Reelworld Film Festival is celebrating it's 9th year running a film festival that celebrates diversity. I have been to the festival every year since it's inception and have participated in many different ways. I started out as a volunteer doing all kinds of things in the first year as it needed someone to show up and get the work done so i pitched in where I could. In year 3 I became the volunteer coordinator and did that for 2 years. In the second year that I volunteer coordinated the festival it inspired me to come up with a project that would give the volunteers an opportunity to be involved in the making of a film instead of just volunteering for the festival. I wanted to elevate them to creators as well as volunteers. So I decided to put together a film and have them participate. All I wanted to do was facilitate this project but unfortunately I ended up taking on the writing, directing and producing roll as well as many other roles to complete the project. It's been 3 years but I am finally finished the film and I am finally happy with the results being the short film called "POTLUCK". I realized that being a part of Reelworld changed the course of my life. I had spent the past 25 years as a freelance photographer/makeup artist and now i merged into the roll as a filmmaker. I have always been interested in different cultures as in how other people eat and think and speak. When I was a child my mother used to take me to an annual event called "Caravan". We would go to churches and community centres around Toronto and sample the food of many different cultures and view their arts and music and dance. I always found it fascinating and I especially enjoyed trying all the different kinds of foods. So I guess when I look back now it makes perfect sense that I would make a film like POTLUCK. Potluck is a film about a potluck party that celebrates diversity and different foods are brought to the party and everyone mixes together into what is sometimes referred to as a "Melting Pot". I have 2 melting pots in the film.. I like fondue so I illustrated it that way.
I now attend the Reelworld Film Festival and am able to just appreciate the festival and the beautiful films that are made by people all over the world. I haven't had much time this week but I was able to see the Opening Night Film "Gospel Hill" by actor Giancarlo Esposito based on a true story it tells of a small towns fight to keep their town away from developers looking to build a golf course. Yesterday I saw 2 vastly different films. The first film I saw was "SKID ROW" a documentary film starring PRAS from the FUGEER It was a look at Pras living in SKID ROW for around 170 hours and seeing the reality of what people deal with on a daily basis. I brutal and raw look at life on the streets. I then saw a beautiful, smart and funny film called "SHADES OF RAY". I really enjoyed this film. It was about a guy that had interratial parents and wanted to marry a white woman until his father set him up on a date with a woman that had the same cultural background as him. He struggles between what he thinks he wants and what he really feels is right for him. This film had a great cast and very witty dialogue. If you get a chance to see these films somewhere please check them out and support them so these filmmakers can continue to make stories that don't follow the hollywood stereotypical stories.
I realized this week that being a part of the Reelworld Film Festival which has been one of my favourite festivals has inspired me and changed my path in life and has also brought some of my best friends into my life.
Embrace diversity and it will expand your world.
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