April 17 Women in Film Festival

I went to the 5th annual Women in Film Festival ( WIFF at womeninfilm.ca ) this weekend at the Vancity Theatre. WIFF Director and Film Producer Robyn Wiener suggested I come out and see what WIFF 2010 is about this year. Women are making strides in the film industry as most visibly seen by Kathryn Bigelow’s Academy Award for Best Director at the Oscars. The Festival showcases and promotes the great work being done by women in writing, producing, directing, lead acting, or editing roles.

I spoke with WIFF Director Roslyn Muir on Saturday about WIFF. Please click on the audio link to listen to 15 minute informative interivew on the mission, goals, and highlights of WIFF 2010.

Saturday and Sunday will be filled with and Exhibitor showcase, panel discussions, pitching sessions, and short films from 35 first time and veteran female filmmakers produced in countries such as New Zealand, Egypt, USA, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

On Saturday evening, Vancouver director Penelope Buitenhuis, who will present her feature film A Wake. This poignant mystery, acted entirely on improvisation, stars Nicholas Campbell (DaVinci’s Inquest), Sarain Boylan, who appeared in last year’s opening film The Baby Formula, and Kristopher Turner from Instant Star.

A Wake – directed by Penelope Buitenhuis. Showing on WIFF Opening night.

The opening night festivities will include the presentation of two awards: the Legacy Awards ($3,000 in cash awards, presented by Deboragh Gabler, CEO/Producer at Legacy Filmworks for outstanding achievement in film) and the WIDC Feature Film Award (a $100,000 in kind prize, administered by Creative Women Workshops Association, designed to encourage more feature films directed by women in BC).

One very popular aspect of the WIFF is the Pitch sessions are the one-on-one 10 minute pitching sessions, which enables people to pitch their project directly to leading film industry professionals

Sean Cossey (Casting Director), Tyman Stewart (Characters Talent Agency), Murray Battle (Knowledge), John Dippong (Telefilm), Robert Hardy (CTV Western Production), and Stacey Landers and Liam Cripps (Papery Films).

On Sunday,the Filmmaker panel is “A Film and Television Industry Market Update; Facing the Hard Facts” which will be moderated by award-winning WIDC producer Carol Whiteman, sponsored by CWWA through the support of the CTVglobemedia-CHUM Benefits.

Check out the Women in Film Festival throughout sunday from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

The weekend WIFF schedule:

Saturday, April 17th

FEMALE FIRSTS A SERIOUS WOMAN

New Directors Dramas

Saturday, April 17 | 10:00 am Saturday, April 17 | 1:30 pm

Screening with Talkback Screening with Talkback

Run time: 87:46 Run time: 89:64

Chocolate (2:50) Shi-shi-etko (11:52)

Remember me. (6:30) One Night (15:39)

Baby Weight (10:37) White as the driven snow (17:52)

Catechism (14:00) Ashes to Dust (11:00)

Salt & Vinegar (11:25) Easy Made Hard (12:21)

Leah and the Horse (4:50) The Shoemaker (16:00)

Nature On Its Course (2:30) Savage (6:00)

Grad Day (8:42)

Tending Toward Silence (10:22)

Scent (6:38)

Grandma (11:22)

Sunday, April 18th

Click here to read more… Click here to read more…

CHERCHEZ LA FEMME REAL WOMEN; REAL LIFE

Comedy, Dance, Eclectic Documentaries

Sunday, April 18 | 12:00 noon Sunday, April 18 | 2:00 pm

Screening with Talkback Screening only – no Talkback

Run time: 88:30 Run time: 66:39

Crows and Branches (4:00) When I Grow Up (9:55)

Evelyn’s Farm (8:00) Let’s Play Boccia! (14:03)

9-1-MUM (3:00) A Harlem Mother (13:00)

The Delivery (10:60) LoliGirls: The Story Behind the Frills and Bows (14:47)

Sweet Pickle (11:00) Remember Our Sisters Everywhere (4:00)

In Between (7:48) Pigeon Park Savings (11:10)

Brain Clever (4:40) Echo Bay (5:40)

Make Up the Dead (6:12)

Arithmetic – Annie’s Life in Numbers (13:30)

Grande Dame (14:40)

The Audit (6:00)

Shi-shi-etko – directed by Kate Kroll. Showing on Sunday at WIFF.

Our 11 first time directors, part of the FEMALE FIRSTS showcase, adeptly tackle a range of subjects and stories from the comedic to deeply touching, including Grandma from Norway. The A SERIOUS WOMAN showcase presents a number of international films including The Shoemaker, Easy Made Hard and White As The Driven Snow that address traditionally male subjects such as war and conflict, but are adeptly retold through the eyes of female directors. Films such as Grand Dame, starring gender-bending actor Greg Malone, and The Delivery, from Seattle WIFTV member Virginia Bogert, entertain with their eclectic perspectives during the CHERCHEZ LA FEMME showcase. Finally, in the REAL WOMEN; REAL LIFE documentary showcase, filmmakers explore controversial subjects such as the Downtown East Side in Pigeon Park Savings, and the environment in Echo Bay.

Dina Grskovich, Mentor Program Manager at Wired Woman ( wirewoman.com )

Kyle Cunningham Executive Sale Assistant & Marketing Coordinator at Technicolor ( technicolor.com )

The Flash slide show of my photos on flickr.com/pixelate

Popularity: 1% [?]

pecha kucha 10 at vogue theatre

Another amazing night at the Vogue Theatre. Over 1050 people sold out the venue for Pecha Kucha 10. Pecha Kucha is a global event that’s grown to over 299 cities around the world since it started in Japan in 2003. The format is simple, each presenter speaks on a topic they are passionate about and is allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up.

I arrived at the Vogue Theatre to find a long line of people still waiting to get inside the venue. I decided it was a good chance to interview people on why they had come to Pecha Kucha. As the event is about stories, I also spent some time learning more about their background and stories.

Mike woods, and Sam gomolka outside Vogue theatre

Diana Lee, and Erika Rekis outside Vogue theatre

An inspiring group presented at Pecha Kucha 10: Jay Balmer, Isabelle Dunlop, Dave Olson, Dani Vachon, Gair Williamson, Martha Sturdy, Doug Haddow, Bing Thom, Stephanie Corker Irwin, Vanessa Leigh, Marc Baumgartner, and Pamela Masik. If you don’t recognize all the names, you’ll probably be touched by their work which ranges from snowboards, skateparks, video games, fashion design, jewelry, art, writing, , social media, curated news, crowd sourcing news.

I taped the Pecha Kucha presenters using a 30$ mp3 player. I was holding the mp3player and my camera, so ignore the occasional clicks and noise and enjoy hearing the inspiring speeches!

Jay Balmer - Experience Director at ( bigpark.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Isabelle Dunlop – Fashion Designer/Singer (combinethevictorious.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Dave Olson – Story Maker/Writer/ Producer ( uncleweed.net ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Dani Vachon – Director ( oliofestival.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Gair Williamson – Architect ( gwarchitects.ca ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Martha Sturdy – Artist/ Designer ( marthasturdy.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Doug Haddow – Writer/ Designer ( pblks.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Pamela Masik – Artist ( masik.ca ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Bing Thom – Architect ( bingthomarchitects.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Stephanie Corker Irwin – Founder of Bliss at NoMoSolo ( nomosolo.com ) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Vanessa Leigh – Publisher/ Fashion Director ( ionmagazine.ca )speaks at Pecha Kucha.

Marc Baumgartner – VP Product/ Design Director ( nowpublic.com) speaks at Pecha Kucha.

After the event was over I spoke with a couple of people to get their feedback on the event. I had two very different but interesting conversations Denise Liu and Mathew Arthur on the impact of Pecha Kucha on the Vancouver cultural scene.

Denise Liu ( a former Pecha Kucha presenter )

Mathew Arthur

Bankground on Pecha Kucha

Pecha Kucha is a global event that’s grown to over 299 cities around the world since it started in Japan in 2003. Jane and Steven Cox from Cause & Affect with help from Becki Chan Begovic from Milbec are the local Organizers of the Pecha Kucha Night. The Vancouver event has grown very quickly since Cause & Effect organized the first event in 2008 . Two hundred people showed up at each of the first two shows, then 500 people came out for each of the next seven shows at the Park Theatre. On April 0810, Pecha Kucha sold out the Vogue Theatre with 1050 people. Vancouver has one of the largest events and reaches a broader audience because the Presenters represent the best and most creative from a broad range of fields.

According to Steven Coe “Pecha Kucha brings together Vancouver’s culturally minded to enjoy an hour and a half of inspiration, viewpoints and ideas on creativity, culture and design by our City’s own cultural makers. Our goal is two-fold 1) for Pecha Kucha to be the “glue” that connects our diverse cultural instigators and 2) to raise the profile of our city’s cultural identity to mainstream audiences.”

The basic concept is: the presenter picks their own topic (anything that gets you going and is meaningful to you) and is allowed 20 images, each to be shown for 20 seconds. There will be 12 presenters per night.

Pecha Kucha 10 Presenters:

Jay Balmer – Experience Director at ( bigpark.com )

Isabelle Dunlop – Fashion Designer/Singer (combinethevictorious.com )

Dave Olson – Story Maker/Writer/ Producer ( uncleweed.net )

Dani Vachon – Director ( oliofestival.com )

Gair Williamson – Architect ( gwarchitects.ca )

Martha Sturdy – Artist/ Designer ( marthasturdy.com )

Doug Haddow – Writer/ Designer ( pblks.com )

Bing Thom – Architect ( bingthomarchitects.com )

Stephanie Corker Irwin – Founder of Bliss at NoMoSolo ( nomosolo.com )

Vanessa Leigh – Publisher/ Fashion Director ( ionmagazine.ca )

Marc Baumgartner – VP Product/ Design Director ( nowpublic.com)

Pamela Masik – Artist ( masik.ca )

Presenter list: Jay Balmer, Isabelle Dunlop, Dave Olson, Dani Vachon, Gair Williamson, Martha Sturdy, Doug Haddow, Bing Thom, Stephanie Corker Irwin, Vanessa Leigh, Marc Baumgartner, Pamela Masik

Click on the link below for more info. and past presenters:

site: Pecha Kucha Vancouver

Pecha Kucha Vancouver Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?v=info&gid=9698446098

The Flash slide show of my photos on flickr.com/pixelate

Popularity: 6% [?]

Twitter/Art+SocialMedia Show at Diane Farris Gallery

The exhibition was developed from an original idea by Mia Johnson, who has been the webmaster of the Diane Farris Gallery website since 2004. She created the Twitter exhibit blog, designed the submission forms to enable artists to apply online and has been technical advisor to the exhibition. Her work can be found at kitsmedia.ca

I spoke with Lili Vieira de Carvalho and Stacey White about the purpose and background of the show. Both Lili and Stacey described how the artist’s life changes from art student to professional artist. In art school, the artist works in a shared space and gets feedback and support from other artists. Once the artists leaves art school, artists can become isolated. Lili sees social media as being the support group and way of finding your tribe. Artists can come together with social media and share, network, and organize shows. It’s becoming the new platform for work.

Lili Vieira de Carvalho curator or the Twitter/Art+Social Media show.

For the first time in Diane Farris gallery’s history, the show was an open call for artists. Over 200 submissions were received with 80-100 pieces by in the show. The artworks were selected by a multidisciplinary committee from submissions to the gallery’s open call during February. The selection committee was composed of 43 Artists. Lili Vieira de Carvalho, curator of the show and Associate Director at Diane Farris Gallery; Kris Krug, photographer and web strategist; Dr. Maria Lantin, Director of the Intersections Digital Studios (IDS) research centre at the Emily Carr University of Art + Design; and Hank Bull, the Executive Director at Centre A.
There were size constraints such as the work had to be no bigger than 24×24 inches and selling for no more than a thousand dollars. The process to choose artists for the show were based on a 150 word artist’s statement and their work. The traditional importance of the artist’s bio or previous art experience wasn’t part of the selection criteria.

Lili said that the gallery was trying something new, instead of following their usual template for selection process. The open call approach meant less control over choices by the gallery but also created opportunities for unsigned or unknown artists to show in an established Vancouver gallery.

The Diane Farris gallery hopes that other art venues pick up on the idea. The gallery will wait until after the “Twitter/Art+Social Media” show before they start thinking about what they’ll do next or if they’ll have another similar show.

I had a chance to interview a few of the artists presenting at the gallery on opening night.

Debra Stringfellow calls herself a “photo conceptual artist” and is currently attending Emily Carr. More photographic work by Debra can be found at debrastringfellow.com.

Debra Stringfellow found a series of police sketches of criminals which she found online. The sketches were placed together in a checkerboard pattern. According to Debra, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter as “playgrounds for criminals”. She elaborated to say that people’s identity’s were being stolen and people were being stalked online without the victim’s even knowing the criminal beyond the computer screen. She told me the piece was created to put a face to the criminals on both a figurative and literal level.

Glenna Evans is a third year student in General Fine Arts at Emily Carr. Her creative work can be found at glennaevans.ca.

Hung side by side was a photograph of a young girl by Polly Nomial and an oil painting by Glenna based on the photo by Polly. Glenna told me that her artist’s statement was actually the conversation between her and Polly on artist’s right. The painting had originally been done for a painting class at Emily Carr. Polly found out that the painting was based on her photo and asked that she be credited. According to Glenna, it’s very common for photo realist artists to use photographs without crediting the photographers in their final art work. The debate on artist’s ownership and rights was turned into ongoing dialogue with the gallery goers by showing both photo and painting at the Diane Farris gallery.

Robyn Drage is an artist, illustrator, web and graphic designer. Her work can be found at robyndrage.com.

The piece presented by Robyn was called “Feels like Home” and based on her Narrative Series. She describes the Narrative Project as collective storytelling, which builds a narrative with many different voices. To determine what she’s going to create, Robyn collects stories through her blog, email, facebook, and meeting people. The work is a mix of drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and installation. Her inspiration for the “Feels like Home” piece was from two different people who suggested that “home is where I take my pants off”. From having a BA in Creative Writing, it makes sense that she finds hearing other people’s stories interesting. As Robyn mentions on her website “social media + collaboration + traditional art practices = one interesting story “

Zoe Pawlak is a painter. Her paintings can be found at zoepawlak.com.

I could describe Zoe Pawlak’s colorful painting with it’s abstraction from nature in reds, oranges, and blues, but honestly it’s her personal story that most intrigued me. Zoe says that “I’m interested in business as much as I am painting”. Business is creative, according to Zoe. Social media is the means by which she conducts herself in business and as an artist. She spends fifteen minutes a day submitting her art work to interior designers online, writing on blogs, and keeping up her social presence. Zoe has carved out a niche and creates custom pieces for homes.
She originally had one of her pieces featured on Designspong.com. The feature led to twenty of her paintings being sold in three days. She was then taken down to San Fransisco to work with Interior Designer Cloe Warner. Zoe and Close where photographed for a Martha Stewart piece. While the article wasn’t published, Zoe made use of the photos to promote and pitch her work. As Zoe describes it, she reuses all the social media content including the Diane Farris gallery coverage and (eventually) this article. She proudly mentioned that she supports her family, as her husband is a stay-at-home dad who takes care of their two children.

Peter Combe lives and works in San Fransisco. His work can be found online at http://stylembe.wordpress.com.

Peter Combe showed several digital collage pieces, were created on a Mac and uploaded to HP Digital Screens ( like a digital photo frame ).
The Twitter/Art+Social Media show does well at telling stories through the art and/or the artist. I’d suggest that these days, art and artist are just extensions of each other.
During the show the Diane Farris gallery is going to have several fun events.

NOTE: Registrations for the workshop on the 13th and panel on the 17th are being taken through
email facebook@dianefarrisgallery.com or phone 604-737-2629. Draw by Night is taken registrations by RSVP on their event page on facebook http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105654146142191&ref=mf

On April 13th, the gallery is hosting “Social Media for Visual Artists” for 35 people. The workshop will be run by Rebecca Coleman and Kris Krug. The event is FREE and the works created during the night will be shown on the Gallery walls for the rest of the “Twitter/Art+Social Media” show.

On April 17th, the selection committee (of Lili Vieira de Carvalho , Kris Krug, Dr. Maria Lantin, Hank Bull ) with be hosting a panel discussion on “Art & Social Media”.

On April 27th, the Gallery will have a drawing party. The event will include 10 artists and 25 RSVP requests. The 35 people workshop will be private to provide a comfortable environment for creating at the Gallery. The event will be FREE.

Morgan Black and Rachel Ellenord were at the Gallery opening to support Zoe Pawlak.

I spoke with Morgan and he commented that while he appreciated the opportunity the gallery was giving artists, he wished the pieces had been more separated in the space. He pointed out that the artist’s pieces were placed together in groupings, but the labels weren’t placed next to each piece making it confusing to determine who had created which art piece. Morgan is also an artist who lived in Portland. He thinks that people will pick and choose what they like. The beauty of art is an excuse to bring people together says Morgan. Ultimately he believes that the relationships we have are more important than the show.

Bill Scherk, Paulo OConnor, and Bernd Mueller attended the show.

Bill has been coming since when the Diane Farris gallery was in Gastown. He considered the gallery the best Independent gallery in town. Bernd is from Munich Germany and is curious about the Canadian art scene. He thinks that the artists in Canada are not that different from German artists. He believes that people take their inspiration from all the world these days.

Kathy Zhang, Sean Mills, and Jeremy Green.

They were at the show to support Glenna Evens. Jeremy Green told me that they are all Emily Carr students and artists. They would submit work if the Diane Farris gallery were to have another open call show. They see it as good practise in writing up an artist’s statement and a good experience for new artists.

Diane Farris gallery staff ( Katherine Ferns – gallery assistant, Stacey White – Associate Director; Alison Sagar – assistant to the Curator (intern), Lili Vieira de Carvalho – Associate Director / show Curator, Christopher Fadden – Art Preparator)

A full list of all 43 Artists showing at the Twitter/Art+Social Media show.

Alex Firmani, Vancouver, BC
Andrew Buszchak, Edmonton, AB
Artie Vierkant, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Baschz & Selfcontrolfreak, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
Brian Piana, Houston, TX, USA
Colin Moore, Vancouver, BC
David Niddrie, Vancouver, BC
Deanne Achong, Vancouver, BC
Debra Stringfellow, Bowen Island, BC
Glenna Evans, Vancouver, BC
Heather Saunders, Bronx, NY USA
Helen Eady, Vancouver, BC
Janet Wang, North Vancouver, BC
Karine Guyon, Vancouver, BC
Kelly Schovanek, Canmore, AB
Kristofir Dean, Vancouver, BC
Laara Williamsen, South Surrey, BC
Léola Le Blanc, Dartmouth, NS
Lilac Lang, Vancouver, BC
Liza Eurich, Surrey, BC
Liza Lee, Vancouver, BC
Maurice Li, Vancouver, BC
Megan Smith, Leeds, UK
Melanie Cossey, Port Moody, BC
Michael Alstad, Toronto, ON
Myron Campbell, Vancouver, BC
Peter Combe, San Francisco, CA, USA
Rachael Ashe, Vancouver, BC
Robi Smith, Vancouver, BC
Robyn Drage, Vancouver, BC
Rosamond Norbury, Vancouver, BC
Ross den Otter, Vancouver, BC
Rukmunal Hakim, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
Sandra Dawson, North Vancouver, BC
Sandrine Pelissier, North Vancouver, BC
Sarah Mulder, Vancouver, BC
Sarah Pinder, Toronto, ON
Shari-Anne Gibson, Vancouver, BC
Sol Sallee, Vancouver, BC
Sona Safaei, Toronto, ON
Sylvana D’Angelo, Vancouver, BC
Viven Chiu, Richmond, BC
Zoe Pawlak, Vancouver, BC

Popularity: 2% [?]

Crazy 8s Gala inspires with six amazing short films by Vancouver filmmakers

Saturday night I went to the Vogue Theatre for the Crazy8s Gala that supports local filmmakers. Friends in the film industry, like Robyn Wiener from Women in Film, suggested I come out and I’m glad I did because the evening was a great success. It took me Sunday to recover from a great night full of meeting many creative and inspiring people and watching six amazing short films.

Actor Viv Leacock

I could sense the buzz and excitement the minute I arrived outside the Vogue on Granville Street. There was a long line up waiting to get inside and from the talking and the look on people’s faces, I knew it was going to be a good night.

As I was waited for my tickets to get into the Gala, I decided to randomly approach people outside the venue for their comments on coming to the event.

A young well-dressed man was standing near the entrance so I asked why he came to Crazy8s. Viv Leacock happened happened to be the actor who plays the cat Waffles in Cat vs. Man. Viv was very approachable and friendly as I asked him questions. He told me that this was his third time at Crazy8s. He was approached to audition for roles of Waffles. It was his first time working with Director Zia Marashi. It turns out that Cat vs. Man was one of my favourite films.

Two women near the entrance were waiting patiently, so I approached them. It turns out they had missed getting tickets and were hoping to get into the sold out show. I spoke with Eden Philip who runs an acting studio for kids and teens called Active One Studios. This was Eden’s second year at the event, what keeps her coming back is the high quality of films and the chance to support local films. Eden was approached by Director Catrin Bowen about contributing a film as part of the “Triple Dog Dare” initiative to get more women involved in the event. Eden also looks for actors to teach acting at her studio, which shows a side economic benefit of putting together showcases like Crazy8s.

I entered the Vogue Theatre lobby and felt like I was back in the 40s at a Saturday matinee show. The beauty of the theatre and the excitement of the theatre goers, reminded me of why I used to go to theatres. In the lobby in the middle of the crowd, I spoke with Jaia ‘Quarian who described himself as an “every media artist.” Jaia told me he was attending the event to learn more from other artists on how to tell stories emotionally and how to learn more about pitching and filming techniques. Based on the way that Crazy8s supports new filmmakers with workshops for producers and directors, I can imagine seeing Jaia in the event in the near future.

Acting studio owner Eden Philip and friend

I spotted a young woman with a camera, so I asked her if she was covering the event. Ashley Fester is an actress who was taking photos of the event for Christopher Shyer. Ashley was sporting a 1920s style blonde bob haircut, so it was no surprise when she mentioned that she was producing Christopher Shyer’s directorial debut in the 20s Broadway Musical “the Wild Party” in May at the Anza club. It’s clear that many people at Crazy8s were taking full advantage of the opportunity to try something new, even when you’re an established actor or a professional in the film industry. Christopher Shyer is an established actor who is currently on TV show “V” for ABC, but for Crazy8s he was the producer of one of the final six films “Stupid Chainsaw Tricks.” Director Kellie Anne Benz brought Christopher in to produce the film, having work together on “Awkward”, which was presented at the 2008 Vancouver International Film Festival. He was excited about exploring film from the other side and to participate in the workshops that Crazy 8s provided for producers. Christopher Shyer appreciated that Crazy 8s gives first time directors a chance and supports young filmmakers.

Actor and Producer Ashley Fester and Actor, Producer, and Director Christopher Shyer

The light dimmed off and on, so everyone in the lobby rushed into the movie theatre. I found my way down to the front row and sat next to Frank Roberts who is a local photographer who was capturing official images for the Crazy8s.

On stage to start off the evening was host Fred Ewanuick, who captured the playful energy of the night and interacted well with the boisterous and enthusiastic audience. He made a few mistakes in his announcements, but quickly made it part of his charm in warming up the audience. It seemed appropriate for an event that was less about slick production and more about the people who love film.

Eric Paulsson and Marc Stephenson, producers of Crazy8s spoke briefly after host Fred Ewanuick had everyone in the mood to watch films. Eric and Marc explained that the Crazy8s Gala is the culmination of an eight day filmmaking event. Over 110 submissions started with a video pitch. It was noted that the “Triple Dog dare” initiative to encourage more women filmmakers to pitch their films was a success as four of the six final films were directed by women.

Audience inside Vogue theatre

The movies were preceded by a behind-the-scenes clip about the Crazy8s process from pitch to production. Each time the crew from one of the short films was shown on the screen, you could hear cheers and hollers from friends, family, and supporters in the crowd. The short films hadn’t started yet and I was already getting caught up in the enthusiasm and excitement in the Vogue Theatre.

As someone mentioned early in the evening, there was no one winner at the Gala as all 6 finalists were winners. The producers of Crazy8s Erik Paulsson and Marc Stephenson were clearly onto something when they created the event 11 years ago, because it’s still vibrant and exciting today. I can see that everyone at the Gala was passionate about film, and supporting and growing local filmmakers.

Film: Cat vs Man. Writer/Director: Zia Marashi, and Producers: Cole Hewlett & Mark MacDonald. Synopsis: “When blocked writer Rory moves in with his girlfriend, he finds himself competing with her cat, Waffles, for her affections…and Waffles won’t give her up without a fight.”
This film was very funny, principally because of the comedic dynamics between “The film was very funny, in part because I think many in the audience including myself has experienced something similar in our own lives. The three actors made the film fun and playful and full of laughs. Anna Mae Routledge as the girlfriend was good in her part, but the short film was focused on relationship between Viv Leacock as Waffles the cat, and Richard de Klerk as the boyfriend. What made the film most funny was when the girlfriend’s cat turned into human form and Viv Leacock was able to use his comedic talents. There’s something very funny about humanizing and verbalizing all the neurotic tendancies of cat, which was conveyed with a playful touch by Writer/Director Zia Marashi.

Film: Tunnel (adapted from “The Tunnel” by Mark Strand) Writer/Director: Arianna C. McGregor, and Produces: David Jevons. Synopsis: “Esther’s world goes awry when she wakes to discover a dirt-covered and unresponsive man in pajamas on her front lawn, sending her into a downward spiral of fear and paranoia.”
This playful film made everyone laugh while communicating an important message, you can’t always convey. The film tells a simple story with the humour that a child can understand. I know this because the young boy sitting next to me at the theatre kept laughing. The film tells of how paranoia about people and judging people can lead to insanity. The humour of the film is that the man on her lawn doesn’t move or say anything, yet Esther lets her paranoia get the best of her to the point that she digged a tunnel under her condo to escape.

Film: Sikat Writer/Director: Angelina L. Cantada, Producer: Ita Kane-Wilson & Olesia Shewchuk Synopsis: “It’s been many years since Sikat left the Philippines to come to Canada to care for other women’s children. Now the day has finally arrived for her own son and husband to rejoin her.”
This touching story highlights the lives of many immigrants who come to Canada, while leaving their families behind in their home countries. Kira Clavell as the nanny was moving in a subtle yet powerful performance. I was reminded in the end of how everyone has a story worth telling and hearing. It’s clear that everyone involved felt strongly about the message, and presented it with grace and emotional beauty.

Film: The Education of Wendy Wisconsin Writer/Director: Dwight Hartnett, and Producer: Patrick Sayer Synopsis: “Wendy, a high school student, can’t seem to figure out why life is so easy. Too easy…it takes a surprise visit to educate Wendy that although boring, her life is part of a much bigger, important picture.”

The film plays on the stereotypes of teenagers and the media perpetuation of the ideas to make money. Mixing funny dialogue and well crafted songs in the style of TV shows like Glee, the film does a great job of making us laugh at ourselves as a consumer society.
Wendy Wisconsin is an actress who wants to be an artist and not “prostitute [her] art”. The TV show’s producer says that “you model teenage behaviour and we use you to sell stuff.”

The song’s lyrics and music were well done, with the lyrics satirical humour being well sung by the film’s cast. I was very impressed at the quality of the songs, considering having only an eight day time line to complete the work.

Film: Stupid Chainsaw Tricks Director: Kellie Ann Benz, Writer: Kris Elgstrand, and Producer: Christopher Shyer Synopsis: “Facing yet another disappointing birthday, Karl inspires his friend Ted, to realize the possibility of immortality through chainsaws.”
This film was full of life and energy.

Film: Sad Bear Director: Liz Cairns, Writer: Joe Lo Bianco, Producer: Erica Landrock Synopsis: “Sad Bear travels the world taking away people’s saddest belongings, until he meets Steve, who is not willing to part with his saddest object, a pair of crocodile leather shoes.”
This movie had the tone of a children’s story, based on a simple yet poignant idea that the Sad Bear character can take away our sadness by taking our saddest belongings. The film was minimalist in approach as the Sad Bear didn’t speak but simply followed the main character Steve around waiting for him to give up his saddest belongings. It was a sweet story that presented a beautiful story idea in a new and thoughtful way.

Crazy8’s slogan is “tell a great story in ten minutes or less”, and every film shown was so well crafted and acted that you forgot the limited production time (8 days) and budget ($800) they had to put together the films.

DJ’s Timothy Wisdom and Michael Venus playing at 560 club on Seymour

After the Gala was over, the event carried over to the after-party at the grand opening of the new club 560 on Seymour. When I arrived on Seymour, there was a long line up down the block. Everyone seemed ready to let loose after the Crazy8s’ week long experience.
The club is located at the location of the old A&B Sound at 560 Seymour Street. After following a curvy hallway into the club, you notice the beautiful and big wooden dance floor and the creative lighting. I liked the second floor VIP room which has a glass railing that you can lean on and look down at the dancers on the main floor.

The club filled up fairly quickly, inspired by DJ’s Timothy Wisdom, DJ Mars, and from New York, DJ Honey Dijon.
In another room, there was a completely different feeling with a long table and sofas for people to hang out, talk, or just chill out from dancing. There was art work along the walls and funky colourful chandeliers on the ceilings. At the far end of the room was a bar and a huge art piece hanging behind the bar.
Overall the night was filled with great people, film, art, and music. What more could one ask for on a night in Vancouver?

Photo gallery: Crazy8s Gala and opening of 560 club

Theatre goers outside the Vogue theatre

Film producer Robyn Wiener and Jaia ‘Quarian artist in Vogue theatre lobby.

Crazy8s Event and Communications Co-ordinator Diana Wilson, and Vogue staff member Andrea Simmonds.

Actors Parm Soor, Parisa Kasaei, and Mireille Urumuri in Vogue theatre lobby.

Crazy8s Gala winners on stage at Vogue Theatre

Second room at 560 club.

Second Bar at 560 club on Seymour st.

Dance floor at 560 club on Seymour

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