Cinesiege 2004

CineSiege 2004 is a juried showcase screening of outstanding productions of 2003-2004 by talented young filmmakers in AMPD’s Department of Cinema and Media Arts.

The program features eight short films, selected from a shortlist of 21 productions.

Jurors:
Cameron Bailey
Judy Gladstone
Avi Lewis
Barbara Sternberg
Wiebke von Carolsfeld

News Release

CineSiege is made possible through the generous support of

Jury

	Cameron Bailey reviews film for Toronto’s Now magazine, CBC Radio One and the CTV network’s Canada AM. A past president of the Toronto Film Critics Association, he presented international cinema nightly on Showcase Television’s “The Showcase Revue” (1998-2002) and produced and hosted the interview show “Filmmaker: on the Independent Film Channel Canada. For eight years he selected films for the Toronto International Film Festival, serving as the founding programmer of the Festival’s Planet Africa section and head of its Perspective Canada series. He co-wrote the screenplay for 1997 film The Planet of Junior Brown with director Clement Virgo. His video essay, Hotel Saudade, premiered at the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival.
	Judy Gladstone has been the executive director of Bravo!FACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent; www.bravofact.com) since 1997. She also administers MaxFACT, a similar foundation with the Quebecois music channel MusiMax. Previously, she served as coordinator of the Canada Fund for Dialogue and Development (1993-1995) and as cultural attache at the Canadian Embassy in Tel Aviv (1991-1993).
	Avi Lewis worked for three years as the host and producer of counterSpin on CBC Newsworld. During the 1990s, he was host/producer of “The New Music” on City TV and MuchMusic, where he also served as political specialist. His 1993 election night special won him a Gemini Award for best special event coverage. He directed, shot and edited the short film Gustavo Benedetto: Presente! (2002) and most recently co-directed and co-produced the critically-acclaimed feature documentary The Take (2004) with journalist and author Naomi Klein.
	Barbara Sternberg has been making experimental films since the mid-1970s that have been widely screened in Canada and internationally. Her productions of the past decade include distinctive, multi-part works such as Through and Through (1992), midst (1997) and Like a Dream That Vanishes (2000) as well as works in video, CD ROM and installations. She is a co-founder of Pleasure Dome and an active member of Toronto’s film community.
	Wiebke von Carolsfeld won the CityTV Award for best Canadian first feature at the Toronto International Film Festival, best first feature at the Sudbury Film Festival, best screenplay at the Atlantic Film Festival and a Director’s Guild nomination for outstanding achievement in direction for her first feature film, Marion Bridge (2002). Previously, she worked for many years as picture editor (The Five Senses, Eisenstein (Genie nomination for best editing), The Bay of Love and Sorrows), made two short films which screened internationally and served as director observer on Atom Egoyan’s Ararat.

Nominees

	Withdrawal 18 min. Director : Elise Cousineau Producer : Pete Adams Director of Photography : Christine Jeoffroy Editor : Samantha Stokell Sound : Conall Pendergast Assistant Director : Morgan PassiNo one should have to be lonely. Jury note: The characters are well developed and interesting and their dialogue resonates with real life in this poignant commentary about the complex nature of friendship.
	Turn it off 18 min. Director / Editor : Brad McGregor Cinematography : Carl Elster, Mara EpsteinA short documentary attempting to debunk the myth of sustainable development and show how close the empire of economic growth has brought us to the ends of the humanity. Jury note: The very important topic of energy consumption is explored in a reasoned and yet soul-searching film that offers hope for the future precisely because of the integrity, seriousness and sensitivity of these young filmmakers.
	Stuck 11 min. Director : Nick Butler Cinematography : Jacqui Okum Editor : Andres Livov-Macklin Sound : Katie Quanz, Tamar DitzianThree very different strangers find themselves caught in an elevator together. Jury note: Very nice three-part parallel structure and a nice light touch as the three protagonists share a moment that might – we are left to consider after the film’s end – unstick them from the ruts of their lives.
	Sometimes People Forget 6 min. Directors : Jacqui Okum, Aaron Van Borek Characters : Reesa DelDuca Sound Effects : Marq TollerIn the post-post modern world of giant cities and human enhancement, three societal misfits, “dark,” “stark,” and “strange”, find themselves reconnecting with something ancient and profound in this completely ‘hand-made’ film. Jury note: In this interesting commentary on the consequences of conformity, the filmmakers display an innovative use of the artistry of drawing matched by thought-provoking subject matter. Beautiful!
	Pepsi U 22 min. Director : Paul Germain Editors : Paul Germain, Mladen Kovacevic Cinematography : May Chew, Justin Maalihan, Mladen Kovacevic, Jan-Paul Tibensky, Emmanuel MutsuneA documentary about York University, higher education in general, student debt, rising tuition and the corporatization of campuses. How much does learning really figure into the university experience and why are there Pepsi ads everywhere? Jury note: This Canadian Michael Moore demonstrates his strong filmmaking instincts and challenges the community around him to look at itself. This is the best of what documentary can do.
	MAGie 5:30 min. Director : Andrew LennoxA hand-made film. Jury note: The complex visual effects and the intriguing use of colour and texture, achieved through toning, tinting and re-filming, create the film’s contemplative, meditative mood.
	Life Eternal 16 min. Director / Editor : Andres Livov-Macklin Cinematography : Jorge Rangel Sound : Tamar DitzianA family visit to Argentina in December 2003 explores three different points of view on life, death, memory and growing old. Jury note: An elegant consideration of time, aging and eternity set within the question, ‘What is the role of cinema, of image-making?’ Lovely and wistful, the simplicity hides a refreshing lack of pretense.
	Hysterica & The Wandering Womb 5 min. Director : Michelle Lovegrove ThomsonRendered in hand-cranked black and white, this film is a stylized and melodramatic look at the pathologizing of women’s bodies by science in the past century. Jury note: The hi-con, silent-movie treatment perfectly suits Thomson’s send-up of the doctor’s treatment of female hysteria – scary stuff indeed but offered with intriguing visuals.
	Hawaii 10:08 min. Director : Chris Nash Cinematography : Dave Clark Editor / Special Effects : Adi Ashburner Sound : Josh BolesOne day while walking home from his job on an assembly line, Roc spots a woman and instantly falls in love. She requests one impossible task from Roc: to give her the sun. Jury note: A dark evocation of urban life with a very effective sound score and a stick figure hero alive with unexpected emotion. The grey sterility, detritus and ambiguous ending are masterfully handled.
	Forever Boy 22 min. Director / Editor : Lara Mrkoci Cinematography / Sound : Jacqui OkumAndrej, the filmmaker’s brother, has been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder. This documentary attempts to capture Andrej’s perspective and winds up exploring the family’s struggle to understand his unique reality. Jury note: This courageous and memorable documentary manages complexity without forcing it. The family and filmmaker’s involvement is key.
	Duck Blind 20 min. Director / Writer : Matt Lennox Producer : J.J. Stocker Cinematography : Pavel Patriki Editor : Melissa Brenner Sound Design : Mike TersigniMemory, sacrifice, and the spectre of war. A lonesome veteran finds redemption in an unexpected friendship. Jury note: A hugely ambitious film which puts a human and local face to the amorphous term ‘war’ and poignantly asks: Who are the sitting ducks and where is the lie that justifies war?
	Cycle 6:42 min. Director / Editors : Nico Pereda, Chelsea McMullan Cinematography / Editing : Alejandro Coronado, Shannon HanmerA young man’s erratic bicycle journey. Jury note: The hi-con film stock itself suffers the same concussive blows as the protagonist in this affecting film made with very minimal visual means and a unique approach to storytelling.
	Bath Time 6:38 min. Director / Editors : Chelsea McMullan, Raha Esfahani Cinematography & Sound : Alex Coronado Cortez, Matt LloydA girl’s fear of the bathtub quickly turns into an outlet for her imagination. Jury note: In this small, quirky film with great underwater footage, camera placement and lens choice set the sixties’ stage perfectly.

Jury’s Selections

	Solstice 12 min. Director : Tess GirardEven though she ripped up all the photos, she could still smell the perfume he once gave her.
	The Patient 9 min. Director / Editor : Marc Betsworth Producers : J.J. Stocker, Marc Betsworth Cinematography : Pavel PatrikiLate for work and reeling from a domestic dispute, a celebrated psychiatrist fails to bridge the gap between her personal and professional life.
	Love Letters 5 min. Director : Michelle Lovegrove ThomsonThe frustrating thing about film is its dual ability to bring us close to celebrities, while maintaining an impenetrable distance. In an attempt to reconcile the distance between us by putting herself into the very medium that causes the separation, the filmmaker offers a filmic love letter.
	Jade and the 4th of July 13 min. Director / Editor : Catherine Howe Cinematography : Jorge Rangel, Catherine Howe Sound : Tamar DitzianAn exploration of a father’s life that is captured and stuck in time, yet difficult to recall.
	In Memoriam 10 min. Director : Lina Rodriguez Producer : Tricia Lee Cinematography : Madison Matthews Editor : Ryan Neill Sound : Tamar DitzianA widow rebels against life without her husband and comes to the realization that his absence will always be part of her life.
	Hogtown Blues 18 min. Director : Hugh Gibson Cinematography : Carl Elster Editor : Mike Tersigni Sound : Stephanie Da CostaToronto. Home to scores of refugees, many of them doctors and teachers, who mop floors and work on assembly lines just to survive Among them are Katsia, a single mother, and her estranged father Alexi, who together are forced to confront their dark and rugged past.
	Hocus Pocus 3 min. Director : Brian MalbonA wacky fusion of cameraless animation and progressive rock…with penguins!
	Anamnesis 10 min. Director / Editor : Brendan Foster Algoo Cinematography : Pavel PatrikiThe abusive childhood memories of two boxers come back to haunt them and illuminate their need for violence while they fight each other in the ring.
	MAGie 5:30 min. Director : Andrew LennoxA hand-made film. Jury note: The complex visual effects and the intriguing use of colour and texture, achieved through toning, tinting and re-filming, create the film’s contemplative, meditative mood.
	Hysterica & The Wandering Womb 5 min. Director : Michelle Lovegrove ThomsonRendered in hand-cranked black and white, this film is a stylized and melodramatic look at the pathologizing of women’s bodies by science in the past century. Jury note: The hi-con, silent-movie treatment perfectly suits Thomson’s send-up of the doctor’s treatment of female hysteria – scary stuff indeed but offered with intriguing visuals.