Films at Fests

The One Take Super 8 Event began as a way for filmmakers to create new work without all the pressures an amateur filmmaker faces. Low-cost, in camera films, that are guaranteed an audience if they are finished. What’s more exciting is when after their premiere at a One Take Super 8 Event, these films go on to screen at other festivals – showcasing what is possible with a single reel of super 8 and a ‘little’ creativity.

The $100 Film Festival in Calgary, a stalwart of ensuring celluloid still gets projected, just announced this year’s line up with a great selection of OTS8 films in the program. After Mike Maryniuk’s best of fest super 8 film Fish Arms at the 2007 festival, maybe another winner will come from this year’s batch.

Bury the Baby - Stephane Oystryk
Spider Pig - Scott Stephens
Now She Sees Him - Kevin Bacon

These films had their premiere at WNDX’s One Take Super 8 Event in October 2007. Sol Nagler and Robert Pasternak are also past OTS8 participants who have films playing at the $100 dollar film fest.

While we’re on the topic of super 8 film screenings. Toronto was recently host to the inaugural ‘8fest’. Showcasing a diverse array of all things small gauge, Saturday night’s program ‘Bageroo’ focused on super 8 films by experimental filmmakers. A number of past One Take films found their place in the program, including:

10 Mega-Actions to Supermaximize your Happiness Potential - Brett Bell (Regina 2003)
listen and you will hear her cry - Roger Wilson (Ottawa 2007)
Hockey Night in Vanier - James Lumsden (Ottawa 2007)
Cooking with Cronos and Rhea - Ainsley Walton, Greta Grip, Sheilah MacKinnon (Ottawa 2007)
Land of living skies - Alex Rogalski (Regina 2006)

Cooking with Cronos and Rhea was actually a great example of the tenacious spirit of super 8 filmmakers. Unfortunately, the film didn’t work out the first time for Ainsley and her crew, so it didn’t get a premiere in Ottawa. But a good idea is too good to waste (especially when it only costs you one extra cartridge of Tri-X), so they re-shot and have a fantastic film to show for it!

Congrats to all the filmmakers who are showing your work at these festivals. If you’ve made a One Take film for a past event and have recent/upcoming screenings, let me know and I’ll post it here.