The Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative is pleased to announce the start of principal photography on the 2008 FILM 5 projects. The first of four short films, Ugly Girl, goes to camera this weekend, April 25th and 26th, in Halifax. Ugly Girl is written and directed by Sarah Byrne and produced by Rebecca Sharratt.

FILM 5 is a training and production program for emerging Nova Scotian filmmakers. Each year it provides four creative teams with instruction, mentorship and over $30,000 in cash and services towards the production of a five-minute film. FILM 5 alumni include some of Nova Scotia’s most prominent filmmakers including Thom Fitzgerald, Andrea Dorfman and Jay Dahl.

This year’s program began in October with eight teams selected to participate in a series of workshops designed to assist with the development of their proposals. These teams were given the opportunity to learn from prominent local and national filmmakers including producer Elizabeth Yake (It’s All Gone Pete Tong), Noel Baker (Hard Core Logo, At the Hotel), screenwriter-in-residence at the Canadian Film Centre, and director Scott Simpson (Terminal Lunch, Touch and Go).

Four teams were selected from the original eight to complete their projects with the help of pre-production mentorship from experienced mentors. This year’s mentors were award-winning director Andrea Dorfman (Parsley Days, Love That Boy), producer Rick Warden (Ice Men, Growing Op) and writer Shandi Mitchell (Gasoline Puddles, Baba’s House).

All films will be finished on 35mm film for the theatrical release in September.

Teams and their projects are as follows:

Golden Age
Writer/director: Namir Ahmed
Producer: Tom Power
Eli Lange has a secret identity. He’s also dying. Rather then wait for death, Eli resolves to take control of his fate and summons his arch-nemesis for one final battle.

The Pawnshop
Writer: Evany Rosen
Director: Andrew Bush
Producer: Angus Swantee
Pawnshop is a power struggle between commitment and carelessness, between action and ambivalence, between vendor and buyer. The question is, who will get the better deal?

Ugly Girl
Writer/director: Sarah Byrne
Producer: Rebecca Sharratt
After a bad school portrait 10-year-old Penny feels that, unlike her naturally beautiful mother, genetics are not on her side. Compounded by a run-in with bullies and boys at school who think her mother is hot and she’s not, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

The Underestimated
Writer/director: Joey Adrian MacNeil
Producer: Herb D’Entremont
Getting blamed for classroom pranks and dealing with school bullies Kyle persists to try to give Emily the valentine. The Underestimated is the ultimate underdog love story, where the underdog wins hearts with his losing ways.

For more information/photos or to arrange interviews, please contact Erin Oakes (membership@afcoop.ca) 902-420-4480

FILM 5 is a presentation of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative in partnership with Film Nova Scotia and Power Post Production. With
generous support from TELEFILM , CBC, Deluxe Labs, Fuji Film, PS Atlantic, William F Whites International, Panavision, the Directors Guild of Canada, IATSE 849, IATSE 667, the Atlantic Film Festival Association, the Lord Nelson Hotel and The Coast.

GOLDEN AGE
Eli Lange has a secret identity. He’s also dying. Rather then wait for death, Eli resolves to take control of his fate and summons his arch-nemesis for one final battle.

Namir Ahmed (writer, director)
Namir Ahmed is an animator / filmmaker from Halifax, Nova Scotia. His previous films include “Birth”, a short film promoting the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, and “Spontaneous Human Combustion Explained” a short stop-motion animation created through AFCOOP’s FrameWorks Animation Program. In addition to writing and directing, Namir has worked as a storyboard artist and assistant director.

Tom Power (producer)
Tom has written, directed and produced three short independent films: “Life’s Ritual”, “First Steps” and “Process”. As well, he produced two short promotional films for the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative, “Birth” directed by Namir Ahmed and “The Wedding” directed by Jay Dahl.

As an active member of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative and the Centre for Art Tapes, Tom has worked on numerous independent films in various departments including camera, sound and grip.

PAPER HEARTS
Despite getting blamed for classroom pranks and dealing with school bullies Kyle persists in trying to get a valentine to Emily. “Paper Hearts” is a school-age underdog love story, where the underdog wins hearts with his losing ways.

Joey Adrian MacNeil (writer, director)
Joey Adrian MacNeil is a graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design where he focused his studies on film and video. He has written, directed and produced a number of short films and music videos including “Twelve”, “Three People in My Neighbourhood” and “Keeping it Real with Universal Soul”.

In 2006 Joey created “Posters” a short animation made through AFCOOP’s FrameWorks program, which screened at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival, the Atlantic Film Festival and the $100 Film Festival in Calgary. His most recent film “B-Boy Bomb Breaking” screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival.

Herb d’Entremont (producer)
Since getting interested in filmmaking Herb has worked on a number of independent projects filling such diverse roles as camera assistant, grip and producer. In 2006, he co-executive produced a short film called “A Thin Dry Roar” which screened at the Montreal World Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival

PAWNSHOP
A young man casually walks into a pawnshop with the vague, irresolute intention of maybe buying an engagement ring – until he meets the pawnshop owner. To the young man’s shock, he is bullied and belittled by the aging proprietor for being spineless and feeble-minded: “Maybe the problem is not the girl, maybe the problem is that you are not a man.” After a comedic flurry of price alterations, tyrannical haggling and shrewd insults, the young man’s indecision finally hardens into unexpected resolve. Pawnshop is a power struggle between commitment and carelessness, between action and ambivalence, between vendor and buyer. The question is, who will get the better deal?

Andrew Bush (director)
Halifax native Andrew Bush has been working in television for over ten years. He started out as an actor on the television show “Street Cents” and quickly worked his way into a regular spot on “Made in Canada”.

His first film as writer / director, “Jedi Breakfast” (2006) was accepted into the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Since then he has directed numerous short films and music videos. His most recent film, “Forgotten” won the jury prize for best short film at the Halifax Independent Filmmakers Festival and played at the 2007 Atlantic Film Festival . Andrew’s Internet shorts have garnered over two million hits on the web with their brand of odd, edgy humor.

Evany Rosen – (writer)
A Toronto native, Evany Rosen moved to Halifax to pursue a B.A. in Early Modern Studies at King’s College. Along the way she has written and directed a feature play entitled ‘The Blacks, the Gays and the Jews’, become the editor-in-chief of the King’s newspaper, The Watch, and contributed (as both a writer and performer) to many short films produced by local comedy troupe, Picnicface.

Angus Swantee – (producer)
In 2005, as part of a national competition, Angus Swantee wrote, directed and produced his first short film “Discrimination of the Dead”. The film aired on The Comedy Network and at festivals in Canada and the United States, and won Best Direction at the 15th annual AFCOOP screening. Following this, Angus co-produced a 4-DVD medical seminar “Skills for Healing”, and has worked as director or producer on a number of short films. In addition to “Pawnshop”, Angus is currently producing a short film “The Auction”, directed by Jeff Wheaton.

UGLY GIRL
After a bad school portrait ten-year old Penny feels that, unlike her naturally beautiful mother, genetics are not on her side. Compounded by a run in with bullies and boys at school who think her mother is hot and she’s not, Penny decides to take matters into her own hands.

Sarah Byrne (writer,director)
Sarah Byrne is a young TV editor best known for her work on the award-winning show “Trailer Park Boys”. Sarah studied printmaking at Concordia University and film at Thunder Bay’s Confederation College, from which she graduated with honours. After finishing her studies, Sarah moved to the East coast and edited a range of projects from industrial videos to dramatic television before moving into the world of documentaries. She is currently editing “Cubers”, a one-hour documentary for CBC, as well as concentrating on bringing her own ideas to the screen.

Rebecca Sharratt
It wasn’t until she moved to Halifax from Newfoundland that Rebecca found her true calling in television when she began working for Topsail Entertainment on their flagship show, “Trailer Park Boys”. Moving up through the ranks from Production Assistant to Production Coordinator, the experience offered Rebecca the opportunity to learn and develop her skills in the industry. Through 7 seasons and the Feature film, Trailer Park Boys has inspired her career. Lately she’s been committing time to small local productions and focusing on writing her own material. Most recently Rebecca wrote a short film “Don’t Fear the Reaper” which was developed through AFCOOP’s Dramatic Film Lab. She is also the recipient of the 2007 Linda Joy Media Arts Society’s CBC Broadcast Script Award.

Overview
FILM 5 is an intermediate level training program for emerging Nova Scotia Writers, Directors and Producers dedicated to pursuing careers as filmmakers. 

The program provides ten months of intensive training and the opportunity to create a five-minute short film, shot and finished on 35mm, the standard for theatrical release. Films produced through the program will be expected to perform in a quantifiable way – i.e. festival participation, awards, broadcast etc.

The cornerstones of the FILM 5 program are professional, creative, project and relationship development. Its principle objectives are:

• Provide emerging Writers, Directors and Producers with meaningful training opportunities designed to enhance their abilities while preparing them to pursue larger scale production opportunities (specifically feature film projects).
  
• To provide training that bridges the gap bridge between the completion of basic training and the launch of a career in the film industry.
  
• To assist with the creation of up to four high-quality short films that will perform at the national level, and which can be used by the filmmakers to advertise their abilities.
  
• To provide aspiring technical crew with classroom and on-set training.

FILM 5 delivers on these objectives through a unique combination of classroom learning, mentorship from professional filmmakers and administrative support. Participants are challenged to create well-executed, innovative short films while acquiring the skills necessary to meet the practical realities of a film production.

Relationship with AFCOOP
All FILM 5 productions are made under the supervision of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative and the FILM 5 Core Support team consisting of the Supervising Producer, Line Producer, the Writer mentor, Director mentor, Producer mentor and Marketing mentor. All productions will be produced in accordance with the approved shooting script and locked budget.

Participant Eligibility

• Teams must consist of a Director, Writer and Producer. A Director or Producer may also be the Writer. A Director cannot be the Producer.
• Team members (one or more) must have held a key creative role (Director, Producer or Writer) on a film or video work which has been exhibited in a professional context (i.e. a juried / curated screening, acquired for broadcast etc. This does not include student screenings).
• Applicants must have completed basic film training. The training may have been completed through a post-secondary institution, a filmmaking cooperative, artist run centre or on the job.
• No single Team member can have completed more than three short films on film or thirty minutes (whichever is longer) finished on film.
• At least one member of the Team must be a full member of AFCOOP before applying to the Production Phase of the Program.
• Past participants of the Production Phase are ineligible to apply to the FILM 5 program, unless applying in a different discipline (i.e. former Director now applying as Producer).
• Participants must be residents of Nova Scotia and Canadian citizens
• Members of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Filmmakers Cooperative are not eligible

Terms of FILM 5 Productions

• Projects must have a finished running time of no less than four and no longer than six minutes plus credits
• FILM 5 projects are to be shot over a period of two days in April or May.
• Documentary and animated projects are ineligible
• A Team member who is a full member of AFCOOP must hold creative control and copyright of the final product
• Projects can seek funding from external sources, however a Creative Team member must retain full ownership and creative control of the project. External funding cannot exceed $10,000.00 cash
• All productions are made under the direction of the FILM 5 Core Support Team (Supervising Producer, Line Producer, Writer mentor, Director mentor and Marketing/Distribution mentor) and are produced in accordance with the approved shooting scripts and budgets
• Acceptance into the final production stage is contingent upon approval by the FILM 5 Supervising Producer in consultation with the Core Support Team
• FILM 5 crews must consist of a minimum of seven trainees from the FILM 5 trainee program and a minimum of three paid industry keys
• AFCOOP will retain a Beta Sp copy of the finished project to be used for educational programming and other non-commercial exhibition, as well as promotional material for the FILM 5 Program

Program Structure

Phase One –  Project Development (October – December)
Up to eight teams will be accepted into the Project Development Phase of the program. Teams will attend weekend workshops, which will assist them in the development of their project proposals. Each Team member must participate in the seminar applicable to his or her role. Only Teams whose members have participated in each workshop will be eligible to apply to the next phase to enter pre-production.

Phase Two – Pre- Production (January – March)
Up to four Teams will be accepted into this phase of the program. Only Teams who have
successfully completed phase one are eligible to apply. Teams accepted into this phase of the program will enter pre-production with the understanding that they will advance to the Production phase of the program, contingent upon final approval of project plans.

During this period Teams will receive further training and mentorship while preparing their final project pitches. At the end of this phase each Team will present their finalized

project proposals to the FILM 5 Core Support Team who will assess the proposals for entry to the Production Phase.

Teams who have successfully completed this phase will receive $7,500 in cash and over $30,000 in services to complete a five-minute film. They will complete a two-day shoot in April or May, and see their projects through post-production to final delivery of a release print.

Participant Commitment

FILM 5 runs from October to October. Once accepted, participants can expect to make a considerable time commitment to both the Program and the development of their projects.

It is important to note that FILM 5 is a training program, not a funding program. As participants in a training program, teams are required to complete a schedule of workshops and courses intended to provide them with the necessary skills to complete their five-minute productions. Workshops and courses are held on weekends and weeknights. Failure to attend all the mandatory workshops may result in the Teams’ removal from the program.

Teams are required to work closely with the mentors provided by the program. They will meet with the Supervising Producer on a regular basis to plan project and development deadlines. Teams are required to adhere to a rigorous reporting schedule and to provide the Supervising Producer with any and all materials that they may request. Failure to do so may result in removal from the program.

Writers are required to meet with the Writer Mentor on a minimum of three separate occasions, and to participate in a rigorous re-writing process to final polish of script. Producers are required to meet with the Line Producer on a minimum of three separate occasions throughout the second phase of the program. Directors are required to meet with the Director Mentor on a minimum of three occasions throughout the second phrase of the program. The purpose of these meetings is to assist with production planning, trouble-shooting and overall project development. Failure to meet with mentors may result in the Teams’ removal form the program.  

Tuition

Each member of the selected Teams will be responsible for a minimal tuition fee. Tuition is $200 per Team member per first and second phase of the program. The maximum tuition is $400 per Team member. This contribution represents a small percentage of the overall costs of the training provided, and is necessary for the program’s success. These fees are to be paid to AFCOOP within 3 weeks of being accepted into either phase of FILM 5.

Please note: the $200 tuition to the Project Development Phase of the program includes workshop fees, mentorship, AFCOOP Associate Membership fee (if applicable) and application fee to the Production Phase.