With the final days leading up to the Vancouver Women in Film Festival, it’s exciting to experience all of the coverage that’s coming out.

WIFT Germany member Alexandra Georgi and Leave Them Laughing Producer Montana Berg talk with Ahorn TV (German show) on OMNI:

Festival Director Roslyn Muir on The F Word on Coop Radio: Link here on rabble.ca

Festival Director Roslyn Muir on CJSF Artsindy Crossroads: http://www.cjsf.ca/pguide/rss.php?ID=232

Coming up:

Wednesday, March 2 4pm – CJSF’s Intra Venus Show with Roslyn Muir
Thursday, March 3 5:50am – CBC Radio’s Early Edition with Spotlight Award Woman of the Year Lynn Booth
Thursday, March 3 9pm – Coop Radio’s Arts Rational with VWIFF filmmakers
Saturday, March 5 8:15am – Global BCTV with Roslyn Muir & Sisters In Arms‘ Beth Freeman

This is one of two news releases for some upcoming events I’m doing – if I haven’t yet sent you the info please get in touch with me. I will be contacting more media later this week.

As I look back on all the amazing experiences I’ve had this past year, I can’t help but think about how much I’ve grown in the last 10 as well. Starting MCM wasn’t easy and still isn’t, but especially in 2010 I am thankful for everyone I’ve met who continues to support me and build my network. I thought I’d give you a glimpse into my last 10 years. If I were 18 again and I looked at myself in the future, I’d think, the future doesn’t look that bad. And not bad is great in my book!

2000

I graduate high school and get unconditional acceptance into UBC’s Arts program. I didn’t know what the hell I wanted to do with an Arts degree, but I’m sure as hell glad I chose it rather than Sciences. I think I would have died of boredom from those labs.

2001

I join the UBC Poetry Club (first ever) and zip around campus in my razor-like compactible scooter. I indulge in Blue Chip Cookies after exams, and study in the library with too-loud headphones on.

My friend moves to Toronto, so I visit for the first time and like it. I also visit Hawaii for the first time with my mom. Nothing like summer in December.

2002

I declare a Double Major in English Lit and Classical Studies and take a job at the UBC Call Centre asking for donations from alumni.

Meanwhile, I go through some drama with other friends, and get sick of Vancouver and living with my parents, so I apply to go on exchange to the University of Toronto, and get accepted. I pack my stuff and fly across the country, sort of.

I bunk with two Jewish engineering students and my room is a solarium with a fourth floor view of downtown. Not bad. I experience one of the worst winters Toronto ever has.

I start taking film classes as electives: 20th Century American Film, and Sci-Fi & Fantasy in Film. I fall in love with Film Studies.

I spend Christmas with family in Chicago.

2003

My sister gets married in Mexico, and I’m freezing my ass off. But still loving Toronto. I reunite with an old high school friend in a Children’s Lit class and I try my very first breakdance class. I suck at it, but it was fun.

I visit my cousins in Montreal for Spring Break, stopping in dead-town Ottawa on the train ride over. Nothing much to see there except the big art gallery.

I return home to my sister’s wedding reception and to my friends. Having been addicted to Trading Spaces in Toronto, I move to the basement suite and revive the whole space with yellow paint and new curtains from IKEA.

I change my 2nd major Classical Studies to Film Studies. None of my credits are given transfer, which means I have to stay an extra year to finish my major, but I’m still happy about it. I start volunteering for VIFF and start watching as many films as I can with my friend Rita.

2004

I become a Supervisor at the Call Centre and meet Film Production Major Brian Danin, the future Founder of the Vancouver Short Film Festival (then Vancouver Student Film Festival).

The rest of this year is a bit of a blur as I worked to finish my English major.

2005

I graduate, become one of the founding members of the first VSFF as Sponsorship Coordinator and Programmer, and take off (twice) to LA with my best friends. I also become a member of Women In Film & Television.

While doing temp work in the summer, I get hired as Capital Campaign Consultant for CiTR, using my connections with the UBC Development office. This summer, I also take out a bunch of library books on PR and learn what a press release is, having heard the term twice now from other people in communications.

I also start my first internship at Richards & Chan Inc., a PR firm that did all the red carpet events for Brightlight Pictures, among other political and corporate events.

We put on the first successful Vancouver Student Film Festival.

2006

After four months of interning, I finally get hired at R&C and become an official PR & Events Assistant. I learn everything from booking appointments for the boss to renting out office space, hiring interns, doing promos, sending out email invites, writing releases, sending out media gifts, HTML, the Drupal website platform, buying supplies and groceries, and events, events, events.

I also take my first Marketing Communications course at BCIT to formally learn the background behind PR.

After a while, I’m not phased when I see local stars come into our clients’ parties. In fact, I’ve been treated the worst by them at some of the events where I used to work the door.

We put on the 2nd annual VSFF at the Vancity Theatre, selling out our final screening. I become the official Marketing Director given my experience in PR. We register as a non-profit under the Vancouver Short Film Festival so no one else steals the name. I attend Women in Film’s Martini Madness party for a purpose other than volunteering.

2007

I buy my first Mac and never look back.  I also meet my life partner Leo.

I start getting sick of my job at this point and being the only employee at the firm, so I give my resignation and hire 5 interns to replace me. I drink my first Heineken at the Wild Coyote with my best friend to celebrate my goodbye to the corporate world. Didn’t know how true that statement really was then.

The VSFF goes on hiatus because Brian moves back to Colorado. We decide to put on our 3rd festival in Spring instead, with me as the new Festival Director. I continue to take more courses so that I can work my way up to PR.

I take most of the summer off, doing background work and travelling to LA and to Asia for 3 weeks to attend one of my best friend’s wedding. The best wedding I’ve been to in my life and a trip to 4 countries that I’ll never forget.

I start working for my sister part time doing electronic filing for public companies.  In November, I help my other best friend put on her first solo art exhibit. She’s my first test client ever, and then the light bulb goes off.

2008

I register the name Middle Child Marketing, get a business license, and buy the domain name for the website.

We put on the 3rd VSFF for a day. We decide to change the branding of the festival next year to include professional shorts.

I get my first corporate client, Pink Mobile Spa in Spring, thanks to one of my former bosses. I spend the summer learning Flash (which Brian gave me on my Mac) and then building MCM’s first website, aside from a side trip to Chicago.

I print some new business cards, and for my next client in Fall, I start using the MCM email and getting my name out free news listings. I take my last BCIT course in E-Marketing.

Then Latidos Productions calls me up asking for help. They become my longest standing client.

2009

MCM is in full effect and I add two more clients to my roster. I become the official Publicist (volunteer) for the 4th annual Vancouver Women in Film Festival, get the event in over 35 media outlets, and earn the Volunteer of the Year Award. One of the most rewarding experiences of my career, and standing in for Erin Cebula at ET Canada to interview Babz Chula, Molly Parker, and Amanda Tapping is a once in a lifetime experience.

Interviewing (off camera) the late Babz Chula for ET Canada

I start writing reviews on Yelp, having not done much poetry or biographical writing since graduation.

Still working part-time to this point, I take the Successful Consulting and Contracting program, funded by the BC Government. It gives me Business 101 skills I need to jumpstart my business.

Leo and I take a trip to LA and then celebrate the first annual Vancouver Short Film Festival.  Our website changes to the WordPress platform (thanks Lesley!) and I love it.

2010

The Olympics come and business comes to a halt. In between escaping to Olympic houses, I convert my Flash site to WordPress, and then use the same theme for a sister site, Middle Child Reviews.

Throughout the year and a summer trip to Vegas, I get nine more clients. I help to put on our 10-year high school reunion, having found out the Marketing Director for Circa Restaurant & Lounge (great space!) was a high school classmate.

I win free admission to the first Lifestyle Selling for Women program from a networking event, and find out that these sales tactics can actually work.

In the latter part of this year, I decide to change focuses from entertainment to fashion, lifestyle, and beauty.  The CRAVE Company asks me to be in their 3rd Guide, and I say hell yes. (I’ve still got lots of books at $20 to sell – see right)

I’ve grown, I’ve learned, and I’m still learning.

2010 has been a great year and I’ve met SO many people (just see in the previous post how many – and that’s only select!).

A big thanks to everyone I’ve met during the course of my career or business. I wish all of you a very healthy, wealthy, and wise 2011!

I’m really excited to (finally) blog about an event that I helped to start that’s happening at the end of this month: the Vancouver Short Film Festival on October 28-29 at the Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour Street in Vancouver. Click on the link or image above to go to the site.

You’ll see on my Clients page that this is one of my volunteer clients. But I don’t think of the event as being a client because it wouldn’t happen without a team of people (like many businesses). It’s been a long, hard road for our festival, so we have a lot to celebrate this year.

What’s going on this year:

October 28: International Animation Day

We wanted to kick off the festival with another expert panel this year, and upon the advice of the great Kellie Ann Benz (2009 panel moderator) we chose animation in short films. Then the NFB approached us and asked if we wanted to show their New Release Program to celebrate International Animation Day as part of their Get Animated! series. I was like, “It’s International Animation Day? Awesome!!” They wanted to make it as accessible as possible so it’s a free screening. And it sounds like they have an amazing lineup, including a short called Higglety Pigglety Pop! based on Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are)’s book There Must Be More to Life, co-produced by filmmaker Spike Jonze, and featuring the voices of Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker. I know! Hollywood, meet the VSFF!

Our panelists this year are amazing. I really have to thank Mario Pochat from our sponsor VancouverAnimation.ca for connecting us with Emilie Goulet and Mark Pullyblank. Martin Rose of Emily Carr University and formerly of the NFB got in touch with us too.  Jeff Chiba Stearns is moderating. I love his work. He sold his short, Yellow Sticky Notes, to Youtube, and will be showing his ‘sequel’ film Ode to a Post-it Note on the 29th, featuring Arthur Fry, who invented the Post-it Note. How awesome is that?

We close the 28th with our Emerging Filmmakers screening, featuring 9 films from film schools across Vancouver. Some great documentaries in this one – you’ll be impressed. Then we have an Opening Reception in the Vancity Theatre atrium where we’ll celebrate the award-winners in this category and schmooze over catered food by The Healthy Chef. Oh, I forgot to mention CTV is our TV sponsor this year, so we have weatherman Marke Driesschen MC’ing for the night.

October 29: MC’d by comedian Greg Kettner

We kick off the day with World’s Best Shorts. I won’t brag about this since I co-programmed it.

At 5pm is the Best of VSFF’s 5 Years Screening, which I helped to program with Mike. It’s gonna be so awesome to see the top films from our past 4 years along with this year’s best. If the Professional Filmmakers are smart, they’ll attend this screening so they can see if they won the Best Film Award or not!

We close the festival with the Professional Filmmakers screening, featuring still more local and upcoming stars: Jodelle Ferland (Case 39, Silent Hill, Twilight 3) in Everything’s Coming Up Rosie (she was nominated for a Leo Award for her performance as an autistic teenager), Gabrielle Rose (Mothers & Daughters, Robson Arms), and Michael Ecklund,(Intelligence, Shattered) who are in a sweet photographic comedy called Exposed by Mark Sawers, who was on our panel in 2006. A great sign of our fest coming full circle.

We end off with our Closing Party and Awards Ceremony. More food and wine and hopefully a cake too if I’m lucky.

My story with the festival:

The idea started when one of my colleagues at UBC Film and Call Centre co-worker Brian Danin had the idea of a film fest that would showcase the best films by students and grads from the different film schools in Vancouver. He thought it was pretty ridiculous how the schools didn’t really come together to mesh so that they could make projects together, and that you had to travel to VFS or SFU to find out about their grad showcase and to see their films. This event would be called the Vancouver Student Film Festival.

Knowing that I was very experienced in asking for money, Brian asked me to come on board as the first Sponsorship Coordinator. But I ended up being more of a co-organizer, helping Brian to plan and liaise with the venue, select films (we got about 60 the first year and narrowed it down to 12), coordinate judging, and throw posters around the city.

Year one was small but it was a great feat in our eyes. During the process, we even discovered there was another student film festival in the city who was in their third year. I attended to see how significant it was (we’d never heard of them even in Google searches) and to see if it was an event we could cross promote with. I thought it wasn’t very organized, and due to technical problems, one film in the showcase I went to didn’t even get seen. After that one screening, I’d had enough, and even though they were probably not happy with us continuing in our plans with a very similar event name, we persevered.

As we entered our second year and moved ‘homes’ into the then-brand-spanking new VIFC Vancity Theatre, the other festival seemed nowhere to be found. I really wanted to take on a Marketing role, since there was no one designated to it in year 1 and I was working in PR.  We expanded our program to two days (same two screenings each day) and showed 17 films. We also had our first sold-out house with standing room only. Our Best Film Award sponsor and judge from year one, Jun Paul Obayashi, came on board as Producer. He also pushed us into becoming a non-profit society so we could start applying for grants.

In ’07, Brian graduated and it took him a few months to decide that he would move to Atlanta where his now wife (and Sponsorship Coordinator at the time) Valerie Warner, was going to law school. We didn’t put a festival on, and even considered dissolving the society. But Mike said let’s put it on in Spring. So we did. And I became the new Festival Director.

Spring was a tough time. We didn’t get as many entries as we should have because students wanted to hold off and see if they could get into bigger festivals like VIFF first… they also didn’t have the summer to make films, and we had to pick from lots of 2007 stuff. But that was cool. I think we had 99 entries and out of those chose 29. Our judges just about died from the length (close to 4 hours of films), but I was happy about showing a lot more content, and so were the filmmakers.

We had a hard time securing any grants, applying with Canada Council, BC Arts Council, and in ’09, Telefilm Canada. Because we didn’t have a solid Board of Directors, and weren’t a “professional” level festival focusing solely on students, we never got a dime. Pretty ridiculous that no one will fund students. (Take it from me, I’ve tried!)

Around this time we recruited a Board of Directors and I hired an accountant to do our books for the last few years, because one of the Canada Council officers opened my eyes and showed me how much we weren’t acting like a real non-profit. So we recruited some industry pros and Jun was elected Chairman. We also decided that now was the time to rebrand into the Vancouver Short Film Festival. Brian’s vision as a non-profit was to be able to show students and pros side-by-side and show that the quality of films really aren’t that different, and so that students could network with industry pros and continue to make projects together. And that’s what we did.

The rebranding wasn’t very hard. We updated our logo, kept our domain and email acronym, and updated our website to the WordPress platform (which I LOVE). Also updated our Facebook Group, added a Facebook Page and Twitter account, and Youtube account. Now we’re everywhere.

This year I wanted to step back and focus on what I do best – Marketing. I also loved programming our first international, non-competitive showcase called World’s Best Shorts. So I wanted to do that this year again and be a #2 person to the new director, Jocelan Alderking. Jocelan has over 10 years (likely more) working with non-profits and planning events for Vancity, so she has lots of experience. She also used to act. Sometimes I worry that Jocelan didn’t realize what she was in for when I recruited her to take my place as Director – it’s a lot of work and is very hands on. But I hope she’s having fun.

We still haven’t had success getting any grants because the arts councils want to know exactly whose works we’re showing, which is difficult when the program depends on who submits. The fact that we still have a student showcase is also still a negative in their eyes. Many of these grants have lots of cookie-cutter requirements, and I don’t think we’re ever going to fit in them, which is fine with me. We’ll just need a lot of fundraising events and corporate support to make it.

This year isn’t just special because we turn five. It’s a celebration of our growth out of a baby stage, and of short film in Western Canada. If no-one came to our festivals, we’d know there would be no need to exist. But each year surprises me more than the last, and I feel that partnering with all the sponsors and people in the industry are really making a difference in celebrating those who make shorts.

That’s my story, and I hope to see you on the 28th and 29th so we can toast to the festival in person. Check out our trailer to get yourself hyped for it!

Now that you have to be a paying subscriber to view the weekly Canadian film lists reported by Playback, I am no longer able to report the stats.

But, when I come across cool and useful articles on the film industry I will be sure to post them here.

The first is a PDF on the Economics of Independent Film & Video Distribution in the Digital Age, based on results from an exam done by Intelligent Television. Thanks to Peter Marshall (@bcfilmmaker on Twitter) for sharing.

Top 5 films last week as reported by Playback Magazine:

1) Filiere 13 – Week 2 – $939,571
2) Piche: En ciel et terre (Piche: Between Heaven and Earth) – Week 6 – $3,367,476
3) Hubble 3D – Week 22 – $1,407,200
4) Cabotins – Week 3 – $281,225
5) Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats) - Week 9 – $489,148

On another note, a new Canadian documentary called Hugh Hefner – Playboy, Activist and Rebel, directed by Canadian Brigitte Berman, opens up this Friday in Vancouver, based on the early life of Hugh Hefner. I think of him as a womanizer – but did he break new ground for women and the way we view sex in society? Decide for yourself when this film opens.

Me avoiding the wax version of Hugh Hefner at Madame Tussaud’s in Las Vegas

A Canada Screens premiere of the film runs this Thursday – it may be too late to get tickets, but you can try the site and also at the door if they’re releasing them then.

If you’re able to see this film, please post comments!

Top 5 Canadian films as reported by Playback Magazine:

1) Piche: Entre ciel et terre (Piche: Between Heaven and Earth) – 5 weeks – $3,122,008
2) Filiere 13 – 2 days – $243,956
3) Hubble 3D – 21 weeks – $1,294,629
4) Cabotins – 2 weeks – $273,858
5) Splice – 9 weeks – $2,141,246

Playback also reported today that Telefilm Canada (the film funding arm of the Government of Canada) is investing $11.3 million dollars into 22 films, including the sequel to Bruce McDonald’s 1996 film, Hard Core Logo. I could be wrong, but I think Americans were more gung ho on this film than we were when it came out because there are more metalheads down there. I watched it a few years ago and the mockumentary concert tour style just wasn’t my thing. But I guess the hard core Hard Core Logo fans will be happy.

Filiere 13 is a French-Canadian film starring Bon Cop Bad Cop‘s Patrick Huard. Please comment if you know if this film will be shown in Vancouver.

Top 5 Canadian films as reported by Playback Magazine:

1) Piche: Entre Ciel et Terre (Piche: Between Heaven and Earth) – 4 weeks – $2,727,170
2) Cabotins – 1 week – $186,671
3) Hubble 3D – 20 weeks – $1,159,085
4) Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats) – 7 weeks – $473,315
5) Mr. Nobody – 2 weeks – $25,805

Top 5 Canadian films as reported by Playback Magazine:

1) Piche: En Ciel et Terre (Piche – Between Heaven and Earth) – 3 weeks – $2,169,062
2) Hubble 3D – 19 weeks – $1,028,757
3) Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats) – 6 weeks – $456,277
4) Mr. Nobody – 1 week – $18,693
5) Splice – 7 weeks – $2,111,013

It’s another great week for French-Canadian cinema. Mr. Nobody is by a French filmmaker but stars Jared Leto and is in English. Never saw one ad for it. If you know that this film is showing in Vancouver, please post a comment on where and when it’s showing.

Hubble 3D is still going strong. I wonder if it’s because of all the elementary school fieldtrips.

On another note, I saw The Trotsky with Jay Baruchel on the plane ride back from Vegas. It was quite good – well written and funny. About a teenager who believes he’s the reincarnation of the socialist icon Leon Trotsky.

I encourage you to check it out when it comes out on rental. Here’s the trailer to get you going.

Top 5 Canadian films as reported by Playback Magazine:

1) Piche: Entre ciel et terre (Piche: Between Heaven and Earth) - 2 weeks – $1,322,334
2) Hubble 3D – 17 weeks – $909,040
3) Splice – 6 weeks – $2,092,533
4) Les amours imaginaires (Heartbeats) - 5 weeks – $434,501
5) Le baiser du barbu (The Kiss of the Bearded) - 4 weeks – $271,433

Times like this I wish we had access to Francophone films. Piche has made half of what Splice made in only 2 weeks.

I’ve gotta admit, I’ve been really unsupportive of Canadian film these days, having seen Inception (it IS amazing) last weekend. But I will be going to my very first Canada Screens screening tomorrow to see Grown Up Movie Star, which was selected by the Sundance Film Festival.

Even though we spend most of our time outdoors in the summer, there are some great film fests happening now or soon, worth staying inside – and even outside – for:

Okanagan Film Festival – July 21-25
Prospera Great Outdoors Film Festival – July 30-August 28
Film Noir at the Pacific Cinematheque –  August 11-September 2
Vancouver Queer Film Festival – August 12-22

Fresh Air Cinema: freshaircinema.ca
Outdoor movie nights in Ceperley Meadow at Stanley Park: westendbia.com
Movie Nights at the Nat Bailey Stadium