Category Archives: Featured Filmmakers

World Poetry Celebrates Wolf Spirit Films!

 Ariadne’s Notes!  The World Poetry Cafe 100.5 FM at 1:30 pm PST, Feb. 13 celebrated the BC FILMMAKER GORDON LOVERIN WHO SELECTED TO REPRESENT CANADA IN PRESTIGIOUS BERLINALE FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM. We also celebrated his producing director, Pamela Jones for directing his moving film, the Blue Rose. Worldwide listeners also tuned in to hear this remarkable story about the films and the impact that Indigenous films are having. Gordon Loverin also gave an important history in the difficulties of First Nations people over many years. It was meaningful to me because of our family ties with the Yupik Nation in Alaska and the effects that the persecution has had on our family. It is so wonderful to see history being shared thanks to all the indigenous, courageous filmmakers.

Don’t miss the show here! 

World Poetry Cafe Team Members: Ariadne Sawyer, host and producer, Victor Shartzman tech and co-host, Diego Bastinutti, co-host, and Sharon Rowe, our special volunteer whose Big Bessie stories are read on the radio every week. 

 “Breaking news: Vancouver, February 4th, 2020 — It’s not every day you get summoned by the Consul General of Germany, but that’s what happened to BC filmmaker Gordon Loverin. Now he is off to Berlinale, one of the biggest feature film festivals and markets in the world to represent Canada.

“It was surreal”, says Loverin. “We invited Dr. Klaus Schmidt, Consul General for Germany in Vancouver to the screening of the documentary I directed called, Beyond Human Power. Two days later we were in his office, a short time after that, I got the call that I was chosen as one of the twenty-five filmmakers from around the world, and the only Canadian in a delegation hosted by the prestigious Goethe Institute.” Loverin will have meetings set up with German filmmakers and production companies with the goal of sharing information about the film industry in Canada, and to help facilitate collaborations and co-productions.

“I’m excited because two of the projects I’ll be pitching are set in the Yukon,” says Loverin. “It’ll take time, but if we can get funding and roll, it’ll be a boon for the area.”

Loverin, who is from the Tlingit and Tahltan First Nations, has strong ties to the Yukon and was invited to screen two of his films at the Available Light Film Festival in Whitehorse this past weekend. Beyond Human Power, which is now screening on CBC Gem, is a documentary feature that centres on Canada’s anti-potlatch law, and features the Yukon’s Dakhká Khwáan Dancers and the Daghalhaan k’e dance group and features the Yukon’s Dakhká Khwáan Dancers and the Daghalhaan k’e dance group. Loverin’s short film The Blue Rose, directed by his producing partner, Pamela Jones, is about a young woman using boxing to overcome childhood trauma.

“We created Wolf Spirit Films to bridge cultures,” says Loverin. “This is a perfect example of how entertainment can bring people together.”

I also appreciated the kindness shown to the talented Afghan Filmmaker Rahmat Hardari who needed encouragement to start making his films again.

Wolf Spirit Films is going to The 70th annual Berlinale – Berlin International Film Festival which is scheduled to take place from February 20th to March 1st, 2020.

Source: Nicola Pender penderpr.com 

For More Information on Wolf Spirit Films:
www.wolfspiritfilms.com 

World Poetry Cafe Celebrates Chris Auchter!

 

The World Poetry Café radio show CFRO, 100.5 FM on Jan 16, 1-2 pm PST welcomed the talented Haida Filmmaker Christopher Auchter and National Film Board publicist Katja De Bock to share his exciting news!

“ His latest work, Now Is the Time, which revisits the raising of the first Haida totem pole in the modern era, had been selected by the renowned Sundance Film Festival, which will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in Jan/Feb 2020.

The festival selected 74 short films from over 10,000 submissions (5,400 international submissions).

In addition, we just received this news: “Just announced: Now Is the Time was selected at the largest documentary film festival in the western USA: Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana.”
http://www.bigskyfilmfest.org/festival/films-2020-view/now_is_the_time/

 Background information: “When internationally renowned Haida carver Robert Davidson was only 22 years old, he carved the first new totem pole on British Columbia’s Haida Gwaii in almost a century. On the 50th anniversary of the pole’s raising, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter steps easily through history to revisit that day in August 1969, when the entire village of Old Massett gathered to celebrate the event that would signal the rebirth of the Haida spirit.”

Also on the show, the welcome song by Mary Youngblood playing the Medicine Flute, a special cedar rose flower made by Elder and World Poetry Lifetime Achievement Award Winner  Amalia Barney, Poems by Ariadne Sawyer and Diego Bastinutti and a Big Bessie story by Sharon Rowe.

 

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE!

In a moving interview, Christopher spoke out the wonderful and moving reception that the film had by Elders and young alike as well as the need to preserve for future generations. He also answered questions sent in by two young filmmakers, one in Peru and talked suggested tips for young filmmakers

Now Is the Time was produced by the National Film Board of Canada’s BC & Yukon Studio in Vancouver. For more information: (info@nfb.ca) Katja De Bock also spoke eloquently about the history of the NFB and the service they provide for Canadian Filmmakers.  

The World Poetry Café radio show was hosted by Ariadne Sawyer and Diego Bastianutti, tech Victor Schwartzman and special volunteer, Sharon Rowe.

Source: Katja De Bock, NFB.

By Ariadne Sawyer.

World Poetry Celebrates Bernice Lever!

 

Ariadne’s Notes:

The World Poetry Cafe radio show  CFRO, 100.5 FM at 1:10 pm PST, December 5th welcomed the amazing Bernice Lever, well-known poet and member of the radio show from Canada once again to the show.

Also featured on the show were the well-known  Peaceathon E-poets Mahmood Jan, Afghanistan,  and Honey Novick Canada, Maki Starfield will be read next week. A lovely note of poetic thanks from Laura Tohe, Poet Laureate of the Navaho Nation, (https://www.lauratohe.com/)was received and read.   Special filmmaker Tomisin Adepeju called in at 1:35 pm PST to talk about his film I am Joseph.

Hosts Ariadne Sawyer and Diego Bastinutti with super tech Victor Schwartzman.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW HERE!

 

Bernice Lever was honoured by The Ontario Poetry Society in May, 2019 in a book of poems from their 10 Life Members, entitled Tenfold. 

 Now living on Bowen Island, near West Vancouver, BC, Bernice is also a Life Member of National Canadian Authors Assoc., and since 2000, a Life Member of  The League of Canadian Poets and active in the Federation of  BC Writers, North Shore Writers Association, and more. 

Although known for her 15 years of editing in Toronto for  York University’s 

“WAVES” , literary journal from 1972-1986, Bernice as read on 5 continents and been published internationally as she has 10 poetry books published – last 7 with Black Moss Press, Ontario –   in many large anthologies, journals and newspapers. Her 11th poetry book, “Ingredients for Peace “ is due in 2020.   

Bernice also has published some prose, mainly in “The Waiting Room” & edited, “Singing; anthology  of Canadian women prisoners with Highway Book Shop as  well as “In all directions”,  Fitzhenry & Whiteside,  CAA short story anthology and my own textbook “The Colour  of  Words”, Seneca College, Ontario. 

Her focus has been for “Peace & Justice”   poems for all People,& Living creatures worldwide &&& our natural environment: earth, air, and water! 

Since the 1960’s, she has given talks and workshops to classes and individuals as Bernice enjoys helping beginning poets to be published.