(But mostly, I wrote her blog post about me)
It’s cool though because we (Stephanie Hall and I ) were put in touch through a Vancouver online Forum called “Girl Gang” and, as a Creative Writer + Online Marketing Specialist, Stephanie asked the group to participate in an interview to share what it is we do all day with the world.
CLICK HERE to read my post.
It’s true. As Una would say, “Don’t get your knickers in a twist”.
On my first day back in Vancouver after Arizona and Newport wrapped, while sipping cheap wine (that I bought) on a 112ft yacht (that some lovely but unsuspecting person let me on to), I found out that Beat Around the Bush won Best Comedy Short from the fine folks at the Arizona International Film Festival. But first the backstory:
On April 23rd, after driving 9 hours from the Newport Beach Film Festival in California to my screening of Beat Around the Bush at the Arizona International Film Festival in Tucson, I was pleasantly surprised to feel right at home.
Filmmaker Pass speaks for itself!
The screening was fantastic, laughter all throughout the theatre and and the post screening drinks with filmmakers and watchers alike was also a real treat. I’ve been to a lot of festivals and Tucson had an immediate “home” feeling to it.
I was back on the road back to Orange County not 18 hours after I arrived, and was given a fantastic farewell at a delicious brunch I wasn’t planning to stay 15 minutes at, and stayed 2 hours.
I look forward to making it back. Until next time!
I spent all of November in Australia. “The Dangers of Online Dating” Did not win ComedyCoup. But we’re over it. Well…mostly. A fellow Vancouver team, “Human Town” won. So congrats to them!
“Beat Around the Bush” the short film is almost locked and ready to send off to film festivals around the world. And then I will start writing the feature film version as Harold Greenberg Fund has so graciously given me some development money as well.
At the end of October had some talented film friends Riel Mcguire and Andy Hodgson volunteer with me to shoot a live performance video of “Best Look Lately” with Dear Rouge and St. James Music Academy’s Senior Choir to promote their fundraiser concert #singitfwd which is happening January 8th, 2015 at the Vogue Theatre. Watch the video below!
I recently uploaded an older in studio video of Cayley Thomas from her track “Hideaway”. Sorry that slipped under the radar.
And in the new year I will be making a few for commercials. For what you ask? An online dating site. Bangin’
There will also be more music videos and in studio videos as well, because I just love that music.
Not wanting to jinx my current good fortune, I have refrained from posting too much about anything about what has been going on. However, the news is public now (5 days ago actually but I was busy work/playing at the Squamish Music Festival – yes, I did see Eminem!), so I can at least mention a couple of well-timed events.
#1 – In January and March I attended two different segments of the Women in the Director’s Chair (WIDC) program run by Creative Women Workshops. Both workshops really kicked off 2014 in high gear and had me really focussing on WHAT’S NEXT for me as a director. The new news you ask? The BC Arts Council came through with a Professional Development Grant in the sum of just over $5,000. Which covers tuition, flights, boarding, per diems, honorariums for mentors to well…continue mentoring me.
#2 – While having a lunch with two of my grade 8 teachers* a couple weeks back, I found out that I was going to receive the Harold Greenberg Fund’s Short-to-Features Award which includes a $32,000 production grant for Beat the Bush, (formerly titled, Cougars Cruising), and an additional $7,500 towards the development of a feature film of the same concept. So you can expect a new saucy short from me in 2014, which will tour the festival circuit in 2015 (fingers crossed).
#3 – Harold Greenberg Fund requires and experienced Executive Producer to oversee their funded projects. Thanks to an introduction by a venerable actor who participated at the WIDC workshop in January, Shawn Williamson, President of Brightlight Pictures, has enthusiastically come on board. SNAP!!
There are a few more opportunities that have been thrown my way, but I will post about them once they actually happen as for the three above awesome things, there have been a half dozen or more that didn’t quite line up. But there will be a half dozen more awesome to report in the coming month(s) I’m sure.
I am so stoked. Yes. I. Am.
*This is an important detail because they taught classes in Dance and Video which are two things I actively do everyday.
Today marks an achievement. My first ever production grant. Ever.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to the folks at Public Records for offering grants of up to $7500 to musician and filmmaking teams in British Columbia and Alberta.
Myself and violinist and vocalist Hannah Epperson, have been awarded one of Public Records Winter 2014 awards. You can look forward to a conceptual solo dance video for her song, SHADOWLESS, to be released in early May.
You can also expect other delicious cinematic concoctions from us to follow up our first, “Where Do Songs Come From?”
Follow Hannah: @hannah_epperson www.HannahEpperson.ca
What better way to start of a new year of an emerging film career than by being 1 of 8 female directors chosen for the Women in the Director’s Chair: Aspects of Production & Post Production?
Woody & Dave, My “bosses” when I was a grip/electric trainee in 2008
I am lucky to be one of those 8 women.
Between January 15th-19th I’ll be hanging around The Banff Centre for one of the country’s best professional development workshops. In 2008 I attended the workshop as a “trainee” – an entry level position – while I was still attending university. I am thrilled to return as a director and workshop one of my upcoming scripts in development.
Wish me luck!
At the end of October I had the great pleasure to write and direct a music video for one of my oldest friends, Jayne Avaunt, an LA based singer/songwriter whose music stylings are a smorgasbord of dancey pop beats.
In December we’ll release the video for “Drowning in You” – the second track off her debut EP, March. Until then, enjoy a small glimpse at the shenanigans of our second morning on location at Vancouver’s own Charlatan pub, on Commercial Drive.
Jayne asked for an unconventional video that was kind of, “…well, weird”. You can look forward to everything from opera singing bartenders, to some very fishy circumstances. We definitely let Jayne get her hands dirty on this one.
Check out Jayne Avaunt on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and listen to her EP, March, on iTUNES.
While in Edmonton for a family reunion and two weddings, I was invited to be a guest on the two year old comedy podcast, Hijacked Headspace, and discuss my show, “The Dangers of Online Dating“. I’m on Episode 78, to listen CLICK HERE and then click this podcast icon:
The hosts Reuben, George, and Jamie covered a range of subjects throughout the hour including, strategy while online dating, music, psychedelic mushrooms, yoga, Taco Bell, drinking, homosexuality, Sexual Transmitted Infections (STI), psoriasis, lubricants, whether to put your amateur porn online, and an ask and expert moment when I call my sexual health nurse sister, for an STI question.
I got to hand it to them for being so candid about some very intimate subject matter. And here I thought I was the liberal one. This hour long podcast is fun and informative and might help you get a few conversations rolling that are otherwise…Tricky.
You can follow them on Twitter @hijackedhead and check out 78+ podcasts at www.hijackedheadspace.libsyn.com
Follow “The Dangers of Online Dating” on FACEBOOK, and on Twitter and Instagram @DOODthemovie
In the preparation for a grant application with a very talented up and coming singer/songwriter, Cayley Thomas Haug (who you may recognize as one of the finalists from Triple Sensation), I was presently surprised to get a tweet from the grantor themselves, Public Records, that I was their featured artist.
This is what they have to say about me.
“Brianne Nord-Stewart is legit. We don’t know how else to put it! She’s an Emily Carr Graduate, Leo Award winner, and has even studied abroad at the prestigious Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, Australia. What gets us about Brianne is that she’s the writer, director, editor and producer of most of her work. Now that’s legit. Seriously.”
Well I am flattered. Seriously.
Follow them @PublicRcrds
Brianne Nord-Stewart who directed “The Provider”, co-written and c0-produced by Nord-Stewart and Andy Thompson, won Shaw Media’s Fearless Female Director Award from the National Screen Institute’s Online Film Festival
“In the latest round of award presentations for the NSI Online Short Film Festival run by the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI), Canadian short film The Provider, directed by Brianne Nord-Stewart, won the $2,500 Shaw Media Fearless Female Director Award”…The awards were decided by an independent jury.”
Comments from the jury included:
Nicholas Humphries – “Brianne Nord-Stewart’s stunning use of cinematography [by Amy Belling] and performance in The Provider caught our attention in this alternative-history horror short. The skill she showed while shooting it for a 48-hour filmmaking challenge secured it for us as the best short directed by a female.”
Maureen Levitt – “Brianne Nord-Stewart’s strength lies in bringing out the best in her characters. She really worked holistically in The Provider to create a dramatic feel and story arc in this larger than life film.”
Joy Loewen – “[We saw] stunning performances from the leads and a creepily perfect sound design [by Raph Choi] in The Provider which equals a terrific accomplishment from a director who’s on my ‘one to watch’ list.”
We are thrilled that the hard work of our team of cast, key creatives, and crew was acknowledged with acclaim!
The other awards were given to, Tommy, directed by Theodore Bezaire, which won the $1,250 A&E Short Filmmakers Award; and The Dance, directed by Pardis Parker, which picked up the $750 Bite Comedy Award.
Read the Press release: Tommy, The Provider & The Dance pick up awards in the NSI Online Short Film Festival
Brianne Nord-Stewart 