Holiday TINARS Moving Stories Event a Glam Success

With a big bevvy of star artists per square foot at the Gladstone Hotel Nov 26, the Pages Books “This is Not A Reading Series” presentation of Moving Stories Films counts as one of our glammiest events in the 6-city tour.  Of course it helps that the event did double-duty as the BookShorts annual holiday fete, this year Co-Hosted by our long-time colleague and favourite designer Karen Marren as well as the MFS series Host and Curator Paul Quarrington. 

We were thrilled to have these artists and spirited guests in the house…

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

Nino Ricci & Paul Quarrington Review 2008 Moving Stories Films

Curator Paul Quarrington speaks with Film Advisor Nino Ricci about the page-to-screen film adaptations represented  in the Moving Stories Films 2008 program.

 

A LETTER TO COLLEEN: Dir. Andy London / USA / 8:30 / Fiction / Based on the graphic novel A Letter to Christine by Andy London - Haunted by the events of his 18^th birthday, Andy London writes a letter to Colleen in an attempt to put his demons to rest.

 

THE CAVE: Dir. Michael Ramsey / USA / 3:00 / Fiction / Based on The Republic by Plato - An evocative claymation adaptation of the allegory of the cave, a classic commentary on the human condition.

 

NO BIKINI: Dir. Claudia Morgado Escanilla / Canada / 9:00 / Fiction Based on the short story “No Bikini: included in the collection Close to Spider Man by Ivan E. Coyote, Published by Arsenal Pulp Press - A young girl pretending to be a boy discovers the freedom that comes with no bikini.

 

PAVANE: Dir. Paul Quarrington / Canada / 5:30 / Fiction / Based on the novel The Ravine by Paul Quarrington - Connected by debilitating memories, bottomless drinks, and the pretense of being strangers, Phil and Jay play out a darkly comic ritual in an effort to redeem themselves, and each other, of a terrifying childhood incident.

 

THE GARGOYLE: Sei’s Story: Dir. Bert Kish / USA / 5:30 / Docu-Drama / Based on the novel The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson Published by Doubleday US / Random House of Canada - Author Andrew Davidson recounts the story of Sei, a beautiful Japanese glassblower caught in a dilemma of love and loyalty.

 

Shot live on location at the Vancouver International Writers Festival.  Thanks Hal!

 

© 2008 BookShorts Literacy Program

 

Cross-Country Moving Stories tour plays to enthusiastic audiences

With a big shout out to our committed presenters coast to coast, 600 audience members enjoyed the inaugural screening program Moving Stories Films Our Special Guests on stage included Randall Maggs, Andrew Davidson, Gary Thomas, Rachel Peters, Irene Duma, and Ivan E. Coyote. Filmmakers Ken Tsui and Brittany Junek were specially commissioned to produce a BookShorts film based on David Chariandy’s novel “Soucouyant,’ which premiered during the Vancouver presentation.  Thanks to our presenters THIN AIR 2008: Winnipeg International Writers Festival; St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival; Ottawa International Writers Festival Fall Edition; WordFest: Banff-Calgary International Writers Festival and Vancouver International Writers Festival.

For a complete listing of all the books and films in the program, and the terrific press coverage along the way, check out http://movingstoriesfilmfest.com/festival-info/about-the-festival.

UPCOMING TORONTO DATE:  NOVEMBER 26, 2008 - GLADSTONE HOTEL Pressented by THIS IS NOT A READING SERIES, Pages Books & Music.  Reserve in advance by email, judith@bookshorts.com

 

 

Five questions for Quarrington with Calgary Herald

Q: At this year’s Wordfest you’re curating the Moving Stories film program which, looks at short films from around the world. Do you have a background in film? A: When I was in high school I really wanted to be a filmmaker. I even got into a prestigious program at one point . . . but my filming partner and I took the cameras to a party and shot everyone drinking beer. We got thrown out of the program for that, so that sort of felled my filming ambitions for a while. But I did actually go to the Canadian Film Centre here about 15 years ago for the director’s residence and I did make four short films. (My new one) Pavane is based on The Ravine. It’s about the brother relationship and it hints at an occurrence in The Ravine. I use animation to do the childhood stuff, which i think is kind of effective. I’m not if it makes it more creepy or less creepy, but I know it effects the creepiness level. Q: What inspired you to write your latest novel The Ravine? A: I taught creative writing for a long time and at one point I was a writer-in-residence at the Orillia Public Library here in Ontario. . . . Some women came (to the class) and it became clear to me they were in abusive relationships, but I noticed their stories either led up to the abuse and stopped or they began after the abuse had finished and (the stories) proceeded from there. I realized it was my job to get them to write about that middle part that made them uncomfortable. I later realized that about four or five years ago in my own life there was a certain amount of turmoil and I wasn’t following my own advice, so I chose to confront some issues I had. It was things based on an incident which happened to me and my brother and another boy when we were young. So the inspiration for The Ravine was writing about things that made me feel uncomfortable. Spotlight … Paul Quarrington appears at Wordfest events on Oct. 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. wordfest.com Published: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Read the whole interview at the Calgary Herald website

Thin Air audiences appreciate Moving Stories Films and afternoon popcorn

Emma Hill Kepron, one of several bloggers at Thin Air 2008, Winnipeg’s International Writers Festival has this to report about the very first public screening of MOVING STORIES FILMS.

… I had just visited 13 different worlds in one afternoon.  …They were more like a variety of different dishes, all with different ingredients, methods of preparation and presentation. …These little short films were just perfect wee morsels of delicious story. Watching the films sort of felt like being at a buffet where you nibble away at this and that and then realize later that you’ve actually had quite a lot to eat. … the components of this buffet complemented each other very nicely. “No Bikini,” “The Perfection of the Moment,” and “Nagasaki Circus” were particularly memorable and tasty.  And this was the perfect end to a perfect festival.

 

Randall Maggs was our special guest at the intermission. He told the tale of how the film’s central story, Night Work: A Sawchuk Poem, took its heart and soul from his own personal experience with the only man to score on hockey legend Terry Sawchuk in a round of exhibition games in Newfoundland, way back in the golden era of the game. 

Other authors at Thin Air and represented in the Moving Stories Films screening included Andrew Davidson (The Gargoyle: Sei’s Story, directed by Bert Kish); David Waltner-Toews (Food, Sex, and Salmonella, directed by Kate Hollett) and Paul Quarrington (Pavane, based on the novel The Ravine, directed by Paul himself).

Our thanks to the enthusiastic audience, who really let us know their favs with abundant applause and visits to the book sale table after the show. 

 

 

Moving Stories Films Hits The Road!

First Stop, Winnipeg!  Moving Stories Films makes its premiere on Sunday September 28th at THIN AIR Winnipeg International Writer’s Festival. Journalists, check out the Moving Stories Press Kit for photos, trailers, info about the films, filmmakers, books, authors and more! Check our tour schedule for the latest information on screenings and workshops dates as we tour the program across the country.

We’re thrilled to have special guests join us in Winnipeg!  Randall Maggs, author of Night Work: The Sawchuk Poems (Brick Books) will be in attendance and a short film adaptation of his work will be featured in the program.

“This film does what you hope a dramatization will do,” says Moving Stories Films advisor and publisher Anne Collins, “expand into the unsaid bits of the poem to bring an even bigger experience to the viewer.”

Also in attendance at the Festival is author David Waltner-Toews, shose BookShorts film “Food, Sex, and Salmonella” is also in the film program line up.

Paul Quarrington, Susin Nielsen and Judith Keenan explore the process of adaptation in a Moving Stories Master Class on Saturday Sept 27.

The tour continues in St. John’s, Ottawa and Vancouver in October, and Toronto in November. Stay tuned for more news as the tour unfolds and keep visiting our website for details!

Judith Keenan

Judith Keenan’s 20-year career in Canada and the United States has been focused on business development in the culture and entertainment sector. She is currently Executive Director and Founder of BookShorts Inc. and its sister company BookShorts Literacy Program. She produced her first book-inspired video in 1994 in New York City for best-selling Canadian author Douglas Cooper, and has not looked back since.   Her production credits number more than 100 news features, 16 short films, an 8-episode national television series and much more.  Visit BookShorts at http://www.bookshorts.com

Nino Ricci

NINO RICCI’s The Origin of Species has just won the 2008 Governor General’s Award for Fiction, his second GG!  Lives of the Saints (1990) won the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, the SmithBooks/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and the F.G. Bressani Prize. The novel was also a long-time national bestseller, and was followed by the highly acclaimed In a Glass House (1993) and Where She Has Gone (1997), which was a finalist for the Giller Prize. This trio of novels was adapted into a miniseries directed by Jerry Ciccoritti and starring Sophia Loren, Nick Mancuso, Fab Fillipo, Jessica Paré, and Kris Kristofferson.  Watch Nino’s excellent review of the films included in this year’s program.

Invitation to Sponsors of Moving Stories Films

MOVING STORIES would like to invite savvy corporate partners with a eye to a well-educated, literate, contemporary target audience to reach their marketing goals by participating in this inaugural Festival. We have compiled a Sponsorship Guide, available on request, as a means by which to explore opportunities that most closely match our partner’s priorities. Our Festival is still at the planning stages, which means there are still plenty of ways we can deliver the best possible experience for our early partners.

Here are some of the highlights of the upcoming program, a mere taste of the impact Moving Stories sponsorship will deliver:

• More than a dozen New and Original Films from around the world will screen during each Festival
presentation
• Sponsors who commit early have the added benefit of pre-roll, on-screen recognition in the program of films
• Festival films will go on a National Tour, extending sponsor visibility for up to one year
• Special event programming will host celebrities from the screen, stage and book shelves, ensuring front page press coverage
• VIPs will be given priority access to screenings, as well as first choice in value-add promotional programs and advertising

Marketing and Outreach
PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN
ADVANCE MARKETING
POST-ROLL CREDITS ON BOOKSHORT FILMS
ONLINE MARKETING
PROGRAM CATALOGUE
EVENT SIGNAGE

Current Sponsors

CANADIAN HERITAGE Book Publishing Industry Development Fund
CRUSH INC
BOOKSHORTS LITERACY PROGRAM
REED EXHIBITIONS BookExpo Canada

This is a terrific idea ….an exciting opening to BookExpo Canada!
Susan Dayus, Executive Director
CANADIAN BOOKSELLERS ASSOCIATION