Film Production at UBC

Alanis Obomsawin is a member of the Abenaki Nation, She began her career as a singer, writer and storyteller, but dove into filmmaking in 1967 with Christmas at Moose Factory.  Her early films include Incident at Restigouche (1984), a powerful depiction of the Quebec police raid of a Micmac reserve; Richard Cardinal: Cry from a Diary of a Métis Child (1986), the disturbing examination of an adolescent suicide; and No Address (1988), a look at Montreal’s homeless.  

Ms. Obomsawin is best known for her feature-length film on the 1990 Mohawk uprising in Kanehsatake and Oka: Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993), which won 18 international awards.

Most recently, Ms. Obomsawin directed the 2007 National Film Board of Canada documentary Gene Boy Came Home, about Vietnam War veteran Eugene "Gene Boy" Benedict, from her home community of Odanak.

“Alanis Obomsawin is the first lady of First Nations film,” - The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

WELCOME RECEPTION
We hope you will be able to join us on MONDAY, MARCH 5, from 5-7 pm
First Nations House of Learning, UBC.

MASTER CLASS IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING: 
TUESDAY MARCH 6, 2012 / 7 - 9pm 
Emily Carr University, Aboriginal Gathering Place, 1399 Johnston Street, Granville Island
This master class led by Alanis Obomsawin is open to the public. 
Hosted by Emily Carr University and the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC. Admission FREE!

FIRESIDE CHAT: 
WEDNESDAY MARCH 7, 2012 / 7:30 - 9pm
St. John’s College, UBC, 2111 Lower Mall Map: http://bit.ly/wT1LYt  
Engage in a casual conversation with award winning filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. 
Hosted by St. John’s College and the Department of Theatre and Film at UBC. Admission FREE!

IN CONVERSATION: International Women’s Day 
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012 / 12 noon - 1pm
Dorothy Somerset Studio Theatre, UBC, 6361 University Boulevard Map: http://bit.ly/czsV7h

Celebrate International Women’s Day with Alanis Obomsawin as she discusses her life-long career as a filmmaker, artist and activist. Hosted by UBC Department of Theatre and Film Admission. FREE! 
~ Bring your lunch!

DISCUSSION & FILM: Educational Possibilities of Film
FRIDAY MARCH 9, 2012 / 2 pm – 3 pm
Neville Scarfe Building Room 310, UBC Map: http://bit.ly/9dCVlE

Discuss the educational possibilities of film with one of our country’s foremost filmmakers Alanis Obomsawin and see her short documentary When All the Leaves Are Gone (2010). This film is a deeply moving story about the power of dreams for the only First Nations student in an all-white 1940s school, as she deals with Canadian history education,  bullies, and the contrast between her school and the loving reserve environment. With Dr. Jo-ann Archibald, and Elder Mary Charles. Light snack & refreshments provided. Event is free of charge, but please RSVP:  CCFI Graduate Program Assistant ccfi.educ@ubc.ca
Hosted by UBC Centre for Cross Faculty Inquiry in Education

Ms. Obomsawin is engaging in these lectures and appearances in her role as the UBC Film Production Program’s Phil Lind Multicultural Artist in Residence, part of the UBC Rogers Multicultural Film Production Project. For more information see www.film.ubc.ca. 

Media Contact: Deb Pickman 604.319.7656 publicity.theatre@ubc.ca

The history of the film’s creation begins with the company Kennedy co-founded, Astron-6. The group made a mark for itself with a series of award winning shorts and viral videos. Astron-6 films have regularly bent and changed genres within one story, making their trademark style hilarious, nightmarish and difficult to categorize. 

In 2010 Matt’s Winnipeg company of young filmmakers, Astron-6, were approached by  US distributor Troma Entertainment (The Toxic Avenger ), to turn their fake trailer for FATHER’S DAY into a feature film. Troma were big fans of Astron-6's work, having followed them for years. Kennedy completed the film while working on his MFA at in Film Production here at UBC. 

Under the leadership of producer Lloyd Kaufman Troma Entertainment has been creating independent films for over 40 years. Kaufman has worked on such films as Rocky, Saturday Night Fever, My Dinner with Andre, Final Countdown, and many more. In 1974 along with college friend Michael Herz He co-Founded Troma Entertainment, which is now the longest running independent film company in the world. Troma has put out such world famous titles as The Toxic Avenger, Tromeo & Juliet, Class of Nuke Em High and over 800 more. With no sign of slowing down Lloyd is working on the fifth instalment of the beloved Toxic Avenger series.

With a triumphant run in the festival circuit FATHER’S DAY earned many accolades. Their numerous awards at the Toronto After Dark Film Festival included Best Film, Best Hero, and Most Original Film. FATHER’S DAY follows a group of misfit vigilantes on their quest to hunt down the mysterious “Father’s Day Killer”. In celebration of the subsequent theatrical release of FATHER’S DAY we’re hosting a free screening of the Film with co-writer/directors Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney on hand for questions after the show.

"A gleefully tasteless quasi-grindhouse nasty that's funnier than most of the many such parodic cheesefests that have been created since, well, GRINDHOUSE!" - VARIETY

"This is real filmmaking - it entertains, it dazzles […] One of the Ten Best Films of 2011!" - DAILY FILM DOSE

FATHER'S DAY wins BEST FILM, MOST ORIGINAL FILM, BEST HERO, BEST KILLS, BEST TRAILER and BEST POSTER - Toronto After Dark Audience Awards, Nov. 5, 2011

"FATHER’S DAY is over the top, tasteless, senseless, and completely hilarious." - AIN'T IT COOL NEWS

The theatrical release begins with the New York premiere at Sunshine Cinema on the 10th of February, with the Los Angeles premiere to follow on the 24th of February at the Nuart Theatre. For a full listing of theatres see www.thefathersdaymovie.com.

FATHER’S DAY – Free screening
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6th @ 7:30 pm 
THE NORM THEATRE, UBC Student Union Building
6138 Student Union Boulevard V6T 1Z1 MAP: http://bit.ly/fHtZou
 Q&A with co-writer/directors, MFA Film Production student Matthew Kennedy and Conor Sweeney – All welcome!
Rating: “R”

See the Trailer on YouTube: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Fg_K08YIA 

The title track 'Father's Day Killer' is available on iTunes: 
http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-fathers-day-killer-single/id444245665

More at: www.thefathersdaymovie.com

UBC Film Program Students have launched the new VIMEO site "UBC Film Students Video Share" as a way to show the variety of work they produce in their film production courses.  Film students are producing media in many of their film courses, much of which does not end up on their reel or, at a formal exhibition yet it's very interesting creatively nonetheless.

Why Vimeo? With YouTube you're reaching a broader audience. YouTube is the number two search engine after Google, so the opportunity for someone to stumble upon your content is huge.

However, with Vimeo you have more control over the look and feel of any video you embed on your site  ­ including what is shown on the video (title, creator, etc.), the size/dimensions of the player, the color of any text, etc. Also, the quality of the video is much higher on Vimeo (free accounts can upload one HD video per month) and you're not limited to 10 minutes as you are on YouTube). All this and a "couch mode" for viewing? What's not to like?!

There's something for everyone here on our UBC Film Students Video Share - and the content keeps growing - so come over to Vimeo and add us as a contact.

UBC Film Students Video Share
http://vimeo.com/user9114851

This course explores connections between idea, meaning, and image as a basis to understanding the relationship of photography to cinematography. Image Concepts for Filmmakers starts with the book "Photography As Contemporary Art" by Charlotte Cotton, which divides contemporary photography into eight general overlapping categories.

Students produce images, on a weekly schedule in response to readings in the various categories. Student work will be conceptually based rather than aesthetically tied to photography's usual characteristics such as composition, lighting, the moment and technical manipulation. The images are informed by an idea that is generated before the shutter is released and the way the images look is secondary to what it makes the viewer think about.

Every week students will be posting their images in response to the concepts covered in the course - so watch this space:

Image Concepts for Filmmakers
~ Photography as an extension of thought
[Course code FIPR 235]

http://blogs.ubc.ca/fipr235w2012/2012/01/10/people-of-the-image-concept/

Ms. Tailfeathers created Bloodland during UBC Film Production’s first year of the Rogers Project, in a class with Rogers Multicultural Teaching Fellow Dwayne Beaver, in which students create films focusing on First Nations topics.

Interview with Elle-Maija Tailfeathers

Acclaimed actor and director Lorne Cardinal named as “Phil Lind Multicultural Artist in Residence”and filmmaker Dwayne Beaver appointed as“Rogers Multicultural Teaching Fellow” for the UBC Film Production Program.

 Read Press Release

Congratulations to Ian Holliday and Yuri Cabrera for their winning entry in the Wind Mobile "Best Conversation Ever" Competition. Their humorous plea and parody of of Memento, Inception and Batman won them  a conversation with Director Christopher Nolan.

This nationwide competition required entrants to submit video about someone they would like to talk to if they could have a conversation with anyone in the world.

All of the submitted videos were voted on by Facebook users to determine which 100 videos were the most popular. The 100 winners were judged by Wind, and the top 5 were selected. Ian's long time wish to talk to Christopher Nolan will now be fulfilled.

View the video they submitted: http://bestconversationever.ca
View CTV Article

The 2011 recipients of the Kodak Scholarship Program have been announced, and will be screened at this year’s UFVA conference in Boston, Mass. Kodak’s annual, international competition is designed to recognize superior filmmaking skills and creativity of the next generation. The 2011 student winners, as judged by renowned cinematographer Robbie Greenberg, ASC, hail from schools around the globe. 

“The quality of work being done by these students is outstanding,” says Greenberg. “The seriousness and poignancy of the subject matters the students explored was also impressive.”  http://motion.kodak.com

Film Production BFA, Laura Good, won a silver prize in the International Kodak competition for her 3rd year film, made in FIPR 333.  

Laura Good wrote and directed the short film While I Breathe based on a experience during a class trip in Xi'an China in 2009.

While I Breathe is the intimate story of two people affected by human trafficking, and how one chance hour together changes their respective lives forever. The film stars Christopher Shyer, Madison Desjarlais, and Crystal Balint, and is Good's first project as director.

The film was produced in part by a generous grant from the UBC Sexual Assault Support Centre, and by contributions from private donors.

While enrolled in UBC film production, Laura Good has produced a variety of short films, from the 2010 comedy "Oh Hey it's a Ghost" to the post-apocalyptic drama “Run Dry” for the 2011 Crazy 8s competition. She is currently producing an ambitious 3D short film by Rachel Talalay, and is employed as the producer’s assistant at Front Street Pictures in Vancouver.

Good has a Bachelor of Science in Aviation with a commercial pilot license.

Cinematographer/Producer: Theresa Konrad Editor/Producer: Edi Leung Associate Producers: Oliver Millar, Alice Deegan

www.whileibreathe.com

STUDENT PRODUCTION
Kathleen Jayme – Little Big Kid

FEATURE LENGTH DRAMA
Stephen Hegyes – Producer - Gunless

CINEMATOGRAPHY IN A SHORT DRAMA
Amy Belling – Madam Perrault’s Bluebeard

PICTURE EDITING IN A FEATURE FILM
Richard Martin - Transparency

DOCUMENTARY PROGRAM OR SERIES
Yves J. Ma, Sturla Gunnarsson, Janice Tufford – Producers – Force of Nature

BEST WEB SERIES
Maureen Bradley, Julia Dillon-Davis, Eliza Robertson, Daniel Hogg – Producers – Fisherman’s Wharf