The latest draft of Sitting on the Edge of Marlene  has been selected for the Good to Go program at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto. The festival runs from June 20 – 24 and “Marlene” will have a few scenes read as a tasty teaser at 1:00 on June 22, 2012 at the Novotel in Toronto.

http://www.femaleeyefilmfestival.com/

…in other news, How Eunice Got Her Baby was given a nice nod in The Toronto Film Scene online magazine.

http://thetfs.ca/2012/05/08/a-short-introduction-to-canadian-film-centre-shorts/

What an amazing three weeks! We have just completed the Women In the Director’s Chair program at the Banff Centre for the Arts where I was workshopping a scene from “Sitting on the Edge of Marlene”. Wonderful people…great program. Off to Montreal to work on development with M. Arcand’s wise guidance….

Wow. A glamorous day indeed. The WIFT-T Crystal Awards on December 5th. I was presented with the generous WIFT-T Kodak New Vision Mentorship Award which includes business guidance from Laurie May of Alliance and creative guidance from Deepa Mehta. Film stock for Marlene!!!!!! Yay! It’s a rare opportunity to shoot on film these days.

http://playbackonline.ca/2011/11/24/ana-valine-named-wift-t-2011-kodak-new-vision-mentorship-winner/

Things have been moving along here. A couple of announcements:

After a beautiful train trip to Montreal for lunch, Denys Arcand is on board as Mentor for my first feature, Sitting on the Edge of Marlene. We (Amber Ripley and I) are currently in development with Telefilm funding; sponsorship from William F White, Panavision, North Shore Studios, Bridge Studios, Deluxe Vancouver, Post Modern Sound, Creative Women’s Workshops Assn (Women In the Director’s Chair Feature Film Award); and sponsorship from Kodak (WIFT-T Kodak New Vision Mentorship Award). It’s amazing to have all the support.

Will be attending the much-hailed Women In the Director’s Chair Banff Workshops in November and January. Really looking forward to that – everyone I know who has participated talks about how much it has transformed their approach to directing.

And…one of the five directors shortlisted to pitch at the Whistler Film Festival Dec 3 for the MPPIA Short Film Award, which has in-kind sponsorship of $100,000 as well as cash. Rachelle Chartrand has written a twisted little short, Happiless, that could be fun.

That’s all for now…stay tuned for more adventures.

Ana Valine has won the Women In The Director’s Chair Feature Film Award, valued at $120,000 in kind towards production of her first feature film, “Sitting on the Edge of Marlene”. Valine wrote the screenplay (which is based on Billie Livingston’s novella) and will direct.

MR_WIDC_FF_AWARD_2011

BLOGS

Last updated at 9:47 AM on 24/06/10

Nickel: Night Two

HEIDI WICKS

The Telegram

How Eunice Got Her Baby: Directed by Ana Valine, the film follows two sisters – Eunice (Vivien Endicott Douglas) and Flo (Kate Corbett). Eunice is good, Flo is bad. Eunice ends up with a baby, but not in the conventional way. Corbett’s sexually- charged, renegade performance is wildly riveting. You can’t help but become immersed in her ‘F*** society’ attitude and streaky black crack-whore eyeliner. There’s a romanticism and desperation to her character that makes you want her to be alright. This Goldie Hawn look-alike makes those Alicia Silverstone Aerosmith videos seem like the CBC Sunday Night Movie.

How Eunice Got Her Baby was nominated for “Best Short Drama” and “Best Direction” at the Leo Awards in Vancouver, BC, bringing home the award for “Best Direction”!

It’s been a saturated six months. Had a couple of video jobs on the Olympics; one was video content for the Bell tent and the other was editing two pieces for the Paralympic Opening Ceremonies (Terry Fox and Rick Hansen). I wasn’t able to be there but caught them on youtube. It’s interesting seeing one’s work on the big screen but this is huge, and in the round.

“How Eunice Got Her Baby” is out making the festival rounds still, gaining momentum and doing us proud.

“How Eunice Got Her Baby” Screenings, Nominations and Awards to date:

• Premiere: Montreal World Film Festival, August 2009

• Vancouver International Film Festival, Oct 2009

• Yellowknife Film Festival, Feb 2010

• Female Eye Film Festival, Toronto, March 2010

Award – Best Short Film

http://www.femaleeyefilmfestival.com/gallery/

• Broadcast – CBC Canadian Reflections, April 2010

• Yorkton International Short Film Festival, May 2010

Nomination: Best Short Drama

http://www.goldensheafawards.com/default.aspx?page=207&a=n&y=2010 

• Leo Awards, Vancouver, May 2010<

Nomination: Best  Short Drama

Nomination: Best  Direction

http://www.leoawards.com/nominees_by_program_2010.html 

• WorldWide Short Film Festival, Toronto, June 1 – 8,  2010

• Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, June 25 – 28, 2010

• Nickel Independent Film Festival, St Johns NFLD, June 22 – 26, 2010

I am also embarking on my first feature film, “Sitting on the Edge of Marlene”, a short story I optioned from very talented Vancouver writer Billie Livingston. Aiming to go into production early 2011

FEMALE EYE FILM FESTIVAL WRAPS ITS 8TH SUCCESSFUL YEAR & ANNOUNCES AWARD RECIPIENTS

by Female Eye Film Festival on Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 10:56pm

For Immediate Release (Toronto, ON – March 31, 2010): The 8th Annual Female Eye Film Festival concluded on Sunday with unprecedented attendance and success. Celebrating women in film, the festival attracted notable talent from around the world including Twilight Director Catherine Hardwicke, Style Icon Carson Kressley, Screen legend Karen Black, actors Hallee Hirsh and Julia Garcia Combs, Oscar Nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo, as well as Canada’s own Wendy Crewson, and Kit Redmond. The Female Eye is a competitive festival that presents various awards to talented filmmakers and screenwriters.

The Festival held well-attended awards gala at sponsoring hotel, Novotel Toronto Centre, 45 The Esplanade on Sunday evening. The gala ceremonies welcomed filmmakers, screen writers, actors, industry guests and film fans.

The Female Eye Film Festival is proud to announce this year’s award recipients for their outstanding achievements:

FEMALE EYE FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS
The Female Eye thanks Willie Anicic, designer and sculpture of the Female Eye Award Statuettes.
2010 Female Eye Film Festival Honourary Director Award – Catherine Hardwicke (Texas, USA)
2010 Female Eye Maverick Award – Kit Redmond (Toronto, ON, CAN)
2010 Honourary Actress Award – Karen Black (USA)
2010 Honourary Award of Distinction for Best Experimental Films – Peggy Anne Berton (CAN)
Best of Show – A WAKE, Dir. Penelope Buitenhuis (BC, CAN) – Also the Recipient of Centennial College at Wallace Studios Production Award ($5000.00 Production Grant)
Best Debut Feature – NOTHING SPECIAL, Dir. Angela Garcia Combs (USA)
Best Foreign Feature Film – 16 TO LIFE, Dir. Becky Smith (USA)
Best Canadian Feature – BLACK FIELD, Dir. Danishka Esterhazy (Manitoba, CAN)
Best Documentary – LOVE AT THE TWILIGHT MOTEL, Dir. Alison Rose (CAN)
Best Experimental Drama – PAGES OF WINGS, Dir. Min Jeong Cha (Chicago, USA)
Best Short Film – HOW EUNICE GOT HER BABY, Dir. Ana Valine (Vancouver, BC, CAN)
Best Animation – UNWEARABLE FUNCTIONAL GARMENTS II, Dir. Heejo Kim (IL, USA)

FeFFAwards- Ana Valine: Best Short Film for "How Eunice Got Her Baby", presented by Gail Harvey, right.

How Eunice Got Her Baby has won ‘Best Short Film’ at the Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto, Ontario!

Julia Garcia Combs - Ana Valine - Carol Whiteman - Deb Green

FeFF award winners