“In the words of an old friend, ‘Hollywood is not a real
place’. It's a common misconception that great cinema only comes from "Hollywood". The more we get involved in National Canadian Film Day,
the more I realize that you can make a great film anywhere in the world. Even
though I think Wood Buffalo filmmakers have proven this on many occasions with
the national and international awards that we've won, it's really cool to see a
film and then realize its Canadian made. It's a real sense of pride,” says
Toddske Hillier, founding member of YMMFMA.
This year YMMFMA have given the people of Fort McMurray a
voice allowing local film lovers to vote for their favorite film.
“During the month of March, we had an elimination-style
tournament on our social media pages that pitted Canadian-Made films against
one another. Due to screening rights issues, we only had a select number of
films we are able to screen through our National Film Day Sponsor, REEL CANADA.
We had to pick a list of 16 films, but it was clear from the beginning that
Gingersnaps was the crowd favorite. It's a horror film! A Canadian horror film
at that! It's a fun watch,” says Toddske.
Ginger Snaps written by Karen Walton and John Fawcett,
directed by John Fawcett, features two death-obsessed sisters, outcasts in
their suburban neighborhood, who must deal with the tragic consequences when
one of them is bitten by a deadly werewolf.
Rated 18+, Ginger Snaps is a free event to attend. The
screening will take place at the Keyano Recital Theatre, Wednesday, April 29, 8pm-10pm.
Formed in 2012 and officially sanctioned under the Alberta
Societies Act in April of 2013, the Fort McMurray Filmmakers Association is a
Registered Non-Profit Organization dedicated to encouraging film making in the Regional Municipality of Wood
Buffalo and beyond. The group supports local film artists by providing a platform to network, share ideas, resources and most of all make films! The YMMFMA is
free to join and they welcome anyone regardless of their skill level.
“Many films made from Wood Buffalo filmmakers have gone on
to achieve great success. Cody Bown, who is from Fort McMurray but currently
living in Vancouver, had a couple of his films screened at Cannes. Kelton
Stepanowich has won many awards for his films. We've also had community members
win craft awards. It's incredible to see many community members enjoy success
in their own worlds. One of the major milestones for a filmmaker is to watch
their finished project on the big screen with an audience. We like to give a
platform for Wood Buffalo filmmakers to achieve this; whether it's through our
monthly YMM Shorts Series at Keyano Theatre, where filmmakers screen their
projects in front of a film from the Toronto International Film Festival, or
whether it's one of several competitions and film festivals we do throughout
the year, winterREELS, YMMIFF, and Film Fear. We also try to provide helpful
workshops and talks to assist filmmakers on perfecting their craft. Whether
it's through member-led workshops or having another filmmaker come to our
region. We aim to be able to provide support to filmmakers and film fans in
Wood Buffalo” says Toddske.
If you would like to become a member of the Fort McMurray
Filmmakers Association please visit their website, http://ymmfma.com.
For more information on Ginger Snaps please visit https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=kethe
Batman verses
Spider Man in a bar fight, who would win?
Toddske: Batman
hands down. Batman beats anybody including the shark from Jaws! Spider-Man
would be too busy trying to come up with one-liners to even pay attention to
the Dark Knight.
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