Fredericton’s 18th annual Silver Wave Film Festival and Awards Show were held in the province’s capital city this week, and festival organizers say they’ve noted a shifting trend that’s been long overdue: they’re seeing more and more women in key creative positions, and taking home awards.
Over 150 films from around the world were submitted for the film festival this year, and of the 71 films that were selected to be shown 29 of them were direction by and/or written by women. 15 of the films were directed by women from within New Brunswick.
It’s a marked changed from what they’ve seen in the past, and a movement that the New Brunswick Film Co-op, the organization behind Silver Wave, say they have been pushing for.
“The NB Film Co-op and Silver Wave wants to encourage filmmakers to make films that break gender norms or challenge the conventional portrayal of women and girls. Globally, women seldom get recognition for their creative work. There’s no shortage of talented female filmmakers out there, they just need a platform to shine and we are here to provide it,” say Cat LeBlanc, Silver Wave Film Festival organizer.
“For New Brunswick, the increase in women being in creative leadership roles is a result of NB Film Co-op outreach, grant opportunities, focus on training women for key roles, mentorship undertaken by our women and men members to help the next generation. Overall, it is also the talent of our NB women telling their stories, their strong writing; their vision stands out. They have strong voices.
I think this is a positive sign and it’s happening at many festivals
world wide, not just in New Brunswick. “
While Silver Wave claim that the real winners are New Brunswick’s filmmakers, some winners clearly won more than others. Tracey Lavigne’s film Mnemosyne, a film about women and life after sexual assault, took home a total of six awards.
2018 WIFT-AT NB Salute to Honour a Woman Working in Film and Television in New Brunswick:
Gia Milani
Best Student Short ($250):
Sister’s Dirge by Ty Giffin
Excellence in Music Composition:
Zachary Greer for The Nashwaak
Excellence in Art Direction:
Arianna Martinez and Cassidy Ingersoll for Letters from the Dead
Excellence in Sound Design:
Bruce LeGrow for Mnemosyne
Excellence in Picture Editing:
Tracey Lavigne for Mnemosyne
Excellence in Cinematography:
Jesse Anthony for Mnemosyne
Best Experimental Film:
Boy in the Garden by Peter de Niverville
Best Low Budget Documentary:
Bernie Langille Wants to Know…Who Killed Bernie Langille by Jackie Torrens
Best Sci-Fi Short:
10 Minute Time Machine by Charles Wahl
Best Canadian OR International Short:
Passage by Henry Colin
Best Documentary:
The Song and the Sorrow by Millefiore Clarkes
Lex Gigeroff Excellence in Screenwriting Award for a NB short Drama OR Comedy:
Kaitlyn Adair for March 2.4
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Drama OR Comedy: Kaitlyn Adair for March 2.4
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama OR Comedy by a New Brunswicker:
Maggie Vaughan for Mnemosyne
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Drama OR Comedy:
Tony Tomarchio for Infinity Land
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama OR Comedy:
Chris Gairns for Friend Zone
Best NB Short Drama:
Mnemosyne by Tracey Lavigne
East Coast Camera Rental Award ($5000):
Tracey Lavigne
2018 Jane LeBlanc Filmmaker Award:
Corinne Brownlee, for Distortion
Brenda Malley for After The War
Picaroons Brian Carty Film Volunteer Recognition Award ($500): Jeff Picka
Jim Lavoie Film Professional Recognition Award:
Frictive Pictures (Professor/filmmaker Robert Gray, Professor/filmmaker Matt Rogers and teacher/filmmaker Jon Dewar)
CBC/NB Joy Award Winner:
Kaitlyn Adair for Together We Move
LeBlanc also notes that attendance at this year’s Silver Wave Film Festival was higher than previous years at their screenings, industry reception, and their masterclasses, showing what you might accomplish with a more inclusive attitude towards the entire population.
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(Photograph by Karen Ruet)