Media Arts Legacy Series | Premiere Screening Nov. 25
To view the five productions
Premiere Screening of Five Original Media Arts Productions,
in Conjunction with the “Celebrating Sense of Place” Urban Planning Conference.
(Charlottetown, Nov. 2nd, 2011) As part of Charlottetown’s 2011 Cultural Capital of Canada designation, the City of Charlottetown, Island Media Arts Cooperative (IMAC), Island Film Factory (IFF), and Interactive Media Alliance (IMA) invite the public to attend the premiere screening of five (5) original short films and interactive media works at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on November 25th.
In the spring, five local filmmakers and media artists were chosen by an independent jury from a pool of submissions to create pieces that incorporated, in an innovative and challenging way, the theme of Charlottetown’s Cultural Capital of Canada designation - Perspectives 2011, Celebrating Sense of Place.
“Immersing yourself in a good film has always been a great way to escape. When those films are produced locally, with local inspiration, the end result can become a very meaningful part of our culture” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “The film and interactive media industries are a vibrant and critical component of our community's artistic and economic fabric. It seemed essential to support new productions through our Cultural Capital of Canada designation, and I am looking forward to seeing our beautiful City, its unique landscapes and engaging human experiences, portrayed through film. The power of legacy of such pieces is immeasurable.”
In conjunction with the “Celebration Sense of Place” (Spirit of Community) Urban Planning Conference, also an initiative under the Cultural Capital of Canada programming, the following work by leadingIslandartists will be screened. These productions, completed over the summer and fall, demonstrate a diversity of approaches to the media arts, and an exceptional breadth of talent from our artists.
Jason Arsenault’s Exhibition Drive – a documentary film and interactive web piece following the nine-day countdown to the Gold Cup and Saucer race finale at Old Home Week. Jason’s film According to John Acorn won the award for best film at the first annual Island Media Arts Festival, and his documentary “The Crow Agenda,” with Jeremy Larter, has been recently screened to great acclaim.
Millefiore Clarkes’ In Between Spaces – an experimental video project engaging several artists in the exploration of the notion of communal gaze. Mille’s first full length documentary, Stalking Love, was screened at film festivals acrossNorth America. She has produced a number of experimental films, and her mini-doc ‘December inToronto’ found a wide audience on Vimeo. She is currently working on a web series documentary titled ‘The Telling’ and a short documentary through NFB on organic farming.
Jenna MacMillan’s Fine Tuning is a story about the move from rural to urban and how a city can inspire new beginnings at any age. She is a graduate of the Ryerson University Film Production program in Toronto. Jenna has been making films as a director, producer and writer with a special focus in exploring deep rooted human issues such as aging, family and personal strength. Her thesis film, Off Season was chosen for CBC's 2010 Short Film Faceoff. Her films Off Season and In a While were both shown in the 2010 Island Media Arts Festival and the 2010 Maximum Exposure film festival in Toronto. Jenna founded Club Red Productions in 2003 as a theatre company in Charlottetown and is thrilled to be making her professional film debut in a city that helped to shape her passion for storytelling. View the Trailer.
JoDee Samuelson’s A Brief History of Charlottetown from the last Ice Age to the present – an animated film, presented in both French and English versions, recounting important milestones in the development of what is now Charlottetown. JoDee is a multi-award winning artist whose animated films produced through the NFB, including The Bath, Mabel’s Saga, and Uncle Bob’s Hospital Visit have earned her a lasting international reputation.
Joseph Weale’s Landscapers – a narrative short about a group of landscapers in the downtown area, observing the city as a living organism that adapts and changes year by year. Joseph’s introduction to film making began with a super 8 workshop. Since then, with a signature hand held, super 8 look, he has created several short documentaries, and two short action/dramas: FlagWar, which won the award for best film at the first REEL Island film festival and more recently, HomeGuard.
The Premiere showing will take place on Friday, November 25, at 7:30pm, at the Confederation Centre of the Arts’ Homburg Theatre. The public is also invited to a pre-screening reception beginning at 6:00pm at theConfederationCentreArtGallery. Discussions with the artists will follow the screening.
"The cultural capital video grants were an amazing influx of monetary support into the media arts sector ofPEI” said Millefiore Clarkes. “The openness of the parameters of the program allowed for great creative freedom for the selected filmmakers. My project is a real experiment. It is the manifestation of an idea I've had for years, and it's really exciting to be able to work with so many other creative people from the community. In Between Spaces is essentially a 'collaborative documentary'. The project involved 12 videographers, a web designer, a composer/musician, and myself as Director/Editor."
"It was a challenge condensing the 150 year history ofCharlottetowninto three minutes, but I did it!" Said JoDee Samuelson about her animated piece.
Tickets, which are included in the registration fees for the conference, are also available individually (for those not attending the conference) at a cost of $6 for counter sales ($8 for telephone or online purchases) at the Confederation Centre of the Arts Box Office, corner Queen and Grafton. www.liveatthecentre.com; 1-800-565-0278 or 902-566-1267.
This initiative is made possible through funding by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the City ofCharlottetownand theProvinceofPrince Edward Islandthrough the Department of Tourism and Culture and Innovation PEI.
The City of Charlottetown, in partnership with the Island Media Arts Coop (IMAC), the Island Film Factory (IFF) and the Interactive Media Alliance (IMA), is pleased to announce the creation of five original short films and interactive media works.
“The City of Charlottetown is proud to support new Media Arts productions through its Cultural Capital of Canada designation for 2011” Mayor Clifford Lee said at a Press Conference earlier today. “We welcome this new, creative way of telling our story, with Charlottetown’s history and beauty as a backdrop to the exceptional work of talented Island artists.
“Prince Edward Islandis rich in talent and this program is a great opportunity to showcase some of our local artists,” said Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey. “Prince Edward Islandis a premier cultural destination in Canada. Our unique cultural activities not only enrich Islanders’ lives but attract many visitors to our province each year.”
“We have a very talented cultural arts community on the Island,” added Allan Campbell, Minister of Innovation and Advanced Learning. “The Province is happy to support initiatives that foster creative thinking and promote innovative ideas.”
Local filmmakers and media artists were invited to submit proposals that incorporated in an innovative and challenging way the theme of Charlottetown’s Cultural Capital of Canada designation – ‘Perspectives 2011, Celebrating Sense of Place.’ An independent jury was formed to select the five successful projects from this pool of applicants. Each production will be awarded $9,000, in addition to in-kind equipment and technical support from IMAC, IFF and IMA.
The following projects were selected by the jury:
- Jason Arsenault’s Exhibition Drive – a documentary film and interactive web piece following the nine-day countdown to the Gold Cup and Saucer race finale at Old Home Week;
- Millefiore Clarkes’ In Between Spaces – an experimental video project engaging several artists in the exploration of the notion of communal gaze;
- Jenna MacMillan’s Fine Tuning - a story that explores the move from rural to urban, the contrast of old and new and the prospects of new beginnings;
- JoDee Samuelson’s A Brief History of Charlottetown from the ast Ice Age to the resent – an animated film, presented in both French and English versions, recounting important milestones in the development of what is now Charlottetown;
- Joseph Weale’s Landscapers (working title) – a narrative short about a group of landscapers in the downtown area, observing the city as a living organism that adapts and changes year by year.
“We were incredibly pleased with the interest in this program. The scope and quality of applications was exceptional. It’s a real testament to the vibrant media arts and film community here on PEI,” said Lennie MacPherson, Executive Director of IMAC, and a member of the steering committee organizing this program. The committee also includes Mark Sandiford, president of IFF, Chris Sharpley, Chair of IMA, and Ann Carrière, Coordinator of the 2011 Cultural Capital of Canada designation for the City ofCharlottetown. “The projects that the jury selected are particularly inspired, from passionate and thoughtful Island creators. These works will become lasting documents of Charlottetown’s cultural identity” MacPherson added.
The pieces will be completed over the summer and shown at a special screening event in late autumn. They will then be hosted on the Charlottetown Cultural Capital of Canada website, and presented by the City of Charlottetown in galleries and on other forums as a legacy of the Cultural Capital of Canada year.
The initiative is made possible through funding by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the City of Charlottetown and the Province of Prince Edward Island through the Department of Tourism and Culture and Innovation PEI.
