Tuesday, May 31, 2011
On screens Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns now online
Pardis Parker's shorts available on YouTube
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, May 31, 2011 at 1:43 PM
Starring the inimitable John Dunsworth, check this out for a laugh.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Television Luke and Jock get rejected
Halifax comedy duo make a career out of reality TV
Posted by Carsten Knox on Mon, May 30, 2011 at 12:26 PM
Being in a musical comedy duo is tough work. Especially in this age of insta-fame via the internet and reality TV. Everyone and their pet are comedians online. But Halifax comedians Luke and Jock are making a liability into a career, by being rejected from big name reality TV shows.
Luke Conrad, 30 and Jonathan Hiltz, 28, are from Halifax and Chester respectively. They started to take their comedy on the road in 2007, but their niche only presented itself recently.
They first tried Canadian Idol, then American Idol and Dragons' Den. They started to notice a trend.
"We realized we were getting a lot of media attention from being ‘rejected’ by all these popular reality shows," explains Conrad. "In the past few months we have appeared on a new Food Network show Recipe to Riches and filmed on Dragons' Den for a second time, these shows will be airing in the fall."
Their freshest comedic failure/success will be televised Wednesday, June 1, as the duo appear on So You Think You Can Dance, an audition filmed in New York.
"They loved the song and are going to air it along with our audition clip," says Conrad. He admits that he and his partner can't dance at all."We really think we are doing something very unique and never done before."
Luke and Jock have recently been chosen to host a documentary series this summer and have also received funding and broadcast licences for their own reality show called Reality Rejects.
"We will have a camera crew following us around while we are rejected by some of the biggest shows on television while capturing our crazy antics," says Conrad.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Toronto International Film Festival Haligonian gets film into Toronto International Film Festival's Student Showcase
Margaret Donahoe's Fat to screen in Toronto
Posted by Carsten Knox on Thu, May 26, 2011 at 4:17 PM
If you're in Toronto Tuesday, May 24, here's an idea of something to see. The Eighth Annual Student Film Showcase from The Toronto International Film Festival is happening, highlighting work from university film programs across the country. One of the dozen entries this year is from Haligonian and Queens University grad Margaret Donahoe, a short film called Fat, which she co-directed (with Gillian Good) and produced.
Screenings take place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox located at Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto, ON. Call 416-599-8433 or 888-599-8433 for more information.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
On screens Common Grounds TV highlights Halifax coffee culture
Indie web series takes a look at our cafes
Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, May 25, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Airing right now at globalauthority.ca and on youtube is something called Common Grounds TV. British Columbia natives Nik Green and Edan Marshall, the series hosts and creators, take a look at coffee culture across Canada. Last fall they were here in Halifax, and shot some footage.
Green is former cafe owner in Grand Forks, and he and Marshall were interested in putting together a coffee guide for road-trips around BC. "But we thought, 'why not make this thing go all the way across Canada?' So we did," reports Marshall via email. "In there somewhere, Nik went to film school and I did my masters in architecture, and after almost seven years, we found out a way to make it mostly pay for itself: by asking Krups and a few key roasters/cafe's to help us out in exchange for advertising, we were able to cover most of the major expenses of fuel, food and accommodation, which really made the whole thing possible, seeing as neither of us is independently wealthy!"
And why Halifax for a starting point? "Halifax has tremendous history and is full of great buildings and beautiful sights; there also a lot of exceptional cafes in the area, from Two if by Sea in Dartmouth, to Uncommon Grounds back in Halifax."
To see more, click here, here and here.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Halifax production town
More Tom Selleck as Jesse Stone, and maybe Rob Lowe
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, May 24, 2011 at 2:09 PM
Well, it may not feel like summer, but the from-away productions choosing Nova Scotia to shoot in are gathering.
For starters, the eighth Jesse Stone CBS TV movie starring Tom Selleck and directed by Robert Harmon went to camera on Friday. It's called Benefit of the Doubt.
And a Stephen King adaptation Bag of Bones is in prep, a miniseries from Mick Garris, writer/director of the previous King TV adaptations The Shining, The Stand and Desperation. It's a Sony/Magic Rock production, and is rumoured to be starring the former brat-packer with a memoir on the New York Times bestseller list, Rob Lowe.
On screens Carbon Arc hosts CFAT and WIFT this week
Khyber screening series happening Thursday and Friday night
Posted by Carsten Knox on Tue, May 24, 2011 at 1:48 PM
The Centre for Art Tapes animated celebration Animation With Love: Home Sweet Home takes place this Thursday at 7pm at the Carbon Arc (1588 Barrington Street). It features local animation by a swath of talented folks, including Andrea Dorfman, Tara Wells, Eva Madden-Hagen, and Jess MacCormack.
And speaking of CFAT, we've learned that like AFCOOP they're bugging out of the CBC Radio Building at Sackville and Bell before the wrecking ball comes down. They're in the process of relocating to the Roy Building on Barrington Street.
On Friday at Carbon Arc, the monthly Reel Talk: Conversations with Women in Film and Television takes place, an event started by Women in Film and Television Atlantic.
This time the focus is on cinematographer Becky Parsons, in conversation with filmmaker Juanita Peters. Parson's work will be screened, including the award-winning short films Rhonda's Party and Wake. There'll also be a sneak preview of Parson's latest work, Ann Verrall's feature in production, Gibson Woods.
Monday, May 23, 2011
On screens Light Is The Day to screen
Laura Dawe's first feature to show at the AGNS
Posted by Carsten Knox on Mon, May 23, 2011 at 4:00 AM
As was mentioned recently in the Haliwood Insider, local filmmaker Laura Dawe is off to the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto this summer to study in the Director's Lab, one of only five people accepted per six-month session.
Before she goes, Dawe will screen her feature Light Is The Day, the first screening of the film since it premiered at the Atlantic Film Festival in September 2010.
Catch it on Thursday, May 26, 7pm at the Windsor Theatre in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. $5 will get you in and Dawe promises there'll be popcorn!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Youth Horror Movie Trailer Competition happening now
Get yer bloody corpses on film!
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, May 20, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Oh, Jason Eisener, what have you wrought?
Dartmouth cultural hotspot Alderney Landing, is putting the call out for entries to a Youth Horror Movie Trailer Competition.
If you're between the ages 14-25, put together a horror movie trailer, three minutes maximum running time, for a fictitious horror movie. Submissions must be received no later than July 29 at 4pm. Applications will be reviewed by a juried panel of local industry professionals and artists, selected by Alderney Landing.
Entries will be judged based on the following criteria: content originality (quality of storyline and script), production (camera work, lighting and composition), image (focus, colour and lighting), sound quality (clarity, consistency of audio levels) and post-production (editing, transitions, pacing, continuity and flow). Presumably the judges will recognize that the best horror movies have a liberal relationship with sound quality, image and editing!
Click here for an application.
Applicants should submit their trailer on DVD (in AVI or MPEG), to Kim Farmer, Alderney Landing Theatre PO BOX 725, 2 Ochterloney Street, Dartmouth, NS B2Y 3Z3
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
AFCOOP hosts an equipment flea market
A good deal for filmmaking materials this Saturday
Posted by Carsten Knox on Wed, May 18, 2011 at 11:16 AM
As the Haliwood Insider announced last week, Atlantic Filmmaker's Cooperative (afcoop.ca) is in the process of moving to new digs on Conwallis Street. As the move goes forward, they're selling off a bunch of stuff they'll no longer have room for in the new space. What that equipment might be exactly is still a bit of a mystery, but if you head on down to the CBC Radio Room, 1599 South Park Street, on Saturday, May 21 from 10am to 2pm, you'll find out.
Monday, May 16, 2011
On screens William Shatner sings O Canada
Local filmmaker Jacob Medjuck captures GG award winner
Posted by Carsten Knox on Mon, May 16, 2011 at 9:28 AM
We were wondering what Halifax's Jacob Medjuck, director of the Nova Scotia-shot comedy Summerhood, has been up to lately. Turns out he's been helping make William Shatner funny. Not that he needs the help.
Click here to see a short film Medjuck directed of Shatner performing our national anthem, to celebrate the once and forever Captain Kirk's Lifetime Achievement Award from the Governor General.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Shooting Walter Forsyth going to Banff
Former AFCOOP director and local filmmaker to attend world's largest media market
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, May 13, 2011 at 4:00 AM
Filmmaker Walter Forsyth has received a CTV Fellowship grant to attend the Banff World Media Festival from June 12-15.
Forsyth, director of After Frank and producer of Cubers, as well as a number of short films, has a bunch of new projects in the pipeline, including Leone Stars, a documentary about amputee soccer players. Check out this trailer assembled from footage taken in Sierra Leone.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
On screens ZedCrew to screen
Noah Pink's African-shot short film to show at Park Lane on Sunday
Posted by Carsten Knox on Thu, May 12, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Halifax director Noah Pink will introduce and answer questions about his short ZedCrew on Sunday, May 15, 7pm at Park Lane.
Pink has directed videos, shorts and documentaries. This dramatic short, shot in Zambia with a skeleton crew, is about three rappers who want to make it big and are prepared to go the United States to do it. Getting there is the problem.
ZedCrew showed at the Atlantic Film Festival in an early version and also screened at last year's Cannes Film Festival.
The screening on Sunday is $9, in support of the Shaar Shalom Synagogue.
Cheryl Hodder appointed Film Nova Scotia board of directors chair
McInnes Cooper partner without film production experience to take key position
Posted by Carsten Knox on Thu, May 12, 2011 at 12:24 PM
The Film Nova Scotia board of directors has a new chair.
Cheryl Hodder is a partner and Nova Scotia regional manager at law firm McInnes Cooper. She practises administrative law, education law, and corporate governance and serves on the nominating committee of the Nova Scotia Community College, is the program chair of the Atlantic Chapter of the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors and is the director and treasurer of Lex Mundi.
Other board members at Film Nova Scotia include Judy Steele, chartered accountant and VP finance for Emera, Susan Doss, a senior fellow at the University of King's College and Gordon Anderson, a member of the Chignecto Central Regional School Board.
While I'm sure these folks' academic and financial expertise is unimpeachable, I do have a question: Why it is a crown corporation overseeing public funds allotted to help support a lucrative creative industry with so many particulars unique to itself not have someone on its board with experience in the very business it oversees? Say, a producer or a bureaucrat who's worked on a set or in a film office once in their life?
This is a question that could be asked of the Film Nova Scotia staff, too. It's one that has often been posed to me, albeit rhetorically, in my experience talking to people who work in the film industry in Nova Scotia: Why does the government have people in charge of film funding who have no experience in local film production?
These questions I've been unable to answer. Any thoughts?
Friday, May 6, 2011
AFCOOP moves to north end Halifax
Cooperative to exit CBC Radio Building at month's end
Posted by Carsten Knox on Fri, May 6, 2011 at 3:46 PM
After 12 years upstairs in the CBC Radio Building on Sackville, the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative has found a new home. As of the beginning of June, you'll be able to find them at the Regal Building, 5663 Cornwallis Street, that once housed the Yoga Loft.
According to AFCOOP's "BIG Email," the non-profit will miss the hub of activity at the former location. To wit:
"The CBC has been a generous and supportive host and AFCOOP has benefited immensely from the space, resources and general friendliness of the CBC staff and the fellow tenants through the years including the Centre for Art Tapes, Atlantic Film Festival, St Cecilia Concert Series, FlashFire production company and the Linda Joy Media Arts Society. The building has been AFCOOP’s base camp, meeting place, the site of countless workshops, screenings, and even the occasional party. The movies that have been made there, the people who went to their first filmmaking workshop there, and the friendships and connections that have been forged there are too numerous to begin to mention."
The good news is AFCOOP's new exposed-brick digs are also home to other creative organizations, including the Co & Co Design collective.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Shooting Picnicface owns 2011
Picnicface member Scott Vrooman shares low down on comedy troupe's multiple projects
Posted by Carsten Knox on Thu, May 5, 2011 at 4:00 AM
We know Roller Town, the Picniface movie, shot last summer. We know the renowned Halifax comedy octet scored a deal with The Comedy Network for a sketch show. We know they were sad about Jokers closing. But what else is going on with them these days?
"We were in the writing room for a few months until mid-April" reports Scott Vrooman via email. "And since then we've been full time in revisions and pre-production." He says Picnicface will shoot the TV series for six weeks beginning on May 16. "Then most of us will be in Toronto July and August to work on post-production."
The TV show isn't the only thing on their plates at the moment. Vrooman says they will be in Montreal in July for the Just For Laughs comedy fest, plus they have a book coming out soon.
We also just finished the illustrations for our book, with lots of help from Mike Holmes and Yo Rodeo," says Vrooman. Picnicface's Canada is scheduled for release by Harper Collins mid-to-late October.
And as for Roller Town, Vrooman says post production editing continues, with no release date set. Let's keep our fingers crossed come festival time we get to see it then, if not before.
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