The Staircase Presents Canada’s
Travelling Film Festival
By: Kathy Garneau
Canada’s Travelling Film Festival Coordinator for Hamilton
18-28 March 2003: At long
last the Staircase is pleased to invite everyone to an extravaganza
of Canada's best feature films in 2002. Including children's matinees
on the weekend!
I first heard about the festival ten years ago when I was a filmmaker
living in Vancouver. The festival founder, John Dippong was super
keen on Canadian Films and noticed that aside from film festivals
in Canada’s three largest cities (Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal)
there was a noticeable absence of Canadian film on theatre screens.
John had the brilliant idea of putting together a package of Canadian
films and touring them to cities and towns. In the first year he
took my short documentary,”Rules for Romance” and several
other Canadian films to a handful of towns in B.C. I and other filmmakers
travelled along with the festival. It was really exciting. People
in small cities and towns were always surprised at the diversity
of Canadian films and downright grateful that we brought the festival
to their town. I fondly remember Nelson BC in particular where we
were put up in an amazing B&B and even treated to a massage!
The next year I was invited back to join Canada’s Travelling
Film Festival with my first feature, “Tokyo Cowboy”.
Then the year after that, my one hour documentary, “Chore
Wars” toured without me. I was busy moving to Hamilton!
I've been in Hamilton for 7 years now. My efforts here shifted
to creating a haven for improvisational theatre and other arts.
In 1998, my partner, Hugh MacLeod and I bought a former hydro substation
on Dundurn Street and renovated it into this crazy thing called
The Staircase Café Theatre. The Staircase is our dream for
creating an accessible, affordable, space for improv, fringe theatre,
live music, dance, visual arts and lately the screening of films.
Recently we purchased a projector and screen so we can show films
not otherwise shown on Hamilton’s theatre screens. As a filmmaker
this was especially exciting to me. Bringing the Canada’s
Travelling Film Festival to Hamilton seemed like a natural progression.
I am very excited about bringing great movies to this wonderful
city. I have met many people here in Hamilton who are also very
excited about viewing the best in Canadian cinema on the big screen.
After the festival our film programming will continue. McMaster
University Cultural Studies professor, Imre Szeman, Filmmaker/artist
Lorne Kredl and film enthusiast, Brian Van Adel are working hard
to find interesting programming to bring to The Staircase. We also
are working with Tor Lukasik Foss from the Art Gallery of Hamilton
to be a part of the Photophobia Film Festival.
Festival Specifics
The Staircase presents: Canada’s Travelling Film Festival
March 18-28, 2003
An extravaganza of Canada’s best feature films in 2002 including
2 FABULOUS KID FILM PROGRAMS, Regina and Talespinners.
Tues March 18 7:30pm Opening Night Gala
True Meaning of Pictures
(documentary)Do photos of hillbillies exploit their poverty and
ugliness, or celebrate a marginal lifestyle? The Appalachian families
tell their side of the story.
Wed March 19
7:30pm McLuhan’s Wake
A visually dazzling and dynamic study of the life of a truly original
Canadian thinker and media guru, Marshall McLuhan.
Thurs March 20
7:30pm Bollywood Bound
(Documentary) 4 hip young Canadian actors of South Asian descent
set off to make it big in Bombay’s movie industry
Fri March 21
7:30pm FUBAR
Mockumentary about mullet-haired Calgary buddies, inching toward
40, clinging to their teen glory days of beer, pot, hockey and
Camaros. A crowd favorite at the Sundance Fest.
10pm Le Marais (The Marsh)
A fantasitical tale of two social misfits set in 19th century
Eastern Europe. They eke out a living as performers, staging puppet
shows for local village children.(French with English subtitles)
Sat March 22
1pm Regina
A vivacious entertaining fun-for-all-ages musical about a young
Icelandic girl whose secret weapon is her amazing singing voice.
7:30pm Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner)
The ultimate epic escape - an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing
strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle
of its menace. Won Camera d’Or at Cannes.
10:30 pm Bollywood Bound
(documentary) 4 hip young Canadian actors of South Asian descent
set off to make it big in Bombay’s movie industrySun March
23
1pm Talespinners
Hot new short animated films from the NFB for children age 5-10.
7:30pm McLuhan’s Wake
A visually dazzling and dynamic study of the life of a truly original
Canadian thinker, Marshall McLuhan, media guru.
10pm Duct Tape Forever
The residents of Possum Lodge head on a road trip to the States,
hoping to win a contest and thus pay a fine.All Screenings at
The Staircase Café Theatre 27 Dundurn St. N. (1 block North
of King)
For movie descriptions go to www.staircase.org
For more detailed descriptions of films go to http://www.movingpictures.nisa.com/
or pick up program at The Staircase. Tickets to all screenings
are $5 each and available in advance call 905.529.3000. We accept
Visa MC, AmEx and debit)
$1 festival membership is required for all ticket sales.
Canada’s Travelling Film Festival Coordinator for Hamilton
Kathy Garneau
kathy@staircase.org
www.staircase.org
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