Don’t we all love to tell and hear stories? Artists, musicians and performers of all sorts are the purveyors of personal, cultural, social and historical expressions and explorations of who we are.
Three years ago, the Community Arts Council of Creston set out to begin to document stories of some of our local artists as they told of their motivation and development in the context of their lives and living here; as well as a look at their work. Sights and Sounds is the title of that body of work, showcasing artists and original songs of musicians in the valley to celebrate our cultural history.
Program co-ordinator Maureen Cameron, production co-ordinator Peter McLennan and post-production co-ordinator Penny A.P. Anderson would like to thank the many other volunteers that made this happen and thanks to the over 30 artists who made themselves available. Some of them will be able to attend the film screenings and we imagine that a lively dialogue and discussion will ensue. Some of the artists attending will be Eileen Hirota, Ute Bachinski, Harry Miller, Laura Leeder, Ray Neufeld and Cory Cannon.
During this month of celebrating the arts, three dates are planned under the BC Spirit Festival schedule called “Film Fest” to bring the collection of these interviews for the first public viewing.
Sights and Sounds screenings will be held Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at the Creston and District Public Library (doors open at 6:30), and Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m. (following the Ktunaxa presentation) and Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Snoring Sasquatch. For the complete list of artists and times of their showing and attendance, go to www.spiritfestivalcreston.ca.
In addition to the film screenings there will be an audio series on CIDO 97.7 FM for Sights and Sounds, consisting of interviews with artist and cultural groups in the valley during the month of February These will be part of the morning show on Mondays and Fridays and aired during the series on the Voice of the Valley, and in case you missed it the first time, it will be archived in the archives on www.crestonradio.ca. This has been an ongoing partnership with the Sights and Sounds program of the Community Arts Council of Creston.
In addition to these screenings, we’re pleased to welcome other film enthusiasts with their work:
• Feb. 19, 1:30 p.m. (doors open at 1) — Finding Our Talk, a multimedia presentation by Marisa Phillips of the Ktunaxa Nation traditional knowledge and language sector. She will share a number of technological initiatives taking place in their community to ensure the survival of a language that has only 24 remaining speakers. Phillips stars in the film and is a Ktunaxa youth from the St. Mary’s reserve just outside of Cranbook. She doesn't just work with the language, though; she is also a well-known artist in her community. Her talents are currently being used to create murals in Laurie Middle School, the East Kootenay Regional Hospital and the College of the Rockies. She has also designed logos, booklets and illustrations for stories.
• Feb. 19, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30) at the Snoring Sasquatch — An Oscar-style evening to meet members of the Creston Film Group, and help celebrate their passion and accomplishments within the video making medium. They will show a DVD presentation of some of their best works —including award winning films, impressive special effects and some professional level productions. There will be a short introduction by each member and time for questions at the end. Be prepared for a lighthearted and fun evening.
An exciting addition to the evening is Richard R. Reeves, a Canadian animator, who is newly arrived in Creston. He combines his passion for painting, music and photography to create animations by drawing both sound and picture directly onto film. The basic technique requires no camera, no sound recording and no film processing. The finished work is a cinematic experience unlike many other animated techniques.
He has produced award-winning animations such as Linear Dreams, Sea Song and Element of Light. He continues to produce new works, exploring cameraless filmmaking as visual music and promoting animation as a time and space art form.
All enthusiasts of film as a creative expression are invited to join these and other guests, such as Peter McLennan and Michael Farnsworth, for an evening of networking, sharing ideas and celebrating.
For more information, visit www.spiritfestivalcreston.ca or call 250-428-7939.