February 12, 2015 – Quebec City, National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and Spirafilm invite the general public in Quebec City to view the films in the 5 Shorts Project (Projet 5 courts) at an advance screening, prior to their launch at national and international festivals. Two free screenings will take place on Thursday, February 26, at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. at the Musée de la civilisation, with the filmmakers and producers present (no reservations needed; films presented in their original French versions). The 5 Shorts Project is an NFB initiative to revisit the short documentary genre in partnership with regional artist-run centres and production centres in Quebec. Spirafilm, a Quebec City-based indie film co-op, is taking part in this first edition.
The five chosen filmmakers—four of whom work in the Quebec City area—are Jeremy Peter Allen (At the Beach/À la plage), Nadine Beaudet (World of Passage/Ces hommes de passage), John Blouin (Hey Lou!/Lou, la Vie!), Martin Bureau (Hell Runs on Gasoline!/L’enfer marche au gaz!) and Nicolas Lévesque (Interview with a Free Man/Entrevue avec un homme libre). Their mandate? Make a 3-to-6-minute film, shot entirely in 4K digital format. Although this was not a collective undertaking, their work benefited from the group’s synergy and was informed by an overall process of reflection. The producers are Nathalie Cloutier and Colette Loumède for the NFB and Catherine Benoit for Spirafilm.
The NFB’s collaboration with regional artist-run centres will continue in future editions of the 5 Shorts Project, as the centres have extensive production expertise and bring artists from several disciplines together under one roof, in the same collaborative spirit as the NFB’s 5 Shorts Project. The organization selected for 2015 is the Chicoutimi-based La bande Sonimage, which supports video creation in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. The names of the filmmakers who will be joining this second edition of the project will be announced soon.
Quick Facts
• About the five documentary shorts
o At the Beach by Jeremy Peter Allen
Men and women with deeply damaged bodies expose their burn scars to others in this inspiring film about resilience and acceptance.
o World of Passage by Nadine Beaudet
Floating leviathans from afar glide by on the St. Lawrence, revealing none of the secrets they contain—except to those select few who briefly join their voyage.
o Hey Lou! by John Blouin
Life and death intertwine in this poignant film that offers a stark view of our humanity in just a few modest shots.
o Hell Runs on Gasoline! by Martin Bureau
A race at the Saint-Félicien racetrack goes from bone-jarring, ear-splitting infernal vision to an eerily silent cemetery of abandoned carcasses.
o Interview with a Free Man by Nicolas Lévesque
Several men go through a job interview in this disconcerting but captivating film whose cleverly oblique narration keeps the viewer guessing.
• About the five filmmakers
o Jeremy Peter Allen
Filmmaker Jeremy Peter Allen began his career in fiction film. To date he has directed one feature (Manners of Dying) along with a number of shorts (including Requiem contre un plafond, Power Showers and L’est) that have screened internationally. In the past three years, his interests have turned toward the theatre. His staging of the play Frozen by Bryony Lavery opened in March 2014 at Quebec City’s Théâtre de la Bordée.
o Nadine Beaudet
Côte-Nord native Nadine Beaudet is a staunch advocate of the various regions of Quebec, and her approach to film is invested with a sense of belonging, identity and the imaginary. Her science background—she holds a master’s degree in applied science (land-use planning)—prompted her to work on the films Avant le jour and Le père de Gracile. She is a co-founder of the production house Les vues du fleuve. Her first feature, Le cosaque et la gitane, won the Pierre-et-Yolande-Perrault award at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois in 2013.
o John Blouin
While exploring the relationship between writing and film during his studies, John Blouin became an NFB projectionist. During this period, he founded Cabina Obscura and created live “cine-shows” combining 16 and 35mm film, video projections, shadows and music. The show was staged in a number of cities and festivals from Montreal to Beijing. Turning his talents toward a different aspect of projection, he then made the short films Change Over, Filmstripe and Gate, a trilogy about the death of a movie theatre. His latest work is El Paysan, a documentary short about the liquidation of a farm. John is currently editing Armand par Vaillancourt, a feature film about the Quebec sculptor.
o Martin Bureau
Through painting, video installation and documentary, Martin Bureau engages in a critique of various geopolitical notions. In 2009, he co-directed the documentary Une tente sur Mars, nominated for a Jutra Award as well as the award for best documentary at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. In 2013, he co-directed his second documentary feature, Playa Coloniale, which received a jury special mention at the Vues sur mer festival in Gaspé.
o Nicolas Lévesque
A native of Roberval, Quebec, Nicolas Lévesque is a photographer and filmmaker. After studying photography, the visual arts and film, he co-founded the photographers’ association KAHEM. His directorial credits include the documentary short Lévesque et fils, maraîcher(s) (2008), which screened in some 12 festivals across Canada, the United States, Europe and Asia; and Le Projet Racine(s) (2010), which was made as part of the Saguenay-based Festival Regard sur le court métrage and won first prize in the “Portrait” category of the Grands prix du journalisme indépendant. His latest documentary, In Guns We Trust (2013), screened as part of the SODEC and Not Short of Talent programs at the Cannes Film Festival as well as at the Toronto International Film Festival before being selected for TIFF’s Top Ten Shorts in 2014.
Quotes
“Historically and even more so today, artist-run centres like Spirafilm play an invaluable role in their regions. By proposing projects to artist-run centres, the NFB is teaming up with the film community’s driving forces and is directly stimulating creation in that field,” said Colette Loumède, Acting Director General of the NFB’s French Program.
“The partnership between our two organizations has provided a unique sharing experience for filmmakers and production teams alike. We are therefore very proud of the outcome and this initial collaboration with the NFB,” said Catherine Benoit, Executive Director of Spirafilm.
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About the NFB
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) creates groundbreaking interactive works, social-issue documentaries and auteur animation. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 9 Canadian Screen Awards, 8 Webbys, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.
About Spirafilm
Founded in 1977, the Quebec City-based Spirafilm co-operative (spirafilm.com) is dedicated to independent film. Through its equipment rental program, Spirafilm supports some 30 works per year. In addition to numerous shorts, the co-op has supported a number of features, including Vital Signs, West of Pluto and Sarah Prefers to Run. Spirafilm offers workshops and master classes, networking activities and screening events that contribute to the dynamism and development of the Quebec City film community.
