• Wednesday June 27

• Thursday June 28

• Projection Booth – 7:00 PM

• Palmerston Library Program

• Friday June 29

• Projection Booth – 7:00 PM

• Projection Booth – 9:00 PM

• Saturday June 30

We’re International, Independent and Anti-Niche…

One of the Toronto’s most celebrated film festivals, ReelHeART provides world wide emerging and established filmmakers with an opportunity to showcase their work to heavy-hitters, tastemakers, film-lovers, and critics in the heart of vibrant city of Toronto, Canada.

ReelHeART premieres a multi-genre slate of 24 exhilarating independent films over three days and nights. This season in particular, Films, Documentaries, Dance, and Music Related Films have the highest screening scores in the history of ReelHeART. ReelHeART’s roster of events and programs are tailored to give up-and-coming filmmakers a platform to shine, while established filmmakers showcase their chops. But, all Filmmakers and Screenwriters are put on a level playing field so each can be recognized for their ART, rather than their IMDB credits.

The Festival has helped launch and put the spotlight on the careers of numerous filmmakers from countries such as the UK, Israel, Ecuador, Spain, Tibet, France, Austria, Thailand, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Germany and the United States of America, .

• Filmmakers rave about our Audiences
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Both are smart, creative and discriminating thinkers and damn can they party!

Come join the fun see some great films and show your ReelHeART!

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Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I am!

ReelHeART:  Helloooo Christopher Hansen. It’s Shannonn Kelly, the Director of the ReelHeART International Film Festival. Ben and Cassandra are off today. Would it be okay if we chatted…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I’d love to.

ReelHeART:  Great! let’s get started. How did you find out about ReelHeART?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I believe I saw your postings on the Withoutabox forums and investigated from there.  I liked the fact that you guys really support and encourage true indie film, and that you didn’t have a genre focus – just good movies.

ReelHeART:  We like that about ourselves too… J

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Ha!

ReelHeART:  I think I actually came across your 1st documentary here while researching online. The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah. Please tell us first a little bit about that doc

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Well, that one is a mock doc about a man who thinks he is a local, regional messiah for his own hometown.  Now that you say it, I recall you emailing me and requesting to take a look at it!  I had forgotten about that.  It screened at about 20 different fests and won several awards.

ReelHeART:  How did you come up with the premise for that film…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: A friend had created the idea of this character who is a religious figure with no followers.  I fell in love with this character and asked him if we could develop it together for a feature mock documentary.  So we wrote it together.

ReelHeART:  And then a couple years later you turned the camera actually on yourself in “Clean Freak”. Was that difficult for you. Was it autobiographical or were just a convenient prop..?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: It was legitimately autobiographical.  I have an issue with having things neat and tidy at home.  It’s not a germ issue – I just like “order.”  After having watched a few personal docs, I thought it might make for a good take on my next film. I wanted to explore these issues, but I also wanted to explore how the doc format was changing.  So it’s part legit doc, part mock doc.

ReelHeART:  I just realized my rudeness. I didn’t ask you how you are today? So, how are you? I understand we’re chatting while you’re on set. Correct..?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I am very well, thanks!  Actually, I finally have a day off from shooting.  I’m in the midst of production on my new film, tentatively titled “An Affair.”  How are you?  I’m sure “busy” will be your answer as you are starting the fest!

ReelHeART:  My feet are up. I’m soaking in the tub. not a care in the world. Ok. I’m lying… Now, The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah and Clean Freak, and the film you have at ReelHeART 2011. I count 3 films now, in various genres. How many films have you made in total (minus the current one)

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I made a film in film school (I won’t tell you the title so no one can look it up online), and after that I made another short adapted from a feature script of mine.  Then I made Messiah, Clean Freak, and Endings.  So five in total, but my output has been fairly more consistent the past few years!

ReelHeART:  So, please give the title of your current film, the genre and when it premieres at ReelHeART 2011

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Endings is a drama, and it screens June 25th at ReelHeART!

ReelHeART:  I’ve got the link right here http://reelheart.org/saturday/saturday-main-program-b/ The story is a little darker than your previous 2 films that screened here. Why..?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Yes, it’s a drama about three people who are all facing their impending deaths for one reason or another, and it deals with how their loves are impacted when they meet.  I actually had always been interested in serious dramatic filmmaking before I made American Messiah.  After that and Clean Freak, both of which were well received, I felt that I wanted to make something that had some emotional resonance.  I wanted to make something that might make people cry.  I also wanted to push my own creative muscles a bit.

ReelHeART:  And you cast your own daughter in the role of the ailing little girl. Why?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: When I made Messiah, I was away from my family for weeks (actually, they were away from me while I stayed home alone).  I’m a family oriented person (my wife and I have four kids), and it’s hard to disconnect from family for so long and then reconnect.  So I decided to write my family into the next film as a result.  The other kids were all too little, but Emma, my oldest, was at an age where I thought she could handle the part.

ReelHeART:  Was this Emma’s first time acting …?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Yes, it was.

ReelHeART:  I got a little James McAvoy vibe from your male lead. http://www.jamesmcavoy.com/ Where did you find him? Is he from Texas…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Matthew Brumlow and I actually went to college together.  He’s a Georgia boy who now does theater in Chicago, where he’s been for the past 13 years or so.  When I was a senior working on a directing project in a senior theater class, Matt was a freshman actor with loads of talent.  So we got to know each other, I cast him in that, and we ended up being good friends.  Then when I was working on Endings, a mutual friend reminded me of Matt, and I thought he’d be perfect for it.  It was so terrific to reconnect with him while making art together.  And in fact he is starring in my current film as well.

ReelHeART:  Speaking of school. You work at Baylor University in Texas in the Communications Department right?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Yes, I’m the Director of the Film & Digital Media program in the Communication Studies dept.  I’ve been here for seven years now, and have made all my recent films in that capacity.

ReelHeART:  So there is a film component to their curriculum. Was it always as such…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Yes, there is a Film major.  It’s been called different things over the years – RTF, Telecommunication, and now Film & Digital Media.  The program has been around for probably around 30 years.  Students at Baylor who major in film learn basic production skills, film history, media and society, and then they can advance to other advanced courses like screenwriting, directing, HD studio production, etc.

ReelHeART:  What happens when you come across a brilliant film student. Do you keep it quiet and put them on one of your projects. Or do you get goosebumps knowing you’re looking at the next great Texas filmmaker since Houton’s Richard Linklater…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Ha – I get excited when I see a student with a ton of potential.  Good example: Taylor Rudd was first AC on Endings.  He was already a sharp photographer and knew a ton about cameras on his own.  When we shot the film, we knew we needed him because of his talent, and our DP on the film, John Franklin, told me after half the shoot that he would hire Taylor professionally right then – the guy just knew his stuff.  So after Taylor graduated, he went off and started doing professional work.  When I started prepping my new film, I emailed him and asked him to be the DP.  And he’s doing terrific work.  So stuff like that excites me.

ReelHeART:  Chris, What or Whom inspired you to get into filmmaking?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I was an English major in college – always wanted to be a writer. Studied all the great literature, and I was sort of planning to either go to grad school for that or perhaps go into publishing when I graduated.  Then I started ‘discovering’ the European auteurs of the 60s – Fellini, Bergman, etc., and I just fell in love with film as an art form.  I had always loved movies and made movies with my brother when I was a kid.  So it was sort of a re-discovery of that love, and the realization that this was the kind of writer I was best suited to be.

ReelHeART:  What do you hate most about being a filmmaker ..?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Logistics – I hate trying to pull it all together.  And marketing.  I’m not terribly good at it, but for indie filmmakers, it has become a necessary skill!

ReelHeART:  The business of filmmaking may be more important than the film at times. The marketing of a film (or lack of it) makes or breaks it at film festivals and at the box office alike…

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Indeed – I can’t deny the truth of that!  And it’s frustrating to me, because it’s not the part I’m best at!

ReelHeART: Okay, so What do you love most about being a filmmaker..?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: What do I love most?  I’d say those moments when you’re creating a scene with the actors, and they’re full engaged in the process with you, where you’re even arguing about things, because it means everyone is so passionate and engaged.  I love those moments, because I’m doing what I love, doing it with people who love to do it as well, all of us giving our all to create something worthwhile.  It’s exhilarating!

ReelHeART:  Back to your film, since writing is a major part of your creativity when it comes to film, did you also write the screenplay for Endings?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Yes, I did.  I would never say never with regard to directing someone else’s work.  But I feel more comfortable directing stuff I’ve written because I feel I know it inside and out.  When I talk with the actors about their dialogue or what’s going on in a scene, I feel like I know it better than anyone else because I wrote it.

ReelHeART:  Where did you shoot Endings? And… How long did it take from pre-production to post production?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: We shot Endings where I work – in Waco, TX and in neighboring Bellmead, TX.  It was a three year process from script to screen.  Post was a lot longer than I anticipated it being.  Whereas post on American Messiah had been a little less than a year, Endings took two years in post, mostly because the sound work took a lot longer than I imagined it would (no slam on my sound designer – just that I couldn’t afford to pay him to work on it nonstop!)

ReelHeART:  Is this a Canadian premiere for Endings?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: It is indeed!  An international premiere as well!

ReelHeART:  Wow! Thank You! Chris, Do you have distribution for this film yet?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I’m working on a couple of things right now – nothing signed and sealed yet, so I’m still considering offers!

ReelHeART:  Besides sound Where there any other pitfalls?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: How about pratfalls?  During production (though off set), I fell and broke my left arm, and it was bad enough that I had to have surgery to insert a metal plate – and it had to happen during production.  So I took two days off for surgery and recovery then got back to business.  But to keep swelling down on my wrist, I had to wear a brace that had cold water circulating through it via an electric-powered cooler to which I was tethered.  It made the second half of production really challenging.

ReelHeART:  Sounds like you were making the Bionic Man.

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: LOL – yes, I’m the bionic filmmaker.

ReelHeART:  Were there any happy surprises?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I think the happiest surprise was that Emma, my daughter, could really act.  I had worked with her and thought she’d do well, but I had my concerns.  And then when we started shooting, she turned in a great performance.  The other happy surprise was when the person planning to do the animation dropped out at the last minute.  I ended up finding someone with more professional experience and it didn’t cost near what I thought it would.

ReelHeART:  What displeases you most about your film?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Ugh – well, like many filmmakers, there are things you cringe when you look at them.  I think the thing that bugs me the most is that the convenience store we used for the robbery scene just didn’t look like it was open and operating.  It was a closed store that we got permission to use, but it was completely empty, and our budget just didn’t allow us to buy all the products we needed to put in there to make it look full.

ReelHeART:  I’m going to go a little James Lipton on you know Chris. Okay…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: LOL, okay.

ReelHeART:  What sound or noise do you hate?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Oh – a few things.  When my kids cry in pain  Birds outside when I’m trying to sleep.  And trains – when I’m shooting a scene and all of a sudden a train horn blares!

ReelHeART:  What are you seeing on your desk right now while we’re chatting? Give me a list…

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: I’m actually sitting on the couch with the computer in my lap.  I see – an issue of Creative Screenwriting, the TV (showing the College World Series – Florida vs Texas), several Netflix envelopes, a camera, my wife  and a stack of books waiting for me to get a break and read them!

ReelHeART:  Hello wife of Christopher…

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Sherry says hello!

ReelHeART:  What sound or noise do you love?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: My little one Ava giggling, and when good actors are saying dialogue I wrote.  Also, good music.

ReelHeART:  What’s your favorite curse word?
And…Is there an awesome Texan cuss word…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: We keep it pretty clean here in the southwest.  Gosh dang it!

ReelHeART:  Gosh dang it Y’all…

ReelHeART:  Finally, Christopher, Is there anything you’d like to mention in this chat, knowing that it’s published on the Internet and will live on forever…?

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Ha – I’m just honored to be a part of another ReelHeART.  I’m really honored when any festival wants to show my work – it means someone watched it and thought it was good enough for people to see, and that’s the whole point.

ReelHeART:  I just want to remind our visitors, I’ve been in chat with “Endings”
Director Chris Hansen from the great state of Texas. His feature film has it’s ‘World Premiere’ at ReelHeART 4:15 PM – SATURDAY June 25
Theater 222, Innis College
2 Sussex Street, Toronto

Tickets are only $10 and here’s the link for more info. http://reelheart.org/saturday/saturday-main-program-b/

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: Thanks for having me!

ReelHeART:  Chris, sir, it’s been fun chatting with you. Enjoy your evening. Maybe you and Sherry can catch one of those NetFliks -)

Chris Hansen, Director, “Endings”: LOL, thanks!

ReelHeART: Hi Scott  U There..?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: I’m here.  Hello!

ReelHeART: How are you today? My name is Ben. We’re going to play a little game called “20 Questions”. Are you ready..?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Shoot.

ReelHeART: What are you seeing on your desk right now while we’re chatting? Give me a list…

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Wow.  I’m cleaning my studio at work right now.  It’s a very small editing room.  I see DVDs, coffee cups, external hard drives, two speakers, numerous boxes, a camera case, a shotgun mic, and lots of pens. and my glasses case.

ReelHeART: Whew. I read “shotgun” before I scrolled down and saw the rest

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: yeah, no firearms in my office today.

ReelHeART: That’s good to know. Please tell our ReelHeART visitors who you are, the title of your film, the genre and what your contribution is on the film.

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China Ok, let’s see..

I’m Scott Riehs, and my film is called “Finding God in China.”  It’s a documentary (58 min) and I am the co-director and co-writer, producer, director of photography and editor.

ReelHeART: Wow, Scott that’s a lot of hats to wear. Sometimes that means the crew was VERY small. Was that the case with your film…?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Yes.  But when we were filming the movie in Southern China in the summer of ’08, I was surrounded by many, many family members of Emmy’s. (my co-director.)  So we had plenty of help while we actually shot the film.  But I worked alone or nearly alone for large parts of the post-production process.

ReelHeART: When does your film screen? And Is this a Canadian premiere?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: It screens at 4pm on Wednesday afternoon June 22nd, in the MAIN PROGRAM B theater.  And yes, it is its Canadian premiere.

ReelHeART: That’s excellent. I’ve got the link here http://reelheart.org/wednesday/wednesday-main-program-b-4pm/

How did you hear about ReelHeART?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Through Without-a-box on IMDB.  The festival definitely sounded like a great fit for our film, and I’m very happy and grateful to be a part of it.

ReelHeART: Thanks! We’re glad you to have you with us this year.

When you mention “Emmy” you are referring to co-director Emmy Walker. What was the inspiration for the film? Did she come to you with the story..?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: The story was inspired by Emmy’s family in Seattle.  They had just returned from a family reunion in Guangzhou, and were convinced they needed to document their family’s history on film before their oldest living generation passed on.

Emmy was studying drama at NYU at the time, where I met her.  Emmy’s family asked her to make a film, she recruited me, and things began to snowball down the mountain from there into something much, much larger.

Three years later, here we are. What I mean was Emmy’s family in Seattle was inspired by their extended family in China.

ReelHeART: Even though it follows Emmy and her journey exploring her family’s Christian culture and faith, is this a “religious” documentary?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: it definitely has a spiritual quality to it, but it’s not a preachy film in any way.

While watching the film, you get to experience what we saw in China.  Some things are left to be open to interpretation.

ReelHeART: Scott, please tell us a little more about the story that unfolded with Emmy researching back into her roots. How did you “buy into it” her journey being an outsider. Did it happen organically while on the shoot or in pre-production?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: It was pretty wild.  It might have been easier logistically if I had been Chinese.

I stuck out a lot.  My camera acted as a people-magnet wherever we went, they were very curious about what we were up to.  As for the story, I got very close with her family quickly.  They were all so sincere, open, and genuine.

Everyone involved knew I had an important job to do, to document.  So they did everything they could to help us get into a position to tell their story in an interesting and cinematic way.

ReelHeART: Did Emmy’s 86 year-old Grandfather live in the US and go back with Emmy, you and the crew to China?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: yes.  His name is Yu An Lo, but we all called him Y-kon, or grandfather.  When he retired, he moved to the United States and settled in Seattle with some of his family.  He was the one who brought us to China.

He’s like the Godfather.

ReelHeART: I noticed on one of the scorecards that the screener says “”Excellent Chinese exteriors. Gorgeous” . Can you tell us where you shot it in China? And were there any places that left you personally breathless …?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: We shot in about seven cities in Guangdong province, and in many rural villages.  We shot at the tops of mountains, the tops of skyscrapers, in tiny, pristine churches, on huge, monstrous and busy intersections.  I love skyscrapers.

But the space that was the most special was a small Hakka village outside the city of Xingning.  We got there near the end of the day, and watched the seemingly ancient buildings get swallowed up by the night sky.

ReelHeART: WoW. Very descriptive Scott. I can almost see it.

How long did “Finding God in China” take from pre-production to post production ?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: It took 2 and a half years.  The film went through numerous different cuts last year, until we settled on the finished version that will screen at ReelHeART.

ReelHeART: Where there any pitfalls during any of the production phases?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Yes, the translation process.

Due to the potentially sensitive nature of the content of the interviews, Emmy’s family in the US did not want me to reach out for help with the translations.

So I ended up beginning the editing process by listening to the loose translations on the camera by our translator, Emmy’s cousin.  Meanwhile, the tapes needed to be translated from Hakka to Mandarin, and then to English.

Because we didn’t know anyone close enough who knew Hakka and English well enough to translate.

The film would have turned out VERY differently if I had began the editing process with a complete transcript.  Instead, it morphed into a story centering on Emmy learning about her family, rather than a documentary ABOUT her family.

I really made the film backwards in lots of ways.

ReelHeART: I’ve read that before in other interviews about making the film backwards. If it turns out a good end product, that that’s the way it should’ve been done.

It sounds like Emmy’s family was very protective about their contribution from their cultural perspective.

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: It was much more about their openness about their Christianity that they were worried about.  Emmy’s family in China wasn’t worried about it, her parents in Seattle were.

We also did not screen the film publicly until Emmy’s family in China saw the final product and gave it their seal of approval.

ReelHeART: I’m glad everyone’s happy with the end product. Were there any happy surprises while making the film?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Yes!  The food.

Lots and lots of food. And it plays a big role in the film.

I gained 5 lbs every day from eating, and sweat it all out each day in the humidity.

Wherever we went, it was a big deal.  And there was lots of food waiting for us.

ReelHeART: Lol!  What pleases you most about your film?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Wow.  Well, I’m very proud of how sincere we were able to make the film.

It could have been so easy to make it tongue-in-cheek, a story about a clueless westerner traveling to china, where all they talk about is Jesus.  In the end, I’m confident that EVERYONE will get something out of this film, whether you’re religious, atheist, a historian, or if you don’t even know where Guangdong is.

And I’m very happy with the visuals, which were all shot on the SD Panasonic dvx100b.  My baby.

ReelHeART: Is there anything that displeases you about your film?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: For my first feature-film, I set the bar pretty high.  I’m not upset with any of it.

ReelHeART: So this is your first outing as a filmmaker..?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: my first feature, yes.  I studied Drama at the Experimental Theatre Wing at NYU, where I met Emmy.  I had always been interested in film, and made digital films for fun.  But once this opportunity came, my focus of my career shifted quickly to documentary production, and now hopefully into narrative features.

ReelHeART: Okay Scott, we’re moving onto a 2 Part Question:
What do you HATE most about being a filmmaker ?

What do you LOVE most about being a filmmaker?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: I hate having to do the legwork to promote a film after I’ve made it.  It’s so hard to concentrate on that after putting so much energy into its creation.  I strive to work with a larger team with more producers next time.

And what I love…

I love the adrenaline of shooting something special, which I know can never happen again or be duplicated.  And I love editing, when a moment is linked seamlessly with another moment and forms something that could never have been imagined beforehand.

I love surprises.

ReelHeART: Shooting and editing is something special. Editing especially. being in that dark room, things come to life.

ReelHeART: On the flip side of creativity, I’d hate to see a film I made sit on the shelf and no one knows it exists. I think in the realm if indie filmmaking, promoting the film goes hand in hand with making the film.

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Which is what I need to learn much, much more about.

ReelHeART: Well, ReelHeART will teach ya! Lol!

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: We’ll see what happens!

ReelHeART: On that note, Do you have distribution for the film yet?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: no, we don’t.  I’d love to find an online distributor so people can stream the film.

And I need help.

I’m really in this one on my own, and am not even sure where to start.

ReelHeART: Well ReelHeART is the “Mentoring Film Festival” and often referred to as “The “Filmmaker’s Film Festival”. So, hopefully if you come to Toronto, you’ll sit in on the Distribution workshop during the Lunch n Learn sessions.

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Unfortunately, that one’s on Friday, correct?  I’ll be in Toronto for the first full three days of the festival, from Monday till Thursday afternoon.

It’s killing me that I’m going to miss that.

ReelHeART: We’re in the home stretch now Scott. Some questions borrowed from the great James Lipton.
What sound or noise do you hate?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: I hate large, scary dogs barking and growling.

ReelHeART: What sound or noise do you love?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: Fireworks, led zeppelin, and foghorns

ReelHeART: What’s your favorite curse word?

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: That’s fuckin’ tits!

ReelHeART: Finally Scott,
Is there anything you’d like to mention in this chat, knowing that it’s published on the Internet and will live on forever…

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: oh, that’s great to know after I told you my curse word.

ReelHeART:

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: *

I want people to enjoy the film, and I hope to be blessed in the future with opportunities to be a storyteller for the rest of my life.

ReelHeART: I just want to remind our visitor that I’m chatting to day online with co-director Scott Riehs. His film with co-director Emmy Walker is “Finding God in China”
it premieres
4 PM – WEDNESDAY June 22
MAIN PROGRAM B
Theater 222, Innis College
2 Sussex Street, Toronto

Tickets are $10 and more information is at this link http://reelheart.org/wednesday/wednesday-main-program-b-4pm/

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: And tell your friends!  It’s gonna be a great show.

ReelHeART: Thank you Scott! We’ll see you at your film. Hope you have a lot of great anecdotes for the Q&A after the film!

Scott Riehs, co-director “Finding God In China”: I’ll be there, too. Yes I will.

Thanks, Ben!

ReelHeART: Hi, my name is Cassandra. We’re going to play a little game called “20 Questions”. Are you ready? How are you today?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Doing great!

ReelHeART: What are you seeing on your desk right now while we’re chatting? Give me a list…

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: When you Skyped us earlier, we were sitting together at Chris’ “extra desk” which is actually our dining room table. Filled with too many piles to count. It’s a mess but somehow Chris can still make sense of (most) of it.  It includes folders for a couple of our next projects, research, possible funding opportunities, bills, as well as a couple of small stuffed monkeys, glasses I wish I didn’t have to wear to read, photos of Vi (the subject of our current doc), and “To Do” piles galore.

ReelHeART: 3-Part Question:

What or Whom inspired you to get into filmmaking?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Mark- Believe it or not watching old TV shows like “David Allen At Large” & “Monty Pythons Flying Circus”.  I enjoyed the short films and wanted to learn how to do that. For Documentaries I was inspired by the first Documentarians I worked with at WNED-TV in Buffalo. Fran Lucca & Ron Arnold produced Channel 17 Reports and I was lucky enough to start out as their sound engineer, and worked my way up to Cameraman / Editor. I really learned a lot from them, they were true Journalist.

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Chris- I fell in love with documentaries after making my first one in college for a Media class taught by Dr. William Jungles.  When I began to work at PBS Channel 17 in Buffalo, NY, I felt extremely lucky to learn from some of the best in the business: Fran & Ron, as well as my boss, Debbie Pettibone.  Working in other parts of media is nice, but making documentaries has always fed my soul!

ReelHeART: What do you hate most about being a filmmaker

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Having to look for funding.  We really like the creative side of filmmaking, but do not at all like the business side. (BTW – We would not be surprised if most filmmakers agreed with us).

ReelHeART: What do you love most about being a filmmaker

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Meeting the amazing people we get to document.  Spending hours hearing their story (how often in life do we get to sit down and really talk with someone?!) Learning something new every time we do an interview – Wow! As you can see, it’s hard to choose just one thing!

ReelHeART: How did you hear about ReelHeART?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: We were in the very first ReelHeART film festival with our documentary, “Letters to Defiance” and then came back again in 2008 with our 2nd documentary, “In Times of War: Ray Parker’s Story”. Both of those films won awards there (Honorable Mention & Best Documentary Short respectively). We both grew up near Buffalo, NY and Toronto has always been one of our favorite cities.

ReelHeART: When does your film screen?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story” screens on Wed. June 22nd at 7:15pm in Main Program A at Innis Hall, Innis College, 2 Sussex Street, Toronto, and then again on Thurs. June 23rd at 8:00pm in the VENUE PROGRAM at Southern Accent Restaurant, 595 Markham Street, Toronto

ReelHeART: Is this a Canadian premiere?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: I thought Stephen Harper was the Canadian Premiere… Oh – I see what you mean. Yes, this is the first time that WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story will be showing in Canada! (couldn’t resist!)

ReelHeART: What was the inspiration for your film?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Vi (short for Violet). We heard about her story and once we talked to her we knew we had someone very special whom we needed to share with the world.  She is so amazing and so inspiring – and such a firecracker!  And the story of the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) of WWII is one that is not widely known – and gosh darn it – it should be!!!

ReelHeART: Did youalso write the screenplay? Or do cinematography or editing? Or Music?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Mark & I do absolutely every part of the filmmaking process, from beginning research to interviewing, and from videography to editing – we even do our own website!

There was no writing for this documentary because we strongly believe that this should be history told by the people who actually lived it, so that you can see it in THEIR eyes, hear it in THEIR voice when they talk about what they went through.  With our documentaries, you never see or hear the interviewer and there is no voice-over; just the Veteran telling their stories in their words.  It is much more powerful than any flowery words that we could write.

ReelHeART: Tell us a little more about the story and why you shot it where you shot it?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: In March of 2010 the United States awarded the Congressional Gold Medal – the highest award that a civilian can receive from Congress – to nearly 300 women, all over the age of 86.  What is it that these women did to deserve such a prestigious decoration?  “Wings of Silver: The Vi Cowden Story,” follows one 93-year-old woman’s journey from the Black Hills of South Dakota where she learned to fly biplanes, to flying fighter planes for the Army Air Corps in 1943 & ’44.  Vi was among the first women in United States history to fly military planes.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) were not only crucial to the war effort during World War II, they were instrumental in changing the course of Women’s history.
When the Country needed every man – She answered the call!

Why did we shoot at the Air Museum? Vi knew so much about the planes that she flew and we knew folks would be even more impressed with her when they saw her tiny frame up against all these big ole war birds! Vi being Vi, has some very amazing and well connected friends, and they came through when we needed it most.  Where other museums were telling us they would have to charge us a very pretty penny, Vi mentioned she was on the Board of Directors for the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA.  When we called them, they immediately said “Yes.”  They let us film there for free for over 4 hours when the museum was closed.  It was awesome to be among all of these remarkable planes and to know that everyone of them was airworthy!

ReelHeART: How long did it take from pre-production to post production ?

A year and a half.

ReelHeART: Do you have distribution for this film yet?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: No.

ReelHeART: Where there any pitfalls?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Some of the shots that we thought would be the easiest to get were actually the most difficult.

We spent a couple of months trying to get the video of a hawk flying to illustrate Vi’s comment about wanting to be up in the sky flying like them.  Even though there was one that would fly over our house – he/she seemed to be very camera shy.  We finally captured one on film right near Vi’s house.

And then there was the tough time we had trying to get archival footage of the P-51.  We spent many weeks searching the National Archives online, but to no avail. The footage they had listed was all combat footage – and the WASP did not fly combat.  We finally ended up taking a road trip to the archives in Arlington, West Virginia, so that we could go through their footage in person (not all the archival footage is listed online). We were extremely lucky to find what we wanted after only a couple of hours of searching (we had been warned it could take days of hunting through their stacks).  Yay! Success!

ReelHeART: Were there any happy surprises?

The final scenes of the film (we don’t want to give away the ending). We were amazed by how easily it came together and how kind and generous Vi’s friends are.

ReelHeART: What pleases you most about your film?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Getting to share Vi with so many people who would have never had the opportunity to meet her otherwise.  Even after her death (April 10, 2011) she can continue to do one of the things she loved to do most – inspire people to follow their dreams and never give up… and to always reach for the skies!

ReelHeART: What displeases you most about your film?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: More people haven’t seen it. We have been lucky enough to get into 18 festivals. We have won 10 awards (5 of those are Audience Awards) out of the 16 festivals where we were in competition. We really feel that this is an inspiring documentary and would love more people to see it.

ReelHeART: What’s your next project?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: We have 17 other veterans of World War II whose stories we have already captured.  Each one of them is just as courageous and incredible as the last.  We would love to make them into a series and share them in the school systems so that the children of today (and later generations) can learn about history from the people who actually lived it!

ReelHeART: What sound or noise do you hate?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: The sound of a tape machine eating a tape!  Just thinking about it makes my stomach turn!

ReelHeART: What’s your favorite curse word?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Dang.  (Does that count as a curse word?) – I think Mark’s is “Crap”!  Always makes me laugh when he says that, so it’s hard to take him seriously… then again, he is ALWAYS smiling!

ReelHeART: Finally, Is there anything you’d like to mention in this chat, knowing that it’s published on the Internet and will live on forever ?

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Mark- The “In Times of War Documentary Project” (www.intimesofwar.us) takes up all our spare time and a lot of our savings. We both believe that it’s worth it! I am so lucky to be able to work with someone I respect and love! Christine is amazing!

Christine Bonn, Mark Bonn, co-directors “WINGS OF SILVER: The Vi Cowden Story”: Christine- Ditto!  It is really so amazing to work with someone who respects you and lets you know when you are doing a great job.  I’ve been lucky to have that most of my life, and to get it from someone I revere and love just means that much more.  Also, these Veterans (of ALL wars) just make me feel so proud to know them and to be able to share their stories with generations to come.  We don’t want their stories to die with them and we are losing WWII Veterans at a rate of 740 a DAY here in the States.  Each story is just as unique, brave, strong and triumphant as Vi’s – each person deserves our respect and honor, and to be remembered for how hard they fought and sacrificed for our great Nations.

Thanks so much, Cassandra!  This was fun

ReelHeART: Hi Max, my name is Ben. Hope you’re having a good evening. We’re going to play a little game called “20 Questions”. Are you ready?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo”: Hi Ben, doing great.  Shoot.

ReelHeART: How are you today? You just mentioned to me you were spending some quality time with someone special. Care to explain to our visitors?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo”: I’m doing great.  I’ve just finished putting our 3-year-old son Yabsira to bed.  He’s a bit of a nighthawk.

ReelHeART: Nighthawks make the best filmmakers Sleep tight Yabsira z-z-z-

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : Absolutely!

ReelHeART: Lol. All right. here we go. — What are you seeing on your desk right now while we’re chatting? Give me a list…

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : A few papers, a piece of banana bread and a glass of red wine.

ReelHeART: I just had some chocolate chip banana bread, so I see we have something in common. damn no wine here though.  —  Can you please give us your name, the title of your film, the genre and when it’s screening at ReelHeART 2011

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’m Max Montalvo.  My film is EL PAYO (“The non-Gypsy”‘), a feature length documentary screening at ReelHeART on Tuesday, June 21 2011 at the Main Program “A”.

ReelHeART: Yup. Got the link right here  http://reelheart.org/tuesday/tuesday-main-program-a-715pm/

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : cool.

ReelHeART: That sounds like a pretty impressive list of people in your doc. I’m going to ask you some more on that, but a couple more questions first. — What or Whom inspired you to get into filmmaking?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : The idea for the film was born in the studio of my flamenco teacher, Martin Sprissler.  I met Martin thanks to David Phillips, who is the focus of the film.  Back in 1993 I took a few flamenco guitar lessons with David while I was living in Toronto.  Shortly after starting lessons with David I was accepted into medical school in Kingston, Ontario, and on my last lesson David suggested that I continue my lessons with Martin, who lives in Picton, close to Kingston.  Sadly, shortly after starting my medical studies I put away the guitar, and it wasn’t until 9 years later that I called Martin to take lessons again, who told me that David had just died.  It was during these lessons that Martin told me David’s life story.  At the time, I didn’t realize how important David had been to the rise of the flamenco scene in Canada.  As I learned more about David’s life, I realized that it was intricately woven into an important chapter of Canadian music history, which had yet to be told.

ReelHeART: Wow! You’ve actually answered a few of my questions with this one answer. So is “El Payo” is your first film?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I guess I should have read your first question a bit more closely.  I’ll answer this one and your last one now.  This is my first film.

I’ve loved watching films as far as I can remember.  It wasn’t until I finished my medical training that I was inspired to make a film.  I was disappointed with the lack of creativity in clinical medicine and so I was looking for an idea for a film.

It was somewhat coincidental that as I mentioned in my previous answer, the idea ended up unraveling right in Martin’s studio so I decided to do it.

ReelHeART: Well you’re certainly passionate about your film’s subject David Phillips. When we hear our ReelHEART Director doing press about the film, she always likens David’s existence as a troubled genius similar to “Glenn Gould”. is that a close representation as far as David’s worldwide influence and passion for his art of Flamenco guitar…?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : In some ways I think it is.

Although David is regarded by many as the father of flamenco guitar in Canada, his musical beginnings were classical.  Eli Kassner, David’s classical teacher, talks about giving David a workable technique, which David later used to master the flamenco style.  Like Glenn Gould, David was known as a masterful interpreter of flamenco, specifically in the style of Sabicas and Juan Maya ‘Marote’, two of the most famous gypsy guitarists who helped give flamenco international exposure.

However, I would say that David didn’t have the eccentricities of Mr. Gould.  But his passion was very clear and it shows in his legacy.

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I should clarify that like Glenn Gould, a masterful interpreter of Bach, David was similarly a masterful interpreter of Sabicas and Marote.

ReelHeART: I’m putting up a You Tube link for a reference to Sabicas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQspEjoPIik

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Sabicas – Bulerias Great piece…

ReelHeART: Knowing that you made a film after David’s death how hard was it to obtain footage of his live performances? Did you find anything like a “basement tape”, something that was long forgotten but unearthed for “El Payo”?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : One of my favourites.  A real giant in flamenco.  David was actually introduced early on to Sabicas by Eli Kassner.

ReelHeART: Love giving reference so for Eli, I’ll let people know Eli Kassner he was born May 27, 1924 in Vienna, Austria and is a Canadian guitar teacher and musician

AND Eli founded the “Guitar Society of Toronto”.  www.guitarfoundation.org/drupal/node/4722 Very cool…

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It was quite difficult.  I actually couldn’t find any taped live performance footage of (David Phillip) shows. And believe me, I tried.  What I did find was an amazing performance of a Granainas piece on the CBC in David’s younger years, as well as an incredible demonstration of a Sabicas piece on Breakfast Television.

ReelHeART: Is this a Canadian premiere or Toronto premiere for “El Payo”, Max…?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : This will be the Toronto premiere as part of a film festival.  A year ago we premiered the film to cast and crew at The Royal.

ReelHeART: Oh excellent. Then you and your team will be shouting from the rooftops about this screening Lol!

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Our throats have been sore for weeks…

ReelHeART: Lol! I was wondering, I guess that lack of footage was one of the pitfalls of the production. Were there any more pitfalls or hurdles while making “El Payo”..?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I wouldn’t call the lack of footage a pitfall, I think it was a blessing.  One of the beautiful aspects of flamenco for me is hearing stories about the people in colorful detail.

As Martin was telling me David’s story, I was picturing it in my mind.  In many ways when you don’t have footage in front of you it’s much more beautiful, because you let your mind do the work.  EL PAYO’s story mostly took place in the 60′s and 70′s, and I feel like using photographs of that era proved more powerful than using old video footage.

As far as actual pitfalls, I think I was fairly lucky for the most part.  I did have a scare when my luggage that was carrying my super-8 camera was temporarily lost on a second trip to Spain.

ReelHeART: Glad the camera loss was only temporary. You had a LOT of big name Flamenco people fondly reminiscing too about David. That must have been an incredible experience for you…

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It was unbelievable.

ReelHeART: How long did “El Payo”  take from pre-production to post production ?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : It took just over 5 years.

ReelHeART: That’s dedication. Were there any happy surprises along the way?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : There were quite a few.  Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how incredibly nice, down to earth and accommodating everyone was.  I really didn’t know what to expect when I began calling all the artists who were connected to David Phillips.

The other pleasant surprise was how good all the super-8 footage came out.  I bought the camera on the Internet and had it sent to Spain during our first trip there.  I just started shooting without really knowing if anything was going to actually work.

ReelHeART: How did Tragically Hip guitarist Rob Baker get involved in “El Payo” as a producer…?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Rob is a good friend who I’ve known for years living in Kingston.  One our mutual interests in music, and he became interested in the film when he heard about it.

He’s often said that his role was more like an obstetrician who would come in and check my progress from time to time and would say to himself, ‘Still dilating…’  Rob was very generous in doing the narration for the beginning of the film, as well as writing original music in his masterful style of pedal-steel guitar given the film’s connection to northern Ontario.

As executive producer of the film Rob also provided access to The Bathouse, the recording studio in Bath, Ontario, where we recorded and mastered a number of tracks for the film as well as the film’s sound.

ReelHeART: nice analogy about being  an obstetrician….

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : His medical knowledge is astounding.

ReelHeART: How did you hear about ReelHeART International Film Festival..?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : From Withoutabox.

ReelHeART: Do you have distribution for this film yet?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : Not yet.

ReelHeART: 2 Part Question:
What pleases you most about your film?
What displeases you most about your film?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’m most pleased by having made a film that gives exposure to not only David Phillips but to flamenco in general, and will help to keep an important part of Canadian music history alive.  Aside from the occasional video or sound bit on the movie that while watching it no one but me probably notices, I’m not really displeased with the film.

ReelHeART: What’s your next project?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I’ve been working on a short film which is an adaptation of Kahlil Gibran’s poem THE MADMAN, in which a man battles his inner demons in search for eternal peace.

ReelHeART: is that a narrative piece and a feature or a short?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : It’s a short.  Wait, it sounds like I just made that film with EL PAYO…

ReelHeART: Yup. It sounds the same  In the home stretch. We borrowed from the great James Lipton here.   What sound or noise do you hate?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : Nails on chalkboard.

ReelHeART: What’s your favorite curse word?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : I like them all.

ReelHeART: hahaha. me too.

Finally, Max –
Is there anything you’d like to mention in this chat, knowing that it’s published on the Internet and will live on forever..?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : I couldn’t do what I do if it weren’t for the love and support of my wife and co-producer Nadia, and our son Yabsira.  It was a real privilege to be allowed into the lives of all the people who made EL PAYO possible, and I hope that the film will help to give exposure to the powerful art form of flamenco,

ReelHeART: I just want to remind our visitors we’re speaking with director Max Montalvo and the name of his film is “El Payo” about the life of Canada’s father of Flamenco Guitar, David Phillips.

“El Payo”  debuts at ReelHeART 2011 at
7:15 PM – TUESDAY June 21. All the details can be found at this link. http://reelheart.org/tuesday/tuesday-main-program-a-715pm/
Tickets are only $10 AND we have a few surprises in store. right Max..?

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : That’s right – a lucky ticket buyer will have a chance to WIN
2 free tickets to a Tragically Hip show!

ReelHeART: I hope I win. I’m a huge ‘hip” fan. ! It was great speaking with you Max. Thanks for your time. Can’t wait for the screening! Have a great sleep!

Max Montalvo, director of “El Payo” : : By the way Ben, Finally, I would like to thank ReelHeART for giving EL PAYO an audience at this year’s festival.

Muchas gracias; buenas noches!