Arts Cuts: Make Your Voice Heard

The BC Liberal Government has proposed massive cuts to arts funding over the next few years. If you are an artist, have artistic children, or if the arts in any form have enhanced your life PLEASE contact your MLA and encourage your tribe to do so too.

Be informed, check out the Stop Arts Cuts website: http://www.stopbcartscuts.ca/

Apparently ‘ink’ petitions are more powerful, so get out your pen and write right now! This blog has some great guidance: http://stopbcartscuts.wordpress.com/

I can’t even begin to articulate how opposed to the cutting of 92% of the funding allocated to Arts in BC over the next few years I am. At the Wrecking Ball, an fund raising event put together by the vibrant theater community, the statistics were presented so colorfully and humorously. In the new year the government is going to be making some big budget related choices, NOW IS THE TIME TO CONTACT YOUR MLA. I don’t feel like reiterating the facts, I just want to remind you that your voice counts and now is the time to speak out.

If you Twitt follow these great tweeps:
http://twitter.com/AllianceArts
http://twitter.com/stopbcartscuts

May BC remain a colorful province. May artists everywhere be victorious. :: Creativity Counts ::

 

moving for words: a short film

Last month I wrote about Enlightened Cinema, a monthly gathering at the Chai Gallery hosted by Winston Rekert bringing together a community in appreciation of independent film making. That evening in January, local performer/actress Lisa Petrucci expressed that she had an idea for a short film. That film idea turned into a script, then Winston drew together a crew to help Lisa’s vision manifest into a short film. He introduced me to Lisa and when she read her script to me I resonated deeply with her theme of dreams, and how a dream can give us insight on important events in our lives, or important people. The dance between the conscious and the subconscious. Desire, do we act upon it or suppress it out of fear of being hurt, or our minds getting in the way.

crew of moving for words

So, from Lisa’s beautiful vision and script I got to work on my first short film with actors. I got to direct along side Winston, which was an insightful process. I also produced and edited the film and enjoyed working with cinematographer Ahmed Badawi. We shot the film in two days and I had to co-ordinate the musicians to record the score in between my mad schedule and busy family life. But it happened, this project had a synergistic flow to it and it all came together in time for the film to be showed on the second ever Enlightened Cinema on February 3rd, although I had to connect my laptop to the projector as I had not yet compressed and copied it onto a DVD.

Lisa Petrucci

We filmed in the beautiful Pacific Spirit Park, and were a frozen bunch by the end of the day. The second day of filming was in the most wonderful second hand bookstore, Bibliophile, at 2010 Commercial Drive. If you have not been there you should go check it out, it is loaded with charm. I managed to scoop up an incredible book on traditional Indian textile patterns, which is a major passion of mine. Scott, the manager, was super hospitable to us filming in his store. I also have to give props to actor Aryo Khakpour, he was very helpful on set and did such a great job acting.

Bibliophile - best used book store

Solen enjoyed being around the set. At Chai Imin Shekere a few days after we finished filming, he had my video camera and was quite the little director with the patrons and performers! It was so cute seeing him interview people and directing shots throughout the evening. I am sure he will be mighty useful on future sets.

Solen on set

Do it people, get your ideas onto paper, collaborate, get the right people together and set a deadline. Voila, in one month a finished project.

If you are curious about the project, I’d be happy to show you the 10 minute movie. Short film and tea and conversation.

moving for words/moving forwards

 

Enlightened Cinema at the Chai Gallery

This evening I got back from the first initiative of bringing together an existing conscious and creative community to put their focus towards appreciating and creating movies with uplifting and conscious content. Hosted by award winning actor and producer Winston Rekert at the Chai Gallery in Vancouver, there will be monthly screenings of short films produced by the community, as well as other local and international films. For years the Chai Gallery has been a gem in Vancouver, serving organic ayurvedic eastern food, being a venue suitable for the whole family to enjoy music, and money going to NGO’s to benefit children who’s lives are affected by war. On any given night it is packed with a sweet crowd and a little later the dancefloor is alive with groovers young and old.

The first ever Enlightened Cinema at Chai evening started with a partial screening of Baraka, then Winston screened several other short films courtesy of the Spiritual Cinema Circle, as well as a short film by a local film student. After the viewings the collaborations began and people started sharing their ideas and experiences. It was so wonderful for me to see the beautiful space filled with a large screen, projector, and a room filled with people enjoying films! The Chai Gallery’s co-owner Mustafa Reza has a degree in film and with so many of the colorful people that are involved with the space having an interest or passion in video in one way or another, and with Winston Rekert’s experience and willingness to cultivate a progressive video community, there is now a possibility for a vibrant community to shine even brighter.

To become involved with community filmmaking efforts, contact: chaicinema@gmail.com

So if you know any eager film-makers, actors, composers or friends who have a story to tell, please put the word out or come out and enjoy some of the best Chai Vancouver has to offer, good food, great people, and inspiring films of course.

Chai Gallery Restaurant, 3243 West Broadway. 1st Tuesday of the Month starting January 2009 7pm-10pm

I can’t wait to write about any possible projects that have started from this evening after next month’s Enlightened Cinema at Chai.