Reel Indie Film Festival Press Summary

1st Annual Reel Indie Film Festival October 16th to 20th, 2013 GAT PR Press Summary

Interviews completed October 11

680 News Interviewed; Avi Federgreen

October 15

The Ward and Al Show/ SiriusXM Satellite Radio-Canada Interviewed: Avi Federgreen

October 16

CityTV News Interviewed: Avi Federgreen, Darryl Hurs CityTV News Interviewed: John Densmore, Samuel Warren Joseph AUX Magazine Interviewed: Avi Federgreen, Darryl Hurs AUX Magazine Interviewed: John Densmore, Samuel Warren Joseph The Ward and Al Show/ SiriusXM Satellite Radio-Canada Interviewed: John Densmore, Samuel Warren Joseph, Darryl Hurs Notable.ca Avi Federgreen

Reel Indie Film Fest takes cue from SXSW Danielle Ng See Quan http://playbackonline.ca/2013/10/08/reel-indie-film-fest-takes-cue-from-sxsw/ The Reel Indie Film Festival launches Oct. 16 in Toronto with a lineup of music-themed indie features, shorts and music videos.

The festival is an opportunity to showcase indie films, driven by “pure passion” and smaller budgets, that wouldn’t necessarily be seen at other Canadian film festivals, says RIFF exec director Avi Federgreen.

It’s also a chance for emerging filmmakers to get face time with more experienced filmmakers to gather practical intel on topics like licencing and placement of music in film, financing films through crowdfunding, and pitching and marketing through digital and social platforms, he adds.

“Smaller festivals are better for emerging filmmakers to get those questions answered than the bigger festivals,” Federgreen says.

Federgreen came on board to run the inaugural Reel Indie Film Festival after a conversation with Indie Week founder Darryl Hurs at SXSW a few years ago.

Hurs was looking at ways to expand Indie Week as the indie music festival approached its 10th anniversary this year. The two thought that a film component would be a natural extension to the festival, taking a cue from festivals like SXSW, which has music, digital and film sections.

The four-day RIFF will focus on films that encapsulate musical inspiration and supporting filmmakers’ music-oriented stories.

Highlighting that merging of music and film is the newly announced keynote address on Oct. 17 by The Doors drummer John Densmore.

Densmore will speak at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel, following the world premiere of his film Window of Opportunity on Oct. 16 at 9:30. The film, produced by Densmore and written and directed by Samuel W. Joseph, will screen as a special presentation at the Royal, in addition to the festival’s six-feature lineup. The fest will open on Oct. 16 with Elise Salomon’s documentary Los Wild Ones, kicking off a festival lineup that includes six features, six shorts and six music videos.

A music video and a short film will precede each feature screening, says Federgreen. That screening lineup speaks to the natural progression of filmmakers to start their careers making music videos before moving on to shorts and features, he adds, citing director David Fincher as an example of a big name director who began his career directing music videos for Rick Springfield in the mid-’80s.

Canadian features on the roster include Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli’s doc Walking Proof; James Cullingham’s doc In Search of Blind Joe Death – The Saga of John Fahey and Mann Munoz’s drama The Legend of Jimi Lazer. The feature lineup also includes Maxine Trump’s doc Musicwood and closing night film Bayou Maharajah, directed by Lily Keber.

Also screening at the festival, headed up by exec director Avi Federgreen, are Purgatorium, a short from Canuck director Christine Buijs, and a slew of Canadian-directed music videos.

The complete festival lineup is available online.

Avi Federgreen named executive director of Reel Indie Film Festival Etan Vlessing http://playbackonline.ca/2013/06/13/avi-federgreen-named-executive-director-of-reelindie-film-festival/ Avi Federgreen has been named executive director of the inaugural Reel Indie Film Festival.

The showcase of music-themed indie films, to run in Toronto from Oct. 17 to 20, has turned to the Indiecan Entertainment founder to kickstart its debut edition.

“To launch RiFF, we looked for a partner that is active in the indie film community, and we are very happy to announce Avi brings with him great experience and knowledge in producing and distributing indie films,” said Indie Week founder Darryl Hurs in a statement.

Indiecan Entertainment’s upcoming release slate includes the Sheepdogs documentary The Sheepdogs Have At It. For more information, click here.

Radar: imagineNATIVE, Glengarry Glen Ross, Descant 162, Reel Indie, Lesbian Haunted House Jason Steidman http://www.blogto.com/radar/2013/10/radar_imaginenative_glengarry_glen_ross_des cant_162_reel_indie_lesbian_haunted_house/ FILM | Reel Indie Film Fest IndieWeek returns to Toronto today, and for the first time, brings with it a "companion program", the Reel Indie Film Fest. This festival-within-afestival will focus on the music-oriented work of independent filmmakers: everything from short films to features, and even music videos. Tonight's opening launch will include a screening of Window Of Opportunity, and will be followed by a Q & A with writer/director Samuel Warren Joseph and producer John Densmore (former drummer for The Doors). Royal Cinema (608 College Street) 6:30PM

Projections: 14th annual Toronto native film festival opens http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/movies/2013/10/10/projections_14th_an nual_toronto_native_film_festival_opens.html Reel Indie Film Festival: Indie Week Canada launches a new film-fest spinoff at the Royal on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. with Los Wild Ones, Elise Solomon’s lively doc about the oldschool rockers and music-scene mavericks who’ve made a haven out of the Los Angeles label Wild Records. RIFF continues to Oct. 20 with many more music-themed features, shorts and videos.

Entertainment City P.M.: Oct. 16, 2013 http://www.citynews.ca/2013/10/16/entertainment-city-p-m-oct-16-2013/

REEL TALK: Film Fests of October Chantelle Rodrigo http://www.torontoisawesome.com/the-arts/film/reel-talk-film-fests-of-october/ Alright Torontonians, this lovely city is hosting two film festivals simultaneously giving you plenty to do this weekend.

First up is the Reel Indie Film Fest (RiFF). Working hand in hand with Indie Week running from October 16-20th, the Film Fest portion showcases films focused on music.

What’s really great about RiFF is that it’s truly an indie filmmakers festival. During the day are panels and networking sessions that budding filmmakers can attend. For musicians, these panels have ideas on how to market yourself and your music. Artists also have the chance to drop off their demos with industry professionals and there’s even a demo listening session to follow. So whether you’re behind the camera, watching the film or creating the music for it, there’s a lot that will appeal to you. For tickets and schedule info, check out www.reelindiefilmfest.com

Canadian Features at the Reel Indie Film Festival (2013) Kindah Mardam Bey http://canadianfilmreview.com/canadian-features-at-the-reel-indie-film-festival-2013/ The first annual Reel Indie Film Festival in Toronto this weekend (16th-20th) kicked off to a very successful start. Executive Director of RIFF and Producer, Avi Federgreen (One Week, Still Mine, Moon Point), says the mandate of the film festival is “to support filmmakers’ music -oriented stories – in the forms of independent short and feature-length films, and music videos.” We checked out the three Canadian features screening.

WALKING PROOF Director: Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli Genre: Documentary Length: 1hr 11minutes Screening: Thursday October 17 – 7:00 pm – Royal Cinema 5 Stars SYNOPSIS: The film follows the 17-day process of making of Marcio Novelli’s debut full length album It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason. The independent Canadian singer songwriter entered the studio with producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police) without the support of a label.

THOUGHTS: Loved, loved, loved this documentary. Walking Proof is proof you don’t need to follow around a music legend on their quest for music excellence, you can hangout with Marcio Novelli making his debut album with just as much joy at seeing something special onscreen. Marcio is actually talented and the album is definitely purchasable after seeing this documentary, so it is easy to jump down the rabbit hole with Marcio and his team in the magic that is making an album.

The documentary is engaging whether you have seen a lot of “making of” music documentaries or not. Director Matthew Dorman (and Marcio) did a phenomenal job of

editing the film and making it look sharp and fully professional. Assuming the budget was pretty much nothing, a lot was accomplished and at a very high level of quality, taking on the adage – do a job well or don’t do it at all. The cast of characters was as much fun to watch, Jim Wirt is full on awesome and highly skilled as is the slightly off-beat Nick Blagona. It was fantastic to see bassist for Alexisonfire, Chris Steele, come down to the studio and play on the album.

Most of all, Walking Proof came down to Marcio and whether he could pull it off – make his first full album in seventeen days and be interesting enough to be followed in a documentary. Marcio managed to do both and bring the audience into the intimate setting of the studio and creative process of a team. Touching moments were seen in the film with Chelsea, Marcio’s wife and Manager along with moments of humour, such as everyone trying to figure out what a “number 3” was.

Walking Proof has a feel to it, style and a voice. Call me a fan.

IN SEARCH OF BLIND JOE DEATH – THE SAGA OF JOHN FAHEY Director: James Cullingham Genre: Documentary Length: 58 Minutes Screening: Saturday October 19 – 7:00 pm – Royal Cinema 3 Stars SYNOPSIS: The film chronicles the astounding life and achievements of the guitarist, composer, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001.) Fahey was influenced by music from around the world, including India. In 1959, as a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., Fahey began playing a sitar.

THOUGHTS: An eye-opening look at the life of John Fahey. Sometimes flattering, sometimes harsh on this personality of an alternative music industry. Pete Townshend makes an appearance saying “Fahey had a real edge about him, I think that’s why I liked him”, Calexico and the Decemberists all also interviewed about John. Fahey is equal parts character, personality, revulsion, genius and “spiritual detective” according to this documentary. You get a glimpse at a man who was badly abused as a child, a lost and wondering soul throughout his life who died a tragic ending, and yet somewhere amidst the sadness, Fahey became a musical madman just daring enough to try anything once and make “music for music’s sake” as one interviewee suggests.

James Cullingham takes the time to build a visual history that is interactive and creative.

Extensive research went on behind-the-scenes of the film with a spectacularly rare interview of Fahey playing his guitar on his lap, being interviewed and smoking a cigarette. Also, Cullingham constructs Fahey’s past with rare footage and photos patchworked with imaginative drawings and transitions that create a lot of texture to the

visual element of the story.

A highlight was John Bussard of Fonotone Records who is a personality in himself declaring “The best music has already been recorded, my friend” as he pulls a vinyl from a collection that is an entire wall’s worth. Fahey had a hard childhood, which seemed to separate his personality between a tortured soul and a virtuoso architect of music; his solace was found in redefining music. In search of Blind Joe Death – The Saga of John Fahey is an apt examination of one artist’s talent that could have ended up in obscurity.

THE LEGEND OF JIMMY LAZER Director: Mann Munoz Principle Cast: Genre: Narrative Length: 1hr 30minutes Screening: Saturday October 19 – 9:30 pm – Royal Cinema 2 ½ Stars SYNOPSIS: Imagine a guitar that could make your wildest dreams come true… but Jimi Lazer, wannabe rock-star, isn’t counting on the price he has to pay.

THOUGHTS: I really went back and forth with this film. The plot is unique and intriguing to have a band and guitar being a sort of pilgrimage to return to its original state twenty-five years later, you get a sense that we are fighting for something. On the other hand, the direction was at times abstract in a creative way and abstract in a bad music video montage way. The script also had similar pitfalls of drawing you in then leaving the viewer in complete confusion. The reference to Robert Johnson at the beginning, the curse of the 27th year for singers and the tie-in to the devil seemed to all be elements that struck a chord straight away, and had us all listening but ultimately the bounty of title cards, chapters and inability to translate the film into something more engaging for audiences made The Legend of Jimmy Lazer quite tedious.

Learn more about the Reel Indie Film Festival at: http://reelindiefilmfest.com/

Reel Indie Film Festival 2013 http://www.thegate.ca/event/reel-indie-film-festival-2013/

The Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is excited to announce its full lineup of six features, six shorts and six music videos, for the inaugural music-themed film festival.

FEATURES: Los Wild Ones – directed by Elise Salomon (USA) (doc) – Opening Night Film (Canadian Premiere) Sponsored by William F. White Reb Kennedy and the artists on the L.A. based indie label, Wild Records, are chronicled in this honest look at an unconventional yet tight-knit family.

Musicwood – directed by Maxine Trump (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) an adventure filled journey that is also a political thriller with music at its heart.

Walking Proof – directed by Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film follows the 17-day process of making of Marcio Novelli’s debut full length album It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason. The independent Canadian singer songwriter entered the studio with producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police) without the support of a label.

In Search of Blind Joe Death – The Saga of John Fahey – directed by James Cullingham (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film chronicles the astounding life and achievements of the guitarist, composer, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001.) Fahey was influenced by music from around the world, including India. In 1959, as a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., Fahey began playing a sitar!

The Legend of Jimi Lazer – directed by Mann Munoz (Canada) (narrative) (Canadian Premiere) Imagine a guitar that could make your wildest dreams come true… but Jimi Lazer, wannabe rock-star, isn’t counting on the price he has to pay.

Bayou Maharajah – directed by Lily Keber (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) – Closing Night Film – Sponsored by SIM Digital Explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed ‘the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.’

SHORTS: Black Metal – directed by Kat Candler (USA) A Little Bit Country – directed by Amy Coop (UK) Jessie and the Fountain of Youth – directed by Tracey Anarella (USA) R. Luke DuBois: Running Out Of Time – directed by H. Paul Moon (USA) Purgatorium – directed by Christine Buijs (Canada) Necronimica – directed by Kyle Bogart (USA) MUSIC VIDEOS: Will My Lady Love Me – directed by Dave Howard (Canada/Toronto) Circle – directed by Dominique Van Olm (Canada/Toronto) To The Beat – directed by Marc Atom Borins (Canada/Toronto) Suiside of Life – directed by Geoff Marshall (Canada/Toronto) Halo – directed by Dan Davidson (Canada/Edmonton) Some Sweet Relief – directed by Kat Candler (USA/New York City) Full details on all films and complete lineup order can be found online http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ All RiFF screenings will take place at the historic Royal Cinema, in Toronto, 608 College St. A short film and music video will precede each feature film.

RiFF – an extension of the international music festival Indie Week – seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. The four-days of screenings, industry panels and parties, celebrate the marriage of film and music.

Single ticket–$10 | Day pass–$20 | Full Festival Pass—$50 All details on ticket prices and packages available online: http://ticketf.ly/1bMWEbe

REEL INDIE 2013 REVIEW: MUSICWOOD Liam Volke http://thetfs.ca/2013/10/16/reel-indie-2013-reviewmusicwood/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TorontoFilmSce ne++Toronto+Film_Scene%29#.Us7V2yiQTOc Musicwood is a documentary directed

by Maxine Trump about a group of the world’s most famous acoustic guitarmakers brought together by Greenpeace to travel to the largest national forest in the U.S. and negotiate with a Native American logging company to save the trees from clearcutting–and save the acoustic guitar.

Controversy erupts over this region located in southeast Alaska, and as different factions struggle to make their voice heard, the best hope to bring them together may be the music itself.

This film probes controversial territory, as environmentalists clash with the Native American landowners, who aren’t particularly keen on being told by outsiders how to manage their own property, after only just getting it back from the U.S. Government in the 70s. This alone lifts the story out of a simple mother earth vs. human greed narrative; however, while this is the central conflict of Musicwood, the film always brings the focus back to the music, including interviews not just with the guitar-makers, but notable and insanely talented acoustic guitarists like Yo La Tengo, Steve Earle, and Kaki King. This is more than a black and white issue, and director Trump does an excellent job making sure all sides are heard, without losing the clarity and urgency of its message: no more trees, no more guitar.

Is Musicwood essential Reel Indie viewing?

Absolutely. Musicwood brings a fresh perspective to an old story, and anybody especially interested in acoustic music should check this one out.

Musicwood screening time Thursday, October 17, 2013 – 9:30pm – The Royal

REEL INDIE 2013 REVIEW: BAYOU MAHARAJAH Daniel Janvier http://thetfs.ca/2013/10/19/reel-indie-2013-review-bayou-maharajah/#.Us7YiiiQTOc Lily Keber’s Kickstarter funded Bayou Maharajah is a love letter to the self proclaimed Black Liberace which seeks to share the genius that was James Booker. A man as hilarious as he was terrifying, the portrait of Booker sans stage is crafted entirely from interviews of close friends, former managers, and those who performed with him. The real treat from the film, and the need for the Kickstarter campaign, comes in the form of previously unreleased photographs, audio recordings, and glorious live performances that showcase his influences amongst his eloquent semi-improvised compositions.

But who was James Booker? A piano virtuoso? A gay icon? A lunatic? Keber’s study of the man Dr. John once called “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced” introduces all aforementioned possibilities without taking a definitive stance on subject.

While personal stories from Harry Connick Jr, the Night Tripper, various managers and musicians paint an image of a man who was as exciting to be around as he was a nightmare to work with, the end product doesn’t say anything beyond “this guy was interesting.” Tragedies and triumphs dealt in broad strokes end the doc with as much mystery as there was at the beginning. What saves the film are live performances that Keber allows to play in their entirety. If anything will prove that Booker is a legend worth learning, it’s watching him perform.

Is Bayou Maharajah essential REEL Indie viewing?

For musicians and lovers of the New Orleans sound, absolutely. I cannot offer enough praise to Keber for making the concert footage available to the public. That alone is breathtaking and it is the film’s greatest success. For the average viewer or fans of documentary filmmaking, Bayou Maharajah will come across as competent at best and repetitive at worst. Outside of the fascinating sequence in which Harry Connick, Jr. delves into the influences of Booker’s technique, not a lot of the interviews are particularly illuminating.

Bayou Maharajah screening time Sunday, October 20, 2013 – 7:00 pm – The Royal

REEL INDIE 2013 REVIEW: LOS WILD ONES Mike Giardino http://thetfs.ca/2013/10/15/reel-indie-2013-review-los-wildones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+TorontoFilmScene+%28Toronto+Film+Scene%29#.Us7aKiiQTOc

Los Wild Ones is a feature-length documentary that focuses on an L.A. based indie record label and the rockabilly subculture it specializes in. The film documents the lives of the, mostly young Hispanic, artists signed to Wild Records and label head Reb Kennedy. Through their highs and lows, the film shows how this unconventional record label has really become one big close-knit family.

This is a film that pleasantly surprised me. The artists documented are legitimately interesting and likeable people, each with their own strengths and flaws. Music is the thing they all have in common, with the artists often residing in more than one band at a time. They all do it because they enjoy making music and playing for the small subset of people that will listen and come to their shows. The artists have someone who believes in them; that someone is Kennedy. Kennedy has an interest in his artists’ succeeding, not only because of the money, but because of the relationships he has formed with each of them. Most of the artists are not able to commit 100% to the music because they hold day jobs in order to stay afloat. If it wasn’t for Kennedy, they would have never gotten the opportunity to travel outside the U.S. to do what it is they love.

The film also tackles his hesitation towards transitioning into the digital world and releasing tracks to iTunes, a major change from the vinyl records he still produces.

The film’s story left me not only emotional, but had me pulling for the artists who I feel deserve nothing but success.

Is Los Wild Ones essential REEL Indie viewing?

Yes. I feel like people interested in the music industry or people looking for something different would really enjoy this film. It gives you a look into the 1950s rockabilly subculture that is still in demand by a small group of people around the world.

Los Wild Ones Screening Times Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at 7:00 pm at the Royal Cinema

REEL INDIE 2013 REVIEW: WALKING PROOF Dayna Brubaker http://thetfs.ca/2013/10/18/reel-indie-2013-review-walking-proof/#.UthDkCiQTOc For an aspiring musician, walking into a recording studio to create and record your first album is a dream.

Canadian singer and songwriter, Marcio Novelli made this dream a reality near the end of 2011. To capture the moment, Walking Proof was shot over the 17 days that Novelli, producer Jim Wirt, and engineer Nick Blagona, worked together to create Novelli’s debut fulllength album, It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason.

This look into the process of recording an album from director and editor Matthew Dorman, shows a mastery of the documentary format. Dorman draws from footage taken during the recording sessions, talking head interviews from Novelli, Wirt, Blagona, and others who were involved with the process, as well as personal videos and confessions from Novelli during breaks from recording. Novelli’s music and spirit have a great influence on the film. Walking Proof, much like the featured music, are upbeat and seem to find the silver lining in every struggle. While much of the focus is on Novelli, his first-time experiences in the studio and working to create the record he’s always wanted, the real highlight comes from the camaraderie between him, Wirt and Blagona. In only a short 17 days the three formed a very interesting and sometimes hilarious relationship, which unfolds very nicely in Walking Proof.

Is Walking Proof essential REEL Indie viewing?

For fans of Marcio Novelli and his music, Walking Proof is a must see. For the casual viewer or nonmusician though, there’s no need to rush out and see it.

Walking Proof screening time Thursday, October 17, 2013 – 7:00 pm – The Royal

ADDICTED WANTS TO SEND YOU TO INDIE WEEK IN TORONTO Nadia Elkharadly http://www.weraddicted.com/addicted-wants-send-indie-week-toronto/

This year Indie Week turns 10 years old and the crew here at Addicted wants YOU to be a part of it.

One of Toronto’s freshest and most exciting music festivals, Indie Week’s mission is to bring the newest and best in up and coming and established talent in music. Indie Week will feature tons of bands in venues all around Toronto. Taking place from Wednesday, October 16th to Sunday, October 20th from the evening to the early hours of the morning (many venues will be boasting a four A.M. last call) it’s sure to be a fun and discovery filled week.

Along with an incredible lineup of musical talent, 2013 will be the inaugural year of the Reel Indie Film Festival, showcasing rising talent in the film industry, just as Indie Week showcases new talent in music.

Keynote speaker John Densmore from The Doors will be on hand showcasing his new book AND film. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to see a legend in the flesh.

Check back with Addicted for film and music recommendations and enter our contest by clicking HERE to win passes for you and a friend to Indie Week and the Reel Indie Film Festival! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, October 16th. Good luck!

RIFF – REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Mark Munroe http://www.weraddicted.com/riff/ October 16th marks the inaugural launch of the Reel Independent Film Festival in Toronto. RiFF, which also centers around Indie Week, “seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that make us think, that move us, and that capture the essence of a band or song.”

Riff hopes to pave the way to create a new outlet for up and coming film makers to showcase their work to the film, music and media industries to open opportunities that may not have previously existed. And that’s something that we we here at Addicted are always excited about, the opportunity to bring new talent to the forefront.

When we heard about RIFF, we had to make sure we have you the opportunity to join in the fun. To that end we will be giving away two double passes to the opening film Los Wild Ones TODAY! So join me on Twitter @MarkMunroeMusic today at 7PM when I give away the passes to two lucky addicted readers. All you have to do it tweet to me with the phrase, “Send me to see #LosWildOnes at @Riff_Toronto with @WeRAddicted” and the passes are yours. (Film Screens at 7pm Wednesday October 16th at The Royal Cinema) Good luck and hope to see you there!

RIFF CLOSES STRONG WITH BAYOU MAHARAJAH Mark D’Amico http://www.weraddicted.com/riff-closes-strong-bayou-maharajah/

For the 10th anniversary of Indie Week in Toronto, audiences were invited to attend a new companion program: the Reel Indie Film Festival. Sponsored by the motion picture equipment facility William F. White, which itself is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the film festival ran from October 16th-20th with nightly screenings at The Royal Cinema, showcasing music videos and films in both long and short formats.

Executive Director Avi Federgreen outlined his intention behind the festival and the year’s selections, describing a focus on “stories that capture music’s cultural and emotional history, as well as music’s ability to move people.” These core themes are all represented to great effect in the festival’s closing lineup, which featured a touching music video for David Wingo‘s Indie Rock project Ola Podrida, followed by director Kyle Bogart‘s hilarious short film Necronomica , and finishing with a fantastic biopic entitled Bayou Maharajah , which Federgreen personally cited as his key inspiration behind the entire festival.

“Some Sweet Relief” (Music Video) The video for Ola Podrida’s “Some Sweet Relief” depicts a touching story of a lonely single father and his son, told in parallel as they struggle against a series of small failures in their separate daily lives before meeting and spending a few hours of quality time together. Wingo’s haunting falsetto permeates much of the song, painting a very personal and heartbreaking history to the visual story as it unfolds. The hurdles present in both of these characters’ lives are reconciled with a cathartic ending that reminds us of the beauty that can be found in small moments, as the father and son find themselves sharing laughs on carnival rides and sitting in awe as fireworks reign beautiful chaos overhead.

Necronomica (Short Film) Following up with a dose of comedy was Kyle Bogart’s short film Necronomica, which depicts Black Metal bandmates Borknarg and Absu struggling to achieve the status of “most evil band in the world” in the wake of their drummer Mortimus leaving their group. This dialogue-heavy short plays off the irony of these two rockers’ emotional fragility and dwindling self-confidence in the face of an upcoming live performance, and offers a revealing (if satirical) look at the belief and commitment it takes to be a musician with an elaborate “evil” stage-presence. The film never shows the actual performance itself, instead relying on the comedic timing of these two long-haired goons with painted faces, who gradually address their inner-fears through open discussion until a bloody and explosive final shot earns a big laugh from the audience, and sends this short off with a bang.

Bayou Maharajah (Feature Film) Documentary filmmaker Lily Keber closed out the Reel Indie Film Festival with her highly personal biopic Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker, which explores the life and music of one of the greatest lost talents ever produced by the New Orleans music scene: one-eyed piano legend James Booker. Considered a revolutionary genius capable of weaving in and out of musical styles with ease, and playing more notes-per-second than most professional pianists could even dream of matching, Booker also lived a troubled life that was constantly plagued by drug and alcohol addiction, mental illness, and a lukewarm audience reception. Despite extensive touring throughout the US and Europe in the ’70s and ’80s, as well as an impressive history of musical collaboration with some of the industry’s biggest names, Booker never succeeded in making a name for himself, instead simply “simmering in obscurity” as Keber describes on the Kickstarter page she created to help fund the film.

The documentary contains a slew of previously unreleased material showcasing Booker’s legendary live performance and flamboyant personality, and succeeds in honouring his undeniable talents while still painting an accurate portrait of his difficult and often depressing life. Several musicians speak of their experiences with the “Piano Prince from New Orleans”, most notably his close friend Harry Connick Jr. whom Booker taught to play at a very young age, both directly and through creative influence. As his story approaches its end, and the venues get smaller and smaller, a sense of loneliness and desperation begins to take over the narrative, accentuated by his heartbreaking performance of the song “True” recorded live at Montreux in 1978. While Bayou Maharajah is surely not the easiest film to watch due to its unrelenting honesty, it remains a powerful and unforgettable window into the life of an incredibly talented man who was overlooked and misunderstood in his own time.

Reel Indie at a Glance http://dorkshelf.com/2013/10/15/reel-indie-at-a-glance/ An extension of the 10th anniversary of the music industry festival indieWEEK, this year marks the first foray of those involved into embracing music related filmmaking. The inaugural Reel Indie Film Festival (kicking off this Wednesday, October 16th and running through Sunday, October 20th at The Royal in Toronto), brings together docs and narratives from around the world with an eye and ear towards the indie music spectrum.

In a nice touch that opens up the breadth of filmmaking available to the festival programmers, each feature length film will open with a short and a music video to get audiences into the groove. Here now is a look at six of the festival’s features, save for a couple of To Be Determined titles that were unavailable at press time.

For more information and a full line up of films and events, please check out the Reel Indie website.

Los Wild Ones Reel Indie kicks off in appropriately rocking fashion with this sensitive and surprisingly poignant look at the personalities that make up LA Rockabilly label Wild Records.

It’s not specifically a history of the label, but the acts who pop up in Elise Salomon’s documentary have largely been around since the beginning of it all. It’s more like watching an extended family history, making it just as vibrant and vital as the tunes being pumped out.

Signing predominantly Mexican artists, label impresario Reb Kennedy runs a largely one man show. He records, masters, and sells the music, but he also manages the

artists, does their PR, and designs their albums. He’s staunchly against iTunes and CDs, making most of his bank of a rabid, devoted vinyl loving fan base. But now in the digital age, he’s having trouble keeping up and staying competitive. Ditto the recording artists who consider him family, many of whom are either losing jobs, starting risky new endeavours, or have kids and families they need to think of first.

More than just a tale of a scrappy label in a niche market, Los Wild Ones is also a great tale of personal growth. It has one of the best moments of a director inserting themselves into the film, when an off camera Salomon delivers Reb a simple statement he doesn’t really want to hear, but he’s resigned to admitting is true. It’s a moment in a film full of small moments of self-actualization that underlines the poignancy, and indeed the love, that goes into such a labour of musical love.

(Andrew Parker) Screens Wednesday, October 16th, 7:00pm

Walking Proof While I would unashamedly call myself a fan of the music of indie emo pop rocker Marco Novelli, his film (co-directed by Matthew Dorman) documenting the 17 day creation of his full length album It’s Not an Excuse, It’s a Reason is at best a sub-par DVD documentary product designed to be packaged with the CD. It’s earnest and probably unknowingly egotistical to a fault, marring and obscuring the music that should have mattered in the first place. It’s aimed squarely at the least discerning fans and pretty much no one else, but even they deserve a little bit more than what they’re getting.

It’s cool to see Novelli getting a chance to work with his dream production team of Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple, Something Corporate – a perfect producer choice for the young artist’s brand of ballads and confessionals) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police), and these two pros have some interesting insights along the way. But there’s precious little drama, and what little there is happens in the first ten minutes of the film when their session drummer bails. The rest devolves into inside jokes only funny to the parties involved and plenty of thrilled amazement about how they are able to stay on track and how everyone generally got along famously. But it’s Novelli’s grating iPhone shot selfie videos that keep popping up that sour things here. These moments are far too many and feel like forced attempts at conveying a calculated image rather than a real person. There’s no

doubt about Novelli’s overall sincerity, but he comes across as more than a little full of himself.

Still, I would recommend the album to interested parties, since it’s solid work all around for those interested in said style of music. Indeed the CD does come with a DVD of the film. It should be skipped there as much as it is here unless one has a crush on the married young troubadour. (Andrew Parker) Screens Thursday, October 17th, 7:00pm

Musicwood Musicwood examines the environmental impact that producing acoustic guitars has (focusing mainly on the State of Alaska, since it produces most of the sought after ‘Sitka Spruce’), and the attempt to merge concerned parties like Greenpeace and top guitar makers in the world to preserve those trees. The film follows along as world-famous guitar-makers travel into a primordial rain forest to negotiate with Native American loggers before it’s too late for acoustic guitars.

It’s a methodical examination the story of the Musicwood Coalition from multiple angles. While the attempt to unite all concerned parties under one entity is ideal in concept, actually achieving the ideal is much harder. While the film manages to convey this point effectively, it also includes other issues that occur along the way, like the rosewood from Madagascar that one guitar company is busted buying illegally, that can muddle the story instead of adding to it. While these excursions are brief, they do take its toll on the overall impact of message.

The importance of the story is undeniable. Musicwood manages to put a new spin and face to the cause of preserving our natural resources. It works, yet it could easily benefit from a little more focus. Acoustic musicians (Steve Earle, Kaki King, Yo La Tengo and many more) also provide insight from the musician’s standpoint and supply a moving soundtrack. The result is a complex and heartbreaking battle over natural resources, and a profound cultural conflict. (Kirk Haviland) Screens Thursday, October 17th, 9:30pm

In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey chronicles the astounding life and achievements of its titular guitarist, composer, author and provocateur (1939-2001). From his early years teaching himself the guitar and laying the ground work for what’s described as American Primitivism (referring to the selftaught nature of his art), through his later years venturning into everything from painting to plugging in with the likes of Sonic Youth, this is a portrait of a uniquely original musical icon.

A fascinating slice of Americana, this look at an eccentric musical genius shows how the influence of American Roots Music can be seen in so many different genres today. Director James Cullingham tracks his subject carefully while never allowing casual music fans to get bored. The film doesn’t paint its subject with too much reverence allowing for his idiosyncrasies to shine through, like his obscure vinyl record hoarding and painting with his bare ass. Fahey’s brilliant, but flawed life is told to us by the people who loved and admired him, obvious faults and all.

In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey reminds us that these amazing stories and talented artists are around us more then you’d think. (Dave Voigt) Screens Saturday, October 19th, 7:00pm

The Legend of Jimi Lazer Anyone who took high school drama probably played that improv game where one student begins a story and then someone else has to take over midsentence, and like a relay race a disjointed story is pieced together by a class of kids who have no idea what the others have in mind for the tale. Watching The Legend of Jimi Lazer is kind of like watching a film adaptation of one these stories.

The film begins with Jimi Lazer making a deal with an undefined evil entity for a guitar that is supposed to make him “as famous as Jimi Hendrix.” For reasons unclear, he tries back to out of the deal, loses his soul but never gets his fame, just eternal youth. 27 years later (one of many heavy-handed references to the 27 club) he returns to get the band back together and reclaim his soul (I think).

The idea of Hard Core Logo meets Todd and the Book of Evil isn’t a bad one, but it takes the skills of someone like Robert Rodriguez to pull off. The filmmakers attempt to throw so many genres into the mix (fantasy, comedy, action, rock mockumentary) that it just ends up being an overedited, directionless mishmash of none of the above. It’s difficult to tell if it doesn’t know what it wants to be, or if it knows the ‘what’ but not the ‘how’. There’s an attempt to add some structure using chapter headings which add a comic book motif that feels like just another afterthought. Even if you’re able to look past all of its uncertainty, you’re still left with a guitar hero movie where the hero never plays guitar. (Noah Taylor) Screens Saturday, October 19th, 9:30pm

Bayou Maharajah The self-titled “Black Liberace” gets his due in the documentary Bayou Maharajah: The Tragic Genius of James Booker, directed by Lily Keber.

It’s a compelling tapestry woven by fellow musicians, other artists, historians, friends, archive footage and photos. This fascinating character study leaves one even more intrigued by a unique, yet emotionally disturbed, eyepatched musician, underappreciated and underrated in his very own country.

There are testimonials ranging from jazz poet Ron Cuccia and the ever-popular Harry Connick Jr., and some interesting animated sequences, but what makes this movie standout is the subject himself. Booker is a compelling, larger than life personality, and this resonates and is confirmed by all of Keber’s sources. She encourages the film to lose itself in the main subject by running full concert performances, rendering the audience spellbound with his keyboarding and his exceptional sound. She incorporates even the smallest memories of him in her development of this musical legend. One such tale deals with the events surrounding the loss of his left eye and why he wears a starred patch, and his musical awards are all well documented here.

Many feel that jazz is underappreciated in its homeland, but after viewing Keber’s documentary about one of its own legends, some may be tempted to dive deeper into the rich and magnetic style of James Booker. (Eric Marchen) Screens Sunday, October 20th, 7:00pm

Contest: Win Passes to the Opening Night Screening & Party for the Reel Indie Film http://dorkshelf.com/2013/10/11/contest-win-passes-to-the-opening-night-screeningparty-for-the-reel-indie-film-festival/

Do you folks in Toronto like to rock and roll all night or at least part of every day? We sure do, and to commemorate this year’s first annual REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL, we have teamed up with the team behind it to give away two pairs of passes to the opening night film, LOS WILD ONES , on W ednesday, October 16th at 7:00pm at the Royal Cinem a! This prize ALSO generously includes two pairs of passes to the post screening party at Revival!

A key music world calendar event, indieWEEK is embracing sight AND sound for the first time, with a new companion program – the Reel Indie Film Festival.

Acclaimed producer Avi Federgreen (One Week, Still Mine, Moon Point) takes on the RiFF role of executive director. His mandate: to support filmmakers’ music-oriented stories – in the forms of independent short and feature-length films, and music videos.

This year’s Festival takes place October 16th – 20th in Toronto, a filmmaker’s mecca and media launchpad for some of the industry’s brightest young talent. RiFF seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that make us think, that move us, and that

capture the essence of a band or song.

“Selected films will showcase different aspects of music,” says Federgreen. “We are looking for stories that capture music’s cultural and emotional history, as well as music’s ability to move people.”

About LOS WILD ONES : Wild Records is an LA indie music label comprised of young Hispanic musicians, it is run by Irishman, Reb Kennedy. Wild is an unconventional family, reminiscent of the early days of Sun Records, all of its musicians write and perform 50s Rock ‘n Roll. If Wild is going to continue to grow and reach broader audiences, its current business model will cease to work.

The opening night party will take place at Revival (783 College Street) starting at 9pm with music from The David Barrett Trio and special guests Bathurst Station.

For more information on Reel Indie, and a full list of films, music videos, and shorts still to come, please visit their website.

For your chance to win, email contest@dorkshelf.com with REEL INDIE in the subject line. Please only one entry per household. Multiple entries will be deleted. For additional chances to win, simply like the contest announcement on our Facebook page and/or re-Tweet the announcement from our Twitter! Deadline for entries is 11:59pm on Monday, October 14th.

Good luck and remember to stay tuned to Dork Shelf for coverage of this year’s inaugural festival, as well as all the latest news, reviews, interviews, features, and more great contests!

Newcomer RiFF unveils week of rock music films Allan Tong http://filmbutton.com/mainpage/?p=10147

Window of Opportunity director Samuel Warren Joseph and producer, John Densmore

The latest film fest to hit Toronto (home to at least 80 fests) is the Reel Indie Film Festival, which is part of the 10-year-old Indie Week Music Festival.

The film program begins tonight at 7:00 at the Royal Cinema (608 College St.) with the Canadian premiere of Los Wild Ones directed by Elise Salomon, then at 9:00 with the world premiere of Window of Opportunity, written and directed by Samuel Warren Joseph and produced by The Doors’ drummer, John Densmore. Densmore delivers a keynote speech and book signing of his latest memoir, The Doors Unhinged, tomorrow at 11:00 am at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel’s Gerrard Room (33 Gerrard St. East at Yonge). Films run at the Royal until Sunday, while filmmaking panels targeting indie filmmakers take place at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel

John Densmore’s ‘Window of Opportunity’ to be screened at Reel Indie Film Fest Jim Cherry http://www.examiner.com/article/john-densmore-s-window-of-opportunity-to-be-screened-at-reel-indie-film-fest

It’s been almost a year since we’ve heard any word on Window of Opportunity, a movie that John Densmore has produced, but news has come out that Window of Opportunity will be screened next Wednesday, October 16th at the Reel Indie Film Fest in Toronto, Ontario.

Window of Opportunity is a dark comedy/thriller in which a couple of corporate executives attempt to set up a highly ambitious protégé to take the fall for their financial misadventures. When one of the prostitutes they hire ends up dead the whole scheme becomes more dangerous and threatens everyone. The film stars Oliver Muirhead, Jack Maxwell and Phil Proctor. Muirhead has starred in such films as National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Social Network, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The film will be screened October 16 at the Royal Cinema and the movies director writer/director Samuel Warren Joseph and Densmore will answer questions afterward. It has also been announced that Densmore will give the keynote address of the festival on October 17 at the Eaton Chelsea Hotel at 11am. Afterwards Densmore will sign copies of his new book The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison’s Legacy Goes on Trial (Densmore was recently in Toronto for a book signing please see related articles below).

For more information on the Reel Indie Film Festival or tickets for the screening of Window of Opportunity please visit their website. If you would like updates on Window of Opportunity please visit the film’s website. No dates have been announced for either a theatrical or DVD release.

Executive Reads: Avi Federgreen http://notable.ca/nationwide/shop/Executive-Reads-Avi-Federgreen/ Avi Federgreen’s nearly 20 years of experience in the Canadian film industry feature many highlights, from music videos to TV series to full-length feature films. Federgreen’s current releases include Empire of Dirt, Random Acts of Romance, Dead Before Dawn and 30 Ghosts. Federgreen's other producing credits include Still Mine, Score: A Hockey Musical, Moon Point, and One Week. In November 2011, Federgreen opened his own film distribution company, INDIECAN Entertainment, for those indie filmmakers making films in a lower budget bracket who have otherwise virtually no chance to shine in a market of big studios, distributors and exhibitors. His latest venture is the Reel Indie Film Festival (October 16 to 20 in Toronto), where he serves as Executive Director. Here are the books that have inspired him: Making Movies by Sidney Lumet This book was introduced to me when I first became really serious about getting into the film business. It is one of those must-reads when you want to get into film, everyone in this industry should read it. Sidney Lumet was a very well-known US director, and one of the greatest filmmakers ever if you ask me; someone I personally admire. Anyone that I've met that has read it has been tremendously influenced by it. Even Roger Ebert said that this is THE book that everyone in this business should read, and when someone like him says something like that, you listen! Lumet is very straight forward in his writing, and basically covered everything, from actors to scripts and everything else involved in the making of a movie. I have re-read this title so many times, and it still applies to me today. Cannot recommend it enough.

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie Dale Carnegie travelled all over the world doing lectures about this book and its message, which really at its core is all about believing in yourself, going after the things you want, and taking every situation and making it work for you. For him, no is not an option. I live my life that way now, and I do not have any regrets. I have the freedom to just go for the things I truly believe in. For me, this book really rings through; I practice its principles regularly and they really can help you take control of your life. I really think this is a great book for anybody, no matter what you do in life.

Jaws by Peter Benchley This one has a really profound meaning for me. I saw the film version when it first came out, then immediately read Benchley's book, and to this date they are still my all-time favourites. I can truly say they were a big influence for me to get into the film business. I've read the book and watched the film so many times that not only did they make me want to make movies, but also, along the way, I became a huge shark enthusiast. When shark week comes, nothing can stop me.

Rep Cinema This Week: Le Joli Mai, Bastards, Los Wild Ones Angelo Muredda http://torontoist.com/2013/10/rep-cinema-this-week-le-joli-mai-bastards-los-wild-ones/

Los Wild Ones Directed by Elise Salomon True to its cheeky title, if light on the madness it promises, Elise Salomon’s documentary Los Wild Ones examines the recent resurgence of rockabilly through the lens of a particular L.A. scene. The film profiles Reb Kennedy, founder of Wild Records, a label devoted to rock-and-roll revival acts like Lil Luis y Los Wild Teens, who put a Latin American spin on a traditionally white American genre.

Los Wild Ones is appropriately energetic and uptempo, enlivened by the Wild Records stable’s reliably snappy concerts and recordings, but it isn’t particularly revelatory. Though Kennedy’s characterization as a Dublin punk rascal turned manager is nicely drawn, we don’t get as strong a sense of the artists, who come across as gentle misfits with the garden-variety struggles of most jobbing musicians. Given the idiosyncratic makeup of the label, one might have expected a deeper portrait of the Latino community’s appropriation of rockabilly, and a better sense of how this relatively small scene squares with the higher-profile revisitations of the genre by acts like the White Stripes. There’s undeniable charm, though, to Salomon’s depiction of Kennedy as an eccentric but devoted patriarch of a dysfunctional professional family—the rare hands-on mixer, producer, and all-purpose ringmaster who personally calls his artists when they’re late for soundchecks.

Los Wild Ones kicks off the Reel Indie Film Fest, a music-based film programme organized in conjunction with indieWEEK, which is now in its tenth year. For more information and additional showtimes, see the festival’s website.

Win tickets to the opening night film at the Reel Indie Film Festival! http://scenecreek.com/contests/win-tickets-to-the-opening-night-film-at-the-real-indie-filmfestival/

If you live in Toronto you can win a pair of tickets to attend the opening night film of the 1st annual Reel Indie Film Festival.

Kicking off the festival is LOS WILD ONES , a critically acclaimed film from Elise Salomon. The film bowed at SXSW earlier in the year, where the L.A. Times named it one of the “must see films” and won Best Doc at Phoenix Film Festival.

Winners will also include admission to the opening night party at Revival.

Screening info: LOS WILD ONES Wednesday, October 16, 2013 Show Time: 7:00 PM The Royal Cinema Bonus entries if you share this contest on Twitter or Facebook with a @SceneCreek mention!

Winners will be chosen at random and will be notified via e-mail. Contest deadline is October 15th at 12:00am. This contest is open to Canadian residents only. Good luck!

Opening Night Party – Revival Bar F eaturing David Barrett Trio Toronto-based David Barrett Trio will headline the opening party for RiFF Oct. 16th at Revival Bar, 783 College St., 9:00pm – 4:00am.While under the mentorship of Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson, David Barrett formed the instrumental trio with Jason Farrar (bass) and Alexander “Sascha” Tukatsch (Platinum Blonde). The band’s self-titled debut album, produced by Alex Lifeson, is currently available on iTunes and www.davidbarretttrio.com.

Less is More For Indie Week Christopher Jones http://www.livewithculture.ca/festivals/less-is-more-for-indie-week/#more-15687 Toronto’s capacity as a music city has been in the news lately, most recently when Mayor Ford and a contingent of Toronto City Councillors made a pilgrimage to Austin, TX, to see for themselves how the Austin City Limits Festival juices the local economy.

Toronto already has North By Northeast and Canadian Music Week and tonight Indie W eek (October 16 – 20) uncorks it’s 10th anniversary festival with a concentrated slate of 20 venues hosting 250 independent bands: this year for the first time there’s also a film component, the Reel Indie Film Fest, featuring music-oriented films, shorts and videos.

Distilling the venues and number of bands is Indie Week’s greatest strength, says festival founder Darryl Hurs, left: “With CMW and NXNE it’s always about numbers, most venues, most bands,” he says. “Truthfully, I attend both festivals, I love what they do, but when you have 900 or 1,000 bands I find that quality gets lost. With Indie Week it’s all about quality — we won’t go above 250 bands, we keep the venues to the Queen West and College/Kensington strip. We don’t want to be bigger than that, we’re not trying to compete with CMW and North By.” Hurs has seen music festivals from both sides of the stage – he was a guitarist and band member before he became a club booker (currently The Rivoli). He says that if Mayor Ford and City Council want to give Toronto’s music scene a boost, they can start by trimming the red tape and making it easier for the city’s festivals to really put on a show.

“In Austin for South By Southwest everything is on the street, windows are open, bands are playing on roofs, in alleyways, under bridges. Here there would be fines left and right.

I just went to City Hall for one of our venues which got a complaint about having speakers on the sidewalk during one of our events. I understand there are noise bylaws but for special situations we need special consideration.

“A lot of ideas get nipped in the bud,” continues Hurs, “people just don’t bother because they know the red tape is going to be crazy. Music is an art and the way artists think and behave doesn’t necessarily fit with rules and regulations. Permits are the biggest obstacles to really putting Toronto on the map. Closing Queen Street West would add substantially to the festival vibe and it has been done (Word on the Street, MVAs). The festivals bring money to the city and that would help bring in a LOT more.”

In broadening its mandate to include film, Hurs recognizes that Indie Week is going down the same road NXNE and CMW have already travelled. He says that film is a natural fit: “The whole ethos of Indie Week is about the underdog, the do-it-yourselfer, and that describes film, as well as music. We’ve had a great response to the film component particularly on the sponsor side and our special guest speaker is John Densmore from the Doors who is debuting his new film, Window of Opportunity (October 16, Royal Cinema, 9 pm).”

Another thing that distinguishes Indie Week from its festival rivals is the team of “judges” Hurs puts on the street in an effort to provide the bands with constructive feedback and choose a best of the fest – each year one band is selected to showcase at Indie Week’s sister festival in Dublin Ireland.

The music business has been transformed by the digital revolution, which has drastically thinned the ranks on the major label side and propelled an explosion on the indie front.

“With the internet and technology people know they can make an album in their basement and get it out on iTunes all over the world,” notes Hurs. “But the truth of the matter is that the majors have the machine in place to really work a band properly and drive them to success. When they want to push the button the message can go out internationally in a moment whereas indies don’t have that kind of machine. Indies are now the development stream; some acts will graduate to the majors, some will choose to remain independent.”

WHERE/W HEN: Indie Week and Reel Indie Film Fest, October 16 – 20, various venues, see website for details.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: The Legend of Jimi Lazer (2013) Derek Deskins http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/16/reel-indie-film-festival-review-legend-jimi-lazer2013/ Cast: Robbie Beniuk, Patrick Mitchell, Amy Landon Director: Mann Munoz Country: USA | Canada Genre: Adventure Official Trailer: Here Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. The Legend of Jimy Lazer screens on Saturday, October 19 at The Royal in Toronto.

Being a great filmmaker is not as simple as being a film fan. You can watch hours upon hours of film by all of the greatest directors to ever practice the medium, and when handed a camera you can still produce absolute garbage. While film is certainly a business, many people seem to be losing grasp of the fact that film is art. The artist must possess a voice of their own and a reason to speak up.

With the advances in digital, the increased availability of equipment and the accessibility of the internet, many of the boundaries separating the would-be filmmaker from an audience are being diminished. It leaves me conflicted, for any film fan must support a growing of the medium, but with every morsel of greatness comes a mound of filth. The Legend of Jimi Lazer is just another rotting piece in that pile.

“The Legend of Jimi Lazer gets lost in a fog of homage.

The film is a conglomeration of influence that lacks a guiding hand. Director Mann Munoz spends so much time infusing the film with tricks and themes that he has seen elsewhere, that he robs the film of its own voice.”

Jimi Lazer (Robbie Beniuk), front-man of the band Lazer Us, craves fame. He yearns for the cries of adorning fans so much that he is willing to pay the ultimate price. When a mysterious woman offers him the chance at celebrity on par with Jimi Hendrix, he scoffs at her price and snatches up the magical guitar. A last minute change of heart stops Jimi before executing the deal. Twenty-seven years have elapsed, and no one has seen Jimi since that last decision. Freedom (Patrick Mitchell), his former manager, is the only one that is able to find him. With a dream his inspiration, Freedom urges Jimi to return to the world, make his dream come true and break the long gestating curse.

The influence of film upon itself is inevitable. It is a medium that builds upon itself and filmmakers, with the unspoken requirement of an appreciation of film, often utilize elements from other works in the crafting of their stories. This building, however, must be used in support of a vision. Like tools, they assist in the construction of a final product; they should not be the material. The Legend of Jimi Lazer gets lost in a fog of

homage. The film is a conglomeration of influence that lacks a guiding hand. Director Mann Munoz spends so much time infusing the film with tricks and themes that he has seen elsewhere, that he robs the film of its own voice.

The film feels altogether confused. Bouncing from supernatural, to B-horror, and back to film noir, all captured with a low-rent Lynchian slant, it is at conflict with its own sensibilities. The low-budget actors do a serviceable job with the material, and the amateur acting only occasionally drifts into the distractingly awful. Robbie Beniuk does his best to imbue Jimi Lazer, who always feels like a lost and cheap Uncle Jesse, with mystery and cool. As hard as the actors are trying to make it work, the problems existed far before they started reading the lines. The plot is unnecessarily confusing, and the characters act in slavish service to it. There is little room for character development when the actors are hurriedly attempting to make sense of the convoluted story. They rush from scenes because it tells them to on the page and Jimi experiences growth only when it is convenient to the establishment of a happy ending.

The film begins with strong conviction, establishing a spooky tone that is subtle and successful more often in what it leaves unsaid. Nevertheless, as the plot kicks in, it all becomes exceptionally crowded. What began as ominous and captivating devolves into the ridiculous, and the opening exists as little more than a promising short. Segments become overpowered by lackluster editing, a mishmash of every kind of transition imaginable, far-too numerous chapter titles that are altogether unnecessary (unless intended for use on a DVD release), and, most surprisingly, glaringly poor font choices. The mess of cosmetic additions attempt to distract from the tonal imbalance. The audience is never sure if they should be taking this seriously, or reveling in the low-budget trickery. I was even onboard with its overt recognition of the creepy importance of the number 27 in the music industry; that is until it used a quote from Paul McCartney, a musician who is living large at 71 (throwing in an onscreen question mark does not forgive this). By the time the film reaches the end of its slim 92-minute runtime, it seems just as exhausted with itself as we are with it. The saccharine, out-of-place, and heavyhanded ending is rushed, and the emotional conclusion unearned. “The film begins with strong conviction, establishing a spooky tone that is subtle and successful more often in what it leaves unsaid. Nevertheless, as the plot kicks in, it all becomes exceptionally crowded. What began as ominous and captivating devolves into the ridiculous, and the opening exists as little more than a promising short.�

I still have yet to decide how I feel about the films that are awful simply for the sake of being awful. Syfy and Asylum celebrate the poor quality, and there has been a resurgence of grindhouse sensibilities in plenty of new releases. The cheap and fast films of this genre have their place in film history, but the persistent revisiting is just spinning wheels. This is only one of the many fields that The Legend of Jimi Lazer tries to play in, that is, only when it finds it convenient. There are moments of intrigue that show great promise, especially as the film begins, but it soon gets lost in itself. The messy plot hinders the already mediocre acting. Additionally, long stretches of the film are far from visually pleasing and play like little more than a motion comic. Director Mann Munoz has attempted to make a film that combines elements of, what I can only imagine all of his favorite cinematic moments and themes, making for a truly odd and unsatisfying viewing experience. The saying goes that a camel is a horse designed by committee, filled with compromises and a loss of vision. The Legend of Jimi Lazer is one big camel.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: Necronomica (2013) Ronan Doyle http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/19/reel-indie-film-festival-review-necronomica-2013/

Cast: Mark Scheibmeir, Judd Farris Director: Kyle Bogart Country: USA Genre: Short | Comedy | Music Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. Necronomica screens on Sunday October 20th at 7:00 PM at The Royal in Toronto as a supporting short to Bayou Maharajah, reviewed here.

It’s clear immediately, when the bracketed word “Necronomica” appears over a typically illegible black metal band name, that Kyle Bogart’s short of the same name is out to undercut the absurd theatrics of that oh-soserious subculture. Yet it’s never without its fair share of affection too: as silly as so many of these scenes may be, the ridiculous antics of band members Absu and Borknarg are as much a celebration of black metal’s theatrical side as they are a mockery.

Like a low-key live-action antidote to Metalocalypse, Necronomica finds comic contrast in the efforts of its eponymous band to be the world’s evilest and the genial characters they really are. But with that gag stretched so thin as to be on the point of snapping across these seventeen minutes, it falls to the characters to keep things interesting, a task sadly far beyond the reach of Mark Scheibmeir and Judd Farris’ caricatured shtick.

“Like a low-key live-action antidote to Metalocalypse, Necronomica finds comic contrast in the efforts of its eponymous band to be the world’s evilest and the genial characters they really are.”

Which isn’t to say their antics aren’t amusing nonetheless: Scheibmeir and Farris might not make for a classic double act, but they work off each other with enough weird wit to rouse the laughs to bear the brunt of the strained central gag’s weight. Had Bogart, acting as his own editor, only had the distance from the material to trim the requisite fat, this might have been a far tighter, more effective production. Still, there’s enough giddy fun and goofy charm to go around; the idea bears fruit, albeit only half-harvested.

Background nods to Aguirre, the Wrath of God and The Shining attest high aspirations on the part of Bogart, whose monochrome direction aptly accentuates the juxtaposed monotony of the off-stage band. Necronomica, at its best, is an indication that he might yet be worthy of such grandiose gestures. As much as it might overstay its welcome, like a smart sketch overrun, this is a fine little film, a solid effort, if not a substantial one.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: Bayou Maharajah (2013) Jordan Ferguson http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/18/reel-indie-film-festival-review-bayou-maharajah-2013/

Cast: Joe Boyd, Douglas Brinkley, Harry Connick Jr. Director: Lily Keber Country: USA Genre: Documentary | History | Music Official Trailer: Here Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. Bayou Maharajah screens on Sunday, October 20 at The Royal in Toronto.

As a city, New Orleans bleeds music like no other.

Music is at its core, in its clubs, and spilling into its streets. Jazz, blues, classical, or anything else that catches your fancy can be found in The Big Easy, so it is really no surprise that the city gave birth to James Booker, the self-titled Black Liberace who mastered all musical forms. Bayou Maharajah, director Lily Keber’s new documentary tracking the life and career of Booker, understands its subject because it seems, fundamentally, to grasp how central a role music played in his life, in his culture, and in the city he loved.

“Bayou Maharajah is bursting at the seams with the sounds of its subject, and his mixture of boisterous jazz and soulful blues contributes heavily to the film’s tone. It’s easier for Keber to capture her subject when he is laying himself bare throughout the film, as an unstable genius, a piano prodigy, and a virtuoso performer across genres, decades, and continents.”

The film is helped substantially by heaps of archival footage of Booker performing, in his home town, on the road, and even in Europe where he found greater popularity than he ever saw on his native shores. The raw performance footage is supplemented by periodappropriate snippets of life in New Orleans, as well as heaps of photographs to supplement when only audio of Booker’s performances survive. Bayou Maharajah is bursting at the seams with the sounds of its subject, and his mixture of boisterous jazz and soulful blues

contributes heavily to the film’s tone. It’s easier for Keber to capture her subject when he is laying himself bare throughout the film, as an unstable genius, a piano prodigy, and a virtuoso performer across genres, decades, and continents.

In his time, Booker played with Little Richard, Dave Bartholomew, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Fats Domino, Lloyd Price, and Ray Charles, turned down an invitation to play a private party for The Rolling Stones, and became something of a legend in musical circles even as he remained doggedly underappreciated by the mainstream. The film supplements its performance footage with talking head interviews from many people who knew Booker well, from composers to fellow musicians to old friends. These include Allen Toussaint, Harry Connick Jr., and Dr. John, who famously proclaimed Booker, “the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.” These interviewees share stories both touching and hilarious of Booker’s brilliance at the piano, his kindness, his frenetic personality, and his many eccentricities. Though Booker lost an eye somehow, exactly what caused this is shrouded in mystery, with speculation including a fight with Ringo Starr, a bar brawl, an encounter with the CIA, a debt owed to The Mob, and a negotiation with record executives.

“The film occasionally strays slightly from Booker to glance at the wider New Orleans scene, but mostly it retains an admirably tight focus on its subject. For a man who has been dead 30 years, Booker barely strays from the screen at all, bantering with audiences, mouthing off in interviews, and singing and singing and singing. He may not survive, but the film makes him feel alive nonetheless.”

The film occasionally strays slightly from Booker to glance at the wider New Orleans scene, but mostly it retains an admirably tight focus on its subject.

For a man who has been dead 30 years, Booker barely strays from the screen at all, bantering with audiences, mouthing off in interviews, and singing and singing and singing. He may not survive, but the film makes him feel alive nonetheless. The joy he takes in performance is infectious, and it is impossible not to fall a little bit in love with James Booker by the film’s end. Keber’s investment in her subject is apparent, and she manages to make the film both a straight biography and something far more interesting. Bayou Maharajah relays the facts of Booker’s life, yes, but more than that it seems to seek out the soul of the man, the restless, tortured, prolific and indefatigable genius behind that star-adorned eye patch.

Whether it is analyzing Booker’s style to get at his strengths and his innovations, dissecting his struggles with heroin and alcohol, or just lingering on footage of the man performing in his prime, this is a film that captures more than a career, defines more than a lifetime, and cares about more than a legacy. Bayou Maharajah lets an artist render himself through his work, sketching in the edges when needed, but mostly lighting the man’s candelabra and watching him work his own private wonders on the stage.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: Los Wild Ones (2013) Graeme Maitland http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/15/reel-indie-film-festival-review-los-wild-ones2013/ Cast: Mary Simich Director: Elise Salomon Country: USA | Ireland | Spain UK Genre: Documentary | Drama | Music Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. Los Wild Ones is screening on October 16, 2013 at The Royal in Toronto.

Down in southern California there’s a bit of a cultural time warp happening. The Rockabilly music scene is an underground movement that generally tries to maintain the aural and visual aesthetic of 1950’s teen culture. Of course the Rockabilly scene isn’t limited to California, but Reb Kennedy’s Wild Records is based in California and that’s where Elise Salomon spent five months shooting her documentary Los Wild Ones.

“There are some intimate moments caught in this film that feel very natural. Reb’s reaction to a family trauma is touching and Salomon’s method of capturing the emotions is just right. She doesn’t pry, she remains mostly objective, but she also knows that this is what will completely humanize her subjects.”

Wild Records is a Los Angeles based indie label with a focus on the Rockabilly sound.

Most of the acts that form the Wild Records family are young Hispanic musicians and Reb is their Irish father figure. Salomon’s film functions on a few levels. It gives a nice overview of the Rockabilly sub-culture in order to indoctrinate the noobs (myself included), it tells the story of a small business on the verge of a major change, and

probably most significantly, it functions as a family portrait. Right from the very start it’s clear that the Wild Records crew is as tight as any family unit. They hang out together, they eat together, they play in each other’s bands, and they all consider Reb to be their surrogate father.

There are a few members of this family that we get to know quite well throughout the course of the film. Reb, Luis, Omar, and Gizelle are the main focus of the film. Each of them has a unique story and a unique role in the family. Salomon is really good at letting her subjects be comfortable and allowing them to tell us about themselves.

There are some intimate moments caught in this film that feel very natural. Reb’s reaction to a family trauma is touching and Salomon’s method of capturing the emotions is just right. She doesn’t pry, she remains mostly objective, but she also knows that this is what will completely humanize her subjects. She takes a similar approach to Luis’s admitted drinking problem. One scene in particular shows Luis getting drunk from a bottle of Gin while he speaks to Reb about the emotional troubles he’s going through.

It’s a stark and honest depiction of alcoholism that resonates through the rest of the film, and it has an emotional pay off as Salomon sticks with Luis through the course of his difficulties.

Another win for the film is that it lets the audience see the realities of life as an artist. As talented as these musicians are (and they are massively talented), they struggle just like any other aspiring artist. The financial realities of living in a big city while trying to support a family are harsh. Omar and Gizelle both discuss their children and what they fear when they think about money. But the hope and optimism that they are able to demonstrate, knowing that their Wild Records family supports them is inspiring.

“The pacing of the film is great, there’s just enough music cut into the interviews to make you want more. The only real criticism is that some of the more dramatic areas of the film feel a bit false. This is not to say that they feel set-up, more like they feel produced. As if Salomon’s hand was too much in the mix.”

The pacing of the film is great, there’s just enough music cut into the interviews to make you want more. The only real criticism is that some of the more dramatic areas of the film feel a bit false. This is not to say that they feel set-up, more like they feel produced. As if Salomon’s hand was too much in the mix.

At 95 minutes this film is the perfect length. The concert footage alone will make you want to jump out of your chair and start dancing. The film ends a little abruptly, but isn’t that an axiom of Rock and Roll? Always leave them wanting more? And you will. If this movie doesn’t make you want to put a record on, you’re probably not human.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey (2013) Doug Heller http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/20/reel-indie-film-festival-review-search-blind-joedeath-saga-john-fahey-2013/ Director: James Cullingham Country: Canada Genre: Documentary | Biography | History | Music Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto.

In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey chronicles the life, music and personality of influential but obscure musician John Fahey. Here is a man that, if he had wanted to, could have revolutionized the art of guitar playing on a grand scale but chose to just do his own thing and not be beholden to the pressures that would have gone along with that.

I first became aware of John Fahey around 2002 when I picked up a boxed set entitled “The World of Charley Patton” (after first hearing Patton in 2001, he became so influential to me that I named my only child after him just three years later). The CD collection not only housed all of the recordings of that legendary blues man and some tracks of his contemporaries, it came with a Master’s thesis penned by Fahey which was the first scholarly exploration of Patton.

After that, I didn’t really know too much about him. His music was rather obscure and difficult to obtain for a college student on an extremely limited budget. His music didn’t show up on any file sharing platforms of the day and iTunes was still years away from being even remotely what it is today. This film was finally able to fill in the gaps about the man who so well detailed the music of an artist that meant so much to me.

“Director James Cullingham does not go to great lengths to put any frills or stylish touches on his documentary. Instead, he lets the personality of the subject carry the film, and the legend of Fahey more than amply does this.”

The film itself isn’t much in terms of style or technique. Director James Cullingham does not go to great lengths to put any frills or stylish touches on his documentary. Instead, he lets the personality of the subject

carry the film, and the legend of Fahey more than amply does this.

Fahey, who died in 2001, is all throughout the film in the form of archive interviews and concert performances. Many of the people who worked with him and were influenced by him appear to recount how they fell into his odd style of guitar playing. Most prominent of these interviewees is Pete Townsend of The Who. The film documents the recalcitrant idleness of a man who was supremely talented, spoke like Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson and looked (in his later years) like Francis Ford Coppola. His guitar style is difficult to pin down, but it is rooted in American roots and blues which can be heard in his playing.

He took the styles of these old blues performers and started adding flourishes of his own, harmonies that were not present in the original recordings and ended up making something totally unique. In his later years, he took to more experimental music that was bizarre and as unusual as his earlier work.

The film does a wonderful job of packing in a lot of information in its relatively short run time of 58 minutes. We hear from Fahey more than we do anyone who knew him, but despite that we still never really get much insight into what he wanted to achieve with his music and how he developed it. This may stem from his unwillingness to explain, rather to let the music do his talking for him, or it could just be that he didn’t know. He seems, from this film, to just roll along and do whatever strikes his fancy at the time, whether he understands it or not. It also gave me another reason, other than the thesis on Patton, to admire Fahey. It turns out that he was responsible for rediscovering at least two if not more of my favorite blues performers: Booker T. Washington White (known as Bukka White) and Skip James.

With all the information we are given, there is still room for more. Some instances in his life are so briefly touched upon that without further exploration, it would probably have been best to leave it out or extend the film another half hour or hour. For example, Fahey states that his father was a pedophile and others state that he was sexually abused as a child, leading to alcohol and prescription drug abuse. These little tidbits of information are dropped late in the film and would warrant more discussion and perhaps earlier inclusion, but as quickly as they are brought up they are left behind so the film can get back to the later portion of Fahey’s life.

“With all the information we are given, there is still room for more. Some instances in his life are so briefly touched upon that without further exploration, it would probably have been best to leave it out or extend the film another half hour or hour.”

I think that is my biggest quibble with the film: that it should have been longer. That’s not a bad place to be in as a filmmaker, because lots of films could stand to lose 10-30 minutes. That said, it’s also not a great place to be in either, because the end of the film seems rushed as if Cullingham had a hard agreement not to exceed an hour so he packed in as much as he could and forewent any real in-depth examination of Fahey.

It’s that rushed feeling of the last 10-15 minutes that makes me think that the film may not really be finished.

I think the George Lucas quote that “A film is never finished, only abandoned” is a truism here, because Cullingham should have expanded this piece to more fully encompass Fahey as a man as much as he does Fahey as an artist. We get a lot of facts about his beginnings and suppositions on his methods, people extolling his virtues and damning his demons and all of that is extremely entertaining to watch, but it does little to dig below the surface of why Fahey did what he did and how he did it.

In Search of Blind Joe Death: The Saga of John Fahey really is just a search that never really finishes. It’s a great starting point for people marginally aware of Fahey, like me, or people who have never heard of him, but it is not the definitive work on Fahey. I feel like there is more here to be discovered and learned about this man and because of this film, I am eager to find out as much as I can.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: Musicwood (2012) Ronan Doyle http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/17/reel-indie-film-festival-review-musicwood-2012/

Director: Maxine Trump Country: USA | Madagascar Genre: Documentary | Music Official Trailer: Here Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. A Little Bit Country screens on Thursday October 17th at 9:00 PM at The Royal in Toronto, preceded by A Little Bit Country, reviewed here.

The interconnectivity suggested in Musicwood’s striking poster, as well as attesting the overlaps in agendas between the film’s various subjects, is an immediate indication that there are no good and bad guys here, no heroes to cheer nor villains to jeer. There is only the story, told with clarity and comprehension by debut documentarian Maxine Trump, of acoustic guitar manufacturers and their efforts to preserve the future of the natural resources so crucial to their operation. Smartly soundtracking the movie with music only made possible by the industry now under threat, Trump adds an aural aspect to her exploration of the Alaskan logging trade, its environmental ramifications, and the efforts underway to make more sustainable the practices now decimating its expansive forestlands.

“Musicwood isn’t afraid to expose vested interest on the part of all it concerns. Therein lies the strength of its candid talking heads; Trum p has a keen ability to skirt the PR babble of her subjects and get them to cut to the chase, giving this portrait the kind of across-the-board incisiveness it dem ands.”

It’s perhaps not until a late-stage sequence details the storming of Gibson’s locations by armed federal agents that we really appreciate the gravity of the situation here. Sitka spruce, the high-quality soundboard wood used by Gibson and its rivals and essential—we’re told—to the musical qualities of the instruments, is

increasingly in-demand and enormously at-risk. Following the heads of Gibson, Taylor, and Martin as they suspend the spirit of competition and form the eponymous collaborative to investigate sustainable forestry, Musicwood isn’t afraid to expose vested interest on the part of all it concerns. Therein lies the strength of its candid talking heads; Trump has a keen ability to skirt the PR babble of her subjects and get them to cut to the chase, giving this portrait the kind of acrossthe-board incisiveness it demands.

She has the most trouble, perhaps, with Sealaska, the largest of the thirteen corporations charged with overseeing the land awarded indigenous Alaskans in 1971 and that whose territory includes the area’s largest population of Sitka spruce.

There’s a telling scene where a member of the board unconvincingly tries to justify its unsustainable activities in accordance with the native culture, playing up his people’s connection to the land before seeming to remember he’s advocating his pillaging. He’s less likable only for the pretence: Bob Taylor is admirably honest, walking about the forest with his fellow presidents and admitting that there’s something not entirely right in cutting all this majesty down, but asking—not unfairly—if it isn’t in pursuit of something beautiful in its own right.

“That’s Musicwood’s downfall, albeit a m inim al one: paying too m uch attention to aspects inessential to the story at hand.”

That’s the central dilemma on which Musicwood is hinged, and with which it thrives whenever it opts to foreground its difficulty. Juxtaposing the often quite candidly self-serving words of her respective subjects, Trump is able to dramatise that difficulty with commendable effect: the white man vs Indian narrative it would be all too easy to hoist upon this story thankfully holds no temptation for her. What does, less fortunately, is a series of sorely lacking interviews with the soundtrack musicians, who prove far less valuable to the discussion at hand than they do to the atmosphere. As representatives of the end-product of this process they are integral, of course, but Trump lends far too much time to their essentially uninformed opinions.

That’s Musicwood’s downfall, albeit a minimal one: paying too much attention to aspects inessential to the story at hand. Trump has done a fine job of exploring the integral conflict that makes this so interesting a story, even if she has allowed herself to be distracted from the important issues at times. The desire to be comprehensive, a noble pursuit no doubt, has trumped the need to be concise. And as the film wanes on, turning more often to uninsightful name musicians and tangential protestors than to the subjects with which it started, it inevitable loses a little of its erstwhile allure. There’s a fascinating film in here bloated just a little beyond recognition; Musicwood, looking a little too closely at certain trees, slightly misses the wood.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: A Little Bit Country (2012) Ronan Doyle http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/17/reel-indie-film-festival-review-little-bit-country-2012/

Cast: Richard Southgate, Tim McInnerny, Kazia Pelka Director: Amy Coop Country: UK Genre: Short | Comedy | Family Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com / and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. A Little Bit Country screens on Thursday October 17th at 9:00 PM at The Royal in Toronto as a supporting

short to Musicwood, reviewed here.

It’s more than mere conjecture to make the leap from the pre-title scene of awkward discovery that opens A Little Bit Country to something wholly more serious; as off-handedly absurd as a mother discovering her son in the process of donning cowboy boots may be, there’s a non-specificity to the sequence that allows our imagination to take flight and insert our own experience instead. That’s the genial genius of this little film from Amy Coop: treating a silly subject with deadpan drama, it becomes about so much more than it seems.

Handsomely shot—and cut by Coop herself under the pseudonym with

which she has worked in various assistant directorial capacities on movies as varied as Gulliver’s Travels and Basic Instinct 2—A Little Bit Country effectively channels professional productions into this pristine passion project. Expertly spread across just seven minutes, it’s a film that understands perfectly how to play its cards, emphasising awkwardness to bait a final sweet reveal.

“Coop has conceived a neat little narrative here that she brings to life with concise clarity. The brevity of the material, together with tongue-in-cheek nature of its humour and they eventually sweet outro, almost dismissively disengages with the underlying ideas, and that—in a sense— is part of the charm.”

Strong work from a delightfully reactionary cast in the movie’s anchor: Richard Southgate excels particularly as they outed teen, his aghast face communicating all that needs to be said as his shocked parents lament: “I mean, the porn we expected, but… but this…” Tim McInnerny and Kazia Pelka exude parental panic, the former’s body language as economic an example of “we’re not mad, we’re just disappointed” as could be.

Coop has conceived a neat little narrative here that she brings to life with concise clarity. The brevity of the material, together with tonguein-cheek nature of its humour and they eventually sweet outro, almost dismissively disengages with the underlying ideas, and that—in a sense—is part of the charm. A Little Bit Country is a delightfully simple story of acceptance, of coming to terms with the truth of the people you think you know, and loving them all the more for it.

Reel Indie Film Festival Review: Walking Proof (2013) Graeme Maitland http://nextprojection.com/2013/10/17/reel-indie-film-festial-review-walking-proof-2013/ Director: Matthew Dorman, Marcio Novelli Country: Canada Genre: Documentary Official Trailer: Here Editor’s Notes : The following review is part of our coverage of the Reel Indie Film Festival. For more information on the festival visit http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ and follow the event on Twitter at @RIFF_Toronto. Walking Proof screens on Thursday October 17th at 7:00 PM at The Royal in Toronto.

Marcio Novelli is a Hamilton, Ontario native singer/songwriter whose career is just about to launch. He sites influences such as Tegan and Sara, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Green Day as being important to his sound, though his structured and layered pop-rock sound feels a bit more diverse than that. He’s an enthusiastic and joyful performer with an obvious passion for music. In the documentary Walking Proof we join Marcio as he basically locks himself in a recording studio for seventeen days to complete his first full-length album. While he has an engaging and passionate personality, the film comes off as a bit stagnant and it doesn’t allow the viewer an opportunity to get to know any of the people on a personal level.

“W hile he has an engaging and passionate personality, the film com es off as a bit stagnant and it doesn’t allow the viewer an opportunity to get to know any of the people on a personal level.”

Walking Proof is a procedural documentary that takes us through the technical process of recording an album. It’s a chronological account of the recording starting with laying down the guitar and drum tracks, adding the bass, recording the vocals and finally adding some final touches and mixing. For anyone whose not familiar with the process there is a bit of interesting information here. We also get to join Marcio as he learns the process. This is his first time making a full-length album and his positivity and enthusiasm at learning new skills and new ways of thinking about his music is refreshing. Throughout the course of the documentary Marcio develops a teacher/student relationship with his producer Jim. This is probably the most interesting aspect of the film, unfortunately it isn’t explored enough throughout. We get glimpses of a relationship and a story developing, but there’s not enough follow through.

“W alking Proof is a procedural docum entary that takes us through the technical process of recording an album . It’s a chronological account of the recording starting with laying down the guitar and drum tracks, adding the bass, recording the vocals and finally adding som e final touches and m ixing.”

This is similar to what happens with the various session musicians who join Marcio.

Having this variety of musicians coming in to play on his album demonstrates an openness and humility to the music, but the transient nature of their appearances doesn’t give us enough of a chance to get to know any of them. Relationships, character development, and plot are all important aspects to any film, documentaries are no exception. The focus of this film is a bit too narrow, and doesn’t allow the viewer to really get inside the world of the movie. Focusing very heavily on Marcio it could be easy to dismiss this film as a vanity piece or an ego boost, fortunately Marcio is charismatic and genuinely earnest and playful. His upbeat attitude saves this documentary from being dreary.

Despite all of his enthusiasm, the film feels a bit too insular. There’s no specific direction to the story except to complete the album, which is ultimately not enough to maintain a viewers interest unless they are big fans of the band in question. A bit of extrapolation, possibly some concert footage, could have brought this film into the real world and given a bit more of a narrative focus. As it stands, this is an extended bonus feature on the technicalities involved in recording an album as opposed to an intricate portrait.

REEL INDIE FILM FEST BRINGING FILM AND MUSIC TOGETHER FOR INDIEWEEK Chad Maker http://themusicexpress.ca/reel-indie-film-fest-bringing-film-and-music-together-for-indieweek/ The Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) launched this week with it’s lineup of six features, six shorts and six music videos, for the inaugural music-themed film festival. RiFF is an extension of the international music festival Indie Week and seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. The four-days of screenings, industry panels and parties, celebrate the marriage of film and music.

“After all the planning and watching of films submitted to the inaugural year of the REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL, I am truly excited about our first line-up of Feature length films, Short Films and Music Videos,” says RiFF Executive Director Avi Federgreen. “There are terrific films including some outstanding Canadian titles. This is an excellent start to what I know will be many years of great programming for RiFF.” FEATURES:

Los Wild Ones – directed by Elise Salomon (USA) (doc) – Opening Night Film (Canadian Premiere) Sponsored by William F. White Reb Kennedy and the artists on the L.A. based indie label, Wild Records, are chronicled in this honest look at an unconventional yet tight-knit family.

Musicwood – directed by Maxine Trump (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) an adventure filled journey that is also a political thriller with music at its heart.

Walking Proof – directed by Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film follows the 17-day process of making of Marcio Novelli’s debut full length album It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason. The independent Canadian singer songwriter entered the studio with

producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police) without the support of a label.

In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey – directed by James Cullingham (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film chronicles the astounding life and achievements of the guitarist, composer, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001.) Fahey was influenced by music from around the world, including India. In 1959, as a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., Fahey began playing a sitar!

The Legend of Jimi Lazer – directed by Mann Munoz (Canada) (narrative) (Canadian Premiere) Imagine a guitar that could make your wildest dreams come true… but Jimi Lazer, wannabe rock-star, isn’t counting on the price he has to pay.

Bayou Maharajah – directed by Lily Keber (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) – Closing Night Film – Sponsored by SIM Digital Explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed ‘the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.’

SHORTS:

Black Metal – directed by Kat Candler (USA) A Little Bit Country – directed by Amy Coop (UK) Jessie and the Fountain of Youth – directed by Tracey Anarella (USA) R. Luke DuBois: Running Out Of Time – directed by H. Paul Moon (USA) P urgatorium – directed by Christine Buijs (Canada) Necronimica – directed by Kyle Bogart (USA) MUSIC VIDEOS:

Will My Lady Love Me – directed by Dave Howard (Canada/Toronto) C ircle – directed by Dominique Van Olm (Canada/Toronto T o The Beat – directed by Marc Atom Borins (Canada/Toronto) Suiside of Life – directed by Geoff Marshall (Canada/Toronto) Halo – directed by Dan Davidson (Canada/Edmonton) Some Sweet Relief – directed by Kat Candler (USA/New York City) Full details on all films and complete lineup order can be found onlinehttp://reelindiefilmfest.com/ All RiFF screenings will take place at the historic Royal Cinema, in Toronto, 608 College St. with a short film and music video will precede each feature film.

About REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is an independent film festival with a focus on music-related content.

Launched in 2013 as part of the 10th anniversary of Indie Week. RiFF seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, and to support filmmakers’ music-oriented stories, using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that capture the essence of a band or song. www.reelindiefilmfest.com

Art & Culture Maven REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL | October 1620, 2013 | The Royal Cinema – Toronto http://www.artandculturemaven.com/2013/10/reel-indie-film-festival-october-16-20.html

From a media release: WILLIAM F. WHITE presents REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL | October 16-20, 2013 | The Royal at the Royal Cinema – 608 College St. single ticket--$10 | day pass--$20 |general admissions wristband (all screenings)— $50 All details on ticket prices and packages available online (Toronto, Ont., October 2013) - The Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is excited to announce its full lineup of six features, six shorts and six music videos, for the inaugural music-themed film festival.

"After all the planning and watching of films submitted to the inaugural year of the REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL, I am truly excited about our first line-up of Feature length films, Short Films and Music Videos,” says RiFF Executive Director Avi Federgreen. "There are terrific films including some outstanding Canadian titles. This is an excellent start to what I know will be many years of great programming for RiFF." FEATURES: Los Wild Ones – directed by Elise Salomon (USA) (doc) - Opening Night Film (Canadian Premiere) Sponsored by William F. White Reb Kennedy and the artists on the L.A. based indie label, Wild Records, are chronicled in this honest look at an unconventional yet tight-knit family.

Musicwood – directed by Maxine Trump (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) An adventure filled journey that is also a political thriller with music at its heart.

Walking Proof – directed by Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film follows the 17-day process of making of Marcio Novelli’s debut full length album It's Not An Excuse, It's A Reason. The independent Canadian singer songwriter entered the studio with producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police) without the support of a label.

In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey – directed by James Cullingham (Canada) (doc) (Canadian Premiere) The film chronicles the astounding life and achievements of the guitarist, composer, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001.) Fahey was influenced by music from around the world, including India. In 1959, as a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., Fahey began playing a sitar!

The Legend of Jimi Lazer – directed by Mann Munoz (Canada) (narrative) (Canadian Premiere) Imagine a guitar that could make your wildest dreams come true... but Jimi Lazer, wannabe rock-star, isn't counting on the price he has to pay.

Bayou Maharajah – directed by Lily Keber (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) – Closing Night Film – Sponsored by SIM Digital Explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed 'the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.'

SHORTS: Black Metal – directed by Kat Candler (USA) A Little Bit Country – directed by Amy Coop (UK) Jessie and the Fountain of Youth – directed by Tracey Anarella (USA) R. Luke DuBois: Running Out Of Time – directed by H. Paul Moon (USA) Purgatorium – directed by Christine Buijs (Canada) Necronimica – directed by Kyle Bogart (USA) MUSIC VIDEOS: Will My Lady Love Me – directed by Dave Howard (Canada/Toronto) Circle – directed by Dominique Van Olm (Canada/Toronto) To The Beat – directed by Marc Atom Borins (Canada/Toronto) Suiside of Life – directed by Geoff Marshall (Canada/Toronto) Halo – directed by Dan Davidson (Canada/Edmonton) Some Sweet Relief – directed by Kat Candler (USA/New York City)

All RiFF screenings will take place at the historic Royal Cinema, in Toronto, 608 College St. A short film and music video will precede each feature film.

About REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is an independent film festival with a focus on music-related content. Launched in 2013 as part of the 10th anniversary of Indie Week. RiFF seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, and to support filmmakers’ music-oriented stories, using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that capture the essence of a band or song.

Reel Indie Film Fest Tue 22nd Oct 13: Announcing the winners of the inaugural Reel Indie Film Fest (RiFF) http://www.festivalfocus.org/news.php?uid=1622

Announcing the winners of the inaugural Reel Indie Film Fest (RiFF) (October 21, 2013 - Toronto) INDIEWEEK and REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL is super proud to announce the very first winners of the inaugural music-themes festival, that just finished its first run from The Royal. The winning films were decided on by a panel of filmmakers and industry professionals. The winners were announced on Sunday night at The Rivoli, where their was a post party to celebrate. THE WINNERS: Best Feature sponsored by Harold Greenburg Fund awarded to Los Wild Ones directed by directed

by Elise Salomon. Los Wild Ones is a documentary, which follows the lives of Reb Kennedy and the artists on his LA-based indie label, Wild Records. Best Short Film sponsored by Cinespace Film Studios awarded to R. Luke DuBois: Running Out of Time. This short documentary tells the story of R. Luke DuBois, a composer and visual artist in New York City. His creative work builds on notions of cultural and romantic memory, exploring how information can be manipulated over time for emotional impact. Best Music Video sponsored by Federgreen Entertainment awarded to Some Sweet Relief by Ola Podrida, directed by Kat Candler. The celebration also included a performance by Marcio Novell who pulled double duty this festival as both an Indie Week artist and RiFF filmmaker for Walking Proof. About REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is an independent film festival with a focus on music-related content. Launched in 2013 as part of the 10th anniversary of Indie Week. RiFF seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, and to support filmmakers’ music-oriented stories, using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that capture the essence of a band or song. www.reelindiefilmfest.com About our Sponsors: RiFF could not have happened without the passion and support of our terrific first-year sponsors: Presenting Sponsor and Opening Night Party Sponsor – William F. White; Best Feature Sponsor, Harold Greenburg Fund; Best Short Film Sponsor, Cinespace Studios; Panel Sponsor, Red Square Motion; Closing Night Party Sponsor, SIM Digital; Official Liquor Sponsor, Tito’s Vodka; Ticketing Sponsor, Ticketfly; Supporting Partners, Redlab, Toronto Irish Film Festival; Transport Sponsor, Autolux. About Indie Week **10 year Anniversary** Indie Week is an independent music festival founded in Toronto in 2003. In the 10 years since its inception, Indie Week has grown to support 200+ bands from all over the world. The festival expanded to international waters with Indie Week Ireland in 2007. www.indieweek.com.

…And, We’re Back! http://gesilaazorbo.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/and-were-back/ Hello, all! Apologies for the hiatus, it’s been a busy school week for me! To recap, the last time I posted, I was about to let you all know about my experience covering Toronto Indie Week’s inaugural film festival last Friday, the Reel Indie Film Fest 2013.

The festival lasted 5 days, from October 16 – 20, and included an excellent array of independent feature films, shorts, and music video debuts, as well as industry panels covering everything from producing indie films on a micro-budget, to ways of financing your project (crowdfunding, investors, and private funding – in case you were curious :P), to music licensing, successful pitching and merchandising. There was also an Indie Happy Hour industry mixer that I soooo wanted to attend but couldn’t reschedule around! Oh well.

Let me tell you about the films that I did see.

The Shorts:

A Little Bit Country (Amy Coop, 7 mins): Dylan is your typical teenager – angst, sulky and moody. But one night when he thinks he is home alone, he heads to his room to reveal that he has a dark secret…he really likes country music! And not just the music…Dylan is a raging countryphile – records, tasselled jackets, cowboy hat, the works!

And then his parents come home unexpectedly and discover his stash, to his dismay and to their absolute horror.

The beauty of this short is that it is hilarious. The melodramatic reaction of his parents to his secret obsession is priceless. “It’s almost as bad as that, what do you call it, car keys in the bowl…” his father says. “What, swinging?” his mother responds, horrified.

They immediately demand that he packs up the records and paraphernalia and throw them out before the neighbours discover the shameful secret, and he complies, sulkily. But as he is walking away with a box full of his treasures, the camera stays on his parents, sitting in his room. There is still one country record in the record player, and as his father moves to remove it, his mother stops him. Next thing you know, the music is playing, and they’ve progressed to dancing together and laughing, and his mother playfully puts the cowboy hat on his father’s head to no resistance.

Dylan, watching this all through a gap in the door, smiles and walks off, knowing his collection is safe.

Playful, fun, and really well shot and acted. The writer/director Amy Coop has quite a few accolades already for this film, as well as for her other work, going by what she has up on her website, so I’d definitely be interested in seeing what else she does!

Jesse and the Fountain of Youth (Tracey Anarella, 12 mins): This is the story of Jesse Seth Cohen, a subway musician and busker living in New York City, who is trying to take his music career above ground, beginning with a studio recording of his best song. The “Fountain of Youth” in the title refers to this song, which he records in the studio with the hopes of selling it for film and television use. The song is presented almost as a tribute to his late mother, who supported his art by writing down all the songs he would create when he was younger, including this one which he wrote at 19, but didn’t then have the technical playing skills to make the most of it. Now he has rediscovered the song and it just might be the one to take his music to the next level.

The film begins in a New York subway station, where you see cuts of various musicians performing on the public stage of the platform. Then you get to Jesse, and you know that this is the Jesse of the title even before he is formally introduced because of how the camera lingers on him playing his guitar. It then proceeds to follow this shy, unassuming, almost reticent young man as he goes about his life, from playing on the street to performing in front of a gathered crowd at a music venue, to meeting and being invited to record at the studio of producer Peter Fish. Interspersed between the scenes is an interview with Jesse at home, where he talks about his music, his life, and the conflict between the simple joy he feels at busking on a subway platform and the realization that if his career is going to go anywhere, he needs to come out from underground.

A brief slice-of-life story, the centrepiece of Jesse is the studio recording session where producer Fish encourages him to broaden the song “Fountain of Youth” by including a full backing band – piano, a second guitar, drums and a mandolin player. Simply made and unassumingly presented, this film really lets you catch a glimpse of the sort of life that you may not think twice about, beyond the handful of coins you toss into their guitar case in passing. Filmmaker Tracey Anarella, who began this film as a student project after she had just learned to shoot, do sound and edit, explained after the screening that she intended to follow it up with a second film exploring how far Jesse has gotten in his musical and life journey since this was made. I for one would be interested in seeing that, too.

The Shorters (aka, music videos!):

Circle (Dominique Van Olm, 1 min): The premise of this (extremely short) experimental film was filmmaker Dominique Van Olm wanting to explore the ways different artists might approach the same idea. Specifically, she wanted to see if a word could be translated through music to an image. She gave the idea to a composer to translate it into a musical movement, and then used the movement as a filmmaker to translate into visuals. According to the expanded explanation on her website, “I approached my friend Mitch Thomson to create the music for the project based on the word ‘circle’. I imposed a set of requirements that in my eyes were ‘circular’. I asked for the instruments to be round in construction as well as the final sound containing several loops, finishing where it started. Mitch composed this piece using a flugelhorn, a tuba and a banjo. It has become the sequel to our first sound/video project, LINE. Done in the same style using a different idea.”

Now, I didn’t get a chance to see the video at the festival (being a minute long, it was extremely easy to miss when I came in at a couple minutes past 7pm!!) but Van Olm has the film available for viewing on her website (as well as quite a few other interesting things!) so I was able to watch it there.

The video begins with an old-school film reel countdown and a voice saying “One, two, three, four…”, then the music starts with a jaunty, upbeat banjo tune, coupled with dancing, ephemeral visuals showing images of the instruments being played (a banjo, a tuba and a flugelhorn), layered over with kaleidoscopic patterns and graphics – all retaining the circular motif. It ends on the same note it begins (musically, that is!) which speaks to Van Olm’s requirement of the composer that the music be “circular” – in this case, meaning that not just the instruments, but even the composition itself needed to include loops.

I liked it. It was fun, playful, and visually interesting. A lovely little experiment, I’d say.

To the Beat (Atom and the Volumes, 4 mins): This was the festival debut of the self-shot music video for Toronto indie band Atom and the Volumes’ single “To the Beat”. A stop motion video involving, well, toys, the lead singer explained afterwards that his brother had just had a baby and while they were digging up their old action figures, the idea occurred to them to have their video be said action figures dancing to their music, moving “to the beat”, so to speak. (Punny, aren’t I? :p) The song featured the stop-motion-jerky dance skills of the Incredible Hulk, Wonderwoman, the Joker, and Batman getting down on a checkered dance floor and in/around the Batmobile and around the band’s amplifiers, guitar pedals, piano, old show posters and other paraphernalia, intercut with scenes of the band performing on stage. ”To The Beat” was a fun little video to see. As a photographer, I couldn’t help judging the quality of some of the shots (sorry!!) but all in all it was a pretty ingenious no-budget solution, and looked like a fun project all around.

The Features:

Walking Proof (Matt Dorman/Marcio Novelli, 72 mins): Walking Proof tells the behind-the-scenes story of how Hamilton indie rocker Marcio Novelli pulled together some of the most renowned names in music to help him record his solo debut album It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason independently in just 17 days.

Featuring the talents of producer Jim Wirt (who’s worked with musicians like Fiona Apple, Incubus and Jack’s Mannequin) and audio engineer Nick Blagona (famous for much of his work with artists including Green Day and The Police), this film is as indie as it gets. It was shot entirely by cinematographer Matt Dorman (whose day job, I discovered, is making promotional docs for the Hamilton Tiger Cats!) except for a number of confessional style, handheld iPhone video clips shot by Marcio himself in front of a mirror, and produced, directed and edited by the duo.

The film really yanks you into the process right away through fast-paced, kinetic editing and deeply personal forays into Marcio and Chelsea (his wife and manager)’s lives in the just over two

week process of creating the album from scratch. It plays like an extended MTV special (back in the good ol’ days when the “M” actually made sense!) with a mixture of in-studio and at-home footage, talking heads interviews with the principal cast overlaid with catchy pop-rock music, and a real sense of getting at the truth of what the process is like, warts and all.

An engrossing and cleanly edited tour into the process of creating an album on a low budget and with a severe time crunch, it also features a revolving cast of supporting characters contributing their talents in one way or the other toward his cause. These include two separate drummers (Dan Fila and the ridiculously photogenic Rio Nicolle) providing backing drums for several of his tracks each, as well as bass by Chris Steele, bassist for Alexisonfire, whose cousin happened to be one of the audio engineers in the studio.

Speaking of familial connections, though, there really seemed to be a family atmosphere in the studio, goodnatured fights, teasing and all. In one scene, engineer Nick Blagona is making fun of Marcio who apparently always seems to be eating something, by asking him if he’s from Naples.

Then someone suggests that the film include a compilation of scenes of Marcio nibbling at something and this is followed by a very meta superclip of scenes of Marcio nibbling at something.

For a low budget he really pulled together an excellent team, all the way down to a personal voice coach, Jennifer Molinaro, in the studio with them, helping him ensure he was reaching the peak of his vocal potential. One thing I took away from this film is that in the entertainment industry, as much or even more than in any other, relationships seem to be the grease that keep the gears spinning, because to a person all of those involved in making the album expressed their adoration of Marcio.

“That’s the thing about him,” says one of the cast during an interview. “He’s got all this positive energy!”

That energy is something that comes across quite clearly in the film. Incredibly personal, it really showcases a very reachable artist, someone who feels very close to the audience not just in terms of accessibility, but also in terms of having similar challenges in life, and a powerful determination to overcome them. The personal nature of the film might have been helped by the fact that he and Matt Dorman, who shot and edited the film, have been friends for over a decade.

It really made me wonder if this – low budget, high quality production done with friends and family – was the future of indie music making? Or maybe it’s already here, and this is simply the canary in the coal mine.

All in all, certainly worth a watch, if not for the educational value for all you aspiring artists out there, then just for the sheer fun of the ride! (The film is also available to purchase with the physical version of his album, here)

Musicwood (Maxine Trump, 80 mins) Musicwood is a truly fascinating look at the controversy surrounding the wood that is used to make some of the best-known acoustic guitars in the world. It features extensive interviews with the CEOs and presidents of Gibson, Taylor, and Martin guitars, as well as musical performances and perspectives from some of the biggest acoustic musicians today, including Yo La Tengo, Kaki King, Steve Earle, the Antlers, and Sergius Gregory, among others. But the film also looks at the broad cultural, economic, and political conflicts at the heart of the issue.

Specifically, it looks at the situation from the historical perspective of the Native American tribes, primarily the Haida, who live in South East Alaska, and who have a stake – literally – in the last rainforest of its kind. The majority of the wood used, particularly sitka spruce, according to the film, comes from an area in South East Alaska, the Tongass National Forest, which is an ancient forest with giant trees that have grown for centuries. It is overseen by the Sealaska Corporation, a Native American-run corporation which was formed to make the best use of the land for the most benefit to the Haida people, and one in which essentially everyone in the tribe is a stakeholder. But the controversy arose when Sealaska was criticized by radical environmental group Greenpeace for overlogging and irreparably disrupting the ecosystem through a process known as “clear-cutting”, where vast swathes of the forest are mown down without factoring in the ecological impact.

The music industry got involved when the CEOs of the big three guitar giants found out that the core species they depend on for their acoustic instruments, sitka spruce trees growing in the Tongass National Forest, were in danger of extinction within a decade or so. They realized they needed to convince Sealaska to change its logging practices in order to prevent that from happening. But given the historical disenfranchisement of Native Americans by the government and other typically white, male people in positions of power, the Native American tribes at the centre of the controversy were understandably leery of accepting any demands as to the way they conducted their business.

Recognizing the need for dialogue however, the three sides – Sealaska, Greenpeace and representatives of the music industry – created an uneasy coalition called the Musicwood Coalition to try and work out solutions that would benefit everyone. But things never go quite according to plan!

The great thing about this film (aside from the slick production, great soundtrack and informative digital graphics) is that it really tries to evenly showcase everyone’s perspective, and doesn’t try to give you all the answers.

From the often-frustrated Greenpeace representative, to the earnest-seeming guitar manufacturers facing major changes to their industry model, to the steel-willed Native American board members of the Sealaska corporation determined to retain authority over their land, to the Native American residents of the South East Alaska region who feel the corporation does not speak for them but rather for its own profits, there seem to be a thousand stories and a thousand perspectives on the issue.

At its heart, it is a culture clash on multiple levels, with a timely message about caution when it comes to exploiting the planet’s natural resources, no matter what side of the debate you’re on.

It was a great watch, and pretty informative, too. Makes you think twice about the Beatles line, “While my guitar gently weeps…”

At the end of the festival last Sunday night, the RIFF winners were announced, in the categories of Best Music Video, Best Short Film, and Best Feature. And the awards went to…..*drumrollllll* 1. Best Music Video: sponsored

by Federgreen Entertainment, Some Sweet Relief by Ola Podrida, directed

by Kat Candler.

Some Sweet Relief is from the Album Ghosts go Blind.

[Link to video]

2. Best Short Film: sponsored by Cinespace Film Studios, R. Luke DuBois: Running Out of Time directed by H Paul Moon. The synopsis on the website describes it as a “short documentary [that] tells the story of R. Luke DuBois, a composer and visual artist in New York City. His creative work builds on notions of cultural and romantic memory, exploring how information can be manipulated over time for emotional impact.”

[Link to video]

3. Best Feature Film: sponsored by Harold Greenburg Fund, Los Wild Ones directed by Elise Salomon. Los Wild Ones is a documentary following the lives of Reb Kennedy and the artists on his LA-based indie label, Wild Records.

[Link to trailer video] So that was my weekend last week! The week was full of presentation making, video-shooting, photography, and general school-related work, and this weekend has been spent plotting mayhem and madness trying to study and work on my major film project for the semester, a five minute doc short that will hopefully debut here at the end of the year once the, ahem, mayhem and madness have subsided Tomorrow, I’ll share some of the weird and wonderful things that have caught my eye in the last few days. Till then, thanks for coming by!

Inaugural Reel Indie Film Festival, Oct 16-20 http://www.chinokino.com/2013/10/inaugural-reel-indie-film-festival-oct.html The music-themed film festival Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) kicks off its inaugural edition tonight at 7pm with a screening of Elise Salomon’s Los Wild Ones . It will be preceded by the music video Will My Lady Love Me and the short film Black Metal .

It will be followed at 9pm by a screening of Window of Opportunity by Samuel Warren Joseph.

Screenings take place at the Royal Cinema at 608 College Street. The opening night party will take place at The Revival with Performances by David Barrett Trio and Bathurst Station.

“After all the planning and watching of films submitted to the inaugural year of the REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL, I am truly excited about our first line-up o Feature length films, Shot Films and Music Videos,” says RiFF Executive Directed Avi Federgreen. “There are terrific films including some outstanding Canadian titles. This is an excellent start to what I know will be many years of great programming for RiFF.” http://reelindiefilmfest.com/ FEATURES: Los Wild Ones –directed by Elise Salomon (USA) (doc) –Opening Night Film (Canadian Premiere) Sponsored by William F. White Reb Kennedy and the artists on the L.A. based indie label, Wild Records, are chronicled in this honest look at an unconventional yet tight-knit family.

Musicwood –directed by Maxine Trump (USA) (doc) (Toronto Premiere) an adventure filled journey that is also a political thriller with music at its heart.

Walking Proof –directed by Matthew Dorman and Marcio Novelli (Canada)(doc)(Canadian Premiere) The film follows the 17-day process of making of Marcio Novelli’s debut full length album It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason. The independent Canadian singer songwriter entered the studio with producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Fiona Apple) and engineer Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, The Police) without the support of a label.

In Search of Blind Joe Death-The Saga of John Fahey –directed by James Cullingham (Canada)(doc)(Canadian Premier) The film chronicles the astounding life and achievements of the guitarist, composer, author and provocateur John Fahey (1939-2001). Fahey was influenced by music from around the world, including India. In 1959, as a teenager in suburban Washington, D.C., Fahey began playing a sitar!

The Legend of Jimi Lazer –directed by Manna Munoz (Canada) (narrative) (Canadian Premiere) Imagine a guitar that could make your wildest dreams come true…but Jimi Lazer, wannabe rockstar, isn’t coutingon the price he has to pay.

Bayou Maharajah –directed by Lily Keber (USA)(doc)(Toronto Premiere) –Closing Night Film – Sponsored by SIM Digital Explores the life, times and music of James Booker, the legendary New Orleans performer who Dr. John proclaimed ‘the best black, gay, one-eyed junkie piano genius New Orleans has ever produced.’

SHORTS: Black Metal –directed by Kat Candler (USA) A Little Bit Country –directed by Amy Coop (UK) Jessie and the Fountain of Youth –directed by Tracey Anarella (USA) R. Luke DuBois: Running Out of Time –directed by H. Paul Moon (USA) Purgatorium –directed by Christine Buijs (Canada) Necromimica –directed by Kyle Bogart (USA)

MUSIC VIDEOS: Will My Lady Love Me –directed by Dave Howard (Canada/Toronto) Circle –directed by Dominique Van Olm (Canada/Toronto) To The Beat –directed by Marc Atom Borins (Canada/Toronto) Suiside of Life –directed by Geoff Marshall (Canada/Toronto) Halo –directed by Dan Davidson (Canada/Edmonton) Some Sweet Relief –directed by Kat Candler) (USA/New York City) Full details on all films and complete lineup order can be found online http://reelindiefilmfest.com All RiFF screenings will take place at the historic Royal Cinema, in Toronto, 608 College St. A short film and music video will precede each feature film.

RiFF- an extension of the international music festival Indie Week –seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspiration, from the teenage dream of following in the footsteps of the Rolling Stones, to using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. The four-days of screenings, industry panels and parties, celebrate the marriage of film and music.

About REEL INDIE FILM FESTIVAL Reel Indie Film Festival (RiFF) is an independent film festival with a focus on music-related content.

Launched in 2013 as part of the 10th anniversary of Indie Week. RiFF seeks to cover the gamut of musical inspirtation, and to support filmmakers’ music-orientated stories, using music as a platform for one’s thoughts and beliefs. Films that capture the essence of a band or song. www.reelindiefilmfest.com

FOCUS • REEL INDIE FILM FEST Claire French http://www.blog.filmfestivallife.com/2013/07/23/focus-reel-indie-film-festival/

Today we spoke to Avi Federgreen, Executive Producer of the 1st REEL INDIE FILM FEST DEADLINE • 19 August 2013 Festivals are a great vehicle for films to get their start before they travel around the world ‘in distribution land’. I am a big fan of music and I have been involved in music off-and-on as a kid and I felt that there was a hole in the kind of festival that we are trying to do here.

Because Indie Week has existed as a music festival now going into its tenth year this fall, it was natural to start expanding that festival into other areas and film was obviously the first. The relationship between music and film is a great one. I have always believed as a producer of films, that music becomes a character in your film and many films are able to do this very well and we wanted to be able to show these films at our festival. Although there are two other music film festivals, you could say here in Toronto, I really felt that while the films being played at those festivals were good, they were really not what was available in the variety that was being offered internationally.

We are reaching out to films all over the world. It is not just documentary or narrative feature films but we are also showcasing short films and music videos. We are programming 6 films, 6 shorts and 6 music videos so it is not a ton of content but I think it is a good beginning. We are concentrating on programming a solid lineup and will be noticed for what we are doing here. It is all about the quality of the films. You program good films and people will come.

In terms of submissions, I think there needed to be an alternative to Withoutabox and I think it needed to be a more family-feel to submissions. I think your platform is a much more welcoming, grass roots platform and listen, ‘indie’ is our middle name in our festival so why not go with an indie submission platform and grow together, right?

Avi Federgreen, Reel Indie Film Fest to FilmFestivalLife, 23 July 2013 17-20 October 2013, Toronto, Canada

Indie Week http://www.nowtoronto.com/contests/contest.cfm?contest_id=2129 SPONSORED BY Indie Week Win a pair of Indie Week wristbands + a pair of tickets to see the film Window of Opportunity on October 16th at the Royal!

“Window of Opportunity” was written and directed by Samuel Warren Joesph and produced by John Densmore of the Doors . The story follows corporate executive, Roger Sizemore who takes a couple of his junior executives up to a hunting cabin for a weekend of drinking. Sizemore also invites a couple of hookers up to the cabin for the weekend and over the course of the weekend one of the hookers ends up dead. Sizemore then enlists his underlings in the cover up of the murder.

The film is premiering as part of Reel Indie Film Festival.

This prize pack includes, a pair of Indie Week & Reel Indie Film Festival wristbands, a pair of passes to see Window of Opportunity at the Royal on October 16th, PLUS a pair of guest list spots for the film screening after party at Revival on October 16th!

PRIZE DETAILS pair indie week wristbands & movie tickets 25 available to win | Limit 1 per contestant Questions? Email contest@nowtoronto.com Limit one contest entry per person Contest closes Oct 14, 2013

Festivals this week http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=194826

Reel Indie Film Festival Festival of music-themed films. $10, day pass $20. Royal Cinema, 608 College. reelindiefilmfest.com. To Oct 2.

Reel Indie Film Festival http://www.filmfestivallife.com/Reel-Indie-Film-Fest Festival type Real Venue Festival T ypes of films Any type, Animation, Docu-feature, Documentary, Experimental, Hybrids, Industrial, Music video, Narrative fiction, Student, Web Film length Full length, Mid-length, Short Mission / description RiFF is looking for Indieshort and feature-length films and music videos.

The focus of the festival is music, its cultural and emotional impact, history and ability to move people. We want stories that cover the gamut of musical inspiration.

Submissions Qualifications: *Films must be have been completed after January 1, 2012 *Short Films must have a running time of no longer than 20 min *Music Videos must have a running time of no more than 5 min *Feature Films must have a runtime [70+ minutes or longer] *Documentary films must have a running time of 60+ min *Films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English *Must be related to music LESS TEXT Festival website reelindiefilmfest.com Festival Info Class

Founded: 2013 Festival category: B (international relevance, international player)

Dates

Open call: Jun 12, 2013 Regular deadline: Aug 09, 2013 Late deadline: Aug 19, 2013 Favorite this festival or add it to one of your lists to be alerted about open call, deadlines and notification date.

Fees

Fees range from 12.00 to 18.50 EUR (16.44 to 25.35 USD) . See submission categories for details about fees.

Awards

Total prize money: 1,000.00 USD

Festival sections

Documentary *Films must be have been completed after January 1, 2012 *Documentary films must have a running time of 60 min *Films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English *Must be related to music Short Film *Films must be have been completed after January 1, 2012 *Short Films must have a running time of no longer than 20 min *Films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English *Must be related to music Feature Film *Films must be have been completed after January 1, 2012 *Feature Films must have a runtime [70 minutes or longer] *Films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English *Must be related to music Music Video • Films must have been completed between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012 • Music Videos must have a running time of no longer than 5 minutes • Films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English

Reel Indie Film Fest http://www.toronto.com/events/reel-indie-film-fest/ Price Summary: Single Ticket: $12.36, Day Pass: $23.95, RiFF Pass: $55.62 Overview Led by producer Avi Federgreen (One Week, Still Mine, Moon Point), this festival highlights films that feature a wide array of different music. From dreams of making it big in the music world to more personal expressions through music, this festival hopes to highlights films that capture many different perspectives on what music means to all of us. The festival will include a number of features, shorts, and music videos, with each feature screening preceded by a short and music video.

Photo courtesy of The Royal Cinema

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