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.
“How Eunice Got Her Baby” was awarded the 1st place Legacy Award at the Women in Film Festival in Vancouver in March.
The cash award is generously sponsored by Deboragh Gabler of Legacy Filmworks, Vancouver.
How Eunice Got Her Baby is playing Sunday March 6 at 3:30 at VanCity in Vancouver in the Women in Film Festival.
She is also crossing the sea to play in the Bird’s Eye View Festival in London, UK on Friday March 11 at 6:15 pm
http://www.birds-eye-view.co.uk/3160/features/grown-up-movie-star.html
Eunice will screen at the Northwest Film & Video Festival:
Sat, Nov 6, 2010
at 7 PM (Whitsell Auditorium)
Thu, Nov 11, 2010
at 8:45 PM (Whitsell Auditorium)
So…sadness. But we’re going to turn this frown upside down!
At the 13th hour, the night before opening, we got a note. Eunice is too “dark” for an opening night celebration; it has been decreed. I’m not sure I agree – I always thought that little movie was about love and family strength but there you have it. Quite a kerfuffle.
I had to laugh after I got back on my feet. Too dark? Wait until they get a load of the next one! Sure, people die and stuff, but it’s always about love. Sweet love.
Eunice will be screened, instead, on Friday night at 7:00.
Eunice loves St John’s. Go get em, girl!!
St. John’s Women’s Film Festival 2010
Venue: OPENING NIGHT GALA – Arts and Culture Centre
Date: Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Time: 8:00 pm
Director/Réalisateur: Ana Valine
Producer/Producteur: Jordan Gross, Kristin Somborac
Writer/Scénariste: Dane Clark, Linsey Ann Stewart
Country/Pays: Canada
Running Time/Durée: 16 min
Fresh from the Canadian Film Centre, this hard little gem comes with a parental advisory. Children are best left at home for it, but adults will surely appreciate the excellent story-telling skills at work here. Director Ana Valine – about whom we are going to hear a lot more – and her talented writing team have crafted a bold, harsh fable about a young woman with starry dreams and a fair measure of hard luck. Living in small-town Canada can do that to you. Flo is like a young Courtney Love, but without the benefits. Flo’s life changes one night when a handsome bad boy walks into the groc & conf and holds her up at gunpoint. They have a much shorter ride than Bonnie and Clyde, and with no one to run from but themselves. Enter Eunice. Opening night hero Gordon Pinsent narrates in his typically whiskey-throated way – all velvet, no ice.
“How Eunice Got Her Baby” will be screening on opening night at the Northwest Film Festival in Portland, November 5.