Festival wants new filmmakers to get in on action
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Trish Rainone’s stint as a scream queen helped her scare up contacts in the film business.
The co-owner of 180 Sisterhood Productions urges other Sault Ste. Marie residents not to get spooked by making their own movies and get shooting their own efforts for the second annual Sault Ste. Marie Film Festival.
Constance, a short film from 2015 that Rainone acted in and produced, was screened at the Blood in the Snow Film Festival in Toronto and Millelgeville-Eaton Film Festival in Georgia. She pitched ideas to an ABC executive and connected with other industry players she continues to tap today.
“Even if your project to start with is small and you don’t have a budget for it, from my experience it’s always a valuable experience to just try it out and build a good team and keep learning from the experiences that you’re going to gain,” said Rainone. “It’s amazing how much you look back at those short films that you made with friends to start out. A few short years later, if you’re producing something on a bigger scale, you look back on those times and the model is still very similar.”
Rainone can make a connection between lessons learned on Constance, co-directed by fellow Sault native Ian Pozzebon, and A Christmas Letter, the television movie she and Rebeka Herron produced during the spring. Constance had about a dozen people in its cast and crew and a “zero” budget. The latter effort involved about 200 people and a budget that came in at less than $2 million.
The festival Heron and Rainone are organizing is tentatively set for Nov. 26-28 at Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre. Films were shown both online and in-person in 2020. Seminars were presented online only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presentations are expected to be offered in-person this year, depending on the pandemic’s status.
Ten features and shorts, many from graduates of Sault College’s digital film production program, have already been submitted for consideration. About half of the titles come from talent who didn’t submit for the festival’s consideration in 2020. Regular deadline is Aug. 6. The extended deadline is Sept. 3. Submission fees top out at $10.
“It’s pretty low,” said Rainone. “We really want to encourage filmmakers to submit and to be part (of the festival).”
The festival features efforts from amateur to professional talent “to encourage up-and-coming talent,” said Herron.
“I think the best way to start if you’ve ever been interested in film is to jump right in,” said Rainone. “One thing leads to another. Don’t underestimate the power of getting your feet wet and just doing it because one thing in this business always will lead to another and you will learn so much.”
Lovleen Sharma plans to make another film for the festival’s return.
A New Immigrant in Sault Ste. Marie, presented during the festival’s first go-round, chronicled the experiences of Sharma and her husband, Harsh, making the move from India to the Sault in 2020.
Sharma is considering another doc chronicling the “ups and downs” of the couple’s first year in the city. They’re each working two jobs, have a German shepherd, Hunter, and welcomed Sharma’s brother, Gaurav. The Lambton College student was studying online during the past year. Lovleen and Harsh want to buy a house. Sharma might opt for a short drama.
“I am still working on it,” she said of the subject matter of her upcoming effort.
Sponsors have until Sept. 30 to assist the festival. Email 180sisterhood@gmail.com.
Author Emma Hogg (The Fourth Wall, Winona Rising) had been exploring film for “a few years.” She took on all duties, including editor, actor and director, during the pandemic to create The Interview for the festival in 2020.
Making her short all by herself “was both at times uncomfortable and thrilling.”
Hogg calls the venture a “worthwhile challenge.
“I was very grateful to have the opportunity to share my work with an audience and to be a part of it,” she said in an email. “A lot is learned by the reactions of viewers and it isn’t often that an artist is in the same room when their art is consumed by others.”
Hogg is grateful the festival welcomes efforts from a range of talent.
“As a new filmmaker, I was grateful to be encouraged and welcomed into this space,” she said. “It was interesting to see the work of other filmmakers and how the pandemic affected their subject matter and their production process. The ultimate takeaway for me, as a participant in last year’s festival, was that art prevails.”
Hogg has submitted a film for consideration for this year’s festival.
Herron and Rainone are helping with the filming of a horror film. Do Not Disturb, in the city in August. Paid background talent is needed for scenes in a restaurant and nightclub. Email a headshot to 180sisterhood@gmail.com by Wednesday.
180 Sisterhood is also producing Spare Change, a short by Mark Datuin (Davey’s Diary, Standardized), in August. Extras may be needed.
Soo Film Festival runs Sept. 15-19 in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. More than 90 films will be screened. Most are shorts. Narrative and documentary features include Frozen Stupid 2: Open Water, Mr. Emancipation: The Walter Perry Story and Roy’s World: Barry Gifford’s Chicago.
On Twitter: @Saultreporter
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