Moving Stories Films Atlantic Canada Premier in St. John’s NL on October 17

MOVING STORIES FILMS will be continuing its cross-Canada tour at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, The first of its kind in Canada, the screening will feature hosts Judith Keenan (Founder) and Director Irene Duma. The event takes place Friday October 17, 5pm at the Masonic Temple (6 Cathedral Street), followed by a reception. Books which inspired the films in the film program will be available for sale.

There are many immediate touch points between St. John’s and Toronto-based Moving Stories Films:

•    Irene Duma, director of the mockumentary This Hour Has Seven Decades, based on the memoir by Patrick Watson that opens the screening program will be the special on-stage guest. “I had an absolutely wonderful time at the Atlantic premiere of This Hour,” says Duma, originally from Toronto. “I fell in love with Newfoundland, and now I’m living in St. John’s!”

•    Also in the program is the film When The Telescope Came by Director Kate Jessop from Manchester, England.  Kate attended St. John’s in 2007, and pitched her work to Keenan when they both attended St. John’s Women’s Film Fest last year.  “I have met many directors through the excellent programming choices the St. John’s curatorial board have made over the years,” states founder / producer Judith Keenan.  “They are an important source for introducing the work of artists that we go on to commission, employ and whose work we screen on an ongoing basis.”

•    Keenan has worked with Newfound Films’ Producer Anna Petras on several productions over the past few years, and with director Justin Simms on the 2008 production Night Work: A Sawchuk Poem, included in this year’s Moving Stories Films program.

•    Rachel Peters is another talented “find” from St. John’s ‘07 - her work animating the Festival’s opening intro, her pitch at the Face to Face session, and a charming stage show that includes fire-eating (yup, eating actual fire) put her on our radar and lead to a fruitful collaboration on Nagasaki Circus. Not only is it in the MSF program, we helped to secure funding through Bravo!FACT, where the film will be broadcast after its festival circuit. Rachel Peters in St. John’s October 11-18.

Moving Stories Films is a 90-minute curated program of short films celebrating the written word submitted by artists around the world. The films have been selected by Festival Founder Judith Keenan and Programmer Paul Quarrington in consultation with illustrious Film Advisors Robert Lantos, Sarah Polley, Nino Ricci, Gary Thomas and Anne Collins. From September to November 2008, Moving Stories will screen at public events hosted by film and literature festivals across North America.  Hosts include St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival, Ottawa International Writers Festival; Winnipeg International Writers Festival; WordFest: Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival; Vancouver International Writers Festival and Pages Books & Music (Toronto) “This Is Not A Reading Series.”

###

For more information about the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival contact Kelly Davis at 709.754.3141 / kelly@womensfilmfestival.com
For more information about Moving Stories contact Anita Shuper at 647.407.9987 / anita@bookshorts.com