February
11, 2016. Reel Girls Media’s new documentary series, The
First Kiss And Other Rites Of Passage launches this February 11, 2016. All
ten episodes were filmed in Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie and will
be offered for free on demand on TELUS Optik ™ TV On Demand.
Do you remember buying your first car,
moving out of home for the first time, losing your virginity, your first
heartbreak, maybe even that first drink? These rites of passage help shape who
we are and mark important transitions in our journey through life. These memories
are universally experienced and at the same time deeply
personal. Firsts are crucial moments that mark milestones in
life. Firsts cover a huge range of human experiences, comic to
tragic, from the shameful to the sublime. The First
Kiss and other Rites of Passage is
a ten-part short documentary series that explores
these shared human narratives through intimate interviews.
“The idea for the series dates back to a
casual conversation where over a glass or two of wine, a few friends shared
stories about first kisses and losing our virginity,” recalls series
creator/producer/director, Ava Karvonen.
“I remember the pressures I felt
as a teenager and wanted to know about the experiences other people had and to
see if they were that different from my own.”
To personalize
the process even more, Ava included interviews with the crew in the series. After
all, she says, “If we were going to ask strangers about their personal first
experiences, then it was only fair to turn the camera on ourselves.”
As filming
progressed an underlying theme emerged about the universality of the human
experience. No matter where we come from or what our background is, we all go through
some of the same rites of passage.
The production
interviewed more than fifty people between the ages of sixteen and eighty. The stories
told were just as diverse as the people who told them including Fort McMurray Councilor Tyran Ault. When
asked about his First Job, Tyran Ault said, “My
first job was at McDonald’s… McDonald’s is probably one of the best jobs anyone
can have at an entry level. It’s super stressful, and you learn a lot about the
way business works very, very fast.” Richard Lukacs tells the story about losing his virginity as a young man. “I was like, ‘Wow, that’s it?’ It just feels
weird. Like that’s exactly the same as beer and cigarettes. I just don’t know
what people like about them. But I learned what’s good about all these things
ever since, so yeah, I learned to like it.”
The First Kiss and other Rites of
Passage was produced by Ava Karvonen and Reel Girls Media, with the
support of a community programming grant from TELUS Optik Local and
the assistance of the Government of Alberta, Alberta Media Fund.
REEL GIRLS
MEDIA is known for creating smart, original and innovative entertainment designed
for flexible multi-platform delivery to the global market. Reel
Girls Media projects have had more than 80 worldwide screenings and been recognized
with more than 40 international awards including Best Original Cross-Platform
Content at the Alliance for Children and TV Awards, Best Convergent New Media
at the CFTPA Indie Awards, and the Japan Prize. For more information go to www.reelgirlsmedia.com.
About
TELUS Optik Local
Telus Optik Local Community Programming seeks to support
programming and projects that reflect the local community, a diversity of
voices, innovative ideas and alternative views on existing or emerging issues
of importance in the communities it serves, featuring local places and events
in arts, culture, education and sports.
Social:
Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/yourfirstkissca/794788057285934
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/FirstKissTV @FirstKissTV
For more information,
interview requests or artwork contact:
Ava Karvonen, Reel Girls
Media Inc.
E-mail: ava@reelgirlsmedia.com
Phone: (780) 964-1899
