The Race to Regina

About 8 hours before “Zooey & Adam” was supposed to open at the RPL theatre in Regina, the manager called me to tell me he would canceling the screening that night.

I had done a fair bit of press for the Regina shows, and it hadn’t been easy to get, so I was a little dismayed.

“May I ask why?” I said, as softly as possible.
“Because we don’t have anything to screen” came the response.

Without assessing blame, or trying to point the finger at anyone; frickin’ Canada Post had decided not to deliver the screener! The words “incompetent,” “disorganized” and “dirty bastards” come to mind, but as I say, I don’t want to blame. I just want to warn everyone NEVER to use Canada Post if the thing they are sending actually has to reach its destination.

Bummed out beyond the limits of bumitude, my first thought was … to give up. But my wife cajoled me out from under the bed, and said that there must be some way I could get the screener there. I had a whole 8 hours. I could drive to Regina in 6, if I needed to. She was right! So, I thought: the Greyhound. It was brilliant. I could send the film under the bus, it would be there in 6 hours!

However, checking out their departure schedule, my hopes were dashed anew – the next Regina-bound bus didn’t leave until 9pm.

Then my wife reminded me that we had sent out two screeners to Regina press, to review the film. If I could get them on the phone, perhaps I could convince them to drive the film over to the RPL and I would be saved!

I called this really cool radio show host who had done an interview and really liked the movie. In getting his phone number, I realized that while his show broadcast into Regina, he was actually based in Saskatoon. Oh.

The other guy was also very cool, and also liked the movie, a writer for the Prairie Dog – whose office is only a few blocks away from the theatre, in Regina. I called him on his cell phone, asked him if he still had the screener. He did! It was sitting on his kitchen table. I was saved! I told him my dilemma, and how he could come to my rescue, and there was a long pause on the other end of the phone. He would be happy to do it, except that he was in Edmonton at the moment.

Undaunted, I imposed on him further – he must have family, some wife or father I could call. Nope. He lives alone. A neighbour who has your key, perhaps? I desperately suggested. Nope. He lives on a farm outside of town, no one has the key but him. He apologized, wished he could do more.

Okay, plan B: back to the radio show host from Saskatoon – not a huge problem, I thought, I’ll just have to convince him to courier the film from there – much less than 6 hours. I checked out the Greyhound schedule between Saskatoon & Regina, and this time it worked out! Yay. Now all I had to do was beg this radio show host to take the screener to the Greyhound terminal and send it for me. It was a big favour, but nothing ventured…

Sadly, he was not answering his phone on account of the fact that he was on vacation. In Las Vegas. Sad for me, not for him.

But now I was determined. “A plane!” I thought. When we shoot film, because there’s no film processing lab in Winnipeg, we break off whatever we are shooting everyday at 5pm, and rush it to Air Canada cargo. It arrives in Toronto that night to be processed for the next morning. I checked the schedule of AC flights to Regina  – there was one that would arrive 90 minutes before the screening. Hoo-ray!

I called Air Canada cargo, and was told that I had to have an account to send something, or it would be held – for fears of terrorism! – for 24 hours. I said “fine, I’ll set up an account, let’s do it right now.” only to be informed that accounts take a few days to be processed, and even then, they have to be active (ie: at least 2 shipments in the past 6 months) in order to avoid the “terrorism hold.”

Like a gambler, I was now invested in this, I wasn’t going to give up. Who would have an Air Canada cargo account? I asked myself.

The Winnipeg Film Group!

I called them, and they did, indeed have an account. YAY! Except that they hadn’t used it in years. Boo.

“What’s the rush?” they asked me, and I told them my sad story. Then, they said that Dave Barber – grandfather of Winnipeg moviemakers, and walking textbook of this city’s film history – said he thought he could help me.

Stand by, and we will call you in five minutes.

I waited by the phone…

When it finally rang, I was told “get in your car right now and race out to the airport, an air courier company has a flight leaving for Regina in 25 minutes!”

Cue: high speed chase music!

I arrived sweaty and unwashed at the courier office with my screener, and the woman took it from my hands directly onto the airplane, the Winnipeg Film Group had already set up the shipment for me.

When local filmmakers are in trouble, Dave Barber comes to the rescue.

Thanks Dave!

The film arrived on time, and was screened for an audience of appreciative Reginites – all five who weren’t watching Olympic hockey that night.

Opening night in Winnipeg – january 29

A sell out!

That is to say, the cinema sold out, not me.
I am accepting offers, though, if anyone wants to make one.

The Cinematheque was packed, and it was tremendously satisfying to watch the audience watching my movie in this, my favorite Winnipeg movie theatre.

We did a Q&A afterwards, and to my elation, all the questions were about the story and the characters. No “budget” or “lens” questions. There were also some personal questions, being pelted with which always makes me feel like I’m at my mom’s house.

Then we poured out into the lobby and continued the conversation, likely ruining the movie for the people in the 9pm show. Sorry, people in the 9pm show.

Winnipeg private advance screening

I think I want The Tallest Poppy restaurant, and Half Pints breweries to cater my life.

Awesome food, awesome beers – I was totally impressed by Winnipeg’s gastronomic pedigree after the private advance screening that we held at the UofW theatre. And Half Pints simply makes the best beer on the prairies.

Special thanks to Manitoba Film & Music for sponsoring the event.

A fair number of people showed up, despite a vicious blizzard that swept in, closing the highways, and sending Johnny – whose house we shot in – back to Calgary because the airport was closed down. Ahh Winnipeg. I introduced the movie in my sorels, and would have had toque-head if I had any hair.

(In case you’re worried – Johnny lived to tell the harrowing tale, and came out to a public screening of the movie, a week later.)

Afterwards, the reaction surprised me – people really responded to the movie. No anger, no “why did you make me watch that?” no “have you heard of an invention called the tripod?” comments either.

I guess that’s the advantage of being the filmmaker, no one says bad things directly to you, they save them for later ….

Red River College trailer presentation

I think I really freaked people out at Red River College when I presented the trailer for the film today.

The trailer is excellent – certainly the best one I’ve ever had. Robin at KINOSMITH did a kick-ass job of putting it together. But I think folks are used to seeing lots of flashy colours and snappy dialogue in a trailer, and a guy with a deep voice saying “in a world….”

The trailer for ZOOEY & ADAM captures the emotional intensity of the movie, and gives audiences a little taste of it – in one minute and twelve seconds, and I don’t think people expect that.

To be fair, many of the students in the CreCom class were really excited by it, and can’t wait to go see the movie, but some – if they go – will go feeling like they are visiting the dentist.

At least no one will feel like they haven’t been warned.

Nor will anyone go expecting to see what Canadian cinema has a bad rep for being: a three hour, subtitled, black & white art film about tractors.

That’s my next one.

Many people who see the trailer, ask who did the music: One of my favorite groups, AUTORICKSHAW, out of Toronto, let us use the tune. Thanks Autorickshaw!

This is my new blog

I’ve never written a blog before, so I resisted putting one on this website. This is because I fear change. Change is bad.

But my distributor and my web guru at Tactica both thought it would be a good idea, and if I’ve never done one, how will I be able to look my toddler in the face when she’s 12, and everyone has their personal blogs scrolling across their glowing, electric T-shirts?

So, this is the blog for my new movie, ZOOEY & ADAM. Welcome.

I checked out a couple of other indie movie blogs, to see what people do, and came across two distinct styles. One was a long string of advertisements for other movies that were being released by the same distributor. Boring.

The other was a series of personal updates from the filmmaker as he had adventures publicizing the film – traveling to different festivals and public screenings, and talking with audiences & hostile press. That was fun to read.

So, I’m going to try and copy that guy. And I only hope that it will be one-tenth as interesting.