Regina Review and Montreal Poster

The picture you're seeing is for our Montreal One Take Super 8 Event. Beautiful design and screenprint by Marie Douce. The digital image doesn't do them justice, but look for them hanging up around the city. Marie will be designing the programs as well.

Things are moving along for the Montreal event. The lab received the films late last week, and they're ready for pick up very soon. Expectations are high for this line up, and I know the films won't disappoint.

Can't believe it's already been a week since we wrapped up Regina's super 8 success. Yet again we had a capacity crowd well before the 8pm start, with people waiting outside the theatre for an intermission, hoping for a seat to open up. The highlight of this year's event were so many live performances to go with the films. Krystal Lewis followed up on last year with Mad Libs 2, providing a live interactive narration that got the crowd involved with a cinematic version of the board game. Eric Hill added another dimension to his 'Reversomotion' film (playing the film from tail end first), with his keyboard and amp in an improvised performance.

Brett Bell took it to another level doing a live foley for his pure one take. Assisted by Terryll Loffler on tin flute, Brett used office garbage bins to creative effect to replicate the sound of walking up steps and using a slide. And to end the live performances of the night we had a OTS8 first with Dan Suchoboki and another performer dressed all in black doing an interpretive dance in front of the screen during his film. Looked great and added a completely new dimension to his animated film.
These soundtracks and performances always make the OTS8 a must see event, as the live aspect expands the cinematic experience.

berny hi. and Jemma Gilboy collaborated on a cinematic love letter that crossed the pond, shot in both Edinburgh, Scotland and Regina, SK. It creatively, succinctly and very romantically showed the small differences between the couple's lives in places thousands of miles apart. The French new wave touches were perfect.

The buzz film of the night had to be 'Big Jim' directed by Charlie Hill. I can't count how many questions I was asked about who made the film, what camera they used, how incredible the shots were planned out, and more. As the director informed me, it was a family affair, as Charlie's sons Eric and Ryan (who have participated in OTS8 for many years) helped fulfill their dad's vision of a pure documentary portrait that pays homage to the verite docs of the NFB's Unit B. I can't describe the film anywhere near as strongly as it conveys its images, but it focuses on a pallette jack driver (Big Jim) working at a Canada Post sorting facility warehouse. It was a perfect subject for the use of super 8, and the B/W stock captured the light perfectly in the fluorescent lit warehouse.

28 films. great work. and another Regina OTS8 in the books. Thanks to everyone for coming out, to the filmpool for their support, as well as our sponsors SaskFilm, SMPIA, Exclusive Film, RPL Theatre and the Saskatchewan Arts Board. We're transferring the films at the moment, and with any luck will have DVDs ready for sale before the end of 2009.