Syracuse REVIEW

Wow, what a night. Took a few days to recover from the sold out, packed house premiere of Syracuse's 3rd annual OTS8. There's something quite fun, underground and exciting about hopping in a car packed with reels of films and a super 8 projector and heading for the border to showcase new films (more on border crossing later on). Funk'n Waffles played the consummate host yet again, and things keep getting better every year. Great screen and sound set up, with a lot of live performances for the films.

All the films were strong examples of how diverse, creative and powerful super 8 can be.
Christina Kolozsvary's film perfect combination of tightly composed soundtrack that completely raised visuals to a new level, lighting was amazing for the ektachrome stock giving it an ethereal feel. Phil Loeb & Mike Canale brought down the house with the kung fu, zombie flick. (What's a one take without an homage), great live soundtrack too, you almost forget you're watching a film with all in camera edits, with no chance to change anything.

Ashley Ferris and crew raised the roof with a little audience participation, dancing with their film and fantastic MIA soundtrack. Too bad the audience was a little timid, cause we could have lit that place on fire! KVJB was the perfect follow up to end reel 2, with a 'surround' sound live audio and some improvised commentary, keeping the night and films light and fun. Syracuse has completely tuned into the spirit of super 8, and it's great to see it take hold.

I dont' think I've ever seen a super 8 yoga film before, but Kyle Corea made it a reality. great colour tones and composition. I don't think video would have captured it in the same way. something about the light that seemed to work with the salutations.

Challenging themselves to do a true 'one take' Keech, Rose & Kohlbrenner brought it on with lessons on Fish Food, in a tightly rehearsed team effort. This is all the more impressive considering how much time and effort they dedicated to organizing the event and make for a seamless evening of film. As an added bonus to the full house, Jason Kohlbrenner set up a live webcast, which was well received. We'll be attempting to post the link here for those who missed the show. There's also plans to digitize the films for open screenings in Syracuse throughout the summer.

The Elmo ST-600 worked splendidly for the screening. Bright images in small spaces are always great. super 8 seen large is a highlight for those who have never seen it projected before. Some karma was floating around, as after the screening, while rewinding the films a belt released, rendering the projector inoperable. Luckily, a quick inspection back in Canada revealed that the belt just slipped off the main motor. A quick and easy fix, saving a search for a new belt. It's a joy having electronics that one can actually fix. Those projectors will outlast any DVD/VCR/MP3 player in the universe. It was also a bit risky travelling cross border without a spare bulb (oops), but I think there's a few more hours left in this one.

I've mentioned it before, but driving cross border or flying with a super 8 projector has received more than a few inquriries/ strange stares. The range of knowledge about what the thing actually is varies, but regardless, it never passes through security or customs without a thorough swab/inspection. Coming back into Canada received the most informed customs agent I've ever ran into the inquisition went as follows.

Border Agent :citizenship?
Me : Canadian
BA: purpose of trip?
M: visit friends
BA: bring anything back?
M: nope.
BA: what's in the box?
M: a projector
BA: what are you doing with it?
M: showing home movies to friends
BA: 16 or 8mm?
M: (inside my head 'WTF? this guy's good') super 8
BA: oh, bell&howell, or elmo?
M: elmo.
BA: you have super 8 films?
M: uhuh.
BA: where'd you buy the projector?
M: in Montreal ( picked it up from used Camera store. paid a decent price for it, but the thing is mint)
BA: you should get a customs form for the projector next time you travel across the border
M: really?
BA: yeah, those things can be worth something on ebay.
M: (playing slightly naive). oh really, I didn't think anyone used them anymore.
BA: oh sure, if they're in good condition you sell it for a decent price.
M: good to know.
BA: have a good day.

Now, this border agent might be a bit more informed, as this was a crossing close to Rochester (home of Kodak), so it's not untirely unlikely that he would know things about small guage film. Regardless, points to him for actually knowing what he was talking about and not looking dumbfounded like most security at the airport when they do that strange cloth swab to check for explosive residue. I always find it weird that they think for some reason, if someone wanted to use explosives, they'd pack them into a 30 year old super 8 projector. Seems like a lot of hassle and not very discreet. in any case. travelling with projectors is always good for strange conversations, and a little bit of public service, letting the population know that we still exist. (I wonder if DJs get the same speculation when they travel with turntables?)

Nominations, Awards

A quick update on a few past One Take Super 8 Event films that are continuing a successful run at other festivals.

First off, Terry Mialkowsky and Shannon Jardine's film from the 2008 OTS8 in Regina 'Bill Seaton's Guide to Clean Filmmaking', has been nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award at the 2009 Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival in the comedy category. We'll be watching on May 23, to see them take home the wheat. This may mark the first time a super 8 film from OTS8 has been in direct competition with Rick Mercer.

Alex Larose's film Artifices #1 continues to screen around the world. It seem so long ago since we premiered it at the Pop Montreal OTS8 Event in 2007. He'll be screening in a special presentation of the Intenational Experimental Cinema Exposition's 'Masterpieces of New American Avant-Garde Film' at the Austrian Film Museum. This comes hot on the heals of Alex's win of best super 8 film at the $100 Film Festival in Calgary at the beginning of March. Congratulations! This is a good time to mention that there were a few OTS8 films that screened at the $100 film fest including Cake by Gerald Saul (OTS8 Regina 2007), With Care by Kevin Bacon (WNDX OTS8 2008).

And finally in this post, the wait is almost over, next week the 2008 OTS8 DVD from Regina is available for purchase! The complete colleciton of 30 films made for the November screening are now wondefully authored on a collector's DVD with individually screenprinted packaging (limited run). More details to follow.

Syracuse Line up 2009

Tis the Season. We start the 2009 OTS8 year with a return to Syracuse , NY for their 3rd annual One Take Super 8 Event.

18 new films premiered at the illustrious underground Funk 'n Waffles. April 4th 8pm.
$3 admission

With films by:

Ashley Ferris, Phil Loeb & Mike Canale, Scott Austin, Alexey, Mark Povinelli , Elizabeth Greene, Jonny Fong & Phil Radkey, Adam Gold, Evan Ferrairo, Kyle Corea & Stone Dow, Erick Ferris & Gordon Brookes, Alex Jager, Brett Kashmere, Keech, Rose & Kohlbrenner, Kyle Corea & Mike Broderick, KVJB, Christina Kolozsvary

The films are on their way to Exclusive as I type, with soundtracks in their final stages. Looking forward to the screening and a new lot of films to welcome spring!

Manitoban Article

Nice to get a screening preview, and this one comes courtesy of Damian Purdy at the Manitoban.
Although I'm honoured to be seen as a 'Winnipeger', I lay no claim to that statement in the article. Guess it slipped through the factchecker. In any case, nice for the screening to be noticed, and hopefully it brings out a few more eyes on Friday night.

Winnipeg OTS8 Showcase

Here it is: the list of films/filmmakers showing this Friday (Feb. 13) at the Winnipeg Cinematheque. It's free admission and starts at 7pm (spread the word).

Cam Woykin
The Bourgeois Walk [Winnipeg, 2008, colour, sound]

Shawn Fulton
Lowlife [Regina, 2006, colour, silent]

Terryll Loffler
A Day Like Any Other [Montreal, 2005, colour, sound]

robert.daniel.pytlyk
STILL LIFE [Regina, 2007, B/W, sound]

Katherine Skelton
Four Corners [Toronto, 2005, colour, sound]

Jaimz Asmundson
Drawing Genesis [Winnipeg, 2007, colour, sound]

Josh Stanton
Poor Andy in The Wedding Ball [Winnipeg, 2007, B/W, sound]

Danielle Sturk
Reeds [Winnipeg, 2006, Colour, sound]

Solomon Nagler
Preliminary Notes on Gesture [Halifax, 2006, B/W, silent]

Vanda Schmöckel
Fred [Regina, 2007, B/W, sound]

Daïchi Saïto
Green Fuse [Montreal, 2007, colour, silent]

Andrea von Wichert and Arlea Ashcroft
Snapperdoodle [Winnipeg, 2006, B/W, sound]

Kyle Ketchemonia
Confidential [Regina, 2006, B/W, silent]

Terry Mialkowsky & Shannon Jardine
Belt Buckle/ Quonset Hut [Regina, 2006, colour, sound]

Dianne Ouellete
La Moo [Regina, 2006, colour, sound]

Scott Stephens
Spider Pig [Winnipeg, 2007, colour, silent]

Alexandre Larose
ARTIFICES [Montreal, 2007, colour, sound]

David Lopan
F$%kin' Wild! [Vancouver, 2003, B/W, sound]

Upd8tes!

Busy few weeks for the OTS8. So time to catch up on past and upcoming news.

First, we had a fantastic screening at the Pacific Cinematheque on January 19th. So great to showcase super 8 to new audiences. An enthusiastic crowd was on hand, fostered I'm sure by the ongoing Project8 participants keeping the format alive and thriving on the west coast. It was a fast trip out west with projector and films in hand, and will be nice to return in the future and have a bit more time to see the small gauge work being made there. (will have to write a future blog about the joys of travelling through airport security with our ELMO projector and reels of film. Causes a few interesting looks and responses from people used to seeing laptops).

Speaking of project 8, a program of films curated by project director Julie Saragosa was screened at the second annual 8fest in Toronto this past weekend. An ecclectic batch of films, many made by first time filmmakers. Some great imagery with filmmakers adding hand painted colour to b/w work. The 8fest has committed to showing work on the original format (a festival after OTS8's heart), and Sam's Last Stand, a film made for the filmpop 2007 program in Montreal, was fortunate to be included in the Bagaroo, two! program. The highlight of the festival and the strongest argument for the legitimacy of super 8 as a unique artistic medium was a performance of White Calligraphy by Takahiko Iimura. Trash Palace was the perfect venue, with an intimate audience experience of this stunning exploration of projection, motion, language, light, and mythology. An unforgetable afternoon that can't help but make one feel that the possibilities with super 8 have yet to be fully explored.

Here's hoping that the new batch of films about to go into production for the 3rd annual Syracuse One Take Super 8 Event continue to push boundaries and build upon the success of the past two years. Plans are well under way with fillmakers signed up, and Funk 'n Waffles booked for April 4th. I'm already tasting a brownie waffle sunday.

But before we get to that screening (and the start of spring!), we're heading out west to Winnipeg to showcase a selection of work made for past OTS8's at the Winnipeg Cinematheque on February 13, at 7:00pm. Admission is free, so all the more reason to come out (as a nice Valentine's eve date), and see super 8 work never before screened in Winnipeg, as well as some films made for past WNDX OTS8 events! Later this week we'll be releasing the program details for the screening.

Syracuse 3rd annual One Take

Our friends to the south (but not that south) are celebrating 2009 with their 3rd annual One Take Super 8 Event. Time must fly, cause it seems like only yesterday we were screening our first reels of super 8 in the newly minted Funk 'n Waffles. For more info about the event, and updates on signing up, screening details, etc. check out their new blog. The screening is set for April 4 at Funk 'n Waffles, so keep the date!