THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2012  6:30 pm – 8:30 pm | SHOWCASE OF YUKON SHORT FILMS WITH TALKBACK

Have a look at the lineup of fantastic Yukon films that ill be screened on March 9th at the VWIFF. Stay tuned for an exclusive pre-festival interview with show curator filmmaker Lulu Keating.

GOLD RIVER | 2:10 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Veronica Verkley

Gold River: A rapid fire mash-up of the sights and sounds of the mythical and literal landscapes of Dawson City Yukon. Over 200 edits in 2 minutes shot on a digital still camera, overlaid with an original composition sampling local musicians.

SOFT SPOKEN | 5:38 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Aubyn O’Grady

In Canada’s northern Yukon Territory, the winters are long and the month of January feels even longer. For the 1500 residents who reside in the town of Dawson City year round, sub-zero temperatures and little daylight are way of life. This unique scenario inspired two young filmmakers to document a whimsical and uplifting event – learning to ride a bicycle – in the middle of winter.This film was shot and edited over a two day period and submitted to the 48 Hour Film Competition, an annual film making event in Dawson City. It went on to win both the ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Best Picture’ Awards. More recently, it won the ‘Emerging Artist’ Award at the Dawson City International Short Film Festival in April 2011.

AYDAYGOOAY | 5:00 mins

2007, Canada, directed by Mary Code

Live-action footage and animation recreate a Sayisi Dene legend told to her by her father.

This combination of live action and animation illustrates that ancient legends circle the present like a ghost. New technology has opened storytelling to a contemporary audience.

TIME LINES | 3:30 mins

2010, Canada, directed by Suzanne Crocker

The story of a middle-aged woman who is disgruntled with her wrinkled face…until she looks at her wrinkles from a different perspective.Time Lines was hand-drawn using a home-made light box, a felt pen, 2 crayons and 2000 pieces of office paper. Time Lines won Best Yukon Short in the 2010 Dawson City International Short Film Festival.

LAST STOP FOR MILES | 6:55 mins

2007, Canada, directed by Clara McBride

In a small city north of 60, a woman named January hits the road and the bottle, running from a man and heading nowhere fast. A series of curious events begin to unfold, forcing her to make an unexpected change in plans.

OUR CHANGING HOMELANDS OUR CHANGING LIVES | 26:45 mins

2010, Canada, directed by Arthur Mercredi

Climate Change is having a drastic effect on the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation’s traditional livelihoods; this film takes you on a journey from nearly 20 years ago to the present, with a community whose very survival is at risk.

ICE ROAD TO TUK | 3:47 mins

2010, Canada, directed by Meg Walker

The Arctic winter brings miracles. You can walk on water – even drive on it. Ice Road to Tuk offers a poetically paced, wordless response to being a blip of humanity on the daunting Mackenzie River Delta between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. An ice highway trance in two seasons.

EMBROIDERED GUY; A BUSINESS CARD FLIP BOOK ANIMATION EXPERIMENT | 3:00 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Meshell Melvin

Embroidered Guy, in a flip book sequence, tossed to the winds, reassembled, animated and coaxed into dancing.

LONGEST DREAM | 3:44 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Kim Beggs

Longest Dream is a colorful music animation video that features a tiny tiger, a beautiful old rusted circular saw blade, lots of glass beads coming and going, emotive claymation and painting on paper. The lyrics (about letting go and other things), are poetic and wrenching. The voice is unique and pure. The music is sparse, with powerful harmonies. The pedal steel, bass and drums, come in part way through and stay until the end. The song, Longest Dream (from the album Blue Bones), received Honorable Mention in the 2011 International Songwriting Competition.

THE WILD AND THE UNTAMED | 1:28 mins

2009, Canada, directed by Rachel Weigers

A nightmare becomes a Dream Come True.

THE ROMANCE OF HELEN TRENT | 4:54 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Trina Buhler

The Romance of Helen Trent, created by Frank and Anne Hummert in 1933, was a radio soap opera which ran for a total of 7,222 episodes, more than any other radio soap.

Re-released as a lip-synced, one-woman, comedic-drama for the Dawson City 48 Hour Film Contest, The Romance of Helen Trent explores Helen’s ongoing search for romance after age 35.

FORTY-EIGHT HOUR SONNET | 3:05 mins

2011, Canada, directed by Kathryn Hepburn

Swirls of finger-paint and layered recitations of Shakespeare’s Sonnet #56 meet in this animation, which creator

Kathryn Hepburn considers to be the apotheosis of her incessant doodling during English class.