Three Film Festivals

In September and October of this year, my short film “Upsetting the Apple Cart: Building the Weaving Wagon” screened at three festivals stateside, all of which I was lucky enough to attend.

The first was the long running Portland Eco Film Festival (September 27-30 2018), which takes place each year at the beautiful Hollywood Theatre in Portland. Organized by the wonderful Dawn Smallman, it hosts four days of though-provoking films and related events in one of my favourite cities, bringing together filmmakers and environmentalists both local and from around the world.

After the festival, I had several days to visit various parts of Oregon, including Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Salem, and Crater Lake before arriving in Eugene.

Oregon Coast

Crater Lake, Oregon

The first annual Eugene Environmental Film Festival took place in several venues in the downtown area (October 5-7, 2018). Co-directors Michele Eggers Barison and Ana McAbee did a terrific job in welcoming filmmakers and putting together a varied and compelling lineup of films.

The last festival was the fantastic Friday Harbor Film Festival. Held in the town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington State (October 26-28, 2018), it is lovingly organized by residents Karen Palmer and Lynn Danaher, together with a host of local volunteers. Screenings over three days are held in five venues, with the entire community participating. Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society was presented with the Andrew V. McLaglen Lifetime Achievement Award.

Friday Harbor

At screening with Katharina Stieffenhofer, director of From Seed To Seed

 

Elements Film Festival

My short film, Upsetting the Apple Cart: Building the Weaving Wagon, will be screening as part of Elements Film Festival in Vancouver British Columbia on April 15, 2018.

“The Elements Film Festival features dozens of nature, wildlife and conservation themed films by filmmakers all over the world. April 14-15, 2018 at The TELUS World of Science on beautiful False Creek, Vancouver. All daytime programming is INCLUDED with Science World admission. TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 15 for evening programs and Festival Launch Party.”

https://www.elementsfilmfest.org

Upsetting the Apple Cart: Building the Weaving Wagon

Here is my latest collaboration with Sharon Kallis, Rebecca Graham, and EartHand Gleaners Society. This short film documents the planning, construction, and use of the Weaving Wagon, a bicycle powered cart that allows these two environmental artist to take their show on the road, without need of a car or truck.  Along the way, they work with bike engineer and Shift Delivery co-owner Geoff Hibbard and Alastair Heseltine, an expert willow weaver at his studio on Hornby Island. Part of a wave of local businesses that are employing pedal power, the Weaving Wagon also harkens back to an earlier time before the internal combustion engine, when a wide variety of hand made vehicles carried our goods and services.

Sharon surveys the nearly completed wagon.

Filming Rebecca during the weaving process. (Sharon Kallis photo)

Shooting an interview with Alastair Hesletine. (Sharon Kallis photo)

Soil to Sky

This is a short film I just completed for EartHand Gleaner’s Society.

Planet in Focus 17th Annual Environmental Film Festival

My Short film “The Urban Cloth Project” will be screening at the Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival in Toronto on October 22nd, 2016 at Innis Town Hall at the University of Toronto. It will precede the feature “Frightened – The Real Price of Shipping” by Denis Delestrac. I’m very happy to be attending the festival, which runs from October 18th to 23rd.

New Urbanism Film Festival

My short film “The Urban Cloth Project” will be screening at the New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday October 8th at 2:00pm in a program of shorts called “Growing Community”  at the ACME Theatre.

New Demo Reel

Here is my most recent Demo Reel:

All Bodies Dance Project: Trace

I recently completed another short teaser with the fantastic Vancouver-based dance company, All Bodies Dance Project, for their upcoming performance entitled “Trace”. It features choreography by Cherylann Buckman, Sarah Lapp and Harmanie Taylor, Diana McKenzie, and Adam Grant Warren and is directed by Naomi Brand. Performances May 18, 19, 20, 2016 at the Roundhouse Performance Centre in Vancouver.

Multiplié Dance Festival

I had the great fortune of having my short film, ALL BODIES DANCE: SEE AND BE SEEN, included in the Multiplié Dance Festival in Trondheim, Norway this year. With very generous support from DansiT, the organizing group, I was able to travel to beautiful Trondheim to attend the festival. This year, it was combined within the larger Minimalen Film Festival, a long running festival devoted to short form film-making.

I spent a week in Trondheim, watching an amazing selection of short films, exploring the stunning city, and spending time with my gracious hosts, Ingeborg Dugstad Sanders and Arnhild Staal Pettersen from DansiT. The two other members of the team, Eline Bjerkan and Tone Tronstad, were away during my visit.

I was able to attend and film a workshop, put on by DansiT, that involved two groups of dancers coming together with live musicians and a guest choreographer, Mia Habib, who took the all abilities participants through a range of activities and movements. I was moved by the incredible sense of enthusiasm and joy that she was able to bring into focus during the evening.

While in Trondheim I was interviewed by Anne Katherine Fallmyr, along with Ingeborg and Arnhild for the arts program Hovedscenen, for the Norwegian Broadcasting Company, NRK. With moments to spare in my tight timeline, I was able to shoot a short interview with Ingeborg that I hope to include in a longer version of ALL BODIES DANCE that I am working on.

I am very glad to have made the connection with DansiT, and learn about the activities they support in dance and film. I was particularly honoured to be included with such an incredible range of fantastic dance films in the program put together for the festival.

 

Stanley Park Ecology Society: Creative Upcycling Project

This film was commissioned by The Stanley Park Ecology Society to document the first part of their Creative Upcycling Project in Stanley Park, in Vancouver, Canada. Biologist Erica Forssman, shows volunteers how to remove invasive plants, such as Himalayan Blackberry and English Ivy from Blowdown sites, where sunlight has given these plants an advantage over native species. Environmental Artist, Sharon Kallis then helps to repurpose the removed material, that would otherwise be considered waste. With help from SPES Stewardship Coordinator, Sam Cousins, volunteers weave blackberry wattle fences and install ivy Bio-netting  to restore the eroded banks of North Creek, an environmentally sensitive site in the park.