It’s been a while since I’ve posted on the site, and I suppose that is good, because I have been insanely busy during that time. When I finished my WGC internship in The Listener’s writing room at the end of February (which I will eventually write a proper post about), I started work on editing the web capsules for the interactive web project “Burgundy Jazz“. The project launched last month, and it is safe to say this was one of the most rewarding jobs I have done in my career. The subject, the history of Jazz in Montreal told through the lens of the black community that lived in Little Burgundy, was one that urgently needed to be told, and I am proud I could have been part of it.

The project itself has a lot of elements; it’s part web series, part interactive historical document, and part time capsule. It can be experienced in a web browser, in an iOS app, and in an e-book. Each platform has different content focused on what that medium is best at. Truth be told, I had little to no involvement in anything other than the 14 short docs we made (directed by David Eng), with the rest of it being handled by a fantastic team brought together by producer Katarina Soukup of Catbird Productions. I did however wear several hats (cinematographer, motion graphics artist, and editor). Tamara Scherbak (assistant editor) and I, along with our encyclopedia-like director David set out to make short (3-4 minutes each), dynamic, informative films, that would capture the essence of the personalities, the community, and the music that made the district special. After getting a hugely positive response at the screening and cabaret show at the Corona Theatre for the launch, I can safely say we succeeded. It has given me great joy to be a part of telling this story, especially the story of people whose fame didn’t reach out past the confines of Montreal.

It was especially rewarding to find out that so many people we interviewed or talked about found their roots in the Caribbean, with some having family from Trinidad & Tobago, where my dad’s from too. I became fascinated with how their immigration stories compared with my family’s experience. I got lost in daydreams of what it must have been like to be a young man or woman from the islands, and then to be suddenly thrust into the biggest party town in North America during Prohibition. These daydreams are slowly forming into fictional stories I am developing, melding my life as a documentary filmmaker and fiction writer together in a way I didn’t expect. I feel like I’ve always had my feet in two different professional worlds, and three different countries, and sometimes this has made me feel unfocused, and lost. It’s nice to have moments where things become clear, and you feel at home no matter where your feet are planted.

If you haven’t already, please take a look at Burgundy Jazz on the Radio-Canada site by clicking on this link: http://music.cbc.ca/modularpages/dynamicPage.aspx?pageUrl=Burgundy-Jazz&permalink=Burgundy-Jazz

You can download the free iOS app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/burgundy-jazz/id658159457?ls=1&mt=8

You can buy the e-book here: https://itunes.apple.com/book/id663804807?mt=11

And the soundtrack (essential for jazz lovers) is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/burgundy-jazz/id659705582

Trailer below.

Mimes! Lots and lots of Mimes! The Nina Slash music video for “Candy Box” is now online. Green Dragon’s Faisal Lutchmedial did the cinematography, with Adam Reider directing.

Making the Band, the second feature film by Ugandan-Canadian couple Phad Mutumba (director) and Xena Zandrah Bantarizah (producer) has won multiple awards at the prestigious Zanzibar International Film Festival. The film won the Chairman’s Award from chairman Martin Mhando who said of the film, “This is a Knock Out! Emotionally charged and that’s what Zanzibari / African audiences will resonate with… Absolutely a charm.”  This is the second year in a row Phaz Motion Pictures has picked up this award, the 2010 one going to the feature “My Policy”.

Making the Band also won the award for Best Score, awarded jointly to director Phad Mutumba and composer Jawad Chaaban. In addition to being an up and coming filmmaker, Mr. Mutumba is also a singer songwriter, and contributes many songs to the soundtrack, and worked with Chabaan to re-record some African classics with the rest of the cast.

The lighthearted drama follows four young woman trying to make it big in the music world with their Afro-pop band based in the most unlikely of places: chilly Montreal, Canada. When the girls unsuccessfully try to balance their day jobs, love lives, and band responsibilities, tensions flare and threaten to break up not just the band, but their close friendships as well.

Producer Bantarizah and lead actress Whitsa Jean were in Zanzibar to accept the awards. The Haitian-Canadian Jean, who has sung back up to Empire Isis, Catburglaz, and Mitsou to name just a few, also contributed to the soundtrack along with the other leads Kim Nelson and Linda C. Lerato.

Making the Band was produced by Simpli Phaz Entertainment, and produced in association with Green Dragon Productions, and Rail City Media.

Found an article written about Useless Things on the web, prompted by the upcoming screening in Toronto. The article can be found here.

I also thought that I would plug Adam Reider’s soon to be completed short film “Dog Sitter” which I produced. It’s taken us a while to get this film finished, part because of being busy on other projects, and part because we were trying to find out about music rights (which by the way, as a filmmaker can be an impossible and incredibly annoying task). We finally figured it all out and are working on the colour correction with editor James Hoffman and sound edit with Emory Murchison. On a somewhat related note, I’ve just signed on with Emory and Gabi Kislat on a documentary project as producer, and I’m really excited about it. Their company, Hot Smoked Pictures, is finishing up a doc about a Parkinson’s patient entitled “Musically Medicated” (it’s a subject I am very close to and have given them advice here and there about the production). Now, it’s time to get a new project up in the air, so to speak.

Lastly I am going to be producing a music video for the United Steel Workers of Monteal with James Hoffman directing. It’s for the song “Little Girl” off their latest album Three on the Tree. We’re collaborating with animator extraordinare Eva Cvijanovic and making a part animated, part live action / live show piece which I am sure to post here when it’s made.