IMDB Votes

Hello to anyone that is reading this.

I just got my last 2 films onto IMDB so there are now 5 of my films listed on IMDB along with other films I have done makeup for. Each film needs at least 5 votes to be counted in the rankings. So if you have seen any of the films please go to the IMDB website. link here- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1228224/ and VOTE.

I realize that you won't be able to see POTLUCK or HOMELESS YOGA because they are over 15 minutes so they aren't posted online anywhere but they are going to film festivals so if anyone is able to see any of them at a film festival please VOTE.

You can see some of the other films on either MOBIFEST.. http://www.mobifest.ca under Integrity Films or some are also posted on You Tube and other sites include http://www.torontourbanfilmfestival.com and http://www.shortsnonstop.com and MOFILM .

A couple are also on here somewhere or on my Myspace page.

films somewhere on the Net are:

Rockstar
Urban Zombies
Getting the Boot
What do you want to be?
Fishman
The Tree Killer
Jeannette's Alzheimers Movie Review.

Not all are listed on IMDB but you can check out whatever films you would like to see somewhere online.

I am working on a trailer for Homeless Yoga so hopefully I can post that soon.

So please Vote.. and I will be your friend FOREVER..

Earth Day

Today is Earth Day!! It makes me think of all the things I should be doing to preserve the Earth. I made a little one minute short film called Random Act of Tree Hugging where I had all of my coworkers hug a tree to show how much we appreciate the Earth.

This morning I made sure I unplugged everyting I could.. I took the TTC and I haven't had any meat yet.. I am not sure how well I will do all day but I will try and do what I can. Unfortunately I am addicted to bottled water even though I know it's one of the worst offenders. But hopefully I can somehow balance things out or maybe even shift the balance to more good than harm. That's the goal everyone should be trying to achieve today and in the future. MORE GOOD THAN HARM! my new motto I guess..

Here is a cool link in the meantime to check out on Earth Day.. Breathing Earth

Diversity adds a different perspective

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.

Festival time

Now begins the Festival madness. I finally completed "Homeless Yoga" and revised "POTLUCK" so the festival submission process begins. Yesterday I sent Potluck to the Big Sur Film Screening Series in Big Sur, California because they sent a request for me to submit it so I figured it was worth a little makeover and try and get it out there and see what happens. Yesterday I also filled out my TIFF submission form. They ask a lot of questions and require a lot of stuff which I am still pulling together so I need to send them the film today as it must be postmarked by tomorrow. No rush or anything.. I don't know if the film will get into TIFF but it's like a lottery ticket, you can't win unless you buy a ticket. So i am buying my submission fee to get into Tiff and then I will wait and see what happens. I am not an edgy filmmaker, I just reflect life so who knows if it's something the Tiff programmers will like or not. All I can do is try and wait.

So i am very relieved that both films are now completed and now it's time to jack up the state of my health to get ready for festival season. Upcoming festivals include: Reelworld, Hot Docs and the Worldwide Short Film Festival which I submitted 2 films to. So I will try and attend as many festivals as I can and then pray that I get my film into Tiff so I can attend as a green room volunteer and also as a filmmaker this year.

So will have to wait and see..... more to come.