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

 

 

Moving Stories Preview: First Films Screen at BEC08

June 15, 2008 (Toronto, ON)…BookShorts, the seminal producer/distributor of film, video and TV programs based on books, will officially kick-off Moving Stories – a festival of short films celebrating the written word – with a special preview screening Sunday, June 15th at 2:00 pm, in the BookShorts Lounge at BookExpo Canada (MTCC, 225 Front Street West, Toronto). The preview will be hosted by Festival Founder Judith Keenan and Programmer Paul Quarrington. Authors and Directors whose work is represented in the program, as well as presenters from host venues across the country will also be in attendance. The screening include two films announced specifically in time for BookExpo: an animated short by British filmmaker Kate Jessop When the Telescope Came based on a poem by Diana Syder, as well as A Life’s Passion, based on the novel Renaldo and the biography of its author James McCreath.

The final line-up of films, up to 12 in total to make a 90-minute screening event, will be selected by Festival Programmer Paul Quarrington in consultation with a prestigious panel of Film Advisors including film producer Robert Lantos; award-winning filmmaker Sarah Polley; author Nino Ricci; top literary publisher Anne Collins, and director / animator Gary Thomas. “As a writer, filmmaker, even as musician, I’ve experienced first-hand how artistic expression needs to adapt to its medium, yet retain the spirit of an artist’s original work. In screening the films submitted for Moving Stories, from places as distant as Milan, Lancaster, the Czech Republic, the USA, and all over Canada, I was amazed at the vast range of cinematic interpretation people bring to the written word. Whole film groups exist now that are expressly devoted to interpreting books on film, Kate Jessop being one of them.” Quarrington has been a champion of BookShorts’ initiatives since the company’s launch, and his just-released novel The Ravine provided the ideal opportunity to write and direct his own film treatment. The resulting short film, Pavane, will be included in the final festival line-up, lending this genre of short-film-making another mentor and a boost in visibility to authors, music artists and filmmakers.

Festival Advisor Robert Lantos, a long-time collaborator of Quarrington’s, has a marked commitment to the literary world in his films: “Many of the features I’ve produced – Joshua Then and Now, Whale Music, Being Julia, Fugitive Pieces, Black Robe and The Sweet Hereafter, to name just a few – are based on novels. Each adaptation brought its own individual challenges and rewards. I find the whole process endlessly fascinating.”

Festival Founder Judith Keenan explains why she feels the program is well-timed: “First and foremost, Moving Stories is about bringing more readers to more books. When we turn a reluctant reader into a bibliophile, bring an avid reader the delight of discovering new talent, we’ve accomplished our highest aspiration. Second, BookShorts’ objective in curating the screening program from international artists is to set a standard of excellence, for those interested in making shorts of this nature, and to set and audience expectations of what is possible. And third, reading is an entertainment; it needs to be positioned just as seductively as film, TV, and video games. We may be in danger of losing a generation of readers simply by omitting that form of outreach to the very place they spend most of their time — in front of screens. All together, Moving Stories intends to amplify the natural affinities between film and literature, creating a real and virtual forum that allows audiences to appreciate the art of story through more than one media.”

The program will tour nationally to prestigious literary and film festivals across North America from September to December 2008. Confirmed 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 Toronto First Canadian Place.

The final Moving Stories program line up will be announced July 30, 2008. The deadline for film entries is July 10. Authors, spoken word artists, music artists and filmmakers are encouraged to submit their films for consideration. Film submission guidelines, and information for producers interested in hosting Moving Stories, are available now at www.movingstoriesfilmfest.com.

P.S. A special thanks to Bruce Pirrie and Rachel Peters for creating DRIFT SCRIVENER, and to the fab posse of GHOST WRITERS MOTORCYCLE BOOK CLUB for bringing his gang to life for a day!

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.

Meet Our Illustrious Advisors

NEWS! SARAH POLLEY, NINO RICCI and GARY THOMAS join ROBERT LANTOS and ANNE COLLINS as Moving Stories Film Advisors.