Film Pop 2007 presented five days of innovative and forward-thinking programming in a variety of venues around the city, over 50+ feature-length and short films plus multidisciplinary events, and red-hot parties.
In 2007 we were honored to host the Montreal premier of Josh Raskin's Oscar-nominated animated short ‘I met the walrus', as well as a captivating masterclass with legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles, followed by a presentation of his cult classic ‘Grey Gardens'. As an exciting lead-up to the festival we re-invented the outdoor cinematic experience with Film Pop Bike-Ins, presenting Paul Aflalo's documentary on dumpster diving 'Surfing the Waste', and Bollywood classic 'Sholay'.
Film pop 2007 hailed the return of such popular co-production ventures as ‘making music with the national film board', which solicits young and emerging filmmakers to make collaborative magic with up and coming musical acts, creating and presenting a series of short films on music. As well, we brought back the popular One-take Super 8, helmed by program director Alex Rogalski, which featured 20 brand new single-reel super 8 films from Montreal artists.
In Pop Montreal's tradition of successful crossovers, We also continued our partnership with the Montreal Film Group, and presented two days of short film screenings at Puces Pop.
Produced and programmed by Patricia Boushel, Ezra Soiferman and Carlo Guillermo Proto, the 2007 event was another successful year of film at Pop Montreal.
To contact Film Pop: film at popmontreal dot com
Highlights of Film Pop 2007:
A Balancing Act
Marc Israel, NYC, 2007, Canadian Premiere, Shot on DV, 79:00)
Take a tour of Austin's acclaimed Museum of Ephemerata, soak up the madcap theatrics of Iowa City Optimist Club founder Skutter, rub intimate eyeballs with L.A.'s one & only "towel-face artist", then scour & scrutinize the cities & jungles of Cambodia & Vietnam, all in search of a mysterious international motorbike balancing contest! Intoxicated with a "rebirth of wonder" after imbibing copious amounts of mind-altering Kombucha tea, award-winning filmmaker Marc Israel takes us on this wild, epic and often hilarious journey. Come meet filmmaker Marc Israel at the event!
Playing Saturday, October 6th at 2pm at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain at Rachel.
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Bigfoot's Reflection
(Evan Beloff, Montreal, 2007, World Premiere, Shot on HD, 48:00)
Bigfoot’s Reflection is a modern psychological and ecological exploration of the giant ape-man legend of North America from the perspective of those who choose to study it and guard its wild habitat. The film pores over the principal evidence of the last fifty years and enquires why these researchers and adventurers have been made into social pariahs belittled by science. Shot in high definition, Bigfoot’s Reflection follows them into the Pacific rain forests in their quest for possibilities… plunging into those rugged and dark places where few venture and the final proof continues to elude them. Can it be said that the creature they seek lives within them too?
Come meet director Evan Beloff and the crew at the screening!
Playing Saturday, October 6th at 4pm at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain at Rachel.
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Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox
Directed by Sara Lamm, USA, 88 mins., Montreal Premiere
The first feature from NYC director Sara Lamm, this riveting portraitof eccentric soapmaker and counterculture hero Dr. Emmanuel H. Bronnerand the socially and environmentally responsible company his familyruns to this day. You've seen Dr. Bronner's impossibly text-crammedsoap bottle labels at health food stores and camping shops, now you canfinally see the film about this unbelievably kooky man at Film Pop.
Capote director Bennett Miller called the film "An honest and caring portrait of a true eccentric and his mark on the world."
Screening at Film Pop on Sunday, October 7th, 4PM, at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (south of Rachel), $5 students/seniors, $7 general.
This special event will feature Ralph Bronner (the 71 year-old son of the original Dr. Emmanuel Bronner) in person. He'll doing a Q&A and singing a few songs too!
Plus Dr. Bronner's soap door prizes!
With opening short documentary Normand L'Amour vous ouvre l'ame by Kyril Dubé (11 mins). A gem of a film about eccentric and prolific Montreal singer and preacher Normand L'Amour.
Presented in association with Co-op La Maison Verte NDG & HomelessNation.org
Film Web site and trailer: http://www.magicsoapbox.com/
About Dr. Bronner's soaps: http://www.drbronner.com/drb_story.html
Maysles Master Class & Screening
Legendary American filmmaker Albert Maysles has been invited to theupcoming Film Pop Festival, in conjunction with the Pop MontrealInternational Music Festival. The highlight of this visit will be athree-hour master class presented by the National Film Board of Canada,and in collaboration with les RIDM and FASA, on Saturday Oct.6, followed by a screening of Grey Gardens with director's Q&A afterwards!
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Tableland
Directed by Craig Noble, 74 mins., World Premiere!
Vancouver filmmaker Craig Noble presents his culinary road trip insearch of the people, places and tastes of North-American small-scale,sustainable food production. From the teeming orchards of the interiorof B.C. to the sweet Napa Highlands to yummy rural Quebec andeverywhere in between, Noble nobly and mouth-wateringly showcases thevery best of tasty, local and seasonal food from the farm to the plate.
Screening at Film Pop on Sunday, October 7th, 2PM, at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (south of Rachel), $5 students/seniors, $7 general.Featuring a live Q&A by the film's director, Craig Noble in town from Vancouver.
Free vegan, organic hors d'oeuvres after the screening provided by Montreal vegan, organic caterers www.Crudessence.com!
Film Web site and trailer:
http://www.p1-productions.com/tableland.htmln
With opening film Esbark sur la planete des chips magiquesby Montrealer Simon Lacroix. The 4 minute animated short will trip youout and make you hungry all at once! (Original French version)
Girls Rock
A Documentary film by Shane King and Arne Johnson, USA, 87 mins., Montreal Premiere
photo credit: Nicole Weingart.
“The first time I saw the students at the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girlskicking out the jams on their guitars and drums," says ‘Girls Rock!’director Arne Johnson, "I giggled happily...and then was inexplicably movedto tears." It was this emotional reaction that launched him and co-directorShane King on a journey to document the transformation girls go through while learning music andwriting their first song.
8-18 year olds come from all over the country tolearn Rock DIY-style at the camp--forming bands, writing songs and buildingcommunity. Traveling from Oklahoma to the ultra-urban Bay Area, King andJohnson have met girls from all walks of life and asked them about theirdreams, thoughts about being a girl in this society, and their excitementabout rock 'n' roll.
Film web site and trailer: http://www.girlsrockmovie.com
Screening Saturday, October 6th, 2007 at 8pm. Tickets $7general, $5 students and seniors. At The Portuguese Association, 4170St-Urbain (just south of Rachel). ALSO FEATURING the Kickers/Pony Up! live concert immediately after the film!
Film Pop's One Take Super 8 Event
The One Take Super 8 Event is a trueprairie tradition that originated in Regina, SK in 2000. Every year, programdirector Alex Rogalski technically guides the development of dozens of newshort films (from new and established filmmakers alike) shot in one take onSuper-8 film, that premiere to audiences and the fimmakers at the same time,then go on to screen all over the world.
Super Amigos
Written, Produced and Directed by ARTUROPEREZ TORRES, 82 mins., Canada/Mexico
Super Amigos responds to the fascist idea of the mythological superhero orthe überman. The Superamigos don't have superpowers. They're ordinary people who usesuperhero imagery to fight at the people's level within their consciousness.They're a symbol of collectivity not Super-Ego.
-What's the difference between Superman and these Superheroes?
-They exist!
Super Amigos is a feature length documentary that follows 5 modern-day SuperHeroes in Mexico City as they fight for social justice and human rights.
These Super Heroes are a group of Lucha Libre wrestlers who have taken theirfight out of the ring and into the streets of the Mexican Capital. SuperBarrio, Super Gay, Ecologista Universal, Super Animal and Fray Tormenta arereal life masked Super Heroes who fight against evil slumlords, homophobia,pollution, animal rights abusers, and poverty. Though their true identityremains a mystery, they could easily be Mexico City's most popular figuresand last salvation.
Film web site and trailer:http://www.opencityworks.com/superamigos/
Screening Saturday October 6th, 2007 at 6pm. Tickets $7 general, $5 students and seniors. At the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (just south of Rachel).
With the touching opening short film Klovenbarna ("The Clown Children") from Norway. This 7-minute non-verbal documentary film lovingly profiles two homeless street kid jugglers in Guatemala City.
Punk Le Vote!
Directed by: Eric "Roach" Denis
Produced by: EyeSteelFilm
72 mins.
Roach and Starbuck, two hardcore punks from Montreal, try to form their ownpolitical party but run out of time due to Canada's electoral process.Instead, they decide to campaign for political office as independentcandidates. As they hit the campaign trail in one of Canada's wealthiestcommunities, each wants to do it his own way. While Roach proposes to reformour rotting electoral system, Starbuck's punk rock performance art isdesigned to shock the electorate into 'waking the fuck up.' Roach mounts amedia campaign proposing proportional representation; Starbuck campaignsdoor-to-door wearing a leather cape and a dildo, telling voters: 'If youlike it up the ass, vote Liberal'.
Anarchy or Federalism? what's the truepath for a punk?
In Punk Le Vote! Starbuck et les Impuissants perform throughout thefilm, including his hardcore hit “Débranchez-moi, débranchez-moi, jesuis un libéral! Débranchez-moi, débranchez-moi, je suis un malademental!” He goes on stage wearing the Canadian flag as a diaper thathides his strap-on dildo. Starbuck calls himself Le Roi du Rock and isin the process right now of getting his name legally changed toStarbuck Le Roi du Rock. He’s also a wrestler, a barman and bouncer ata club named “Café Chaos”, and he ran for political office three timesso far. His sold-out shows are the true spirit of punk rock: shockingthe hell out of people with political music. The film's soundtrackfeatures: UK SUBS, Yesterday’s Ring, Les Sales Majestés, The Adicts,Hoyt Axton, Xplicit Noize, Ab Irato and others. Don't miss it!
In French and English, with English subtitles.
Web site:
Screening Friday October 5th, 2007 at 9pm. Tickets $7 general, $5 students and seniors. At the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (just south of Rachel).
With opening films Yo! Gah! (KirbyFerguson, Toronto, 4 mins; A Hilarious short about Jerry Bruntz whodies during very first yoga class. Winner of CBC's Exposure 2007contest) and The Shit Has Hit The Fan (David Sanders, Montreal, 6 mins; An upfront documentary about acclaimed Montreal street-poet Philip Tetreault.)
Film Pop Screening Room at Puces Pop!
Visit the Film Pop Screening Room at the Puces Pop Arts & Crafts Fair
Saturday October 6th, 12:00PM to 5:00PM
Sunday, October 7th, 12:00PM to 5:00PM
Canadian Grenadier Guards Armoury - 4171 de L’Esplanade (just south of Rachel)
Saturday:
12pm - Program #1 Documentary
1pm - Program #2 Music Narratives and Music videos
2pm - CUTV shorts (9 great new films by Concordia University TV!)
3pm - Program #3: Irony
4pm - Program #4: Animated
Sunday:
12pm - Program #1 Documentary
1pm - Program #2 Music Narratives and Music videos
2pm - Mixed Bag! See what our volunteers play for you
3pm - Program #3: Irony
4pm - Program #4: Animated
See our program for details on the films playing in each Puces Pop program!
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Making Music with theNFB… again!
The time has come to ring in a second edition of the much-beloved brainchildof Film Pop and the NFB: Making Music.
This series of short films on musicis an amazing opportunity for young, emerging filmmakers to work alongsideinteresting, up and coming musical acts from Montreal. Making Music seeks toencourage artists from the film world and the music world to open a dialoguebetween their crafts, culminating in a short documentary or animation. Lastyear saw some impressive films from John Lodono & Dandi Wind, SinbadRichardson & Dishwasher, Stacey DeWolfe & The Besnard Lakes, BenSteiger Levine & Socalled, and Kaveh Nabatian & Bell Orchestre.
This year, check out who’s going to be making movies with Pop:
- Filmmaker Dan Schachter - making a film on David McLoed
- Filmmaker Matt Goerzen - making a film on CPC Gangbangs
- Filmmaker David Seitz - making a film on Mixylodian (Michael Wray)
- Filmmakers Guillaume Marin, André Péloquin, and Gabriel Allard Gagnon - making a film about Matt Fuzz
- Filmmaker Brett Story - making a film about Alden Penner
Screening Sunday October 7th, 2007 at 7pm. Tickets $7 general, $5 students and seniors. At the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (just south of Rachel).
Visit the NFB's Making Music site for lots more info. CLICK HERE.
Tons more Film Pop films in our 2007 Program, click HERE.
To contact Film Pop: film at popmontreal dot com
