US 

FILM DIARY - JON BLIZZARD, FREDERICTON

NB Film Co-op - Can you talk about the background of your story Cabby (how it went from your writer’s mind onto paper), and why you felt it would translate so well into script form?

JON: As far as translating my ideas into a script format, I find they usually do work quite well. My brain exclusively sees my original stories as 'movies.'

This script first began when I was a goofy 20-year-old with long hair who was trying to create the acting role of a lifetime for himself. As the years went by, the story kept evolving from being a period piece to a war-time romance. It’s almost incomprehensible how much this script has changed from the initial idea, but that’s half the fun. The lead actor Clayton Boone has been there to help me find the character of Frank’s voice and was instrumental in the script becoming what it has.

NB Film Co-op: Describe your final script?

JON: This story was with me for over ten years, but I could never figure out what it was that I was trying to say. It was originally a bit of a fantastic tale about a vampire exhausted with living who went for a taxi ride until the sun came up. As I did more and more drafts, I realized that the taxi driver himself was more of a compelling character and decided to take the story on a different journey. Ultimately, what I ended up with leaves me feeling much more satisfied, though I often wonder what that vampire would have gotten himself into if I had explored him more as the main character.

NB Film Co-op: How did you and Annick meet and when did it become apparent that you would make a good creative team?

JON: Interestingly enough, Annick and I met on the set of Film Co-op member Will Beatty’s short film, Secondhand Smoke, which I co-produced and she was acting in. We hit it off pretty quickly and during the wrap party, with a few adult beverages behind us, we became immersed in the most incredible movie talk. I realized that she had a very interesting range of film knowledge and a sick, twisted sense of humour. It was meant to be. As far as working together as a creative team, we both challenge each other frequently, but we are always there to support each other too. It’s been great as I tend to be more scatter-brained, while she is extremely organized and excellent at keeping me on track.

NB Film Co-op: When you work on film projects together, how do you decide on the creative roles you will each take on? Is it always apparent what specific roles you will do?  

JON: It’s funny how that works. I wrote the script for 'Cabby,' and submitted it to the Short Film Venture Program, fully expecting to produce it myself. Annick thankfully is always reminding me that we are a team. She jumped right on the creative/organizational things that she knows are my weakness. 

NB Film Co-op: What made you decide to apply to the Short Film Venture Program?

JON: I was a producer on Film Co-op member John David Thornton’s Lady Eternal shoot which was a Short Film Venture awarded film, and I saw first-hand how beneficial this program is for emerging filmmakers in New Brunswick. What better way to kick off my short film aspirations, than with this excellent support program run by the NB Film Co-op and the province of New Brunswick.

NB Film Co-op: What new things did you and your creative partner Annick learn about each other that you weren’t aware of in past productions?

JON: This is the first production I've been involved in that that I am the director/writer and, despite my boisterous personality, I feel constant self-doubt about showing my work. I hadn’t really shared any of my scripts until recently and, Annick has convinced me that they are decent. I guess if I get my film into SWFF and other festivals, that will be the proof. I didn’t even know I needed support like that until she gave it to me.

NB Film Co-op: Is your chemistry so refined that you can read each other’s creative minds, or, do you still have minor conflicts that crop up in your team dynamic?

JON: We are usually on the same page and pretty quick to figure out what the other one is thinking. It’s great in awkward situations too!

NB Film Co-op: What is your advice to other indie and emerging filmmakers in NB?

JON: Write down every idea you ever have. It may seem silly now, but in 10 years time, you may read that idea and get a whole new vision as to how you can tell that story. I also would be foolish not to mention that you should get out there and just make movies. Make all the mistakes you can and learn from them. At worst you could be the next Tommy Wiseau!

NB Film Co-op: Why do you think the Short Film Venture Program is important?

JON: It’s a great program that supports filmmakers with a vision. I’m thrilled that it’s here and hope it always is. So many of the best and brightest in New Brunswick have started with the Short Film Venture Program, and I think there is a reason for that.

NB Film Co-op: What words come to mind when you think about the Film Co-op and what it stands for?

JON: The first word that comes to mind is 'Samson'. :)

I appreciate the NB Film Co-op (Tony & Cat) for always bringing a certain excitement and encouragement to the community, while at the same time connecting members with other members who have the right attitude for filmmaking. None of us could do what we do without the right people supporting their cause and, the Film Co-op and its many members have always been there for that! 

NB Film Co-op: Can you give me a short quote that sums up what your filmmaking means to you?

JON: I can think of no greater thing in life than the ability to create a story that can echo on throughout the future. Filmmaking for myself is, in a matter of speaking, the quest for immortality. It’s also quite therapeutic and fun. Win-Win!

FILM DIARY - AMY BOURGAIZE & JON DEWAR, FREDERICTON, NB

NB Film Co-op: Can you talk about the background of your story turned script?

JON: The original story is in NB Film Co-op member R.W. Gray’s Entropic – Rob actually told me once that he thought it was the only one that couldn’t be made into a film.  I decided to prove him wrong and it went from there. I really liked that it was set in a fishing community and was really excited to write something that we could shoot on the coast of New Brunswick.  

NB Film Co-op: Is the final script quite different from the original story?

JON:  Yes, very. Script development was about a year and a half long and, while much of the same themes are still present, the way that they are communicated developed and changed through each draft. For this story, a word for word adaptation would have actually done a disservice to both the film and the original on which it was based. I felt I had to write the story specifically for film – for a different medium.

NB Film Co-op: How did you all meet and become the creative team you are now?

JON: We all have an intense desire to make great films. We each have different perspectives on films, and enjoy different films, but those differences really work to bring out our strengths.

AMY:  I met Matt through training for the What’s Up Doc? Film program. Matt invited me to join him on a team for the Fredericton 48 Hour Film Competition so that I could learn a little bit more about the process.  Since then, he has always encouraged me to be a part of any set he’s on and that’s how I met Jon and Rob.  I feel like we all also have a desire to make ethical films and are conscious of the messages that we are reproducing with our work – that makes a great team.

NB Film Co-op: When you work on film projects together, how do you decide on the creative roles you will each take on? Is it always apparent what specific roles you will do?

JON: In the projects that we’ve worked on, our roles have organically developed. We talk about who really wants to do what and we find that works because then people are intrinsically motivated in their roles.

AMY:  This was my first role as director, so my main focus in choosing crew was based on comfort – we went with what was most familiar to me.

NB Film Co-op: What made you decide to apply to the Short Film Venture Program Jon and the NB Joy Award Amy?

JON: (Short Film Venture) This was an ambitious script and I saw that Matt had won the award last year for a list – it was such a great film and I wanted the opportunity for The Beautifully Drowned to have a similar production value.

AMY:  (NB Joy Award)  Matt, Jon, and Rob, had all been encouraging me to try directing a film and Rob showed me a great script that I really connected with. I thought the NB Joy Award would provide me the opportunity to grow as a filmmaker.

NB Film Co-op: How did you go about finding your NB Film Co-op member crew? 

JON: We needed a much larger cast and crew than any of us had ever worked with before. Because of the NB Film Co-op we were able to connect with those people.

AMY: We mostly chose people who we had met and worked with on other NB Film Co-op sets.

NB Film Co-op: What was the most challenging aspect of your two weekends of shooting?

JON: Time was particularly challenging – especially when taking in to consideration the swift moving tides of the Bay of Fundy.

AMY: Our first weekend, we had many different locations to get to and not a lot of time to do that. I learned a lot about scheduling.

NB Film Co-op: What was the most valuable lesson that you learned on this production?

JON: Without your cast and crew, there’s no film. It’s important to value every moment of their time that they give you.

AMY: I just trusted my experience, my teammates, and my intuition – I’m happy with how things turned out.  

NB Film Co-op: What is your advice to other indie filmmakers in NB?

JON: The best filmmaking advice I ever got was to make the film you want and not the one you think you have to. I think that’s advice that is applicable to everyone.

AMY: Pre-production is one of the most important aspects of making a film.  

NB Film Co-op: Why do you think the Short Film Venture Program is important Jon?

JON: I would not have been able to make this film without it! I also made some important creative connections making this film so I would say that the program also helps to bring filmmakers in New Brunswick together.

NB Film Co-op: What words come to mind when you think about the Film Co-op and what it stands for?

JON: Community

AMY: Connections

NB Film Co-op: Can each of you give me a short quote that sums up what creating your own creative films means to you?

JON: Enjoy telling stories and filmmaking is the perfect way to do that.

AMY: I enjoy being creative outside of my professional life.  It gives me an opportunity to grow as a person, experience new things, and meet some wonderful people.

MEMBERSHIPS

Ashley Phinney doesn't want to bust any heads, time to get your membership renewed for the year if you are in arrears...it's August. Memberships are due in Jan/Feb annually. 

New and Renewed Members: Caitlyn Campbell (Fredericton), Ken Jordan (Fredericton), Nicolas Despres (Moncton), 

THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS FOR HELPING THE NBFC

Thank you to Ashley Phinney and her sister who cleaned up the co-op's resource centre and storage space recently!

HELP NEEDED!

Members, here is your chance to get your volunteer hours in. Email Cat at info@nbfilmcoop.com if you would like to volunteer on a member production or on any co-op activity. Lots to do, don't be shy! You can help out in any area your live in, in NB.

BUZZ

SILVER WAVE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW AWARDS TO BE HANDED OUT AT THE 2016 FESTIVAL

FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, August 19, 2016 – The New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative; the proud host of the Silver Wave Film Festival is thrilled to announce two new awards to its big night of awards on November 5th, 10 pm at Le Centre communautaire Sainte-Anne. The Silver Wave Awards celebrate quality homegrown talent and films from around the globe.

The Awards take place following the NB Shorts screenings.

Sparkling new statues for Best Supporting Actor & Actress in a Short NB Drama or Comedy have been added to the awards slate for 2016.

About Silver Wave

The annual Silver Wave Film Festival features something for everyone. This year’s event offers a showcase of multicultural, new youth screenings, French and English programming of all genres and lengths and a comprehensive industry series which brings experienced and emerging producers and filmmakers together.

Silver Wave is jam packed with exciting events and programming with diversity and depth. The Festival is the brainchild of the board and staff at the New Brunswick Filmmakers’ Co-operative and is their volunteer labour.

“Celebrating 16 years is an important milestone for the Silver Wave Film Festival,” says Tony Merzetti, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Film Co-op. “When you reflect back on our beginnings and consider the market here in Atlantic Canada, it is terrific to see how we’ve grown to become an important cultural event in New Brunswick and the Atlantic region. From our commitment to diversity in our programming and community atmosphere to our array of scintillating events, the New Brunswick Film Co-op looks forward to Silver Wave 2016 running November 3-6th.”

Silver Wave champions filmmakers telling their stories and, connects audiences and creatives in an interactive and inviting environment.

Media contact: Cat LeBlanc

info@nbfilmcoop.com

FREDERICTON'S MONDAY NIGHT FILM SERIES RETURNS!

Dear Cinephiles,

Hope everyone is having a great summer! The team at the Monday Night Film Series is looking forward to serving you this fall, and we're pretty excited about the line-up of films coming up soon!

For the 2016/2017 season, we will be keeping our prices for memberships and admissions the same as last year. 

Annual Memberships (Sept 2016 - April 2017) are $30 regular and $18 (students, seniors, NB film co-op members)

Half year memberships (Sept 2016 - Dec 2016) are $20 regular and $12 (students, seniors, NB film co-op members)

Admission prices: Members $4.00 and General admission $7.00

We will have programmes and posters available.

Please check out the film lineup on our website:  http://www.nbfilmcoop.com/exhibition/monday-night-film-series

Phone 455-1632 and email: info@nbfilmcoop.com concerning memberships please

See you at the movies!

Tony, Cat and John

--------------------------------------------

September 5, 2016 - 7:30pm at Tilley Hall, UNB Campus

THE MEDDLER

Lorene Scafaria

100 mins

USA

2015

English

Cast: Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons

Striking a winning balance of insight, heart, and laugh-out-loud hilarity, the second feature from Lorene Scafaria (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World) stars the magnificent Susan Sarandon (The Lovely Bones) in one of her richest roles yet. Foregrounding a character typically relegated to the comic-relief sidelines, The Meddler is about that force of nature known as the doting mother.

For Marnie Minervini (Sarandon), motherhood is not a familial duty - it's a vocation. A compulsive advice-giver, the recently widowed but ceaselessly cheerful Marnie cannot stop texting, calling, and showing up unannounced (and with bagels in tow) at the home of her daughter Lori (Rose Byrne, TV’s Damages). Desperate to gain some control over her life following a messy breakup, Lori attempts to establish some boundaries with her mother, only to inadvertently unleash Marnie’s persistent meddling across the greater Los Angeles area. Whether out of habit or as an unconscious strategy to avoid dealing with her grief, Marnie can’t stop being a mom to everyone she meets, whether it’s funding the wedding of one of Lori’s acquaintances or driving a young Apple Store clerk to college classes. But a chance encounter with a charismatic, chicken-raising rent-a-cop (J.K. Simmons, Whiplash) offers Marnie the opportunity to leave her supporting role behind and finally become the star of her own life.

Scafaria’s whip-smart storytelling and observations on relationships, ethnic ties, and the nuances of sixty something dating provide the film with a pervasive warmth and authenticity, while Sarandon’s exceptional talents are on full display in one of the veteran actor’s most memorable creations. Alternately maddening, lovable, and delightful, Marnie is both The Meddler’s emotional heart and its greatest triumph.

The Meddler serves as a lovely valentine not just to Scafaria’s mom, Gail, but to mothers everywhere — including the luminous Susan Sarandon in a role that seems to come naturally. - Peter Debruge, Variety

NB FILM CO-OP SWFF SCREENING TOUR HITS THE ROAD AGAIN!

 Outside the Box: New Brunswick Film Tour - NEXT STOP - ST. ANDREWS! 

 (CHECK OUT THE SCREENING PROGRAMME FOR ST. ANDREWS! - nbfc_film_tour2016_saint_andrews_.pdf

Outside the Box: New Brunswick Film Tour: A selection of outstanding films screened at the Silver Wave Film Festival

Origin of the Silver Wave Film Festival

Due to a lack of exhibition opportunities for local media artists to showcase their work, the New Brunswick Filmmakersʼ Co-op launched a provincial film screening event in 2001 called the Silver Wave Film Festival. The initiative received universal acclaim from participants delighted at the audience engagement with their work and the collegial nature of the gathering of filmmakers from around the province.

Call for Submissions process

The programming for the festival takes place in several phases. A call for submissions is sent out 8 months prior to the event. In addition to the submitted films, programmers also invite films to be part of the festival. The mission of the festival is to showcase the best New Brunswick films, and at least 50% of the films screened each year are produced within the province. Although it might be more advantageous to invite celebrated films from away and build an audience from films that already “sell themselves”, the Silver Wave takes pride in celebrating our own local stars, and nurturing a culture of “local films first”. This strategy has taken hold, as the most popular films at the festival are not the films from away, but rather the locally made works. The programming for the past few Silver Wave Film Festivals has included a diverse selection of films from across the Province including short dramas, comedies, documentaries, animations and experimental films.

Film Tour Project

Outside the Box is a provincial film tour comprised of the best films screened at the Silver Wave Film Festival over the past 5 years. The tour has been made possible by a grant from the Province of New Brunswickʼs Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture and through the generous support of local sponsors in the communities hosting these screenings with us. 

New Brunswick Filmmakersʼ Co-op

Besides undertaking the annual Silver Wave Film Festival, the Film Co-op is also involved in many other filmic activities. It offers film-training workshops in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. It houses a full range of professional filmmaking equipment available to its membership base, which spans the entire province. It carries out several production programs including a 48 hour film competition and provides cash grants and equipment deferrals to projects year-round. Based in Fredericton, the Co-op is eager to help emerging and established filmmakers produce locally-based films, and see the development of thriving communities in all corners of the province.

(NBFC ED Tony Merzetti at the recent Bathurst Screening on the tour)

FREDERICTON - UNDER THE STARS: FILMS IN THE PARK