HOT DOCS INSIDE OUT – DAY 11: Last Day
Farewell My Friends - Doc U at Hot Docs 2010
Okay… In Vancouver now and finally trying to close the week of Hot Docs blogging. I’ve had a couple glasses of wine and I’m still sleep-deprived from the week, but here goes.
This morning (Friday morning) our last Doc U session was with Robin Smith of Kinosmith, the distribution company of docs such as Rip: A Remix Manifesto and Up The Yangtze (the latter which put Kinosmith on the map). I really appreciated the frankness of Robin. He did not hold back from his opinions of the NFB and the CBC, and his opinions were mixed, shall we say. He provided one example that I won’t get into the details over but let’s just say that the commercial launch of the DVD of one of his films was in competition with the free streaming version on nfb.ca. Kinosmith asked the NFB for a temporary removal of the film but it was not granted. It’s tough to compete with free but I am also reminded that, as the NFB is a publicly funded producer, we the taxpayers have already paid for the right to watch the film. Tough call. I’m sure there are many details and insights I am missing here, but the bottom line is that I really liked and respected Robin Smith and his honesty. I also appreciate the NFB for sticking to their guns. I hope, over time, I still admire and respect each the same as I do today.
The final hurrah
That was the last session of Doc U for 2010. I have to say that the experience was the best I’ve had in my new career (besides the experience I had shooting Surviving In The Cracks). I made lots of new friends, contacts with big time distributors, saw lots of great films and had a little too much fun at the parties.
Later that evening I went to the awards ceremony and the festival wrap up party with my new friends made at Doc U. Only one of the films I saw this week was nominated for best-of awards (Arsy Versy), which indicated that, despite my best efforts, I still didn’t see that many ‘critically-acclaimed’ films. That’s fine – especially since judging a film as the “best-of” is a tricky thing to do… judges may be experienced (or not) but they still have their subjective tastes… the only legitimate award is the democratically decided Audience Award, but even then, these can be biased too depending on the audience, and how well the filmmaker was able to populate the screenings with the films supporters (this is more of a problem at the smaller festivals anyhow). That controversy aside, the highlight of the awards was seeing Nimisha Mukerji, fellow NFB Cookin’ Creative participant and co-director of 65_Red_Roses win the Don Haig award. Way to go Nimisha!
Anyhow, I ended the experience on a high note… partook in some festivities that night but left the party early to get some sleep in time for my flight back to Van. Sad to leave but happy to be home. Back in Van now and still feeling quite short on sleep… so off I go…
HOT DOCS INSIDE OUT – DAY 8: What the [bleep] is new media?
The festival is over. I am now sitting on the floor, plugged into the only power outlet near my gate at the Pearson airport, catching up with my blogging before the 5 hour flight home to Vancouver. The last few days I’ve taken a break from writing but let me assure you that there has been plenty going on. Exhausted by all of the screenings, summits, seminars classes, pitches and meetings – something had to give. So I apologize to you, my three readers, for letting the blog slide. In the next few posts are a summary of the highlights and lowlights from the rest of the week at Hot Docs 2010.
On Tuesday – Day 8 – I went to the NFB Coffee Talk: Digital Content Strategy. The two-man panel of Rob McLaughlin and Hughes Sweeny began by framing the discussion with this: demographics are changing, the democratization of media is here (whether it’s here to stay is another thing), and technology is the catalyst for the new canvas called new media. The last time there was a change like this was in the 1950′s. I, along with the standing-room only crowd, hung on every word as they shared their expert opinions on where this industry is going. Something that I am hearing over and over again is that television is dead, film is dead, and that, to my great dismay, the linear documentary is dead. That’s a little disconcerting of course, so everyone who happens to do that for a living is listening to anyone who will give them some semblance of hope as they gaze into their crystal ball to predict the future. I am a little skeptical of anyone who claims to know what the future looks like, and what I got from this talk was the same thing I already know: nobody knows what new media, cross-platform, cross media, 360, or whatever you call it, is – because it hasn’t happened yet. The canvas is blank. The ‘model’ doesn’t exist. And, as funding for linear stories dries up, the recently announced pool of twenty-eight million dollars called the New Canadian Media Fund will be hotly fought over for projects that may pioneer this new ‘model’ for the future of our industry.
Only one year into this industry, I am being challenged to adapt to the changes in the industry. I am tech savvy. I am business savvy too. I believe I have all of the skills I need to succeed in the “new media” world. But I have chased the money all of my life and my move into this field was to create linear stories. I don’t think the linear documentary is dead. What I am hearing sounds a lot like what was being said at the dawn of colour film – that black and white photography was dead. Half a century later, it’s still here, and as beautiful as ever. The linear documentary is similarly not dead. The craft of creating a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end will remain.
Days 9 & 10 in my next post.
HOT DOCS INSIDE OUT – DAY 7: The Devil Operation
I’m burning out a little. My lack of sleep (caused mostly by staying up late or rising early to blog) has caught up with me and so I’m behind a bit on my posts. I still intend to at least touch on the happenings for the rest of the festival, but I may not go into any great depth, to reserve my energy to experience the festival. There, now I can write.
The Doc U classes began today with Waterlife creator, Kevin McMahon. The most valuable piece of information from this session is one that might seem obvious. Kevin is always prepared before he goes into shooting – a lesson he learned the one time he went in without a plan, on An Idea of Canada. He puts constraints on himself during production and ‘works within the box’ in order to give the film a definitive aesthetic style – without it there is confusion and disarray. The phrase ‘work within the box’ caused me anxiety as I imagined Beautiful Creativity being thrown into shackles and locked up in solitary confinement… but then, as he quickly added, research is naturally conducted without restraint, working outside the box, so to speak. Whew.
Following Kevin, we had Deborah Parks, producer of Life With Murder. This was an energy-sucking session for me… My heart slowly sank into my stomach as Deborah drove home many points that I have heard before but have been in denial over… “the financial challenges of being a documentary filmmaker are high, regardless of experience” Heart sinking… “It’s hard for new filmmakers to find experienced producers…” further… “99.9% of films do not make money (so get paid while you do it)…” down… “People have lost their homes doing documentary films…” into the pit of my stomach. By the end I was questioning why I had entered this field at all. Our afternoon screening of The Devil Operation, and our next Doc U session with filmmaker Stephanie Boyd, reminded me why: for the passion of it. Thank you Stephanie.
The Devil Operation is a story by Oshawa-based filmmaker Stephanie Boyd, who will be one of our Doc U mentors tomorrow. Stephanie has lived in Peru for 13 years and began as a journalist with CUSO, and hooked up with a group of Peruvian filmmakers to tell her stories and reach a bigger audience.The Devil Operation is the third film in a trilogy by Guarango Association and is about the struggle in Peru against foreign (Canadian) mining interests. With damning evidence it exposes is that Peruvian farmers, who are standing up to keep their homes and water (which would be destroyed by the mining operations) are being spied upon, terrorized, and murdered by Peruvian private security forces – basic logic will connect the mining companies’ interests as the cause. Aesthetically this film was not my favorite – the narration and the music seemed a little much for me – but overall this is a well-done, compelling activist film with an important story and we should pay attention. I won’t look at a mining company the same way again. Vancouver-based Manhattan Minerals Corp. was a company that was eventually pushed out of Peru (and now they are operating in Turkey under a different name). You or I, or any of our proudly Canadian friends could be happily commuting to and from the offices of a company like Manhattan Minerals, sending our kids to school and soccer, having barbeques on weekends and going to the cheap show on Tuesday nights. That spreadsheet you worked on for your supervisor Friday afternoon could contain that little bit of data that tipped the company towards more development which consumed the water supply before it could reach the farmers further down the valley. This film helps connect us to the consequences of our privileged and often ignorant lifestyle and gives us an opportunity to use our conscience when we choose where we work and what we buy. How many people do you know that work in the mining industry, or provide services in some way to the mining industry?
Father Marco, a humble priest from the mountains of Peru, is being followed. A private security firm is filming and photographing the priest’s every move; their meticulous reports are code-named “The Devil Operation.” Marco’s allies are murdered and tortured, but he and his disciples refuse to be victims. They turn their cameras on the spies and develop a counter-espionage plan that leads to an American-owned gold mine. For the past decade, the priest has defended farming communities against the mine’s abuses, earning him the nickname ‘The Devil’. This real-life political thriller shows how to catch spies in their own web.
HOT DOCS INSIDE OUT – DAY 6: Doc U Day 1. Feeling a little low.
Doc U Day 1. Today we all met. I am tired of blogging now.
Fine. Continuing, we went around the room and introduced ourselves, and our favorite films. In case any of these newish filmmakers (some are newer than others and our ages range from 20 to in-their-50′s. I, along with many others fit nicely in the middle… ) So as I was saying, if any of these filmmakers become famous, then I will be able to boast that I was in their Doc U class in 2010. Here are their intros as we went around the room:
Firstly our two mentors:
Daniel Northway-Frank is the coordinator of Doc U and many other things here at Hot Docs as well as an excellent and enthusiastic host. He made darned sure we all made it to brunch safe and sound, at a charming Italian wine bar and bistro, Langolino, near Kensington (first time I’ve seen that area of Toronto – love it!).
Jeremy Gans stumbled into doc film from journalism and some time spent at the CBC. His directorial debut was a film called No Past To Speak Of, which screened at Hot Docs in 2006. Both Jeremy and Daniel have already gone out of their way to help Anam, myself, and Hayley for our Rendezvous meetings. Thanks guys.
Doc U Recipients 2010:
Jodie Martinson, Masters of Journalism UBC, her doc To The Tarsands screened at the Calgary International Film Fest and DOXA. Wow. One favorite film: Iraq in Fragments.
Anam Abbas, U of T, Sheridan College. Fave: Up the Yangtze
Ajit Zacharias, successful software developer, now a creative producer, Sheridan College. Didn’t hear his favorite film, sorry Ajit.
Zdravco Jovanovic, MFA York, he’s a triplet. Missed your fave too Zdravco.
Me, Greg Masuda, for readers who don’t know me. Langara College, mechanical engineer. Fave: Born Into Brothels, now also Czech Dream, and I just thought of another: King of Kong.
Gabriele Kislat, an experienced DoP in fiction, now a director/DoP in documentary, she’s Quebec’s TDF recipient, like I am BC’s. Fave: Sari Soldiers
Jules Koostachin, Ryerson U, Cree, daughter of a residential school survivor, mother of four, and a very impressive CV including theatre, film, and aboriginal and women’s social issues. Missed your fave Jules.
Kathleen Mackey, Ryerson. Makes personal films. Fave: Bright Leaves
Sue Johnson, Ryerson. Enjoyed your film at Doc Shop Sue. Fave: The Beaver Trilogy.
Chris Bevacqua, Langara College, photographer for social and street newspapers, ex-social outreach worker in Vancouver. Fave: Hoop Dreams (can’t believe I still haven’t seen this one)
Kevin Caners, Algonquin College, has mechanical engineering to fall back on if film doesn’t work out for him (sound familiar? …for those of you who don’t know I also have a mechanical engineering degree) – don’t do it Kevin. Fave doc: Fog of War or Manufacturing Consent.
Wendy Dallian, Capilano U, worked for the David Suzuki Foundation for 8.5 years, including directly for David Suzuki and his wife. Fave: anything by Werner Herzog.
Thomas Retzlaff, representing the prairies – U of Regina. Everyone else here is from BC or Ontario, and one from Quebec… Where is the rest of Canada? Fave doc for Thomas: Don’t You Forget About Me
Hayley Crooks, Queen’s U, has 7 Rendezvous meetings! Did I mention she has 7 Rendezvous meetings? Missed you favorite film, Hayley.
Ashley Burke, Masters of Journalism, Carleton U, CBC Radio has syndicated some of her radio shows. Fave: Errol Morris’ first film Gifts to Heaven (did I get that right?)
Marcus Pukonen, Capilano U, stand up paddle boarded from Vancouver to Nanaimo to raise awareness for – I think – sewage treatment (lack of) in Vancouver, plus filmed it for his doc project. Fave: The Yes Men or Carts of Darkness
Tavi Parusel, Capilano U, this kid (I’m almost twice as old as him!) screened his first film at two festivals and has won awards. Fave: Man on Wire.
Reviews today:
Okay, I’m not a movie critic as you’ve probably figured out by now, and honestly, I’d prefer to spend less time on my computer on this trip so I’m going to try to keep these review to a minimum. Firstly, my screening schedule has changed quite significantly. For my first show today I had two options selected but opted for a third at Daniel’s suggestion (The Player with Dear Matthew)…
Dear Matthew - short film about a son, from the father’s perspective. The son was an artist, who went missing one day, I don’t remember how many years ago, and never returned. The father’s wife died wishing her son would return. This was a touching story, the pacing and music was appropriate, but this was your standard portrait. Technically it was fine. Editing fine. Everything fine. That’s it – there is nothing really unique or groundbreaking about this film, except that it sets up the next one, The Player, also a father-son story, but this time about a father told from the son’s (also the filmmaker) perspective. This reminds me that film selection for festivals is not only dependent on the qualities of a particular film over another, but also for programming considerations – i.e. does it fit in a certain ‘theme’, a niche, or a slot that could be quite specific. In this case, I believe Dear Matthew was that film. A fine film, and a complement to the feature for this programming slot at the festival. 3/5
The Player – as already mentioned, a son, the filmmaker John Appel, tells the story about his father, a gambling addict. A quick aside: Chris Bevacqua commented earlier this week that he is not a Rush fan, but that the film Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage was excellent and it didn’t matter that he was not a fan – something that only a good film can do. That’s how I feel about this film. I have absolutely no interest in gambling. I’ve been to Vegas and didn’t even play the slots. I do not enjoy poker, casinos even faux-casinos, or the horse races. It’s just not my thing. As hard as my mind seemed to try however, it could not turn my interest off in this story of an addicted gambler and the effect it had on his family. Good storytelling, interesting subjects, the filmmaker’s POV, good technicals all made this a surprisingly enjoyable experience. 4/5
133 Years of Music In Six Solos – sorry I had to take this down since it’s now being submitted to festivals
The last thing I’ll talk about tonight is the International Doc Challenge… no our film, 133 Year of Music In Six Solos, did not make the finals. The experience of watching the 12 that did deflated me a bit… I felt pretty strongly about this little piece as we waited for the jury decisions, and watching the 12 last night brought back those feelings of disappointment …anyhow there were some very strong shorts in the Doc Challenge this year and my congratulations to all of the finalists. The great thing about this competition for me was that it unblocked me – focusing on Surviving In The Cracks for so long had frozen me I think. For the Doc Challenge I was literally forced to be creative again – and to shoot, edit, master and deliver a film about something that I know little about, in a very short period of time. It’s a piece that, in the end, was just fun – eye candy and ear candy; it has no social, environmental, or political agenda whatsoever. I am embedding 133 Years… here again.
Okay, I’m going to give myself a break now. Blogging every day is exhausting and I’m sure my writing must be suffering. I haven’t given up on photos, I just forgot the cable for my camera – a final funny anecdote to remember from my 2010 Hot Docs experience. Yesterday as I emerged from the Museum Subway station, I was greeted by thousands of cannabis fanatics and a pot parade for the Freedom Festival. This morning as I emerged from the same station I found myself surrounded by hundreds, maybe thousands of police officers for a police parade. It was funnier that it sounds. I just love the contrast. I snapped pics of each, and will share eventually I think. But now it’s 1:02am. Goodnightynight.
Pot Parade on Saturday...
...Police Parade on Sunday, in the same park.
HOT DOCS INSIDE OUT – DAY 3: Opening Gala, Bottomless Drinks & Dr. Nakamatz!
Lotsa Hot Docs stuff
It must be something about the air in this town, because in any normal environment, I would be a write-off this morning. By write-off, I mean hung over. That, or maybe they were watering down the wine. Last night was a hoot, and the drinks were bottomless, as the Doc U crew descended on the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) for the Hot Docs kickoff gala.
Earlier in the day Chris Bevacqua and I went to pick up our delegate packages. The sun was out as we hoofed our way along University from Queen to Bloor and back. We bumped into Jon Ornoy near the registration building and sat down for a chat. He’s in town to pitch With Glowing Hearts, his doc about social media and the Olympics.
We picked up our recyclable Hot Docs bag, full of a lot of stuff that is bound for the recycling bin, but a lot of useful things too, like our travel allowance cheque and our program guides. Some party invitations were in there too, but I think I probably had enough at the gala to last me a few days. As Chris went back to the hostel to rest, I found some jerk chicken and a sunny spot in the grass at Osgoode Hall and began marking up my agenda for the next 9 days. See the bottom of this post my schedule.
I put on my Sunday best (sneakers and a blazer) and caught the subway up to Bloor to meet up with the Doc U crew (some don’t arrive until the weekend). We shared a pitcher across the street then headed down the green carpet into the cavernous ROM.
Chris, Kathleen, Sue, Jules, Hayley, and Yours Truly
Doc U is actually put on by a combination of different agencies for different provinces. For BC and Quebec, this is Astral Media. For the Ontarian filmmakers, and there are many, the agency is ________ (help me here Ontarians). The TDF scholarship that Gabriele Kislat (from Quebec) and I receive is unique to the Astral Media version of the scholarship, as is the $1,000 travel assistance that all of us receive. Our Ontarian friends (Sue, Kathleen, Jules, and Hayley so far – also met Eric from Windsor last night but he didn’t show up until a little later) are quite a talented bunch. Sue, Kathleen and Jules are just finishing up at Ryerson University, a two year master’s program in documentary film. Hayley just finished as a film major from Queen’s University and has a very impressive 7 (seven!) Rendézvous meetings (15 minutes pitch sessions, your project ideas are selected by buyers and they decide if they want to meet you).
Heheh… a little tangent here: as I’m writing this entry in the hostel common room this morning, the feeding frenzy has begun. Sharply at 9:00am there is a good morning announcement and plates stacked high with pancakes are rushed to the table. Hungry travelers dig in. Aunt Jemima quivers with fear. Chewy.
Dr. Nakamatz and Me.
I’m quite looking forward to the Toronto Documentary Forum on Wednesday and Thursday – I actually bought a pass to watch Storyville at VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival) last September and the first pitch on the TDF schedule is Family Portrait in Black and White by sister and brother team Julia Ivanova and Boris Ivanov, who also run many of the DOC BC workshops back in Vancouver. Their demo from VIFF was very effective, quite emotional, and I think successful as it seems they received some funding there.
As I shamefully double fist a wine and a very nice tequila, Chris and Jules approach me with (a little bit of drunken) excitement. Dr. Nakamatz is in the room! Dr. Nakamatz is none other than the inventor of the CD and the floppy disk among 3,373 others patents and he is also the star of The Invention of Dr. Nakamatz, a documentary which I will be screening on Saturday.
Here is my agenda for Hot Docs, as planned:
Friday April 30:
1:40 Babies
4:00 Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage Lay in the grass
7:15 The World According to Ion B.
9:45 Gasland Slice and a beer then blog.
Saturday May 1:
2:00 Disco and Atomic War didn’t do that
4:15 The Invention of Dr. Nakamats (with Arsy-Versy) - was very cool
7:00 Chemo - beautiful
9:45 Doc U – Life With Murder Screening – not my cup of tea
11:59 The Year Punk Broke - too tired!
Sunday May 2:
10:00 Doc U Welcome
12:00 Doc U Brunch
18:30 Sex, Magic, Manifesting Maya - took a break
21:30 International Doc Challenge (133 Years will be there in spirit) – mixed feelings
23:45 Talhotblond - too tired!
Monday May 3:
10:00 Doc U – Creative Approaches to Docs (Kevin McMahon – Waterlife)
11:45 Doc U – The Producer’s Role (Deborah Parks)
14:00 Doc U – The Devil Operation Screening
16:00 The People vs. George Lucas (or Tues 23:45)
17:30 Hot Docs Happy Hour – visited friends Dan, Toni and Oliver
19:30 The Mirror (with Freshwater Plague) - still visiting
23:45 The Parking Lot Movie
Tuesday May 4:
14:30 Doc U – Off the Grid Doc Funding (Stephanie Boyd)
16:15 Doc U – Story Structures (Life With Murder team)Rendézvous meeting – Rendezvous delayed to Thursday
16:30 Doc U – Story Structures (Life With Murder team) - just caught the last bit
17:30 Hot Docs Happy Hour
18:30 12th and Delaware
21:30 I Bought a Rainforest
23:45 The People vs. George Lucas (or Mon 16:00)
Wednesday May 5:
8:30 Toronto Documentary Forum - awesome
13:00 Doc U – Kickstart (miss first 1/2hr for TDF) - stayed at TDF, then lunch with Gabi
17:30 Hot Docs Happy Hour - chilled out a bit, blogged
19:00 Space Tourists
21:15 Wasteland
Thursday May 6:
8:30 Toronto Documentary Forum – awesome once more
13:00 Doc U – Workshop (miss first 1/2hr for TDF) - still at TDF, then Rendezvous meeting with Sue Turley
17:30 Hot Docs Happy Hour - free drinks!
21:00 DOC Party - fun!!
Friday May 7:
11:00 Doc U – Selling Your Work (Robin Smith, Kinosmith)
12:00 Doc U – Wrap-Up Meeting
19:00 Hot Docs Awards
20:00 Closing Night Party
Apres gala (mellow subway ride)
Whew! That’s a lot of stuff isn’t it? Why on earth am I posting my schedule here anyways? I dunno, but I’ve done it so it’s too late now. Why on earth am I spending so much time on this blog??? The things I get myself into…
