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!