Hand-processed 16mm film imagery, tinted, toned, and transformed, is combined with memory fragments of a rural past to create a visual poem about family, place, and time. Filmed at Philip Hoffman’s Independent Imaging Retreat in Mount Forest, Ontario in 2008, with sound design by Edmund Eagan. The title refers to the lot and concession number of my great-grandfather’s farm in Westport, Ontario, as recorded in the 1911 census. The voice is a fragment of the past, taken from an old recording of my father, Leonard McCann, who passed away in 1992. Selected screenings: 8th International Festival Signes de Nuit, Paris, 2010
Filter Films
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Through macro-photography, “BLUE TIDE, BLACK WATER” explores the chemical reactions of different liquids to heat. Materials such as paint, India ink, honey and wax are observed boiling and flowering in extreme close up. The resulting microcosm seems a rich primordial soup.
Blue Tide, Black Water
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As a member of Canada’s Painters 11, the late Jack MacDonald painted in both worlds: figurative and the abstract. PLAYTIME pays homage to his dedication, spirit and wonderful subject matter–both real and imaginary. In Cinemascope. Nominated in the category of best animation at the 2010 Jutra Awards (Quebec). Honourable Mention for The Canadian Film Institute (CFI) Award for Best Canadian Animation at the 2010 Ottawa International Animation Festival. Part of the TAIS Eleven in Motion program.
Playtime
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This atmospheric short film alludes to a catastrophic event that has left two women grief-stricken and isolated in a barren snow-covered wilderness. Their intimate life together is shaken when they discover a man lying unconscious in the frozen terrain. For Bria, the older of the two women, he represents hope for the future and the possibility of a child. For Renee, he threatens to disrupt a life that has given her refuge from the traumas of violence. Renee must ultimately decide between having a child and her personal desire to remain free from emotional attachment. Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Student Cinematography (2010)
Our Future Is Bright
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“WELCOME STOP” is a 25-minute narrative film that explores issues of relationship and boundaries among three disabled characters. It follows Morag along the first steps of her path to self-discovery, as she dumps her oppressive boyfriend at a motorway service station and hitches a ride with Gerry, a recovering sex-and-love addict. An unconventional road movie, “WELCOME STOP” radiates a sense of freedom and adventure. Attempting bold transformations in their lives, the characters don’t always succeed gracefully, but at least they try. The journey towards self-discovery and the struggle to self-actualize are themes that, in “WELCOME STOP”, cross boundaries of race, disability and sexual orientation.
Welcome Stop
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Employing a rotoscope, IN THE NEW WORLD transcribes the film IN THE LAND OF WAR CANOES (1914) into a short “undated” version of a West Coast classic. 2nd Place, Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria Media Arts Award Selected Screenings: Ann Arbor Film Festival, 2010; Antimatter Underground Film Festival (Victoria, BC), 2009
In the New World…
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Erotic Feminism. A short sexy film which pauses briefly to reveal the inner subjectivity of the female/filmmaker. Starring Steve Butson and Kika Thorne, camera by Timo Reiman, lights by Jerry Shallow.
Division
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1. I’M SORRY, STERLING with Jared Mitchell (4 min / 2009 / Video) 2. SHIT STORM with Jared Mitchell (2 min / 2007 / Video) 3. MY FATHER’S IDEA OF HEAVEN with Jared Mitchell (1 min / 2006 / Super 8) 4. IN CAIRO with Jared Mitchell (3 min / 2005 / Video) 5. WALNUT GROVE, MON AMOUR with Jared Mitchell (4 min / 2004 / Super 8) 6. HATE with Jared Mitchell (4 min / 2004 / Super 8) 7. RX with Michael Achtman & Laura Cowell (7 min / 2002 / Video)
That’s What Friends Are For: 10 Years of Collaborations
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“Photographed in reversal, hinting at psychodrama, lyric pastorale, structural film, ethnographic document and home movie this fragmented travelogue ranges from coast to coast before plunging south of the Canadian border. Begun with the bedside manners of two women photographed in close up, NO. 5 quickly relegates its protaganists to a stammered recitation on the soundtrack, a radio collage of pop tunes, natural sounds and white noise. Its studied compositions and stunning b/w photography close with an image of its maker framed between ruins of her own site, glimpsing worlds in construction.” – Mike Hoolboom
No. 5 Reversal
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RIFF is a short portrait of a Chicago-based tap dance team; three women who call themselves ‘Rhythm Iss’ These Bold women use dance as their voice, choosing to express themselves through tap. Their movements give life to a message of empowerment and celebration. In this film we drop into their practice space to experience the raw beauty of their dance rehersal.
RIFF
