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Congratulations to the Nickel Independent Film Festival on 19 years of celebrating and inspiring independent film in Newfoundland and Labrador. ELINOR GILL RATCLIFFE, CM,ONL,LL.D, Freedom of the City of St. John’s
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BUY TICKETS
ONLINE nickelfestival.com
IN P E RSO N
L S P U Ha ll, 3 V ictor ia St reet BY P H O N E
70 9 -7 5 3- 4 5 31
#NICKEL2019 SCREENING SCHEDULE
ALL SCREENING LOCATIONS: LSPU HALL, 3 VICTORIA STREET
MON
TUE
WED
THU
THU
OPENING NIGHT SHORTS
5-MINUTE DOC CHALLENGE SCREENING
NARRATIVE VOICES SPOTLIGHT
A NEW LIFE
INTO THE DARK SPOTLIGHT
Over a few short months in 1990, more
FEATURING
JUNE 17 • 7:30PM
PRESENTED BY CBC NL
JUNE 18 • 7:30PM
A diverse collection of films from around the
Want to make a documentary? The
world to kick off the festival, from animation to documentary, from experimental to dramatic. An excellent sampler to celebrate the opening of Nickel 2019.
JUNE 19 • 7:30PM
PRESENTED BY COAST 101.1 FEATURING
JUNE 20 • 7:00PM
PRESENTED BY BUDDEN & ASSOCIATES
than 3,000 Bulgarian political refugees sought asylum after landing in Gander, Newfoundland. Taking advantage of
Nickel’s 5-Minute Doc Challenge is a
The Legend of Aiasheu
creative challenge to anyone to write,
From the Innu folk tales of Northern
travellers fled uncertain futures under the
shoot and edit a short documentary in 10
Labrador, The Legend of Aiasheu tells the
failing communist regime. Stepping out
days, between June 7th and June 16th. It’s
story of a young boy abandoned by his
into the stark, snowy unknown, they began
free to participate, open to all ages, and
father on a remote island. With the love and
to reconstruct their lives in Canada. While
FEATURING
registration is open until the challenge
guidance of his ancestors he makes his way
chronicling multiple individuals’ experiences,
Te Quiero (NL)
ends. This public screening will take place
home and exacts revenge for the wrong
A New Life offers a universal reflection on
Take Me Swimming (Ireland)
on the mainstage of the LSPU Hall as
done. Filmmakers: Christine Poker, Prote
exile and immigration. Director & Writer:
On Hold (Experimental • NL)
part of the Nickel! Submitted short films
Poker, Simeon Poker • Runtime: 38 Mins • NL
Stefan Ivanov • Producer: Les Ivanov
Pickin’ Time (Animation • NL)
must be 5 minutes long, and can be any
Solitudes (Quebec)
documentary style, such as: first-person,
ALSO FEATURING
Behind Banana Vacuum (Documentary • NL)
fly-on-the-wall, nature documentary,
Hope (NL)
ALSO FEATURING
Think of the Worst (BC)
adventure, mockumentary, reality TV, etc.
Stolen (NL)
River of Fire (Documentary • NL)
Are You Volleyball? (Iran)
Register for free at nickelfestival.com
Empty Skies (USA)
Opioid Scare (NL)
a refueling stop en route to Cuba, the
Productions • Runtime: 1:15 Mins • Canada
Letters From The Dead (NB)
JUNE 20 • 9:00PM
New Woman New Woman is a disturbing gothic tale set in 1888 Newfoundland. An attractive, wealthy woman and a male pickpocket enjoy an opulent dinner together. The evening takes a dark turn, revealing that all is not as it seems. Director & Producer: Benjamin Noah • Writers: Benjamin Noah, C.H. Newell • 20 Minute Director’s Cut •NL ALSO FEATURING Seven (UK) The Last Vacation (USA) Abraham’s Walk (NL) “I Feel Unholy” (Music Video • NL) Short Wave (Iran) Bagheera (India)
“Bruise” (Music video • NL)
FRI
SAT
INCREDIBLE VIOLENCE
CONTROVERSIAL THE FANTASTIC SUBJECTS TO THE SURREAL SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT
JUNE 21 • 7:30PM
An independent filmmaker blows the financial backing for his new film on everything but the movie he’s supposed to make. Fueled by booze and desperation, he and a friend devise a bizarre slasher/ sexploitation plot as a way to to create the film. On the film’s remote set, he ruthlessly manipulates and entraps a cast of actors and assumes the role of the villain. As he spirals deeper into obsessive madness, violence and misogyny reigns, and he turns his shrinking cast on one another in order to complete the film. Director & Writer: G. Patrick Condon • Producers: G. Patrick Condon, Ian Vatcher, Walter Lawlor • Runtime: 96 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador ALSO FEATURING Troll (NL)
JUNE 22 • 1:30PM
SAT
JUNE 22 • 3:30PM
FEATURING
FEATURING
Using extensive interview transcripts,
In 1930’s Seattle, 20-year-old Richard H.
police records, and child actors, the Oscar-
Lyford was an aspiring filmmaker who
nominated Detainment recreates police
used his own equipment to make 9 movies.
interviews with Robert Thompson and Jon
Unreleased until now, the silent sci-fi film
Venables, the 10 year-old boys who were
As the Earth Turns was an obvious labour of
convicted of the abduction and murder
love for Lyford and his friends, and is full of
of 2-year-old James Bulger in 1993. In this
energy and wit. The film portrays the main
deeply emotionally-charged film, director
character, PAX, as a mad scientist who will
Vincent Lambe asks viewers to reflect
stop at nothing on his quest for world peace.
on difficult questions about the ethics of
Lyford eventually went to work for Disney
applying an adult justice model to children.
and won an Academy Award in 1950 for
Director & Writer: Vincent Lambe • Producer:
his documentary work. Director & Writer:
Darren Mahone • Runtime: 30 Mins. • Ireland
Richard H. Lyford • Producers: Richard H.
Detainment
As The Earth Turns
Lyford, Ed Hartman • Runtime: 45 Mins. • USA ALSO FEATURING Black Hours (Switzerland)
ALSO FEATURING
Thick Skin (Iceland)
Lucienne Eats A Car (France)
A New Home (NL)
Concrete (Animation • Switzerland)
SAT
SUN
IT WAS ALL SO WONDERFUL: THE EVERYDAY MAGIC OF MARY PRATT
IT WAS ALL SO WONDERFUL: THE EVERYDAY MAGIC OF MARY PRATT
It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic
ALSO FEATURING
of Mary Pratt follows the beloved artist’s
Some Saturdays (NL)
development as one of the county’s great
Common Law (NL)
realist painters. In this touching and timely
Two (Animation • NL)
JUNE 22 • 7:30PM
PRESENTED BY DEACON INVESTMENTS
JUNE 23 • 1:30PM
ENCORE MATINEE SCREENING
documentary, Harvey captures Pratt’s humour, strength and beauty of spirit, but also Mary’s feminist significance as chronicler of women’s experiences, with her fascination with and elevation of domestic objects. Documentary • Director & Producer: Kenneth J. Harvey • Runtime: 73 Mins. • NL ALSO FEATURING Some Saturdays (NL) Common Law (NL) Two (Animation • NL)
The Empty Woods (Experimental • MB) Astray (Animation • NL)
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THANK YOU
Deepest thanks to our extended community of film lovers, filmmakers, workshop leaders, sponsors, community partners, friends and volunteers who help make the Nickel possible, and to all our funders who have helped us grow our festival over these 19 years. Many, many thanks to the excellent Nickel board of directors, the amazing Nickel staff, and everybody who has helped along the way.
Special thanks to all our funders, in particular Natasha Green at Canadian Heritage, Line Dezainde
at the Canada Council for the Arts, Libby Creelman at the Province of NL, Ken Murphy and Katrina Rice at ArtsNL, Jacqui Dupont and Michelle Madley at the TELUS Community Board, NIFCO, Laura Churchill and Dorian Rowe at the NLFDC, and Théa Morash at the City of St John’s.
Also big thanks to Alison Edmunds • Amanda Bulman • Andy Jones • Ani Brinson • Anna Petras • Bern
Hammond • Brad Gover • Bryhanna Greenough • Bruce Brenton • Calla Lachance • Chrissy Lee • Christopher Pratt • Curtis Rioux • Danielle Hamel • Danielle Edwards • Dave Lane • Dingus Films • Dorian Rowe • Duncan De Young • Drew Brown • Elinor Gill Ratcliffe • Elisabeth de Mariaffi • Elizabeth Cull • Elizabeth Hicks • Emily Bridger • Felipé Diaz • Gayle St. Croix • Glenn Gear • Graham Godden • Grind Mind • Heather Elliott at Newfoundland Chocolate Company • Ian Cornelissen • Ian Vardy • Jamie Stamp • James Grace • Joshua Jameson • Justin Fong • Justin Foley • Karen Monie • Kathryn Lear • Kate Lahey • Katrina Rice • Kelly Mansell • Ken Harvey • Ken Murphy • Kenneth J. Harvey • Kerri Mattie • Kerry Gamberg • Kevin Pomroy • Krissy Breen • Laura Churchill • Latonia Hartery • Logy Bay Groovers • Louise Moyse • Marilynn Thivierge • Matt Wright • Matthew Thomson • Mike Hickey • Mireille Eagan • Morgan Murray • Natasha Green • Noah Bender • Paul Warford • Pat Foran • Phil Winters • Rebekah Robbins • Renee Sharpe • Riley Harnett • Ronnie Walsh • Ruth Lawrence • Santiago Guzman • Sarah Smellie • Shane Mills • Steve Cook • Suzanne Mullett • Swervy Garland • Tiffany Martin • Tony Murray • Tonya Kearley-Russell • Vic Wells • Vickie Morgan • Victoria King • Wallace Hammond • Wanda Lawlor at Budden & Associates • Wanda Nolan • Will Pinsent at Coast 101.1
Also thank you to the businesses and organizations that help make the Nickel possible: ACTRA • Arts &
Culture Centres • ArtsNL • Battery Café • Budden & Associates • Business and Arts NL • CBC NL • Canadian Heritage • Common Ground Coworking • DGC-ARC • Dean MacDonald • Department of Tourism, Culture Industry and Innovation • Festival of New Dance • Gerry Rogers • Kerry Film Festival • Lawnya Vawnya • Living Planet • Music NL • NIFCO • NL Distillery • Newfoundland Film Development Corporation • NTV • Pedlar Press • Piatto • Posie Row • Pope Productions • Quidi Vidi Brewery • RIAC • Reel Canada • Resource Centre for the Arts • Rocket Bakery & Fresh Foods • Sci-Fi on the Rock • Service Canada • Sheilagh O’Leary • Spirit of Newfoundland & Labrador • St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival • TELUS • Toslow • The Button Shop • The City of St. John’s • The Newfoundland Chocolate Company • The Rooms • The Salt House • The Ship • The Telegram • VOCM • VOWR • Zapatas.
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And you! Thank you for reading this.
OUR SPONSORS THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO
2019 MAJOR FESTIVAL FUNDERS
2019 PLATINUM FESTIVAL FUNDERS
2019 GOLD FESTIVAL SPONSORS
2019 SILVER FESTIVAL SPONSORS
2019 BRONZE FESTIVAL SPONSORS
WE ❤ THE NICKEL SPONSORS THE BATTERY CAFE
POSIE ROW
CELTX
FESTIVAL OF NEW DANCE
SHEILAGH O’LEARY
DIRECTOR’S GUILD OF CANADA
DAVE LANE
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We celebrate and inspire independent film in Newfoundland & Labrador. THE NICKEL INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
WHO ARE WE? Founded in 2001, the Nickel Independent Film Festival is a celebration of local and international independent film. Our annual festival happens in June in St. John’s, and other workshops, screenings and film
WHY IS IT CALLED FILMMAKING THE NICKEL? IN SCHOOLS We’re named after the first cinema in Newfoundland
challenges take place throughout the year and across the province.
The Nickel Theatre was the first movie
Our school tour program teaches filmmaking to youth across the province.
theatre in Newfoundland. Part of the five-
We are so proud of this program! Our school
We are an incorporated charitable, not-for-
cent picture show craze that brought daily
touring program brings filmmakers into
profit organization based in St John’s and
movies to almost every city and town across
classrooms across the province to screen
we happily accept donations. To donate to
North America, the Nickel opened in the
short documentaries made by youth, and
the Nickel Independent Film Festival, look
Benevolent Irish Society’s St. Patrick’s Hall on
then lead hands-on filmmaking workshops
us up on the Canada Helps website. Tax
July 1, 1907. The Roman Catholic Archbishop
with the students. Made possible by ArtsNL
receipts for donations can be issued upon
at the time, M.F. Howley, wasn’t a fan of the
and the NL Department of Education and
request.
city’s big new passtime, going so far as to
Early Childhood Development through its
adjust Newfoundland’s Regulations for Lent
Cultural Connections Strategy.
to specifically prohibit attending moving
This year filmmakers Lian Morrison,
picture shows, saying they were a source of
Vickie Morgan and Devin Shears lead the
CHARITY #
856136007 RR0001
PO Box 1644, Station C
“frivolity and silliness.”
workshops in schools on the Burin Peninsula
St. John’s, NL A1C 5P3
“It is painful and shameful to see not only
and in the St. John’s area. In Labrador
info@nickefestival.com
children but grown-up persons, fathers and
—schools in Goose Bay and Sheshatshiu
WEB
nickelfestival.com
mothers of families, constantly frequenting
— Glenn Gear and Lian Morrison lead the
those places of amusement, wasting hours
workshops. You can watch videos made as
upon hours of time when they ought to be
part of this program online at nickelfestival.
attending to their work or household duties,”
com/schooltour.
FACEBOOK /nickelfilmfestival INSTAGRAM /nickelfestival TWITTER /nickelfestival 2019 HASHTAG #nickel19
he said.
CREATIVE FILM CHALLENGES We give filmmakers a creative push and help beginners see themselves as filmmakers. Want to make a movie? Just do it. Every
POP-UP FILM SCREENINGS
NICKEL NEW VOICES PROJECT
The Nickel screens films across the province and throughout the year.
A project to foster more diversity in local filmmaking.
Jennifer Hawley
We team up with organizations and events
A project to foster more diversity in local
Vawnya.) This month we have our first ever
Shane Mills
across the province to hold screenings of
filmmaking. This new project, made
5-Minute Doc Challenge, happening from
Cara Powell
independent films that people would not
possible with funding support from the Telus
June 7-16, and coming up in August we will
Amanda Foote
otherwise have the opportunity to see.
Community Fund, is helping four beginner
have a 48-Hour Comedy Challenge.
To stay up-to-date, like us on Facebook
Newfoundland and Labrador filmmakers
Just as with the RPM Challenge,
@nickelfestival or check our site at
of diverse ethnic backgrounds create their
NaNoWriMo, or the Global Game Jam,
nickelfestival.com.
first short films. Project coordinated by
creators of all experience levels use time
Ruth Lawrence with 2018-2019 filmmaking
constraint challenges as an excuse to try
participants Karen Monie Kwasinwi,
new things and have fun making things. Join
Santiago Guzmán, Maryanne Aghalu, and
our growing community of DIY filmmakers
Nabila Qureshi. Two films created as part of
making movies for fun! Find out more at
this project will screen at this year’s Nickel:
nickelfestival.com/filmchallenges
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ane Christensen CHAIR Lauren Mills VICE CHAIR Christopher Wakeham TREASURER Tim Conway SECRETARY Lian Morrison
OUR 2019 FESTIVAL TEAM Elling Lien EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Devin Shears COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
We respectfully acknowledge the territory
Sandy May FESTIVAL COORDINATOR
in which we gather as the ancestral
Desmond Stephens COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT
homelands of the Beothuk, and the
Katherine Harvey PROGRAM ASSISTANT
island of Newfoundland as the ancestral
Ed Tanasychuk TECHNICAL COORDINATOR
homelands of the Mi’kmaq and Beothuk.
Phil Winters TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
We would also like to recognize the Inuit
Elaine Pond SPONSORSHIP COORDINATOR
of Nunatsiavut and Nunatukavut and the
Ruth Lawrence NEW VOICES PROJECT COORDINATOR
Innu of Nitassinan, and their ancestors as
Noah Bender POSTER DESIGN
the original people of Labrador.
year we hold several DIY challenges where participating filmmakers write, shoot, and edit a short film in a short amount of time. This past year we held the 48-Hour Horror Challenge, the 48-Hour Sci-Fi Challenge (in collaboration with Sci-Fi on the Rock), and the 48-Hour Banana Vacuum Music Video Challenge (in collaboration with Lawnya
Te Quiero and Common Law.
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FILMMAKING WORKSHOPS
FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION VISIT
www.nickelfestival.com/workshops LEVEL: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
The Director’s Guild of Canada presents: Building a Respectful Workplace MONDAY, JUNE 17, 9 AM - 1 PM The industry is changing, and this course is designed to help you navigate the shifting landscape. We’ll look at industry etiquette, best workplace behaviours, workplace harassment and discrimination, along with some bigger cultural elements that factor into building respectful workplaces in the #metoo era. Topics covered include understanding why harassment happens,
solid foundation for a department that is
culminating in a simple animation with
paragraph or resume outlining your musical
dependent on teamwork. Topics covered
those materials. $20
background to devin@nickelfestival.com by
responsibilities of the various roles in the AD department, understanding the most valuable skills an AD can develop, looking at set etiquette and best practices, and getting into the daily details of how to survive and thrive as an AD. We will also look at workflow, how to divide up tasks, and the challenges of working with a small vs. a large team. We will also discuss the challenges of how to adapt quickly on a working film set, and how to support one another in order to create a less stressful work environment, and an efficient and effective team.
resolution strategies are discussed, and real-life case studies are used to examine prevention, protocols, and procedures. The goal of this course is to develop a greater understanding of ourselves and how we interact with others, aiming to create
LEVEL: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
Introduction to Pixel Art Animation with Angie Sutherland WED, JUNE 19, 3PM-5PM
Cinematography: The Essentials with Duncan De Young THU, JUNE 20, 1PM-5PM You can’t have Action without Lights and Camera. Spend an afternoon with accomplished local cinematographer Duncan DeYoung as he walks you through the essentials of cinematic photography, including camera operation, framing, and Whether you’re interested in narrative film, documentary or web video, and no matter the resources you have on hand, De Young can show you how to get that cinematic feel and help make your images pop. He’ll walk through how to effectively use a variety of cinematographic tools from beginners to more advanced, so all experience levels are
and sustain positive, productive work environments.
LEVEL: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
lighting design.
what we can do about it, and the resources available to deal with it. Basic conflict
June 14th. $40
include breaking down the duties and
Gaming and filmmaking collide in this
SAT, JUNE 22, 10AM-5PM 40 KING’S ROAD • NIFCO Our super-popular series of one-hour presentations from local film professionals to give you the tools to make movies and get them out into the world. This is perfect for beginning and emerging filmmakers or people who just love gettin’ nerdy about film. $40 or $10 for individual workshops. Screenwriting with Emily Bridger Learn how to bring your ideas down to the page with screenwriter and filmmaker Emily Bridger. Bridger is a director, writer and actress who has been making her own films for more than ten years, including shorts Epilogue (2008), Brad (2010) and In So Many
MUSICIANS • APPLICATION REQUIRED
Sound Recording with Michelle Lacour
animations that look like they jumped out
The Director’s Guild of Canada presents: Assistant Director Workshop
of a retro arcade game. Game designer
MONDAY, JUNE 17 2-5PM + TUESDAY, JUNE 18 9AM-5PM
anyone interested in filmmaking or video
Help make a movie sing! A two-session
game design.
workshop that gets into how to pair your
The workshop will cover how tools
film with the perfect music to evoke any
Assistant Directing is a demanding career,
like GameMaker Studio can be used in
emotion. The first session Duane Andrews
one that requires excellent communication,
the context of filmmaking, bridging the
will talk about his own approach to scoring
listening, and organizational skills, as well as
worlds between traditional filmmaking
for film and television. Then, participants
the ability to be a team player.
and interactive media. It will open with
have a week to score a short scene, with
In this course, AD fundamentals are
Angie explaining her process, and then
feedback from Duane.
covered, which may be a refresher for
with the collaboration of the participants,
Due to limited space, advance application
some, but is a crucial element of building a
make a pixel-art character, background,
is required. Please e-mail a short
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#Nickel19 Film School in a Day
welcome. $30
introductory dive into how to make LEVEL: ADVANCED
LEVEL: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
Words (2016).
“Films are 50 percent visual and 50 percent
Challenge film TWO (playing on June 22,
Film Scoring Workshop with Duane Andrews
closing night) and shows how you can use
FRI, JUNE 21 + FRI, JUNE 28
with professional sound engineer Michelle
Angie Sutherland walks through the process of how she made her Nickel 48 Hour Sci-Fi
those same tools yourselves. Perfect for
sound,” says auteur director David Lynch. Avoid the pitfalls of bad sound mixing Lacour. Lacour has a Masters degree in Sound Recording from McGill University and extensive recording and mixing experience with music and film. Art Direction with Ane Christenson You’ve built a beautiful world on the page, now help bring it to the screen with set design advice from Gemini award-winning local production designer Ane Christenson.
Representing key creative and logistical personnel in the film and television industry, covering all areas of direction, design, production and editing in the Atlantic region since 1991.
Pre-production with Celtx
Film mentor Danielle Hamel — winner of the
Good organization goes a long way. Hear
Nickel’s 2018 Emerging Filmmaker Award
how to perfectly plan out your shoots
— will pick from a pool of applicants and
so that everything goes smoothly when
work along with them to create a video. The
1496 Lower Water Street, Suite 501
Tel: (902) 492-3424
it comes time to hit record. Celtx is a
resulting work will play as part of our 20th
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Newfoundland-based software company
anniversary festival next year.
Toll Free: 1 888 342-6151
with an all-in-one system for writing,
Musicians from Newfoundland and
B3J 1R9
www.dgcatlantic.ca
planning, and collaborating on video
Labrador are invited to submit a song for
and game productions used by 6 million
consideration by the deadline of June 14.
creatives in 190 countries — so they know
Free to apply. Check the musicnl.ca website
what they’re talkin’ bout.
for application details.
Directing with Kerry Gamberg You want to bring your unique vision to the screen, but aren’t sure how to get all of the elements working toward that goal? Michelle Jackson Award-winning filmmaker Kerry Gamberg lends her expert advice in this workshop. Navigating Film Festivals with Jenn Brown Once your film is complete, how do you get
APPLICATION REQUIRED LEVEL: BEGINNER TO ADVANCED
Screenplay Series: Character Development with Wanda Nolan FOUR CLASSES
it out in the world? Jenn Brown, Executive
Following our successful “First Ten Pages”
Director of the St. John’s International
screenwriting workshop with accomplished
Women’s Film Festival goes through the do’s
screenwriter Wanda Nolan last year, we
and don’ts of festival submissions.
have invited her back to lead another extended workshop — this time focused on nailing down the voice of a character on
MUSICIANS • APPLICATION REQUIRED
Nickel and MusicNL Music Video Incubator JULY TO AUGUST
the page. Over the course of 4 weeks, Nolan will walk through the process of honing a character’s journey through the narrative, and help participants shape an outline for their story based on these ideas. Participants will submit a brief proposal for
The Nickel & MusicNL Music Video Incubator
a narrative film project and six individuals
is an exciting project to help local artists
will be selected. A great opportunity for
create high quality music videos. This project
emerging writers and filmmakers to hone
invites bands and individual musicians to
their craft.
collaborate with filmmakers on a music
Want to participate? Find application
video with professional-level mentorship
details online at www.nickelfestival.com/
and technical support. Last year we paired
workshops. Successful applicants will be
the band Weary with film mentor Lian
announced on the closing night show of the
Morrison whose collaboration resulted in
Nickel.
the video “Bruise”, and this year we want to encourage that same spirit of collaboration. 9
166 DUCKWORTH STREET | AVALON MALL S I G N A L H I L L V I S I T O R I N F O R M AT I O N C E N T R E S T. J O H N ’ S I N T E R N AT I O N A L A I R P O R T W W W. N E W F O U N D L A N D C H O C O L AT E C O M PA N Y. C O M
MON JUNE 17 7:30PM
LSPU HALL
Opening Night Shorts Spotlight
PICKIN TIME
BEHIND BANANA VACUUM
THINIK OF THE WORST
PRESENTED BY CBC NL Te Quiero (NL)
Take Me Swimming (Ireland) On Hold (Experimental • NL) Pickin’ Time (Animation • NL) Solitudes (Quebec) Behind Banana Vacuum (Documentary • NL) Think of the Worst (BC) Are You Volleyball? (Iran)
TAKE ME SWIMMING
INTRODUCING THE F-RATING The Nickel Independent Film Festival’s mission is to celebrate and inspire independent film. We
ON HOLD
ARE YOU VOLLEYBALL?
work hard to encourage more people of all genders and all backgrounds to take their place behind and in front of the camera, and to showcase that work. In the program this year you will notice that we are giving films that showcase women on screen and behind the camera an “F-rating”. This is a practice that began at the 2014 Bath Film Festival in the UK. Films with an F-rating have either a woman director or a woman writer. There are now more than 40 film festivals worldwide using this system, as well as the online film database IMDB. We at the Nickel recognize that women are drastically underrepresented in film, but with large Canadian organizations pledging to help create more women-led projects, and with film festivals like our friends at the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival giving women filmmakers a dedicated place to screen their films, those numbers are slowly changing. With our F-rating, we want to make a show of support for the efforts of those organizations and help highlight the work of women filmmakers. 12
TE QUIERO
LSPU HALL
MON / 7:30PM SHORT FILMS
Opening Night Shorts Spotlight PRESENTED BY CBC NL
BEHIND BANANA VACUUM Banana Vacuum, one of the city’s loudest punk bands, is chronicled by filmmaker Lian Morrison in this documentary short. With behind-the-scenes, never-before-viewed footage, Morrison looks at this timeless punk band with a lead singer whose talent
A diverse collection of films from around the
and lyrical subject matter is unique on the
world to kick off the festival, from animation
local scene. Director, Writer & Producer: Lian
to documentary, from experimental to
Morrison • Runtime: 12 Mins • Newfoundland
dramatic. An excellent sampler to celebrate
& Labrador
the opening of Nickel 2019.
TAKE ME SWIMMING
THINK OF THE WORST Think of the Worst follows Guy throughout
Thady returns home for a funeral and
his everyday struggles with his mysterious
is shocked by how much his mother’s
ability: Whenever he wishes for good
Alzheimer’s has progressed. Eileen now
things to happen, the opposite unfolds.
fails to recognise Marcus, her husband
He develops a series of habits and codes
of 40 years. Marcus, despite being upset,
for keeping his secret under control, but
underplays the significance. Later, Thady
ultimately leading to misunderstandings
finds a lover’s contract in which Marcus
and discord with those he cares about.
promises to “take her swimming” the day
Director, Writer, Producer: Chorong Kim •
she no longer recognizes him. Director:
Runtime 15 Mins • British Columbia, Canada
Claire Dix • Writer: Aibhe Keogan • Producer: Roisin Geraghty • 15 Mins • Ireland
TE QUIERO
ARE YOU VOLLEYBALL? A group of asylum seekers make their way to an English-speaking country border and are
A young man struggles to explain the
unable to enter. As everyday conflict with
cultural nuance of saying “I love you” in
border soldiers comes to a head, a young
Spanish to his English-speaking lovers. Te
boy who is both deaf and mute uses the
Quiero was produced through the Nickel
universal language of sport to lift barriers
New Voices Program, funded by Telus.
between the two groups. Director & Writer:
Director: Tamara Segura • Writer: Santiago
Mohammad Bakhshi • Producer: Nima
Guzman • Producers: Santiago Guzman,
Rabiei • Runtime: 15 Mins. • Iran
“If you want to be well dressed, you have to learn by reading good books, reading poetry. It’s when you put nice things into your soul that you understand how to [do anything] well.” F R E N C H FAS H I O N C O LU M N I S T S O P H I E F O NTAN E L PEDLARPRESS.COM
Ruth Lawrence • 5 Mins • NL
SOLITUDES Lamine is a young Senegalese student in Quebec who decides to film his carpool route between Rimouski and Montreal. His passengers include Rémi, a young filmmaker
TUE
JUNE 18
interested in working with minorities, and Nataly, an indigenous woman. When Rémi inserts the plight of the Québécois into the narrative, consternation peaks. A mysterious time-travelling passenger hops in to warn them of the disintegrating state of the world in 2050. Director & Writer: Marwen Tlili • Producer: Cinema Politica • Runtime: 18 Mins • Quebec, Canada
ON HOLD Choreographer and visual artist Nicola Hawkins has created a striking dance piece that beautifully distills tenderness, honesty, and grief. Shot at the Ferryland lighthouse, the film features actor John Moyes and his daughter, dancer-storyteller Louise Moyes, in their 80th and 52nd years. Director & Writer: Nicola Hawkins • Producer: Louise Moyes • Runtime 9 Mins • Newfoundland & Labrador
PICKIN’ TIME Young love blossoms after stumbling. If at first you don’t succeed, consider the obvious. Director: James Grace & David Martingale • Writer: College of the North Atlantic Digital Animation Class of 2019 • Producer: Tamara Murphy, College of the North Atlantic • Runtime: 4 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador
LSPU HALL
TUE / 7:30PM SHORT DOCUMENTARIES
5-Minute Doc Challenge Screening Part of our ongoing film challenge series, the 5-Minute Doc Challenge is a call to anyone to write, shoot and edit a short documentary in just 10 days, between June 7th and June 16th. It’s free to participate, open to all ages, and registration is open until the challenge ends at 8pm on June 16. A public screening will take place on Tuesday June 18th on the mainstage of the LSPU Hall as part of the Nickel Independent Film Festival 2019 (June 17-22.) Submitted short films must be 5 minutes long, and can be any type of documentary style, ie.: first-person, fly-on-the-wall, nature documentary, adventure, mockumentary, reality TV, etc. Register at nickelfestival. com/docchallenge
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WED JUNE 19 7:30PM
LSPU HALL
Narrative Voices Spotlight
STOLEN
HOPE
LETTERS TO THE DEAD
PRESENTED BY COAST 101.1 The Legend of Aiasheu (NL) Hope (NL) Stolen (NL) Empty Skies (USA) Letters From The Dead (NB) “Bruise” (Music video • NL)
THE LEGEND OF AIASHEU
LSPU HALL
WED / 7:30PM SHORT FILMS
Narrative Voices Spotlight PRESENTED BY COAST 101.1
Martinez, Gordon Mihan, Lance Kenneth Blakney • Runtime: 12 Mins. • New Brunswick, Canada
WEARY — “BRUISE” A walk along the rugged terrain of a treacherous cliffside in Newfoundland and a meditation on how tenderness can be
THE LEGEND OF AIASHEU
an act of resistance. Under the tutelage of
From the Innu legends of Northern Labrador,
Lian Morrison, first-time filmmaker Kate
The Legend of Aiasheu tells the story of a
Lahey created the music video for “Bruise”,
young boy abandoned by his father on a
a song by her band Weary. Part of the 2018
remote island. With the love and guidance
Nickel and MusicNL Music Video Incubator.
of his ancestors he makes his way home and
Director & Writer: Kate Lahey • Producers:
exacts revenge for the wrong done. Director,
Lian Morrison, Nickel Independent Film
Writer & Producers: Christine Poker, Prote
Festival • Runtime: 5 Mins. • Newfoundland &
Poker, Simeon Poker • Runtime: 38 Mins. •
Labrador
Newfoundland & Labrador
EMPTY SKIES HOPE
Set against the backdrop of famine and
A young girl offers half her popsicle to a
Communist China’s Great Leap Forward
troubled older man. Her act of kindness
(1958-1961), a young boy is desperate to
provides him a brief respite. Director:
find food for his hungry and ailing elderly
Ethan Bickford • Writer: Ethan Bickford,
grandmother. Director: Wenting Deng Fisher,
Jake Delaney • Producer: Ethan Bickford •
Luke Fisher • Writer: Wenting Deng Fisher,
Runtime: 4 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador
Luke Fisher • Producer: Patrick Reasonover, Matt Edwards • Runtime: 18 Mins. • USA
LETTERS FROM THE DEAD While the eldest daughter suppresses
STOLEN
her grief, Abigail, finds she’s able to
Alex struggles with the consequences of her
communicate with their deceased
fractured childhood. Will she move forward
grandmother through handwritten letters.
to self-fulfillment or fall back on old self-
Through this, Abigail moves through her
destructive patterns? Director & Writer: Ian
grief, and also helps her family to heal.
Vardy. Producer: NIFCO • Runtime: 8 Mins. •
Director: Arianna Martinez • Writers: Arianna
Newfoundland & Labrador
Martinez, Gordon Mihan • Producer: Arianna 14
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THU JUNE 20 7:00PM
LSPU HALL
RIVER OF FIRE
OPIOID SCARE
A New Life
PRESENTED BY BUDDEN & ASSOCIATES ALSO FEATURING River of Fire (Documentary • NL) Opioid Scare (NL)
9:00PM
LSPU HALL
Into the Dark Spotlight New Woman (NL) Seven (UK) The Last Vacation (USA) Abraham’s Walk (NL) “I Feel Unholy” (Music Video • NL) Short Wave (Iran) Bagheera (India)
A NEW LIFE
SEVEN
ABRAHAM’S WALK
BAGHEERA
NEW WOMAN
16
LSPU HALL
THU / 7:00PM FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
A New Life
PRESENTED BY BUDDEN & ASSOCIATES
Over a few short months in 1990 more
OPIOID SCARE
Newfoundland. Taking advantage of a refueling stop en route to Cuba, the travellers fled uncertain futures under the failing communist regime. Stepping out into the stark, snowy unknown, they began to reconstruct their lives in Canada. While chronicling multiple individuals’ experiences,
of the opioid crisis and its impact on one
and culture, tradition and modernity collide.
Unholy” by the band Property. Visually rich,
family struggling both to stay together and
Director & Writer: James Morgan • Producer:
the opulence of the video plays against
to stay safe. Director, Writer & Producer:
Johnny Langenheim, Emily Spicer • Runtime:
messages of a society and planet sick
Stephen Cadigan • Runtime: 6 Mins •
11 Mins. • United Kingdom
with overconsumption. Director, Writer &
Newfoundland & Labrador
LSPU HALL
THU / 9:00PM SHORT FILMS
Into the Dark Spotlight Late night collection of twisted short films.
Writer: Stefan Ivanov • Producer: Les Ivanov Productions • Runtime: 1:15 Mins • Canada
RIVER OF FIRE
ABRAHAM’S WALK Set in a time of constant winter, survivors of the new world have been pushed underground — only to face a new threat that lurks beneath. If your path was chosen
The Victoria Park Lantern Festival is one of
for you, how far would you follow it?
the most anticipated events of the summer
Director: Shane Mills • Writer: Francois Van
in St. John’s, with a spectacular paper
Zyl • Producer: Grind Mind • Runtime: 13 Mins.
lantern display among the majestic trees of
• Newfoundland & Labrador
the upper park. This charming documentary captures the whimsical sights, sounds, and spirit of the festival, celebrating the behind-the-scenes effort that goes into creating this labour of love. Director, Writer & Producer: Andrea Cass • 8 Mins. • NL
SEVEN In this thriller short film, Yohana, a teenage girl from a remote community in the
A Patrick Canning video for the song “I Feel
Producer: Patrick Canning • Runtime: 4 Mins.
THE ASHFORD CONNECTION
A New Life offers a universal reflection on exile and immigration. Subtitled • Director &
I FEEL UNHOLY
Seven occupies a space where wilderness
than 3,000 Bulgarian political refugees sought asylum after landing in Gander,
amongst rearing cliffs and vast seascapes,
This short film shows the devastating effects
• Newfoundland & Labrador
Three clueless burglars rob the wrong house and get more than they bargained for. Director, Writer & Producer: Mike Simms • Runtime: 4 Mins • Newfoundland & Labrador
SHORT WAVE In this award-winning film, a man is desperate to escape the omnipresent speech of a dictator playing over
THE LAST VACATION
loudspeakers in the street. Needing sleep
In this short “found footage” film, snapshots
after a night of work, he tries everything
of a family vacation to the Jersey shore take
he can to stifle the noise and loses himself
an unexpectedly dark turn. Director, Writer
himself along the way. Director & Writer:
& Producer: Ryan Ann Davis • Runtime: 1 Min.
Mohamad Esmaeeli • Producer: Afsaneh
• USA
Polei • Runtime: 15 Mins. • Iran
NEW WOMAN
BAGHEERA
New Woman is a disturbing gothic tale
Inspired by real events, Bagheera is a whip-
set in 1888. An attractive, wealthy woman
smart young leader of a Girl Scout troop in
and a male pickpocket enjoy an opulent
India. When she’s kidnapped and confined
dinner together. The evening takes a dark
by a misogynistic psychopath, she relies
turn, revealing that all is not as it seems.
on her wits, survival skills, courage, and
Director: Benjamin Noah • Writers: Benjamin
determination to outmaneuver her capture,
Noah, C.H. Newell • Producer: Benjamin
serving up a satisfying, fiery retribution on
Noah • Runtime: 20 Minute Director’s Cut •
her way out. Director & Writer: Christopher R.
Newfoundland & Labrador
Watson • Producer: Sakar Raut • Runtime: 19 Mins. • India
Norwegian Arctic must decide the fate of an oil worker who has killed her father. Yohana’s life and death choice will not only mark her forever, but also determine the future of her people. Set 50 miles within the Arctic Circle
LSPU HALL
FRI JUNE 21 7:30PM
FRI / 7:30PM FEATURE FILM
Incredible Violence An independent filmmaker blows the financial backing for his new film on
LSPU HALL
Incredible Violence
everything but the movie he’s supposed to make. Fueled by booze and desperation,
ALSO FEATURING
he and a friend devise a bizarre slasher/
Troll (NL)
sexploitation plot as a way to to create the film. On the film’s remote set, he ruthlessly manipulates and entraps a cast of actors and assumes the role of the villain. As he spirals deeper into obsessive madness, violence and misogyny reigns, and he turns his shrinking cast on one another in order to complete the film. Director & Writer: G. Patrick Condon • Producers: G. Patrick Condon, Ian Vatcher, Walter Lawlor • Runtime: 96 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador
TROLL In this short crime drama a serial killer outmaneuvers police detectives. Will they catch her before she strikes again? Director: Tyler Burry. Writer: Bruce Brenton, Tyler Burry, Erica Kean. Producer: Justin Foley. Country: Canada, Runtime: 5 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador.
INCREDIBLE VIOLENCE
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barristers and solicitors
Providing skilled and compassionate legal representation to survivors of abuse and motor vehicle collisions and other personal injuries. General legal services also available.
709.576.0077 • 1.844.647.0077 (toll free) info@buddenlaw.com • www.buddenlaw.com @buddenlaw
@buddenlaw
5 Hallett Cresent, Unit 4 | St. John’s, NL A1B 4C4
A proud supporter of the Nickel Independent Film Festival
SAT JUNE 22 1:30PM
LSPU HALL
Controversial Subjects Spotlight Detainment (Ireland) Black Hours (Switzerland) Thick Skin (Iceland) A New Home (NL)
3:30PM
LSPU HALL
Fantastic to the Surreal Spotlight As the Earth Turns (USA) Lucienne Eats A Car (France) Concrete (Animation • Switzerland) The Empty Woods (Experimental • MB) Astray (Animation • NL)
DETAINMENT
7:30PM
LSPU HALL
It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt
PRESENTED BY DEACON INVESTMENTS ALSO FEATURING Some Saturdays (NL) Common Law (NL) Two (Animation • NL)
THE SHIP PUB
Closing Night Party
FEATURING THE TEXMESTICS
BLACK HOURS
LSPU HALL
SAT / 1:30PM SHORT FILM MATINEE
Controversial Subjects Spotlight
THICK SKIN
Writer: Jake Delaney • Producer: Catching
flirting with each other at a party among
Amistad Productions • Runtime: 10 Mins. •
friends. Glances are exchanged, then
Newfoundland & Labrador
kisses, then more. The next day the two have woken up in different worlds with very
BLACK HOURS Igor is a factory worker being pushed to his
and with a crime having been committed by
limits by his boss. When his co-worker Frank
Using extensive interview transcripts, police
one of them. Set in the suburbs of Reykjavik,
burns himself to death at work to protest
records, and child actors, the Oscar-
Iceland, Thick Skin explores rape and rape
inhumane working conditions, it’s Igor who
nominated Detainment recreates police
culture and raises important questions
finds Frank’s body and suicide note. Igor
interviews with Robert Thompson and Jon
about boundaries, masculinity and society.
struggles with a question of whether to
Venables, the 10 year-old boys who were
Director & Writer: Erlendur Sveinsson •
conceal the letter and protect his job, or
convicted of the abduction and murder
Producer: Gunnhildur Helga Katrínardóttir •
give it to Frank’s wife, who is desperately
of 2-year-old James Bulger in 1993. In this
Runtime: 12 Mins • Iceland
seeking the truth. Director: Wendy Pillonel.
deeply emotionally-charged film, director Vincent Lambe asks viewers to reflect on difficult questions about the ethics of
Writer: Milena Colla • Producers: Filippo
A NEW HOME As Katie waits for her new foster parents
applying an adult justice model to children.
to arrive and rescue her from an unstable
Director & Writer: Vincent Lambe • Producer:
home, she worries about leaving her
Darren Mahone • Runtime: 30 Mins. • Ireland
current caretaker, Tina, alone with an abusive boyfriend. Soon, news of a devastating plane crash puts her future
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into question. Director: Ethan Bickford •
Thick Skin finds a teenage boy and girl
different experiences of the night before,
DETAINMENT
THICK SKIN
Bonacci, Elena Pedrazzoli • Runtime: 29 Mins. • Switzerland
LSPU HALL
SAT / 3:30PM SHORT FILM MATINEE
From the Fantastic to the Surreal Spotlight AS THE EARTH TURNS In 1930’s Seattle, Richard H. Lyford was an aspiring young filmmaker who used his own equipment to make 9 movies. Unreleased until now, the silent sci-fi film As the Earth Turns was an obvious labour of love for the 20-year-old Lyford and his friends. The film portrays the main character, PAX, as a scientist with the singular goal of world peace. He manipulates the world’s climate
CONCRETE
from his secret base in Labrador to fulfil his mission and it falls on a young newspaper reporter to stop PAX from destroying himself and the rest of the world. Lyford eventually went to work for Disney and won an Academy Award in 1950 for his documentary work. Director & Writer: Richard H. Lyford • Producer: Richard H. Lyford, Ed Hartman • Runtime: 45 Mins. • USA
CONCRETE With gorgeous 3D/2D mixed animation, this short portrays a restless traveller troubled by his recurring transformations. Searching for his place in the world, he encounters a mysterious character in a concrete building in the midst of a barren swampland. Directors & Writers: Pirmin Bieri, Aira Joana, Luca Struchan, Nicolas Roith. • Producer:
AS THE EARTH TURNS
HSLU Lucerne University of Applied Sciences • Runtime: 8 Mins. • Switzerland
THE EMPTY WOODS A woman escapes a group of bizarre patrons at an art gallery by entering the surreal world of an image in the nature photography exhibit — but is she safe? Director: John Barnard. Writer: Suzanne Pringle, John Barnard • Producer: Suzanne Pringle, John Barnard • Runtime: 5 Mins. • Manitoba, Canada
ASTRAY Curiosity kills the cat in this unsettling animated short. Director, Writer: Kyle Sharpe • Runtime: 5 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador
LUCIENNE EATS A CAR Lucienne’s emotionally absent father has always preferred his car to his daughter. As dementia takes him further away from her, she decides to consume his beloved car in the hopes of finally feeling his love. Director & Writer: Geordy Couturiau • Producer: Eliott Brunet • Runtime: 30 Mins. • France
LUCIENNE EATS A CAR
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SOME SATURDAYS
TWO
IT WAS ALL SO WONDERFUL
COMMON LAW
LSPU HALL
SAT / 7:30PM FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt
PRESENTED BY DEACON INVESTMENTS
It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt follows the beloved artist’s development as one of the country’s great realist painters. The documentary features Mary’s final interviews and appearances on film, highlighting her career and life as an artist. Displaced and isolated, Mary Pratt’s life was a highly complicated one of delicate rebellion. In this touching and timely documentary, Harvey captures Pratt’s humour, strength and beauty of spirit,
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but also Mary’s feminist significance as chronicler of women’s experiences, with her
SOME SATURDAYS Hank and his wife Jules, both in their
fascination with and elevation of domestic
40s, set out for a leisurely boat ride on a
objects. Director & Writer: Kenneth J. Harvey.
calm, overcast day. As they drift out into
Producers: Katherine Harvey, Emma Harvey,
the harbour, their awkward but familiar
Jordan Harvey, Kenneth J. Harvey • Runtime:
exchanges reveal a relationship under strain.
75 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador.
Director: Steve Cochrane • Writer: Renée Hackett • Producers: Ruth Lawrence, Renée
TWO
Hackett • Runtime: 9 Mins. • NL
Themes of love, loss and loneliness are explored in this touching pixel-art animation. The two last inhabitants
COMMON LAW Jay puts off introducing his girlfriend, Sam,
of a forgotten world share their lonely
to his conservative Cameroonian parents
surroundings and remaining time
until he can no longer avoid it. A light-
together. Director, Writer & Producer:
hearted comedy about the customs of
Angie Sutherland • Runtime: 4 Mins. •
dating and marriage in the Cameroonian
Newfoundland & Labrador
community overseas. Common Law was made with the Nickel New Voices Program, funded by Telus. Writer & Director: Karen Monie • Producers: Karen Monie, Ruth Lawrence • Runtime: 6 Mins. • Newfoundland & Labrador
LSPU HALL
SUN / 1:30PM FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
Encore Matinee It Was All So Wonderful: The Everyday Magic of Mary Pratt
PRESENTED BY DEACON INVESTMENTS ALSO FEATURING
Some Saturdays (NL) Common Law (NL) Two (Animation • NL)
JUNE 22ND | SATURDAY | CLOSING NIGHT | 7:30 PM | LSPU HALL JUNE 23RD | SUNDAY | ENCORE MATINEE | 1:30PM | LSPU HALL
PRESENTED BY