View the 2015 Film Festival Program

The Durham Region
Film Commission
presents!
2015 FILM FESTIVAL
DURHAM REGION
September 25-27
September 25, 2015
Greetings from Regional Chair
Roger Anderson
SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2015
Greetings from the Honourable Minister
of Tourism, Culture and Sport
On behalf of the Government of Ontario, I am delighted to extend
warm greetings to everyone attending the inaugural Durham Region
Film Festival. As the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, I greatly
appreciate the power of cinema. Film helps us experience the world from
new and different perspectives and plays an important role in building strong
and vibrant communities.
The Durham Region Film Festival is a welcome addition to the diverse and
innovative arts and culture landscape that we in Ontario are so fortunate to enjoy.
I commend the festival’s organizers, supporters, partners and valued
volunteers for your commitment to sharing the gift of cinema with us. On
behalf of Ontarians and our visitors, thank you for helping to enrich the
cultural vitality of our province.
Please accept my very best wishes for a successful inaugural festival!
Sincerely,
Dear Friends and Film Enthusiasts:
We are thrilled to present this opportunity for Durham Region audiences to
connect with film creators, movie buffs and the riches of the cinema. Durham
Region has often been the backdrop for major film productions and a growing
number of our residents have achieved success on both sides of the camera.
Our first Durham Region Film Festival is a chance to recognize and celebrate
this aspect of our region’s creative scene.
Durham Region increasingly offers the location, and creative and support
services required by the TV and film industry. In 2014, Durham attracted $22
million in productions, up from $20 million in 2012. The credits that roll at the
end of a film are a testament to the direct jobs created by a single production.
To support expansion of the sector, last year the Region established the
Durham Film Commission Office to serve the film sector and capture those
economic benefits.
Many thanks go to the ReelWorld Film Festival and Durham Film Commission
Office for developing the program, and to the Regent Theatre and the Docville
Wild West Movie Set for providing venues. From auditions, to writing and
directing, to stunts, the festival is a chance, not only to see the films, but also to
experience what goes on behind the scenes.
We hope you find it entertaining and enlightening.
Yours truly,
Michael Coteau
Minister
Roger Anderson
Regional Chair and CEO
Welcome from the Durham Region Film Office!
We are thrilled that you decided to be part of our first-ever Durham
Region Film Festival. At this festival you can expect to experience the
magic of film both on screen and off, as the world of cinema and
talented artists come together to celebrate our strong and growing film
community.
A sub-committee of local film industry veterans, stakeholders, and film
enthusiasts have worked closely with the Region’s film office to bring
this new, exciting festival to Durham Region. The success of this event
will be a tribute to the committee, our ReelWorld programmers and
generous support of our two unique venues—the beautiful and
elegant Regent Theatre, and Docville Wild West Movie Set.
These film festival locations provide a great opportunity to take part in
experiential and interactive activities, where one can see films
on-screen, and experience the behind-the-scenes creativity that goes
into making a film. Our program includes script-to-screen activities
for all ages, such as: movie set demonstrations, working with a green
screen, the audition room, drone action, and production and postproduction workshops.
In the future, the Durham Region Film Festival will offer the
opportunity for filmmakers to submit their creative work, and will have
educational and networking events for industry professionals.
Enjoy this year’s festival and be captivated by the world of film!
Friday, September 25
Opening Gala Screening
Regent Theatre
50 King St. E., Oshawa
Designed by famous Canadian
J. McNee Jeffrey and built in
1919, the Regent Theatre features
beautiful, classically styled
architecture, and is a historical
landmark in downtown Oshawa.
7:00 to 7:15 p.m.
Welcome and Opening Remarks
7:15 to 9:00 p.m.
Opening Night Gala Screening, THE MESSENGER
This Canadian film is produced by Durham Region resident
Joanne Jackson, who will be in attendance and participating in a post-screening artist’s Q & A presented by ReelWorld.
THE MESSENGER was a top three audience favourite at the Hot Docs Festival and we are incredibly fortunate to have it for our
inaugural year of the Durham Region Film Festival!
9:00 to 11:00 p.m.
After-Screening Reception, Regent Theatre
Sponsored by the Durham Region Film Office and Pelican Catering.
.
Saturday, September 26
Film Screenings and
Behind the Scenes Action
Docville Wild West Movie Set
816 North St., Newcastle
A favourite of film production
companies, this authentic old
western movie set includes a
general store, jail and saloon.
Entertainment Barn Schedule
On-the-Grounds Activities (all day from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm)
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
ALIVE INSIDE, followed by an artist panel presented by ReelWorld.
Make-a-Movie-in-a-Day:
Join a filmmaking crew, while creating authentic stories.
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
TRUE COST, followed by an artist panel presented by ReelWorld.
3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Actor Kenneth Welsh (Twin Peaks, The Aviator) clips screening and Q & A conducted by producer/writer-director, and Welsh’s long-time friend, Charles Dennis (Chicanery).
5:00 to 5:30 p.m. “Make-a-Movie-in-a-Day” final cut and screening.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. SWEEPING FORWARD, followed by an artist panel presented by ReelWorld.
Note: Space is limited and seating will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis.
*** An industry networking event hosted by Docville Wild West Movie Set will be held after the
screenings for individuals 18 years of age and over. This is a ticketed event and open to the public.
Food and beverages will be sold onsite.
Drone Action:
Drone demonstrations will be provided by Flying Fish Productions (Reign, Orphan Black).
Get Creative:
Check out the mock movie set to see technical and artistic activities in film-making.
Be Transformed:
Step in front of a green screen to become a monster, robot or other movie character.
The Audition Room:
Learn what directors are looking for when they choose their actors/actresses.
Stunt Station:
Watch and learn from demonstrations by professional stunt people.
Kidz Zone: Let kids enjoy their own creative activities geared towards children ages 12-and-under.
Savour Durham: Enjoy local culinary delights and the flavours of our food trucks.
Sunday, September 27
Film Screenings and Workshop
Regent Theatre
50 King St. E., Oshawa
The building is currently owned
by the University of Ontario
Institute of Technology (UOIT)
and is used as a lecture hall and
for a wide variety of community
events.
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. DR. CABBIE, followed by an artist panel presented by ReelWorld.
12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Sound Effects Workshop with Andy Malcolm, Foley Artist
(American Hustle, The Help, and Trainwreck).
Discover how to create and apply sound effects to film in a
workshop with one of the most respected foley artists in the world. 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. CHICANERY, and iPad Workshop with producer Charles Dennis.
Learn how you to can become both the director and producer of a feature-length film shot entirely on an iPad.
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. SOLD, followed by an artist panel presented by ReelWorld.
7:00 p.m.
Closing of the 2015 Durham Region Film Festival.
Friday, September 25 | 7:00 pm
THE MESSENGER - Opening Night Gala Screening
Year/Country: 2015, Canada/France
Genre: Feature Documentary
Time: 90 minutes
Director: Su Rynard
Producers: Joanne P. Jackson, Sally Blake,
Martin De La Fourchardiere, Su Rynard,
Diane Woods
Writer: Su Rynard, Sally Blake
Directors of Photography: Daniel Grant,
Amar Ahrab
Additional Cinematography:
Chris Romeike, Laurent Charbonnier,
Joshua See
Location Sound: Jason Milligan,
Dominique Kerboeuf
This wide-ranging and contemplative
documentary explores our deep-seated
connection to birds and warns that the
uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our
own. Moving from the northern reaches of the
Boreal Forest to the base of Mount Ararat in
Turkey to the urban streets of New York, this
film brings us face-to-face with a
remarkable variety of human-made perils that
have devastated our airborne music
-makers. This artful story is about the mass
depletion of songbirds on multiple
continents, and about those who are working
to turn the tide. An engaging, visually
stunning, three-act emotional journey, with
unique glances into the influence of songbirds
on our own expressions of the soul.
Saturday, September 26 | 10:00 am
Saturday, September 26 | 12:30 pm
ALIVE INSIDE
TRUE COST
Year/Country: 2014, USA
Genre: Documentary
Time: 78 minutes
Director: Michael Rossato-Bennett
Producers: Alexandra McDougald
Executive Producers: Regina K. Scully,
Geralyn Dreyfous, Eric J. Bertrand,
Limore Shur, Ben Spivak,
Daniel E. Catullo III, Dan Cogan
Official Site: www.aliveinside.us
Alive Inside is a joyous cinematic exploration of
music’s capacity to reawaken our souls and
uncover the deepest parts of our humanity.
Filmmaker Michael Rossato-Bennett chronicles
the astonishing experiences of individuals
around the country who have been revitalized
through the simple experience of listening to
music. His camera reveals the uniquely human
connection we find in music and how its healing
power can triumph where prescription
medication falls short.
Year/Country: 2015, USA
Genre: Documentary
Time: 92 minutes
Director: Andrew Morgan
Producers: Michael Ross, Laura Piety
Executive Producers: Lucy Siegle, Livia
Firth, Vincent Vittorio, Christopher L. Harvey
Official Site: www.truecostmovie.com
This is a story about clothing. It’s about the
clothes we wear, the people who make them,
and the impact the industry is having on
our world. The price of clothing has been
decreasing for decades, while the human
and environmental costs have grown
dramatically. True Cost is a groundbreaking documentary film that pulls back
the curtain on the untold story and asks us
to consider, who really pays the price for our
clothing?
Saturday, September 26 | 5:30 pm
Sunday, September 27 | 10:00 am
SWEEPING FORWARD
DR. CABBIE
Year/Country: 2014, Canada
Genre: Comedy Drama
Time: 95 minutes
Director: Patricia MacDowell
Producers: Patricia MacDowell
Cast: Anne-Marie Saheb, Lydia Bouchard,
Bénédicte Gobert
Bess Lavigne, a gifted curler who doesn't curl
competitively because of an anxiety disorder,
ultimately finds redemption in coaching four
down-and-out women struggling with their
own issues.
Year/Country: 2014, Canada
Genre: Comedy
Time: 101 minutes
Director: Jean-François Pouliot
Producers: André Rouleau, Ajay Virmani,
Pauline Dhillon
Cast: Vinay Virmani, Kunal Nayyar,
Adrianne Palicki, Stephen McHattie,
Chris Diamantopoulos, Lillete Dubey,
Mircea Monroe, Isabelle Kaif
Screenplay: Manu Chopra, Ron Kennell,
Vinay Virmani
Official Site: www.drcabbie.com
An unemployed doctor—turned cab driver—
becomes a local hero when he converts his taxi
into a mobile clinic. DR. CABBIE, is a heartwarming comedy about a young Indian doctor
who immigrates to Canada and faces roadblocks in his effort to heal others, but discovers
his true purpose, and true love, along the way.
Sunday, September 27 | 2:00 pm
Sunday, September 27 | 4:30 pm
CHICANERY
SOLD
Year/Country: 2015, USA/Canada
Genre: Feature Comedy
Time: 92 minutes
Director: Charles Dennis
Producer: Charles Dennis
Associate Producer: Kim Eveleth
Cast: Michael Laskin, Brent Huff, Patty
McCormack, Fred Melamed, Mark
Rydell, Kenneth Welsh, Kate Vernon,
Gene Mack, Zoi Kottas, Ethne Dennis,
Michele Scarabelli, Seana McKenna.
Official Site: http://foodogfilms.wix.
com/chicanery#!home/mainPage
Mel Sobel, known to Los Angeles TV
audiences as “The Mattress Guy”, is a
notorious liar and womanizer, who seduces
female customers in his chain of mattress stores.
Unbeknownst to Sobel, he is also a double for
a notorious, fugitive terrorist, the Imam Abdul
Mohammed Zaleeka. Soon Sobel is being
pursued by the LAPD, FBI, Homeland Security
and the CIA, as well as dozens of angry
housewives and their husbands. Award-winning
filmmaker Charles Dennis says, “CHICANERY
is about adultery, paranoia, and Homeland
Security. It’s about America.” Shot entirely on
an iPad in both the United States and Canada,
this hilarious satire stars a host of American and
Canadian actors.
Year/Country: 2015, USA
Genre: Documentary
Time: 92 minutes
Director: Jeffery D. Brown
Producer: Jane Charles
Executive Producer: Emma Thompson
Cast: Gillian Anderson, David Arquette,
Tillotama Shome
Composers: Salim and Sulaiman
Official Site: www.soldthemovie.com/
Based on true stories, SOLD is the story of
Lakshmi who journeys from a pastoral, rural
village in Nepal to a gritty brothel/prison
called Happiness House in Kolkata, India.
Through one extraordinary girl’s story, SOLD
illustrates the brutality of child trafficking,
which affects millions of children around the
globe every year. Globally the average age of
a trafficked girl is 13 years old, the same age
as the girl in the film. SOLD is a call to action,
and a testament to the power and resilience
of the human spirit.
Event Presenters
Event Partners
Event Sponsors
If this information is required in accesssible format, please contact the
Durham Film Office at 905-668-7711 ext 2617.