Hey there,
I just wanted to thank everyone for participating in The Vancouver Women in Film Festival!
Check back periodically for new updates, and more information about next years festival!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
French Cinema! Tres Manifique! L'Express du Pacifique!
This article has been translated from French to English, so, mind the grammar.
If you are one of the lucky who speak our other national language, click here for the french article!
Like every year for six years, the Women in Film Festival will honor women's 4 to 6 March the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver. French cinema will be present with three films in French.
Read more: Click here!
If you are one of the lucky who speak our other national language, click here for the french article!
Like every year for six years, the Women in Film Festival will honor women's 4 to 6 March the Vancity Theatre in Vancouver. French cinema will be present with three films in French.
Since 2004, the Women in Film Festival presents films made by women on women's issues. For the Women in Film & Television Vancouver (WIFTV) who created this festival, it is to showcase the film and women and give them professional recognition.
This nonprofit organization is part of the Women in Film & Television International has over 10,000 members worldwide. Its role is to promote the participation of women in key positions in the film industry and television. This sector is, in fact, still largely male.
"Women who work on movie sets are often relegated to positions of makeup, styling or catering. Those of them who are producers or writers have more difficulties to be employed than men and were also less likely to see their projects get funding, "says Roslyn Muir, Festival Director.
According to a study by Martha Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, director of research center on women in film and television from the University of San Diego, women represented only 16% of all directors, producers, scriptwriters and editors who worked on the 250 films that have the most money in the United States in 2009.
It is to help women climb the ladder in the area that WIFTV holds regular networking events, workshops and of course the festival, which attracts an average of 1,200 spectators. Give more visibility to directors allows them to advance their careers. For example, Katrin Bowen saw his short film selected by the festival a few years ago. Since then she has directed a feature film, Amazon Falls, it will present at the close of the festival Sunday, March 5.
45 short and feature films will be offered during the 3 days during the festival. They were chosen by a committee from among 150 films. To be eligible, films must have involved women on at least three of the following positions: director, lead actor, producer, screenwriter, editor and cinematographer.
This year the festival has focused on multiculturalism, including three short films francophones. Several indigenous films will also be presented on Sunday morning, one of them, The Cave, was selected at the last Sundance Festival. ■
Anne Emond, director Sophie Lavoie.This young filmmaker Quebec has already produced seven short films and is in post-production on his first feature film due out this year. If being a woman has not closed doors for now, Anne Emond is well aware that this may be more complicated in the future: "If I want to make movies bigger, perhaps it will be a problem in the minds of investors. She notes that women are still less present on the sets of commercials, television series and films with big budgets than on others. But she remains optimistic. "It will get better and better because there are more and more styles of women directors in Quebec and around the world, like Sofia Coppola or Mia Hansen-Love. "■Colette Balcaen, director of Mother Earth, shut up.In this short film, Colette Balcaen, who will attend the festival, talking about a subject dear to his heart: the environment. It shows the evolution of the land of his great-grandparents in Saskatchewan once rich and fertile, and now worn out and tired by oil wells which dot. The retired school teacher became an artist came to cinema by the art and the achievement of performances and installations that have often led to movies. Very surprised and happy that his first film to be selected at a festival, Colette Balcaen think this experience will lead him to further develop this aspect of its creation. ■
Caroline Monnet, director of Ikwe.Young Manitobans 25 years of Algonquin origin through his mother, Caroline Monnet presents 2 films at the festival Women in Film. Two short films that address the issue of indigenous people. Ikwe, which received the Jury Prize Contest Roots organized by Radio-Canada, is a conversation between Ikwe, a francophone, and the moon speaks Cree. Making sense despite differences in language, this dialogue will enable Ikwe to know where it comes from. Tashina said the isolation of a young Aboriginal come from northern Manitoba to Winnipeg to study. If Caroline Monnet feels no male dominance in the film industry as a brake, she recognizes that women of her generation owe to those who preceded them. "It's now easier for us than it was 10 or 20 years. [...] It's a passion, we will continue to do so even if it is ruled by men.
Just a little press!
Thank you to the Vancouver Sun and the Georgia Straight for keeping it awesome all the time!
Celeb Sightings!
Great news! Sara Canning, the star of Black Field, is flying to Vancouver attended our opening night screening. Sara is currently in Atlantashooting her hit CW television series The Vampire Diaries. But she came to hang out in Vancouver at our festival! How exciting is that!
Read more about her here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3048050/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Canning
Read more about her here:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3048050/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Canning
Spotlight Award Winners!
This year's Spotlight Award recipients include:
Woman of the Year
Producer Lynn Booth of Make Believe Media has worked extensively in documentary film and television, including shows such as The Whistleblower , Corporations in the Classroom , and The Devil You Know . She is being recognized for her commitment to hiring women in above-the-line positions, such as directors, writers, and editors.
Artistic Achievement Award
Katrin Bowen made her feature film directorial debut with Amazon Falls , about a fading B-movie actor (played by April Telek) who refuses to give up on her Hollywood dreams. Telek won the WIFTV Artistic Merit Award at last year's Vancouver International Film Festival.
WIFTV Artistic Innovation Award
Animator and filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming will receive this new award to recognize her body of work, which includes The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam , The French Guy , and her short film "I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors", which was selected as part of Canada's Top Ten 2010.
Wayne Black Service Award
This year's award goes to Dusty Kelly for her extensive volunteer work for numerous industry organization, including her work on the BCIFP Women's Initiative Steering Committee and her mentoring of new filmmakers.
Honourary Friend
Alexandra Raffle will be honoured for her commitment to hiring women in above-the-line positions on her new TV series Endgame and her twenty years of mentoring women in the industry.
Sharon Gibbon Lifetime Member Award
Deb Sears wins this award for volunteering as host of WIFTV's Networking Breakfast over numerous years.
Kodak Image Award
This year's cinematography award goes to Lindsay George for her work on over 14 projects in the past five years, including A Night For Dying Tigers .
PleaseAdjustYourSet.com Award
The winner of this new award, Rina Fraticelli, created a national association of female professionals called Women in View and spearheaded the international conference SexMoneyMedia held in Vancouver last October. She has also worked as executive producer of both the National Film Board's Pacific and Yukon Studio and Studio D.
Read more here:
http://www.straight.com/article-375992/vancouver/women-film-and-televisions-2010-spotlight-award-winners
Woman of the Year
Producer Lynn Booth of Make Believe Media has worked extensively in documentary film and television, including shows such as The Whistleblower , Corporations in the Classroom , and The Devil You Know . She is being recognized for her commitment to hiring women in above-the-line positions, such as directors, writers, and editors.
Artistic Achievement Award
Katrin Bowen made her feature film directorial debut with Amazon Falls , about a fading B-movie actor (played by April Telek) who refuses to give up on her Hollywood dreams. Telek won the WIFTV Artistic Merit Award at last year's Vancouver International Film Festival.
WIFTV Artistic Innovation Award
Animator and filmmaker Ann Marie Fleming will receive this new award to recognize her body of work, which includes The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam , The French Guy , and her short film "I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors", which was selected as part of Canada's Top Ten 2010.
Wayne Black Service Award
This year's award goes to Dusty Kelly for her extensive volunteer work for numerous industry organization, including her work on the BCIFP Women's Initiative Steering Committee and her mentoring of new filmmakers.
Honourary Friend
Alexandra Raffle will be honoured for her commitment to hiring women in above-the-line positions on her new TV series Endgame and her twenty years of mentoring women in the industry.
Sharon Gibbon Lifetime Member Award
Deb Sears wins this award for volunteering as host of WIFTV's Networking Breakfast over numerous years.
Kodak Image Award
This year's cinematography award goes to Lindsay George for her work on over 14 projects in the past five years, including A Night For Dying Tigers .
PleaseAdjustYourSet.com Award
The winner of this new award, Rina Fraticelli, created a national association of female professionals called Women in View and spearheaded the international conference SexMoneyMedia held in Vancouver last October. She has also worked as executive producer of both the National Film Board's Pacific and Yukon Studio and Studio D.
Read more here:
http://www.straight.com/article-375992/vancouver/women-film-and-televisions-2010-spotlight-award-winners
David Suzuki kicks off his acting career at the Women In Film Festival in Vancouver
Check out this sweet article in the Calgary Beacon!
David Suzuki, Canada’s venerable environmentalist, is passionately pursuing a surprising new venture. He is acting in a movie called TORA, a film about Japanese internment camps in B.C. during World War II. The 75-year-old signed up for his first acting role ever when filmmakers Wendy Ord and Glen Samuel approached him with their script.
The story follows a woman who inherits a lakeside property in BC’s interior and eventually discovers it was a Japanese Internment camp during WWII. Suzuki plays a guilt-ridden, grieving father still hoping to find out what happened to his 9-year-old daughter who disappeared from the camp in 1942. “Suzuki had always been our first choice for the role and he himself had been interned as a small boy,” Ord says. “So he had a connection to the story.”
During the war Canada interned over 22,000 people of Japanese descent, three-quarters of them Canadian Citizens, “just because we looked like the enemy” as Suzuki’s character says in the film. “It’s one of the darkest chapters in our history,” says Samuel. “There’s a scene or two that may cause some controversy but to David’s credit he didn’t back away.”
A year and a half in the making, the 30-minute film’s a feast for the eyes with stunning scenery and gorgeous cinematography. Produced by Mountain Lake Films and co-starring Kate Bateman, Kevan Ohtsji and Krista Shepard, TORA will simultaneously make its Canadian, Australian and US Festival premieres the first week in March with its world premiere at Women In Film Festival in Vancouver. View the trailer here:http://www.torathemovie.com/web/Trailer.html.
Read more here:
Ahorn TV! Leave them Laughing!
If you can read German, this article is for you!
http://ahorntv.com/archive/episoden-21-bis-30/episode-25-26-2-2011
Auf der Berlinale 2011 sprechen wir mit Alan Franey, Direktor des Vancouver International Film Festivals und mit Peter M. Boehm, Botschafter von Kanada in Deutschland. Wir trafen Filmregisseur Michael Verhoeven und seine Ehefrau, die Schauspielerin Senta Berger.
Frank Tönsmann, WDR Redakteur Film & Serie, berichtet über die neuen deutschen Filme auf der Berlinale.
Wir konzentrieren uns auf die internationale Organisation Women in Film and Television. In Berlin sprachen wir mit der stellvertretenden Vorstandsvorsitzenden Alexandra Georgi, die früher einmal in Vancouver gearbeitet hat. Auch Edith Forster und Kiki Binnberg, Vorstandsmitgliederinnnen des WIFT, schildern ihre Eindrücke. Zudem entdeckten wir den Münchner 3D-Spezialisten Michael Coldewey bei einem Gastvortrag.
In Vancouver findet vom 4.-8. März das Women in Film Festival statt. Katja De Bock sprach mit der deutschstämmigen Produzentin Montana Berg, deren Genie-nominierten Film „Leave them Laughing“ am 5. März im Vancity Theatre zu sehen sein wird.
http://ahorntv.com/archive/episoden-21-bis-30/episode-25-26-2-2011
Auf der Berlinale 2011 sprechen wir mit Alan Franey, Direktor des Vancouver International Film Festivals und mit Peter M. Boehm, Botschafter von Kanada in Deutschland. Wir trafen Filmregisseur Michael Verhoeven und seine Ehefrau, die Schauspielerin Senta Berger.
Frank Tönsmann, WDR Redakteur Film & Serie, berichtet über die neuen deutschen Filme auf der Berlinale.
Wir konzentrieren uns auf die internationale Organisation Women in Film and Television. In Berlin sprachen wir mit der stellvertretenden Vorstandsvorsitzenden Alexandra Georgi, die früher einmal in Vancouver gearbeitet hat. Auch Edith Forster und Kiki Binnberg, Vorstandsmitgliederinnnen des WIFT, schildern ihre Eindrücke. Zudem entdeckten wir den Münchner 3D-Spezialisten Michael Coldewey bei einem Gastvortrag.
In Vancouver findet vom 4.-8. März das Women in Film Festival statt. Katja De Bock sprach mit der deutschstämmigen Produzentin Montana Berg, deren Genie-nominierten Film „Leave them Laughing“ am 5. März im Vancity Theatre zu sehen sein wird.
A MoMa Moment! The Neighbor!
Telefilm and MoMA bring eighth Canadian Front to New York audiences Montréal, March 2, 2011 – The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, in association with Telefilm Canada, will present the eight annual Canadian Front showcase from March 16 to March 21, 2011. This year’s festival features films coming from a variety of regions in Canada and showcase a variety of genre.
“The 2011 edition of the Canadian Front is a great illustration of the richness and the diversity of Canadian cinema. Canada is presenting eight new films in six different genres coming from different regions of Canada”, said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm.
“This annual showcase has given Telefilm many terrific opportunities to promote Canadian cinema with American audiences and key industry players”, she added. “New York City is the heart of the independent filmmaking and media community in the United States, so MoMA’s continued interest in our movie-making is extremely rewarding.”
“Over the past eight years Canadian Front has introduced narrative, documentary and experimental filmmakers from most provinces north of the border to New Yorkers, bringing to the attention of a discriminating audience eager to spread the word about films it likes beyond The Museum of Modern Art, the works of artists that deserve to be better known in the U.S. The selection of these films may be as personal and idiosyncratic as the curator who makes it, but the organization, the spirit and the commitment to this national adventure is Telefilm Canada's, and its participation in this cultural event is both welcome and critical. Telefilm is an essential partner ,” said Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.
The Neighbor (Canada-USA, Director: Naghmeh Shirkhan; Production Companies: Mehr Studio, British Columbia, Close-Up Videos, British Columbia, Cinemaeidos, New York) In Vancouver’s Iranian immigrant community, an older woman befriends a young mother whose husband spends more time in Tehran than with his wife and young daughter in Canada. Despite its bare-bones narrative, the film is a rich exploration of foreignness, loneliness, and how women adapt to alien surroundings. Shirkhan, who immigrated to America from Iran at the age of five, transferred the setting of her film from the Iranian expatriate community of Los Angeles to that of Vancouver at the suggestion of the film’s producer, fellow émigré Amir Naderi. East Coast Premiere.
“The 2011 edition of the Canadian Front is a great illustration of the richness and the diversity of Canadian cinema. Canada is presenting eight new films in six different genres coming from different regions of Canada”, said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm.
“This annual showcase has given Telefilm many terrific opportunities to promote Canadian cinema with American audiences and key industry players”, she added. “New York City is the heart of the independent filmmaking and media community in the United States, so MoMA’s continued interest in our movie-making is extremely rewarding.”
“Over the past eight years Canadian Front has introduced narrative, documentary and experimental filmmakers from most provinces north of the border to New Yorkers, bringing to the attention of a discriminating audience eager to spread the word about films it likes beyond The Museum of Modern Art, the works of artists that deserve to be better known in the U.S. The selection of these films may be as personal and idiosyncratic as the curator who makes it, but the organization, the spirit and the commitment to this national adventure is Telefilm Canada's, and its participation in this cultural event is both welcome and critical. Telefilm is an essential partner ,” said Laurence Kardish, Senior Curator, Department of Film, The Museum of Modern Art.
The Neighbor (Canada-USA, Director: Naghmeh Shirkhan; Production Companies: Mehr Studio, British Columbia, Close-Up Videos, British Columbia, Cinemaeidos, New York) In Vancouver’s Iranian immigrant community, an older woman befriends a young mother whose husband spends more time in Tehran than with his wife and young daughter in Canada. Despite its bare-bones narrative, the film is a rich exploration of foreignness, loneliness, and how women adapt to alien surroundings. Shirkhan, who immigrated to America from Iran at the age of five, transferred the setting of her film from the Iranian expatriate community of Los Angeles to that of Vancouver at the suggestion of the film’s producer, fellow émigré Amir Naderi. East Coast Premiere.
I'm Back!
Hello friends and followers!
I am frightfully sorry! Three days before the festival I had a massive fail with my computer.
but I'm back!
and here are a million words to read about how awesome this years film festival truly was!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
It's Here! It's Finally Here!
STARTS TOMORROW!
Friday, March 4th to Sunday, March 6th.
Now is the time to pack up your desk, throw on your most comfortable movie-going clothes, and set up a tent outside the VanCity Theatres (take some helpful advice from fans of George Lucas). Tomorrow is the official opening of the 2011 Vancouver Women in Film Festival!
Join the conversation from 9:30AM - 5:30PM at the VanCity theatre. Tickets available at the door.
Some notable screenings include:
Genie-nominated Leave Them Laughing -- Saturday at 9:30PM.
TORA ft. David Suzuki in his first acting role -- Sunday at 1:00PM in the THE ONES WE LOVE | Narrative Short Films series.
Sisters in Arms -- Sunday at 6:00PM screening with A Window Looking In directed by Tara Hungerford.
Amazon Falls ft. Spotlight Award-winning Director Katrin Bowen -- Sunday at 8:00PM
For a complete listing of films, visit: http://www.womeninfilm.ca/Fest_Schedule.html
TORA ft. David Suzuki in his first acting role -- Sunday at 1:00PM in the THE ONES WE LOVE | Narrative Short Films series.
Sisters in Arms -- Sunday at 6:00PM screening with A Window Looking In directed by Tara Hungerford.
Amazon Falls ft. Spotlight Award-winning Director Katrin Bowen -- Sunday at 8:00PM
For a complete listing of films, visit: http://www.womeninfilm.ca/Fest_Schedule.html
Visit the website for more information!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Hungry for Connections?
Get ready for the greatest lunch date you will ever have!
As well as being an amazing outlet for great films, the Vancouver Women in Film Festival also hosts an excellent forum for meeting and mingling with all interested in the industry.
Saturday, March 5th | VIFC Atrium | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Free EntryConcession will be open for purchasing lunch items if you are hungry!
ARE YOU READY TO MAKE YOUR FIRST FEATURE FILM?A panel of directors and producers including Katrin Bowen, Tracy D. Smith, and Robyn Wiener will reveal their low budget filmmaking secrets and discuss the ultra low-budget feature film trend.
 | Katrin Bowen Director, AMAZON FALLSKatrin Bowen was born in England and moved to Linden, Alberta at the age of 5. From growing up in the Mennonite community of Linden, to acting in b-movie kickboxing films in Los Angeles, to writing and directing independent films in Vancouver, director Katrin Bowen has led a colourful life. Katrin just finished directing her first feature film AMAZON FALLS based on her b-movie experiences in Los Angeles. AMAZON FALLS premiered in 2010 at both TIFF and VIFF. Lead Actor April Telek was the winner of WIFTV's 2010 Artistic Merit Award. |
 | Tracy D. Smith Director, THE HOMESTEADTracy D. Smith's first short film SANDRA GETS DUMPED (2005 Crazy8s) won Leo Awards for Best Screenwriting and Best Female Performance. Her feature film debut, TAMING TAMMY, premiered at the 2007 Vancouver International Film Festival. Some of her other films include UNBEARABLE LOVE (2007 Montreal World Film Festival), THE BRUTE (2008 VIFF), NO MEANS NO (2008 Bloodshots Grand Prize Winner), and CURSE OF THE JADE FALCON (Winner of the 2008 VAFF Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon). |
 | Robyn Wiener Producer, Synergy CinemaA seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in the film and television industry, Robyn has worked in many aspects of production and holds over 40 professional credits to her name. As a Producer, Robyn has been producing and developing projects since 2002 and has been attached to several award winning short films and a Leo award winning music video. Most notably, Robyn recently Line Produced two indie feature films that include the ‘bromance’ comedy THE WINGMAN and the TIFF/VIFF 2010 selected feature film, AMAZON FALLS, as well as the presentation pilot KITS for CityTV. Her company, Synergy Cinema, currently has several projects in development. Robyn also teaches budgeting and scheduling part-time at VFS for the Entertainment & Business Management Program. |
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Pitchin' it!
Do you have a great idea that needs to be heard?
Friday, March 4th | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Women in Film Festival is not only an excellent venue for amazing shorts and excellent feature length films, but it also is an amazing opportunity for your voice to be heard!A pitch session is a one-on-one non-public session that is conducted in an open room in a "speed dating" style. You may book one-on-one 10 minute pitching sessions and pitch your project directly to these leading film industry professionals.2011 VWIFF Pitch Professionals
Bill Hurst
Stacey Landers
Caroline Coutts
Maureen Levitt
Tracey Friesen
Click for more information on:
Do you have a great idea that needs to be heard?
Friday, March 4th | 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Women in Film Festival is not only an excellent venue for amazing shorts and excellent feature length films, but it also is an amazing opportunity for your voice to be heard!
A pitch session is a one-on-one non-public session that is conducted in an open room in a "speed dating" style. You may book one-on-one 10 minute pitching sessions and pitch your project directly to these leading film industry professionals.
2011 VWIFF Pitch Professionals
Bill Hurst | Stacey Landers | Caroline Coutts | Maureen Levitt |
Tracey Friesen |
Click for more information on:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)