosted at the Lord Nelson Hotel, with terrific room rates and a fabulous dinner and screening planned for the evening of Saturday, March 10.  An exciting line-up of workshops, conversations and panels with special guests including the remarkable award winning Sheri Elwood (showrunner, writer, director, Call Me Fitz) and Elizabeth Klinck, producer, researcher and clearance specialist on award-winning Canadian, American and British documentary films that have won Emmy, Gemini, Peabody and Academy awards. Last year was the first year for Women Making  Waves. It just keeps getting better – we’d love to have you join us! Registration is very easy online at with discounts for members, for early bird registrations, and for those coming from away. How perfect is that?! We’d love to include you so plan now to be with us in March to listen, network, workshop, screen and celebrate with the WAVE Awards. Anyone can nominate  a woman in the Atlantic Screen Industry who deserves to be recognized. The Deadline for Nominations is Thursday, February 2, 2012. Nomination guidelines are found here.

 

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Related posts:

1. NS Pulse January 2012