Chess Magic...

This week, filmmaker Chris Chitaroni brings us a tale of a simple chess game, with very high stakes...





Chris, unfortunately couldn't join us for the gala, but he did send us this about participating in the festival:

"Chess Magic was a challenging project for me, not because of the logistics of the shoot, or the complexity of the story but because of the timing of the festival. The submission date fell on the same week that I started a new job and two other projects I was working on were due, so working in the time to organize any kind of large scale shoot was impossible for me. Regardless, I really wanted to take part in the festival as it seemed like a really fun idea. After I found a story from a good friend of mine who happened to be home schooled (so he has all of his old assignments on record) I figured out a way to do it on short order. After work two nights before the deadline I set up the dolly, the lights and built the set in my dining room to shot it all using myself as both the two characters playing chess. The ending was supposed to be a little different, but due to the limited time I had to settle for what was used in the final cut. Overall I had a lot of fun making Chess Magic and look forward to the challenge of creating something new for the Digi 60 next year."

From the Gala, the story's writer:

An Open Letter to all Digi60 Fans

Hey Digi60 Fans

This year was a great success, and we are looking to get bigger and better for next year !

We are hoping to turn the festival into a full weekend, with more filmmakers, more screenings, and adding in workshops, keynotes and instructional sessions.

What we want to know from you is ... What do YOU want ! Send us your thoughts and ideas for what you think would be useful and helpful to you as a member of the filmmaking community here in Ottawa.

Send your ideas to us at

kevin@digi60.org

We promise to take all your ideas seriously. What we can actually make happen will depend a lot on funding we are applying for, but if we get the cash, we want to be sure we are spending it in a way that is most useful to you all.

It would also be great (and might help our funding applications!) if you could give us a few sentences on how the Digi60 experience this year was of value to you as an artist.

Thanks in advance for your time, and we will keep you up to date through the spring and summer about what we're moving ahead with for Digi60 2011.

"A Hint of Winter"

Director Adrian Langley won both the Best Direction and Technical Achievement award for his film "Hint of Winter". But below the beauty of the shots lie a story that examines a troubling moral dilemma ...






And from the Gala...

"Boots and the Dragon"

The most positive entry from this years Gala.

There be Dragons here! Derek Price style...





And from the Gala, the reading...




Finally, and interview with Derek from the Gala.

iTunes and Creative Cow bring you DSLR Classes

From the iTunes store:

"CreativeCOW.net's DSLR For Video Podcast is filled with tips, tricks, techniques, training, support and information that will enhance your ability to use, choose or just learn about DSLR Cameras and DSLR Video. These video podcasts are pod-friendly and can be downloaded to your iTunes or any other device that can use iTunes. If you wish to interact with the podcast, please feel free to post a comment at creativecow.net in the DSLR forum."

Painted Lips and Lolly Licks Festival Looking for Submissions...

From Lee Demarbe at the Mayfair Theatre, an open invitation:

"SUBJECT LINE: Call for submissions to Mayfair Theatre’s Sexy Film Festival





SEX!

(Now that we’ve got your attention, this is

a CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS to

Painted Lips and Lolly Licks: The Sexy Film Festival,

which returns to the Mayfair Theatre Feb 11!)



Painted Lips and Lolly Licks: The Sexy Film Festival returns to the Mayfair Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, and we want to show your movie!



Any film that explores themes of sex, romance or the erotic is eligible, provided it’s:
10 minutes or shorter; and
submitted by Feb 4 (before 6:00 PM).



Entries will be judged by a celebrity to be revealed at a later date!



“Everybody has their own idea of what’s erotic,” says festival director Lee Demarbre. “We want to show as many of those ideas as possible. Some are funny, some serious. Some are live-action, and some animated. Some feature nudity; others don’t. But they’re all guaranteed to turn the audience on.”



Previous years’ festivals have included erotic short films and cartoons from around the world, the adult-film parody Not Another Porn Film by Doug Sackman (The XXXorcist, Re-Penetrator) and a (non-porn) film directed by adult film star Sasha Grey, who judged the festival in 2010. It also featured a screening of the Ottawa-made independent film Mad Lieutenant: Port of Call Orleans, a sordid tale of sex and corruption set in the city’s suburbs.



You can learn more about the festival’s past, and what’s coming up, at the official Painted Lips and Lolly Licks website: odessafilmworks.com/paintedlips



Painted Lips and Lolly Licks: The Sexy Film Festival takes place only at the Mayfair, Ottawa’s home of stuff you won’t see anywhere else.



For more information about Painted Lips and Lolly Licks, please contact:



Lee Demarbre

Festival Director

Office: 613-730-6552

Cell: 613-301-4728

lee@mayfairtheatre.ca



Trailers, schedules and other details will be posted closer to the date of the festival on the Mayfair Theatre’s official website, mayfairtheatre.ca"

Polarity...

For these cold days with long nights, it is the perfect time for Polarity by Kevin Preece. The original story received an A+ , and Kevin turned it into a B movie ! Kevin allowed us on set to capture some behind the scenes footage (though we were not allowed to see the actual Wishing Polar Bear until the night of the Gala) so check that out. He also provided us with a blog entry he wrote - great stuff. As he puts it -
"Digi60 helped me affirm that I am making my own art, and that I’m not alone in it - there is a whole community to draw upon- people that do this for the love of doing it ... I'm proud of my film, and I'm even prouder to have been included among so many great films ..."





And Behind The Scenes