Film Fridays
Welcome to Film Fridays! This blog series is still in its infancy, aka this is the second ever Film Friday, but I’ve got exciting plans. For now, I want to start off by profiling an organization that I love so much!
FAVA!
The Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta
I have known and appreciated FAVA for years, but I really got a taste of the organization when my documentary film, Expecting Sunshine, was selected to be screened at FAVA Fest this past August. I attended screenings created by many filmmakers, met like-minded people, experienced a demo of new tech, and toured their new digs in Orange Hub. What a blast!
FAVA FEST 2019 Poster
Hence, I am excited so share more about FAVA with you! It is such a welcoming and inspiring organization, and I hope you enjoy this little feature to round out 2019.
FAVA
MISSION:
The Film and Video Arts Society of Alberta (FAVA) is a not-for-profit, charitable society that exists to facilitate and support the creation, exhibition, distribution, and preservation of independent film, video and new media art in Northern Alberta.
VISION:
FAVA’s vision is to offer excellent and nationally recognized resources and opportunities to a diverse community of artists, to create and showcase independent film, video and media art.
What is FAVA? from FAVA on Vimeo.
GOALS & OBJECTIVES:
- public and contribute to the cultural opportunities available to all members of the community through the presentation of independent Canadian film, video, and media arts.
- To promote an appreciation for the aesthetic value of artistic works by Canadian artists in the areas of film, video and media arts.
- To educate, train, and develop skills in film, video, and media arts in its members and wider community.
- To promote and assist in the production of Canadian independent film, video, and media arts.
- To develop and sustain a media distribution system for Alberta media artists and the wider national community.
- To develop and sustain a media arts library of Alberta media art, and to create and maintain archival partnerships to permanently collect these works.
- To do all other ancillary to the above-noted objects including to give grants, lease lands, sell, manage, lease, mortgage, dispose of and otherwise provide and deal in and with equipment and other various objects and to raise money by a variety of methods including casinos, exhibitions and direct solicitation.
Some of the Expecting Sunshine documentary film crew (and friends) after receiving two FAVA FEST awards.
FAVA PURSUES THESE GOALS & OBJECTIVES THROUGH:
- acquiring and maintaining a large pool of equipment for the creation, screening and transmission of media art, at discounted rates for independent artistic endeavors;
- developing our members as artists and crafts people, through classes, workshops, networking, and mentorship opportunities;
- disseminating our members’ work through our two annual media arts festivals – FAVA FEST and the Gotta Minute Film Festival;
- distributing media art through our online arts broadcast and distribution initiative FAVA TV;
- communicating with our members and the general public through our website at www.fava.ca, our e-bulletin, Facebook, and Twitter
- supporting member projects directly, with modest cash, equipment and services grants
- commissioning new work;
- developing and maintaining internal library resources to collect the works of our membership and the greater Alberta media arts community through FAVA TV and FilmReel.
About the FAVA award boot!
VALUES:
FAVA’s values are the core set of beliefs to which the organization prescribes. They are an indication of what we believe to be important tenets of our existance.
- Developing a national identity as a centre of excellence, which supports media arts artists.
- Staying true to the spirit of independent filmmaking.
- The importance of story telling.
- Providing access to all means of technology and exhibition methods.
- Protecting and maintaining access to traditional filmmaking processes.
- Empowerment of artists.
- Maintaining equipment for members, so they can continue to commit to quality, craftsmanship and art.
- Welcoming, including and respecting all who come to FAVA.
- Partnerships with other communities, organizations, and initiatives.
- Preserving a collection of our members’ works.
- Having an engaged presence in the community.
Click here to learn more about FAVA
I’ve wanted to take FAVA’s Video Kitchen course for YEARS! One day soon I hope! Check out all FAVA’s courses by clicking here.
I am so honoured to be a FAVA award recipient. My two black boots are displayed lovingly in my home. In an effort to support FAVA, I will be featuring some of the FAVA members in the Film Fridays to come. Stay tuned.
Movie Night!
Did you read last week’s Film Friday? I wrote about showing my kids – ages 10, 7, and 3 – a movie that was one of my favorites growing up: The Gremlins. I was nervous about this because, when I re-watched the 1984 movie trailer, it looked much scarier than I remember it. But guess what?!?
My kids loved The Gremlins!
They loved it so much we did a “double header” as we call it, and watched Gremlins 2 as well!
I primed my kids for watching The Gremlins by telling them about puppets. “When you can’t see the bottom half of their bodies, they’re hand puppets. When you see the whole body of either the cute Gizmo or the grotesque looking gremlins, they are marionettes.”
I’m assuming this is true, though I haven’t done much research into how the filmmakers achieved their effects. In doing a little looking into it now, I suppose there are some robotics involved. Here are some pictures to demonstrate some of the behind-the-scenes effects.
Via Den of Geek
Via Den of Geek
Via Den of Geek
When the movies get creepy – like in the first film when a gremlin is using a chainsaw to try and kill the main character by cutting through a wooden bat – I reminded my kids: PUPPETS! They are only puppets! This realization in the moment of viewing really did help my kiddos not freak. Phew!
I have to say, I like Gremlins 2 better than the first. The second was funnier and more wacky. Crazy costumes, settings and premises.
This week, my family switched our family movie night to Thursday and headed to the theater to watch the new Star Wars Movie.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
I have to say, I’ve been a little ‘over’ the Star Wars franchise for a while now. It feels like a bit of a money grab – pumping out movies and merchandise, not to mention the new Star Wars area of Disneyland. Some of the new films feel repetitive. However, I like to see things through till the end. I’m the kind of person that will read a book or watch a movie all the way through till the last page or the final scene because I started it and am determined to finish.
The new Star Wars, which I truly do hope will be the last, was an entertaining ride. I enjoyed how it ended, and I won’t say more because I don’t want to be ‘that person’ and leak spoilers. I do, however, want to warn people that you should prepare yourself for strobe-like effects throughout. I thought to myself last night: “Thank goodness I don’t get seizures!” There are a lot of bright lightening flashes, and other flashes of bright light contrasted with dark settings during many of the battles… even dark night with bright snow flurries. My ten-year-old commented on this during the film as well. You gotta love seeing a movie with kids who chit chat throughout the whole movie haha!
There was one moment in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that I had a major visual deja vu. At one point Rey is walking and we see her from the shoulders up and her head is sort of silhouetted against the faint light. In that moment, I saw Gollum from the Lord of the Rings!! It was the shape of Rey’s neck and head, along with the way her hair hangs down. PLEASE WATCH STAR WARS AND PAY ATTENTION TO THIS MOMENT. I can’t be the only one to see this similarity.
Via Flickr member sN1pz0r
That’s about all I have to say for now. It was a fun movie. A nice wrap up to the saga with lots of cameos.
Happy Holidays!
Thanks for reading! I’ll catch you next time on Film Fridays!
TGIF
Thanks for reading!
– Alexis Marie Chute
