CineSiege 2007

CineSiege 2007 is a juried showcase screening of outstanding productions of 2006-2007 by talented young filmmakers in AMPD’s Department of Cinema and Media Arts.

The program will feature a selection of short films – riveting dramas, cutting-edge experimental works and provocative documentaries – chosen by five external jurors.

The CineSiege picks were selected from a shortlist of 20 productions nominated from the overall pool of 193 films made at York last year.

Jurors will be on hand at CineSiege to introduce the winning films and explain why they were selected.

Jurors:
Doug Dales, Founder & Chairman, PS Productions
Sara Diamond, new media artist, curator and writer, and President, Ontario College of Art & Design
Maya Gallus, filmmaker
Liam Lacey, film reviewer, The Globe and Mail
Laurie Lynd, film/TV screenwriter and director

CineSiege is made possible through the generous support of

Jury

	Doug Dales is the founder and Chair of the Board of PS Productions, a company providing professional motion picture equipment to leading film and television producers across Canada. A graduate of AMPD’s Department of Cinema and Media Arts  and the London Film School, England, Dales applied his professional education, his hands-on experience as a lighting technician, and his visionary flair for business to launch PS Productions in 1972, when he was only 22 years old. Since then, Dales has nurtured the growth of PS along with the production industry as a whole through his professional work and volunteerism. He currently serves on the boards of the Canadian Film Centre, Sheridan Institute Film School, Film Ontario and Reel Canada. His service to the industry has been recognized by the Canadian Society of Cinematographers’ Bill Hilson Award (1998) and the Jack Chisholm Award (1999) given by the Canadian Film & Television Production Association.
	Sara Diamond is a social historian, communications and new media theorist and creative practitioner, and president of the Ontario College of Art & Design. Prior to joining OCAD, she held several senior appointments at The Banff Centre, where she served for a decade as artistic director of media and visual art, and as director of research from 2003 to 2005. Diamond created the renowned Banff New Media Institute (BNMI) in 1995 and led this research and development centre for ten years. She developed international summits and workshops that explored the near future of new media, and built alliances between artists, designers, architects, scientists, social scientists, and international and Canadian businesses. Under her leadership, BNMI developed award-winning new media co-productions. She led research teams in data visualization, mobile new media content and engineering, fashion and technology, distance learning, collaborative methods and tools for collaboration, and art and technology. In collaboration with Heritage Canada, she created and served as editor-in-chief of www.horizonzero.ca, an online showcase for new media art and design. Diamond is a practising artist and designer, working in video installation, artist’s television and most recently conversation visualization software, artificial intelligence and performance. She has represented Canada in international biennials and festivals, and her art and design work has won awards in Canada and abroad. Her work is found in collections such as the National Gallery of Canada and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She contributes to scholarly journals and books, speaks about media history and practice around the world, and is the curator of video and new media exhibitions in Canada and abroad. She has acted as a new media consultant to Heritage Canada and the federal Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as well as international governments, institutions and agencies in China, the UK, Argentina, Finland, Australia, Brazil and the USA.
	Maya Gallus’ feature-length documentary Girl Inside premiered at Hot Docs 2007 in Toronto and has played at various film festivals, including DOXA in Vancouver, the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, New Fest in New York and Frameline in San Francisco. Her first film, the award-winning documentary Elizabeth Smart: On The Side of the Angels, which she directed, wrote and co-produced, premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1991, then screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, Boston Museum of Fine Art, Canada House, UK and other festivals. On The Side of the Angels won Best Production of the Festival, Best Documentary and Best Editing at the 1991 Yorkton Golden Sheaf Awards, as well as Best Narration at the 1991 Atlantic Film Festival. It was nominated for Best Direction at the 1992 Gemini Awards and has been broadcast in Canada and internationally. Gallus’ provocative feature-length documentary Erotica: A Journey Into Female Sexuality premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1997, followed by screenings at the Melbourne Film Festival; MostraRIO, Rio de Janeiro; the Feminale Festival in Germany; the Fetisch Film Festival, France; Frameline, San Francisco; Los Angeles Out Fest; and many others. Erotica played theatrically in Toronto, San Francisco, San Sebastian and Tokyo, and was broadcast in Canada, the U.S. and internationally. Erotica was nominated for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 1997 Genie Awards and Best Arts documentary at Hot Docs 1998. In 2002, Gallus formed Red Queen Productions with Justine Pimlott. Together they created, produced and directed Punch Like A Girl, the critically acclaimed six-part reality series on amateur women’s boxing. Punch Like A Girl was broadcast in Canada and the U.S. and was nominated for two Gemini Awards for Best Direction in 2003. Gallus and Pimlott co-produced Fag Hags: Women Who Love Gay Men in 2005. Written by Gallus and directed by Justine Pimlott, Fag Hags won the audience award at the 2005 Inside Out Film Festival and Best Canadian Film at the 2006 Reel Out Film Festival. The film has since played at NewFest, the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film festival and San Francisco’s Frameline, among others, and has been broadcast on CBC. Gallus is currently developing feature documentaries and narrative fiction films.
	Liam Lacey has been an arts writer for The Globe and Mail for more than 25 years. He contributes to critics’ panels for Entertainment Weekly and Screen International and has also written for Cinescope Canada.
	Laurie Lynd is a film and television writer/director based in Toronto. His most recent feature film, Breakfast with Scot, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and will be released theatrically by Mongrel Media. Lynd’s next directing project is the film adaptation of Geoff Ryman’s ‘Wizard of Oz’-inspired novel, Was, with a screenplay co-written by Lynd and 2006 Costa Book of the Year award-winner, Stef Penney, co-produced by Talisman Films (UK) and Savi Media (Canada). Lynd’s first feature, House, and his musical shorts, The Fairy Who Didn’t Want to be a Fairy Anymore (Genie Award, Best Short) and RSVP, all premiered at TIFF and the Sundance Festival. His TV work includes directing the BBC mini-series I was a Rat, featuring Academy Award-winner Brenda Fricker and Tom Conti, which opened the 2002 Sprockets International Children’s Film Festival and won the audience choice YTV Silver Sprocket Award for Best Feature, as well as Best Children’s Program at the 2002 BANFF International Television Festival. He has also directed episodes of MTV/Logo’s Noah’s Arc, CTV’s Degrassi, and Showtime’s Queer as Folk.

 

Nominees

	Wanda & Miles 13 min. Director / Writer : Lesley Chan Director of Photography : Grant Wood Assistant Camera : Maya Bankovic Sound : Tim Pytlik Editor : Jared RaabWanda and Miles move a lot, but journeys aren’t so easy when you’re carrying a heavy suitcase and a heavy heart.
	!Viva Jopo¡ 17 min. Director : Jared Raab Writer : Darby M. MacInnis Producer : S. Brent Martin Director of Photography : Chuck Taylor 1st Assistant Director : Jordan Masciangelo Editor : Victor Bout Sound : Rachelle Audet Sound Mixer : Matt Chan Composer : Sascha DrewsWhen Vernon Wells starts his new job as the janitor of Anson House nursing home, he has no idea what he is in for. It isn’t easy to imagine that within a few days he will be participating in a secret revolutionary plot to overthrow the tyrannical director. Of course, it is his first day, and he has yet to meet Jose ‘Jopo’ Posada.
	Untitled 6 min. Director / Writer / Director of Photography / Editor / Animator : David Frankovich Sound : Emi Paternostro Sound Editor : Rachelle AudetA man with amnesia desperately tries to recollect his own identity and life’s work. The film employs a minimalist rotoscope animation technique to convey a haunting crisis in narrative.
	Stalking Ava Gardner 10 min. Director / Writer : Claire Lowery Editor : Caitlin Cameron Sound : Sean MasseyA film about how the seemingly innocent love for Hollywood actresses can become a serious problem for your mental health.
	Souvenirs From Asia 11 min. Director / Writer : Joyce Wong Producer : Brent Martin 1st Assistant Director : Mathieu Martel Director of Photography : Maya Bankovic Assistant Camera : Alejandro Munoz Sound : Tim Pytlik and Mon Josef Editor : Jared RaabHanjoo Somerfield is about to explode. She is a “trans-racial” adoptee (Asian child adopted by Caucasian mother) who is completely alienated from both her Korean roots and Western society. She blames this on her adoptive mother, who romanticizes Oriental culture and unwittingly suffocates Hanjoo with its traditions. After a string of particularly embarrassing events, Hanjoo finally decides to teach her mother a lesson about racism.
	Rock Paper Scissors 17.5 min. Director / Writer : Jamie Cussen Producer : William Beauchamp 1st Assistant Director : Lindsay Mackay Director of Photography : Russell S. Bell Assistant Camera : Chuck Taylor Gaffer / Composer : Brodie Spaul Editor : Chris Murphy Sound / Sound Editor : Sean MasseyIn the orange groves of Florida comedy is blossoming as three nine-year-olds embark on a quest for beer and cigarettes. This leads them down the path towards adulthood where they find something greater… love.
	Reinforced Therapy 4.5 min. Director / Producer/ Writer / Director of Photography / Sound / Editor / Sound Editor : Sarah Evans Composer : Virginia Little (Brantford Suzuki String School)”Practice makes perfect!”
	Murphy’s Law 17 min. Director / Producer / Director of Photography : Chris Murphy Editors : Jamie Cussen, Chris Murphy Featuring : Thomas Murphy, Kim MurphyAn intimate portrait of three men living under one roof, Murphy’s Law depicts the relationship between a father and his youngest son, seen through the eyes of his oldest.
	The Motel 13 min. Director / Sound Editor : Alex Unger Directors of Photography : Jill Harper, Frances Lai Location Recordist : Matt Greyson Picture Editor : Luke Van OschA young woman running a motel in northern Ontario falls for a guest from the outside world.
	Minimum Buy-In 13 min. Director / Writer / Composer : Maria-Saroja Ponnambalam Producer : Kumaraswamy Ponnambalam 1st Assistant Director : Madeleine Sims-Fewer Director of Photography : Frances Lai Assistant Camera : Alejandro Muñoz Editor : Stephanie Law Sound Recordist : Brandon Lane Sound Editor : Alex UngerBINGO — the easiest game to play, the hardest to leave.
	Living with Dragons 17 min. Director : Aliyyah Fazil Directors of Photography : Fiona Wong, Steven Ng Picture Editor : Celeste Diamos Sound : Samantha Shute Sound Editor / Composer : Maria-Saroja PonnambalamThis is our backyard, these are our neighbours and their stories.
	In The Wake of Sleep 12 min. Director / Editor : Nadia Tan Production Manager : Brent Martin Directors of Photography : Maya Bankovic, Russell S. Bell, Mathieu Martel, Jared Raab, Nadia Tan, Chuck Taylor Art Director : Caitlin Stephen Sound Design : Sean Massey, Nadia TanShe was in her house but it was not her house and it was raining but the rain was made of snow.
	The Good Son 15 min. Director / Writer : Amar Wala Producers / Sound Edit : Amar Wala, Mehran Jabbari Production Manager : Jaspreet Sandhu 1st Assistant Director : Matt Nayman Director of Photography : Mehran Jabbari Assistant Camera : Josh Fraiman Sound : Alex Unger Editor : Adam Crosby Composer : Dale KoshidaThe true story of a young boy who is forced to protect his family’s honour while risking his father’s freedom.
	Going Up 14 min. Director / Writer : Pearl Ball-Harding Producer : Albert K. Shin Director of Photography : Jillian Harper Sound / Sound Editor : Brandon Lane Editor : Daniel Reis Visual Effects : Matthew HarrisIn a day filled with equal parts adventure and fiasco, Ming, an elderly Chinese woman, and Ginny, a rebellious third-grader, forge an unlikely friendship in their mutual attempt to avoid the old lady’s past and redirect the little girl’s future.
	Four Walls 12 min. Director / Sound Editor / Designer : Raha Shirazi Writer : Ava Shirazi Producer / Director of Photography : Matthew J. Lloyd Production Manager : Jordan Masciangelo Editor : Avril Jacobson Sound : Darby MacInnisWithin four walls, three women from three different social classes of the Islamic Republic of Iran clash and connect in a night that will forever change their lives
	Fare 15 min. Director / Writer : Matthew K. Nayman Producer / Production Manager : Meng Wang Director of Photography : Joshua Fraiman 1st Assistant Director : Amar Wala Sound / Sound Editor : Matt Greyson Picture Editor : Mike BoersSeveral months after a traumatic experience, Amir returns to his job driving a taxi. It’s his first night back and a frightening vision has returned to haunt him. Will he be able to overcome his fears? Or has Amir picked up his last fare?
	Fairy-Tale Ending 13 min. Director / Producer : Nikki Saltz Directors of Photography : Steven Thomas, Adam Crosby, Nikki Saltz Editor : Adam Crosby Sound : Aliyyah Fazil, Madeleine Sims-Fewer, Matt Greyson Sound Editor : Sari Goldfluss Composer : MixEtcNot your everyday princess.
	The Exquisite Corpses 17 min. Director : David Frankovich Writers : Lesley Chan, David Frankovich Director of Photography : Maya Bankovic Production Designer : Lesley Chan Costume Designers : Sonia Hong, Ashley McClare, Jody Vanderwood Editor : David Frankovich Sound Editors : Karis Malszecki, Emi Paternostro Mixers : Sean Massey, Emi Paternostro Composers : Danger Music Ensemble (Kenta Aoki, Bryar Gray, D. Alex Meeks, Craig Saltz, Caylie Staples)A camp surrealist musical about sex, death and cult cinema. A cast of weird and wonderful characters struggle to find their place in a world that doesn’t quite make sense. A celebration of the cult of cinema and those who are drawn to it in worship
	The Escape Clause 18 min. Director : Scott Boyd Producer : Jordan Masciangelo Director of Photography : Mathieu Martel Sound : Andrew McWhorter Editors : Jamie Cussen and Scott Boyd Sound Editors : Matt Greyson, Sean Massey Composer : Mantis Animators : Jordan Lloyd and Julian BrownThe story of a dangerously coolheaded magician and a world record attempt of epic proportions.
	Ants and the Ocean 13 min. Director / Writer : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian Director of Photography : Mehran Jabbari Sound Design : Alex Unger Editors : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian, Mehran JabbariA film in six short chapters, each presenting a direction and a way of thinking. All segments concentrate on their desires, creating a sense of chaos towards the end of the film. Loneliness lives within unity, terror exists on the shores of ecstasy.

Jury’s Selections

	Wanda & Miles 13 min. Director / Writer : Lesley Chan Director of Photography : Grant Wood Assistant Camera : Maya Bankovic Sound : Tim Pytlik Editor : Jared RaabWanda and Miles move a lot, but journeys aren’t so easy when you’re carrying a heavy suitcase and a heavy heart.
	Murphy’s Law 17 min. Director / Producer / Director of Photography : Chris Murphy Editors : Jamie Cussen, Chris Murphy Featuring : Thomas Murphy, Kim MurphyAn intimate portrait of three men living under one roof, Murphy’s Law depicts the relationship between a father and his youngest son, seen through the eyes of his oldest.
	Four Walls 12 min. Director / Sound Editor / Designer : Raha Shirazi Writer : Ava Shirazi Producer / Director of Photography : Matthew J. Lloyd Production Manager : Jordan Masciangelo Editor : Avril Jacobson Sound : Darby MacInnisWithin four walls, three women from three different social classes of the Islamic Republic of Iran clash and connect in a night that will forever change their lives
	The Exquisite Corpses 17 min. Director : David Frankovich Writers : Lesley Chan, David Frankovich Director of Photography : Maya Bankovic Production Designer : Lesley Chan Costume Designers : Sonia Hong, Ashley McClare, Jody Vanderwood Editor : David Frankovich Sound Editors : Karis Malszecki, Emi Paternostro Mixers : Sean Massey, Emi Paternostro Composers : Danger Music Ensemble (Kenta Aoki, Bryar Gray, D. Alex Meeks, Craig Saltz, Caylie Staples)A camp surrealist musical about sex, death and cult cinema. A cast of weird and wonderful characters struggle to find their place in a world that doesn’t quite make sense. A celebration of the cult of cinema and those who are drawn to it in worship
	The Escape Clause 18 min. Director : Scott Boyd Producer : Jordan Masciangelo Director of Photography : Mathieu Martel Sound : Andrew McWhorter Editors : Jamie Cussen and Scott Boyd Sound Editors : Matt Greyson, Sean Massey Composer : Mantis Animators : Jordan Lloyd and Julian BrownThe story of a dangerously coolheaded magician and a world record attempt of epic proportions.
	Ants and the Ocean 13 min. Director / Writer : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian Director of Photography : Mehran Jabbari Sound Design : Alex Unger Editors : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian, Mehran JabbariA film in six short chapters, each presenting a direction and a way of thinking. All segments concentrate on their desires, creating a sense of chaos towards the end of the film. Loneliness lives within unity, terror exists on the shores of ecstasy.

Award Winners

Best Alternative Film Honourable Mention Awarded To – David Frankovich	The Exquisite Corpses 17 min. Director : David Frankovich Writers : Lesley Chan, David Frankovich Director of Photography : Maya Bankovic Production Designer : Lesley Chan Costume Designers : Sonia Hong, Ashley McClare, Jody Vanderwood Editor : David Frankovich Sound Editors : Karis Malszecki, Emi Paternostro Mixers : Sean Massey, Emi Paternostro Composers : Danger Music Ensemble (Kenta Aoki, Bryar Gray, D. Alex Meeks, Craig Saltz, Caylie Staples)
Best Alternative Film Awarded To – Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian	Ants and the Ocean 13 min. Director / Writer : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian Director of Photography : Mehran Jabbari Sound Design : Alex Unger Editors : Pouyan Jafarizadeh Dezfoulian, Mehran Jabbari
Best Cinematography Awarded To – Chuck Taylor	!Viva Jopo¡ 17 min. Director : Jared Raab Writer : Darby M. MacInnis Producer : S. Brent Martin Director of Photography : Chuck Taylor 1st Assistant Director : Jordan Masciangelo Editor : Victor Bout Sound : Rachelle Audet Sound Mixer : Matt Chan Composer : Sascha Drews
Best Documentary Film Awarded To – Chris Murphy	Murphy’s Law 17 min. Director / Producer / Director of Photography : Chris Murphy Editors : Jamie Cussen, Chris Murphy Featuring : Thomas Murphy, Kim Murphy
Best Documentary Film Honourable Mention Awarded To – Scott Boyd	The Escape Clause 18 min. Director : Scott Boyd Producer : Jordan Masciangelo Director of Photography : Mathieu Martel Sound : Andrew McWhorter Editors : Jamie Cussen and Scott Boyd Sound Editors : Matt Greyson, Sean Massey Composer : Mantis Animators : Jordan Lloyd and Julian Brown
Best Editing Awarded To – Sarah Evans	Reinforced Therapy 4.5 min. Director / Producer/ Writer / Director of Photography / Sound / Editor / Sound Editor : Sarah Evans Composer : Virginia Little (Brantford Suzuki String School)
Best Fiction Film Awarded To – Lesley Chan	Wanda & Miles 13 min. Director / Writer : Lesley Chan Director of Photography : Grant Wood Assistant Camera : Maya Bankovic Sound : Tim Pytlik Editor : Jared Raab
Best Fiction Film Honourable Mention Awarded To – Raha Shirazi	Four Walls 12 min. Director / Sound Editor / Designer : Raha Shirazi Writer : Ava Shirazi Producer / Director of Photography : Matthew J. Lloyd Production Manager : Jordan Masciangelo Editor : Avril Jacobson Sound : Darby MacInnis
Best Sound Awarded To – Tim Pytlik	Wanda & Miles 13 min. Director / Writer : Lesley Chan Director of Photography : Grant Wood Assistant Camera : Maya Bankovic Sound : Tim Pytlik Editor : Jared Raab
Best Script Awarded To – Amar Wala	The Good Son 15 min. Director / Writer : Amar Wala Producers / Sound Edit : Amar Wala, Mehran Jabbari Production Manager : Jaspreet Sandhu 1st Assistant Director : Matt Nayman Director of Photography : Mehran Jabbari Assistant Camera : Josh Fraiman Sound : Alex Unger Editor : Adam Crosby Composer : Dale Koshida