Clara Pasieka and her new film at Cannes Film Festival 2013

Cannes is no doubt one of the most important film festivals in the world, and to any artist it is a real honor to be there. This year’s Cannes Film Festival started on May 15th and will be closed on May 26th.

Clara Pasieka, a Toronto based actress, writer and filmmaker, co-chair of Young Emerging Actors Assembly (YEAA), is going to Cannes with her new short film Pretty Thing, a drama in which she plays the leading female role. The film will premiere at Cannes this Monday, May 20th, at 1.30pm. The short drama Pretty Thing is not one of the 10 films competing for the Palme d’Or (no Canadian films are this year), but Canada is certainly being represented in the out of competition screenings. Pretty Thing is part of “Canada: Talent Tout Court”, a program that Telefilm pushed for so more Canadian stories would be reaching more international players and audiences.

Pretty Thing is an imaginative short film following the erratic memories of an old man and the unhappy reality about the girl he loved. Lewis reflects on last moments and broken truths surrounding the butterflies escaped from the mouth of the girl who got away.

The directors and the script writers of Pretty Thing are Matthew Defilippis and Elisa Mirabelly. Clara Pasieka’s co-stars in this film are Nicholas Markesnis and John A. Petitti. The directors, the producers, one of the actor leads and Clara Pasieka herself are all really young, under 30.

Clara Pasieka says about this fiction film: “Most of the film is told through its vivid imagery, including a beautiful shot where memories of our love story play out on my bare back as we lie in bed together. I’m curious how international audiences and distributors will feel about the film. The great thing is, the images communicate in a universal language and I think that the story reads even on mute.” She also shares that this is the first time she has had a film at Cannes. “As actors we often don’t know where our work will go, what life it will have. This venture certainly turned out to be worth it!”, Clara says. After shooting this film with cinematographer Kelly Jeffrey, Clara Pasieka hired him to shoot her own film, Bejide, because she thought he was really special. Bejide, the first short film produced by Clara Pasieka, was featured at ReelWorld Film Festival 2013 in Toronto last month.

Pretty Thing was shot entirely in Ontario, Canada, mostly on a farm in Tottenham, in the middle of winter, mostly outdoors. It was freezing, Clara Pasieka shares. How Canadian! It’s 12 minutes long and it was made in HD, in June 2012. Other festivals where this short film was showcased at were Black Maria Film Festival (Director’s Citation Selection), Spirit Quest Film Festival, WIFT Short Film Showcase.

Clara Pasieka in short film "Pretty Thing"

Photo credit: Courtesy of Alyssa Buttarazzi

ReelWorld Film Festival 2013: short film “Eneme”

ReelWorld Film Festival starts next week, on Wednesday April 10th. One of the films showcased at this year’s RWFF is the Canadian short drama Eneme (director Chris Abell), which will be screened at Famous Players Theater at Canada Square in Toronto on Friday April 12th. After the recent death of his son, Boyd (played by Edsson Morales) is deciding between his own life and death. Canadian Features Programmer Bobby Del Rio says: “Edsson Morales delivers a powerhouse performance in this well-crafted short film about one man’s pain”.

I have had the opportunity to chat with the filmmakers of the short drama Eneme – Chris Abell, director; Brendan Whelton and Chris Green, producers; Edsson Morales, lead actor.

When I asked the four of them to tell me about the making of the film, director Chris Abell told me that the lead actor Edsson Morales had come to him with an idea, they collaborated on the script, and then, over a couple of months, they brought over producers Chris Green and Brendan Whelton. After that, the idea just flew through Edsson’s style of acting and Chris’s style of directing. Chris Abell and Edsson Morales tried to create a very dark atmosphere inside the characters. The location was brought to them by the producers coming on board, and within 3 months the film was shot. The editing of the film took approximately another 3 months. This is the first festival the short film Eneme is showcased at.

Producers Brendan Whelton and Chris Green shared that for them the making of this film was a really great experience. Brendan was approached by actor Edsson Morales, and since the two producers have worked with Edsson on a feature film in the past, they were looking forward to working with him on a new film again, so they decided to come on board of Eneme. They had gone through 8-9 drafts of the script until it was locked. Once the script was decided upon, the shooting started and everything came together really quickly. As the film developed, Brendan says, the producers passed the ball to Chris Abell and Edsson Morales – they just needed to make sure that they stayed out of the director and lead actor’s way and let them get where they needed to go. Producers Brendan and Chris even joked that there was a very cold weekend when they shot the film, but it was an awesome experience for them.

Then I asked Edsson Morales to share about his experience with the film. He told me that from an actor’s point of view, it was an amazing project to work on, thanks to the team that the film had and thanks to Chris Abell, the director. “It was awesome to work with him [Chris Abell]. Whenever you needed someone to help you dig and get into that moment, or get into that character, Chris [Abell] was definitely there. Also, our producers Brendan Whelton and Chris Green made it an easier environment to work in. It was really great how they pulled it together. For me as an actor, it was an awesome script to work with. Also, my co-star Leo – he’s 10 years old, he is a very talented young man, and it was awesome to work with him. And yes, it was definitely a very cold weather when we shot the film, but it was an amazing experience.” 

Director Chris Abell hopes this film to be a reflection. Eneme reflects the idea of a man who’s lost his son. How someone in this situation would feel, what would they be forced to go through, and what would they do about it? Taking it to the extremes? What Chris hopes for is that the audience will feel the heartache and the pain of the lead character and reflect on it.

Filmmakers of the short drama "Eneme" (left to right) -- director Chris Abell, producer Chris Green,  lead actor Edsson Morales, producer Brendan Whelton

Photo credit: Victoria West

Short films featured at ReelWorld Film Festival 2013

This year’s ReelWorld Film Festival, the festival of the diverse and multicultural films and artists, will take place in Toronto next month, on April 10-14. For 5 days the festival will showcase feature films, documentaries, short films and music videos.

YEAA (Young Emerging Actors Assembly) and ACTRA Toronto will feature nine short films coming from experienced and emerging Canadian artists. The nine short films, which will be screened on Sunday April 14th at Famous Players Theater in Canada Square (Yonge & Eglinton, Toronto), are:

Bejide 
A Man Is a Man Is a Man 
To Hell with Love 
The Change 
The Haircut 
The New Domain 
Audition Day 
The Sound That Broke the Silence 
Getaway Car 

I have had the opportunity to chat with three young artists, filmmakers of two of the above mentioned short films, that participate in this year’s ReelWorld Film Festival – Clara Pasieka (Bejide), Raven Dauda (Bejide) and Richard Young (Audition Day).

Clara Pasieka is the writer, executive producer and actor in the short film Bejide. Raven Dauda is one of the actors in this film as well. Richard Young is the filmmaker of the short film Audition Day, but he also acted in a couple of other short films that will be featured at this year’s RWFF come April.

This is the first screen play for Clara Pasieka. She is an actor, as well as a playwright. Also, it's her first time as a filmmaker, which, she says, is really exciting. But as an actor, she has done a lot of work in theater, film and television.

For Clara, ReelWorld Film Festival is a platform to tell stories that are important to her. She thinks it can be really difficult to find a place where people can hear the stories that emerging filmmakers want to tell – that’s the tricky thing for young filmmakers, to find a festival that would be interested in hearing those stories. Clara has always been interested in writing multicultural plays and screenplays for theater and film. This is a really unique festival, she says, and to her it’s an absolute honor to tell stories that reflect the diversity and multiculturality showcased by this festival.

Raven Dauda has been an actor in Canada for over 20 years now. She shares that she loves the film festivals. She has been a part of Toronto International Film Festival, as well as a part of Sundance Festival; and now, being a part of ReelWorld Film Festival is a real honor for her and she admits she is very excited about it.

Raven thinks that as an actor, primarily in this festival, it’s just wonderful to have this type of support. Canada has a rich pool of talent, so for her being a part of a festival like this helps showcase that, helps showcase the sense of diversity, and allows Canadians to know exactly what our country’s artists have to say.

As Richard Young says, the main scope of this partnership between YEAA and ReelWorld is to give the emerging artists and filmmakers the necessary space to create films and work on them together. All these short films were made by ACTRA members or actors. Richard thinks that in this country Canadian actors need to be true artists and take the reigns of their own career. They cannot wait around for the agent to call them, they need to find a way to create their own works. In this collective of short films Richard and his partners have worked with people who are first time filmmakers. The films are great, but there is a learning process of being an actor, a producer, a writer, and taking back the control of their own career, by saying: “Here’s my voice, I can do it, it’s not as difficult as I thought it was going to be, and I have something to say”. Richard thinks that ReelWorld Film Festival provides that support by giving a voice to the people who want to share their stories.

When I asked the three artists what do they think about the future of the short film in Canada, Clara Pasieka told me that in her opinion the short films are the building blocks for many of filmmakers into creating bigger stories and feature film. But she also thinks that this country needs to pay more attention to short films, because there are a lot of amazing short films in Canada that people don’t see, because they don’t know about them. She says: “We need to start getting Canada watching short films, and we need to do that by featuring short films on television. I think filmmakers are taking some incredible risks and they are telling some incredible stories that they wouldn’t necessarily be able to or have the option to tell these stories in feature long films. So it’s really important we get Canada watch short films – I’m astounded when I see all these amazing Canadian short films from so many talented artists.”

Poster of the film "Bejide" (depicting Raven Dauda and Clara Pasieka), directed by Joel Keller, 

poster design by Sean Kung

For more information on ReelWorld Film Festival, please visit ReelWorld.ca.

Tonya Lee Williams about the 12th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival

Canadian actress Tonya Lee Williams

Canadian actress Tonya Lee Williams, Founder and Executive Director of ReelWorld Film Festival, welcomes everybody to the 12th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival, which is currently taking place in Toronto.

A message from Tonya Lee Williams:

“For many the global financial crisis has severely impacted their lives. For many filmmakers this is not the case. The independent filmmakers this is not the case. The independent filmmaker has always lived in financial crisis. They have already tightened their belts, and lived within their means. They have frugal lives, and make conservative fiscally prudent choices daily.

They run their movie sets like countries. They handle impossible budgets, intercede in conflicts, clothe, feed and serve the needs of their subjects.

Their sheer will and tenacity make the impossible, possible. They funnel fragmented chaos through the lens of a camera and allow it to breath onto the screen, bringing us real insight and a truly magical experience. They do all this for us.

When you think of voting for a President or Prime-Minister you would do well to vote for an independent filmmaker!

I thank all our sponsors and partners who continue to support the vision of ReelWorld. I thank our Board of Directors who give ReelWorld such strong direction. I thank our staff and volunteers who give their all to make this event happen. And of course I thank the filmmakers, their crews, screenwriters, production staff and actors without whom this festival would never exist.

Have a great festival!

Tonya”

About the Founder

Actress Tonya Lee Williams founded ReelWorld Film Festival in October 1999. The first inaugural festival premiered in March of 2001. Born in London, England to Jamaican parents and arriving in Canada at the age of 12, Tonya has been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years. Having started her career as an actress in Toronto, she now lives and successfully works in Los Angeles.

Tonya wants to create something lasting in Canada that would help emerging diverse talent find their success. Her passion, hard work and vision brought together a village of people – Board of Directors, staff, sponsors, Government funders, volunteers and talent – to bring this vision to fruition.

Tonya has been honored over the years with many awards, including two NAACP Image Awards, two Emmy nominations, a Harry Jerome Award, an ACTRA Award of Excellence, an African Canadian Achievement Award, an Oshawa “Walk of Fame”, the Planet Africa Award for Media and Entertainment, the 2012 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award in Montreal and the 2012 International Women Achievers Award.

Tonya believes “there is a rich untapped diverse audience in Canada, that is hungry to see itself reflected on its screens, the future of our Industry lies in its ability to provide entertainment for this growing demographic”.

Tonya is also a Director, Producer and President of Wilbo Entertainment, and she has an online consulting business that helps actors create a sustainable career in the entertainment industry. For more information, please go to TonyaLeeWilliams.com.

Source: ReelWorld Film Festival
Photo Credit: Victoria West

ReelWorld Film Festival starts in Toronto tomorrow

An important event is happening in Toronto this week – Annual ReelWorld Film Festival, the 12th edition. The festival starts tomorrow, Wednesday April 11th, and will close on Sunday, April 15th 2012.

The festival’s Opening Night Screening, sponsored by TD Bank Group, will take place tomorrow night starting at 7pm, at Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Cinemas (4861 Yonge Street, Toronto, at Yonge & Sheppard). Media reception will start at 5pm. The film featured during Opening Night Screening will be LUV.

The next RWFF event, NBC Special Presentation Screening (sponsored by NBC Universal), will take place on Thursday night, at 7.30pm, at Famous Players Canada Square Cinemas, Theatre 6 (2190 Yonge Street, Toronto). Media reception will start at 6pm. Two-time Emmy Award Winner Keith Davis will give a speech during the event. Hopelessly in June will be the film featured during the festival on Thursday night.

Tickets for the festival are available at ReelWorld.ca.

Media Alert: 12th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival Press Conference

The annual ReelWorld Film Festival commits to share our stories, our talent, our films. This year's ReelWorld Film Festival will take place on April 11-15, and it will be at its 12th edition. A press conference preceding this year's festival will be held in Toronto next week, on Tuesday March 13th, during which films, music videos, panels ans special events surrounding this year's festival will be announced. Media from everywhere is invited.

The press conference hosts will be Canadian actress Tonya Lee Williams, Chair of the Board of Directors of the festival, festival sponsors and special guests. The location of the press conference will be Cineplex Odeon Sheppard Cinemas, at 4861 Yonge Street in Toronto.

The schedule of the event will be as follows:
Tuesday, March 13th 2012
10am -- media check in;
11am -- press conference;
12pm -- press interviews.

Refreshments will be served during the event.

Among the sponsors of 12th annual ReelWorld Film Festival are TD, Cineplex, Government of Ontario, City TV, Global TV, CBC, and others.

Media can RSVP at sashastoltz@bellnet.ca.

stuFF Student Film Festival 2012

Introducing the first annual stuFF Student Film Festival 2012 – submissions open February 6, 2012

WalkMyCampus.com is Canada’s premier online post-secondary community

Toronto, ON; January 25, 2012 – In search of the next Cronenberg, WalkMyCampus.com (WMC) is calling all aspiring student filmmakers, introducing the first annual stuFF Student Film Festival 2012. Submissions will open on February 6, 2012, 9:00am EST, welcoming entries of short films (maximum 15 minutes in length) created by Ontario post-secondary students between the ages of 18 – 35. There is no fee to participate in the festival, an intentional component to ensure all interested students have an equal opportunity to submit. The films will be judged by fellow WMC members through an online portal and Amir Azimi, Canadian premiere filmmaker (who has worked throughout the globe) and Executive Producer of BFP (Brothers on Fire Productions). An exclusively online film festival, WMC will promote the chosen films and announce the winner through their online community (additional details and deadlines to be announced in the coming weeks).

Amir Kendic, founder of WalkMyCampus.com, says: “Walk My Campus is devoted to the creation of forums to highlight the vast talent of post-secondary students. stuFF is an ideal platform to share the works of tomorrow’s next great filmmakers with the world!”

Filmmakers can submit projects in the following genre categories; ONE (1) film will be chosen as the winner from any one of the following categories:

Drama
Comedy
Documentary
Animated
Musical
Experimental

Videos and required documentation are available for download and must be submitted by mail to qualify for consideration. The winner of the film festival will be announced on June 4th, 2012 and in addition to peer accolades in this budding community, will win a $1,000.00CDN cash reward and one (1) mentoring session with Brothers on Fire Productions (reviewing the winning video and providing collaborative feedback). In addition, the winner will be invited on set to shadow the Brothers on Fire Production team and obtain hands-on experience. Submissions for the festival will CLOSE on March 20, 2012, 9:00pm EST. For complete info on stuFF and to apply please visit: walkmycampus.com/wmtv.

Launched in 2011, WMC is the new student “hub” bringing organization, networking, planning, entertainment and of course commerce to a single place that they can call their own from both an Inter-Campus and Intra-Campus perspective. Targeting a core student demographic (male/female 50/50 skew aged 17 – 35), WMC was created to bring together millions of educated, tech savvy young adults by offering a broad spectrum of customized, proprietary web-based tools to network, share, organize, socialize, collaborate, live, shop, showcase their talents and work while attending post-secondary school.

About WalkMyCampus.com (WMC)

MISSION STATEMENT – The mission of WMC is to enhance the academic and social experience of college and university students using a flexible and secure online platform where they can network, share, study, learn, earn, organize, socialize, collaborate, create, shop, swap, work and give back.

Service Description

“Our one-stop online community shop connects students across and within campuses, providing a forum where they can indulge their newfound independence in complete privacy. WMC is designed to enhance the busy lives of students by giving them tools and resources to manage their social lives, improve their studies, plan their careers, showcase their talent and just have fun. By combining and expanding on the educational, social, commerce and fun features found on various other websites, WMC provides students with variety, convenience and privacy, all from a single online source.

For more information, please visit www.walkmycampus.com and www.bfpstudio.com.

Press release provided by: HC Consulting

Photo credit: HC Consulting/Walk My Campus

Coming Soon -- Sex and the City-2

The Sex and the City fans are no doubt very excited about the upcoming Sex and the City-2 movie. In theaters from May 27, it will definitely be the major movie event of the year. Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha are for new adventures, two years after they last met. When we last saw them in the first Sex and the City movie, all of them were happy or happily married. Carrie married Mr. Big in a discreet ceremony, Miranda and Steve reunited after a painful bump in their marriage road, Charlotte saw her dream come true when her baby daughter was born, and Samantha chose to come back to her New York lifestyle which used to make her happy. And now they are back again -- more stylish, more fashionable, more beautiful than ever. What challenges are they to face now? Are their lives going on as smoothly as they dreamed? Is everything cool now? What happens after you say "I do"? Do you really live happily ever after once these two magical words are said out loud? These are the questions that the four girls try to answer for themselves. Will they find the right answers, the answers that wouldn't drive their happiness away? We are about to find out in less than two weeks! Don't miss out the new adventures (and of course, the new outfits) of your favorite foursome!

To see the Sex and the city-2 trailer, please click here.