I Heart Edmonton

Trevor Anderson's The High Level Bridge opens discussion for suicide and how it's been swept under the rug...until now BY EMIL TIEDEMANN The High Level Bridge " I T is a beautiful and gracious film, an artistic tribute to those who have jumped from the bridge, and also a poetic contemplation of the H igh Level Bridge itself and its role within the city's collective psyche." That's what the Edmonton Sun 's Graham Hicks had to say about Trevor Anderson 's 5-minute documentary short The High Level Bridge , an official selection at both the Toronto International Film Festival and Sundance . But it was Hicks who, in the same breath, confessed his concern over a potential "copy cat" response to the film's often-taboo subject matter: suicide. Hicks worries that "making a direct link between the High Level Bridge and its suicides may be very emotionally painful to the families and friends of victims other than those to whom the...

Long-awaited, locally-filmed sequel will help kick off this year's International Film Festival BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I N 2002 Michael Dowse directed and co-scripted what is now recognized as a Canadian cult classic, FUBAR , itself an acronym for 'Fucked Up Beyond All Recognition." The $400,000 mockumentary starred David Lawrence (Terry) and Paul Spence (Dean), as lifelong friends and the subjects of a documentary film that details the lives of the "common man." Based partially on a Lawrence-Spence comedy routine, FUBAR premiered at the Sundance Film Festival , but really struck a chord with Western Canadians. In particular, Albertans. FUBAR , with the mullet ratio of a Poison video, was shot and based in Calgary, although that's no reason to avoid it. But that was eight years ago and Terry & Dean have since matured. Well, not really. FUBAR 2 , the long-awaited sequel, was shot predominantly in Fort McMurray and partially in the fine, ridiculously sexy to...

The EIFF get local moviegoers involved in deciding what may or may not make the cut for this season's line-up BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T'S a brand new concept for the Edmonton International Film Festival . In fact, I was part of only the second (and most likely this season's last) group of local film buffs who were luckily chosen to pre-screen some of the shorts potentially up for EIFF selection. I say potentially because their candidacy would be partially based on the opinions of us volunteers, who Ebert & Roeper 'd our way through 128 minutes of short films from around the world last week (May 13). Kudos to the EIFF for taking this logical route, allowing its own audience to partake in the selection process for its 2010 season ( Sept. 24-Oct. 2 ). It only makes sense, afterall, to have us help choose what we want to see at this year's 9-day festival, now in its 24th season. What took them so long? So, as I was saying, I eagerly and immediately accepted the invitat...

EIFF '09 has come and gone, but organizers are already looking towards 2010 BY EMIL TIEDEMANN I T'S been a month and a half since the 2009 Edmonton International Film Festival came to an end, but that doesn't mean that we can't still check in. After all, the EIFF recently issued their latest newsletter, declaring the '09 season a success! Attendance for the 23rd annual EIFF (Sept. 25-Oct. 3) was up again, and the festival experienced even more interest in their programming streams, which included " Sobey's Lunchbox Shorts " and " In Our Own Backyard ." The EIFF is already accepting submissions for its 2010 edition, but films must have been produced AFTER April 1, 2009. There are four categories to consider when submitting: Narrative Feature (75 minutes or more), Documentary Feature (60 minutes or more), Short Films (30 minutes or less), and Documentary Shorts (30 minutes or less). In addition to films, the EIFF is also on the look out for b...

Anne Wheeler's Bye Bye Blues kicked off the 2009 EIFF with a free screening on Churchill Square BY EMIL TIEDEMANN O NE week before Edmonton kicks off its 23rd annual International Film Festival on September 25th, it hosted a free double feature screening at Churchill Square last Friday (September 18). Initially intended to be a 2-day series that offered up one picture per evening, organizers were forced to cancel Thursday's outting due to weather, squeezing both films ( Man on Wire and Bye Bye Blues ) into Friday evening instead. Drive-in movie theatres are a thing of the past, or at least they are here in Edmonton, so I was excited to take in Anne Wheeler 's Bye Bye Blues (1989) on the giant inflatable screen (supplied by Fresh Air Cinema ) in the heart of downtown. I had never even heard of this 20-year-old feature film by Edmonton-born director/ writer/ producer Wheeler, but it was more about sitting in a lawn chair in the Square on a Friday evening, sipping on hot ...

With Capital Ex, the Fringe and Folk Fest all behind us, Edmonton settles in for its 23rd annual International Film Festival BY EMIL TIEDEMANN Needless to say--but let's say it anyways--the Edmonton International Film Festival is just an infant dipping its toes in the big boys' pool when it comes to global film fests, but that doesn't mean that our humble event can't offer up some intriguing, inspiring and popcorn-worthy movies that may easily be just as good as anything screening at Cannes or Sundance. "We strive to uncover cinematic gems and celebrate unique voices in movie-making such as directors, writers and producers," claims the EIFF on their official website as part of their "Mission & Objective" statement. "[We're] about films and the people who make them." Well said. The commended fest, which runs this year from September 25th (Friday) to October 3rd (Saturday), inaugurated in 1986 as the 3-day "Local Heroes" a...