Monday, October 26, 2009

Burnaby Arts Council to launch a film festival in 2010

One of several benefits I enjoy is the fact that I live and work in Burnaby, B.C., the community which, in July 2009, was designated "The best-managed city in Canada". Those kudos came from MACLEANS, the Canadian news magazine which also ranks our universities. (If interested, you can read "Canada's Best-Run Cities" here.) Even though our population density continues to climb, Burnaby also enjoys the distinction of having more jobs than it does residents. It is a fact that many of the major film studios and software design firms operate from Burnaby, but use Vancouver as their postal address. We often tip our hat to the "Vancouver" Brand, but must continue to forge our own identity.

One cultural event we have sorely lacked in Burnaby, is a festival which could showcase the talents of our emerging filmmakers, those who may not be ready to compete on a national level. Recognizing their need, one of the city's busiest cultural organizations - the Burnaby Arts Council (B.A.C.), has decided to sponsor a film festival which we will launch in April - May, 2010. The details... specific dates, application requirements, sponsor information and more, will be available soon.

DEER LAKE FILM FESTIVAL

I first met Brian Daniel, the B.A.C. President, two months ago. We swapped ideas, he sold me a membership, and before long he had me enlisted for a project he had been working on. It was easy to agree on the fact we must do more to encourage students and other emerging filmmakers. We will start small, but our goal is a festival for the younger talent in the Lower Mainland - high school, post secondary students and the newly graduated, who want exposure for their best film work to date.

I was given the green light to begin the planning and promotion, and my first act was to meet yesterday with Burnaby Mayor, Derek Corrigan and discuss the festival. He was very enthusiastic and it's encouraging to know that we can count on city to play a supportive role. I am seeking volunteers to assist with the processing the submissions, and a myriad of other tasks as they arise. We believe our festival will be a good fit for the James Cowan Theatre at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, which is neighbor to the B.A.C. offices in Deer Lake. Full details about submitting work will soon appear on the B.A.C. website and local filmmakers have plenty of lead time to participate.

In the meantime contact me at runagate@rocketmail.com

Derek Corrigan, Mayor of Burnaby, displays his copy of OAKALLA. The mayor had a long association with the prison, and he was interviewed for the documentary film. Filmmaker Ron Jack (right) is at work on a feature length treatment of the Oakalla story, which will include the best moments of interviews conducted with some of the nearly 300,000 inmates who passed through the prisons gate between 1912-1991. [Philip Jack photo]

Friday, October 16, 2009

IMMINENT CONTACT wraps at SFU Studio

"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." So said C.N. Parkinson decades ago, but having just observed something rather extraordinary, I can attest that in the world of student independent film making, the reverse is often equally true. "Work compresses to fit a madly optimistic shooting schedule."
From October 12 - 18, 2009 an enthusiastic film crew assembled at Simon Fraser University prepared to work their tails off. They were joined by a troupe of talented actors who collaborated on the production of IMMINENT CONTACT, a science fiction script written and directed by my son, Philip Jack.

Philip Jack directs IMMINENT CONTACT at the SFU studio. This view looks forward over the shoulder of an OMNI trooper at the flight crew of the drop-ship. [Cedric Yu photo]

My role in the project was logistical - the picking up and delivery of loads of building materials, props, costumes, and assorted consumables. I must admit that on the Monday I delivered the first load of wood frames and paint to the set at S.F.U. I was a tad dismayed. An abandoned set, comprising an entire apartment with bedrooms and furniture filled the studio from wall to wall, and it had to be cleared by the crew before IMMINENT CONTACT even had a floor to work on. And yet it WAS cleared quickly and efficiently so that construction could begin on the large drop-ship, a simple yet effective design which Philip had laboured over for months.
Student filmmaker Cedric Yu rigged an overhead camera to shoot a time-lapse film in HD, capturing the last stage of demolition and then two days of construction of the large drop-ship set. Yu's film makes for four minutes of fun viewing, and is posted on the IMMINENT CONTACT Facebook page, along with dozens of photos of the cast and the film crew.

The cast of the movie includes actors Kate Crutchlow and Sam Spear as drop-ship flight crew, with DENYC, Steven Stiller, Donovan Cerninara and Sebastian Bertoli as OMNI's.

Four OMNI troopers featured in the film IMMINENT CONTACT. They are Gunnery Sgt. Avery (Donovan Cerminara), Petty Officer Shepard (Sebastian Bertolli), Commander Grey (Steven Stiller), and Master C.P.O. Kurita (Denyc). [Cedric Yu photo]

OAKALLA to get its first screening. Yeah!
I got word today that my documentary short OAKALLA was selected for the Black Box Film Series which is running at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby. Oakalla will get its first screening on Monday, October 19th at 7 PM, and I am grateful for the opportunity as it contributes to the momentum for the feature length version THE GHOSTS OF OAKALLA, which I am currently researching and writing, and which needs to secure financial backing. The Black Box Film Series is run in partnership with the Film Circuit, a division of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). My ten minute DOC will precede the feature HEAVEN ON EARTH (2008) made by acclaimed director Deepa Mehta.

Post Screening thoughts: It was amazing to witness OAKALLA, which had been edited on a MAC, projected onto a full size theatre screen. Geraldine Parent gave the film a spirited introduction and I was gratified by the interest. I answered nearly a dozen questions from the audience before remembering to yield the floor to Mehta's feature film.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

The Ghosts of Oakalla and the Heroes of Kandahar

The Ghosts of Oakalla are alive and waiting to be caught on camera. When I began this project I understood its potential but I had no idea so much worthwhile material would emerge, or that I would have so many fascinating people step forward with great stories. There have been many consultations by phone, email or visit, and I have agreement with more than a dozen candidates for on camera interviews. All have agreed to wait until I have secured funding for producing the films. In the meantime I continue with the research and development of scripts. Almost everything that will appear on screen has never been seen by the general public. Where my initial film, OAKALLA, was largely historical in content, the feature will delve into issues which will make some uncomfortable. The content will often be hard hitting and it is clear that most of it will have to be vetted by a lawyer with a working knowledge of investigative journalism. Several ex-staff from Oakalla Prison have mentioned the "gag" provision of their employment contract.

OAKALLA : This is the DVD cover printed for distribution of a preview disc. Only a few copies are in circulation and a few were produced for legal deposit in B.C. and Ottawa. I have hope of a screening in November.

Many truly fascinating photographs and artifacts have turned up, and been offered for use in the production. I know they will amaze even those who worked inside Oakalla, because it's a graphic record which is simply not supposed to exist. But it does exist.

TF 3-09 KANDAHAR BOUND - One of the interests around the Jack household is following Canada's war in Afghanistan. Our daughter, Capt. Elizabeth Jack, left this week with the current rotation of troops which is designated TF 3-09. We are very proud of her and we fervently wish all of the brave men and women of the Task Force the best of luck and great success in their work.

To improvise or to modify? Student director Philip Jack has been spreading cash at TOYS R US, the HOME DEPOT and anywhere he can find bits and pieces needed to assemble props needed for his grad-film. (This one will get a longer barrel and target designator.) The script for his Science Fiction story IMMINENT CONTACT is tweaked, the film is cast, and his crew at Simon Fraser University shoot later this month.

A Film Festival for Burnaby - One of the realities of urban culture is that the cities which you and I call home and pay our taxes to, often take a back seat to some "big sister" - the big dot on the map which stands in for every municipality for miles around. Such is the case of Vancouver and the half-dozen cities which actually give it shape and purpose. The City of Burnaby enjoys the distinction of employing more people each working day than we count in our resident population. The many employers include several busy film studios and software design houses. What we have lacked are film festivals of our own, but a start-up festival is in the offing and I will have news to share with local filmmakers next week.