Student Film Featuring Professor Debuts at Indie Festival
October 15, 2008 - News Release
A University of Guelph student's documentary film based on a professor and his band will makes it debut at the second annual SharpCuts Indie Film and Music Festival running Oct. 17 to 19.
Molecular and cellular biology student Melanie Wills will be showcasing her latest film Rock to Rock featuring integrative biology professor Doug Larson's band, Kid Coma, at the festival's gala Saturday night.
The film follows Larson and his band members, which includes Larson's son, as they fight to break on to the musical scene and forge a new genre – Eco punk. The documentary emphasizes the union of art and science both in its content and the way it's assembled.
"It's also a story about people," said Wills. "It's about father and son interactions, generation-spanning friendships and the unifying power of music. The band is such an interesting mix of personalities. Half of them are scientists and half are professional musicians, but things almost never divide along those lines."
Spearheaded by U of G graduate Tom Gofton, SharpCuts includes more than 17 hours of film screenings, film industry workshops as well as talks by Canadian musical icon Jeff Bird and Canadian actor Art Hindle.
The festival kicks off Oct. 17 at 6 p.m. with Fright Night, a screening of independent horror films at Synn Studios. Anchor Bay Entertainment, a leading horror film buyer in North America, will screen several of the films and field questions from the audience.
Screenings of independent short and feature length films by local and regional talent will take place Oct. 18 at the Ramada Inn from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The public is invited to watch the films, which range from dramas and comedies to westerns and documentaries.
Following the screenings, acting veteran Art Hindle and local musician Jeff Bird will share their insights on the industry. Hindle has been involved in a number of shows including North of 60, Beverly Hills 90210, Paradise Falls and Canadian Case Files. Bird has released 11 CDs, appeared on more than 100 recordings and has toured and recorded with the Cowboy Junkies for the past 20 years.
Festival participants and presenters will have a chance to mingle at a gala held at Manhattan's at 10 p.m. During the evening event, awards for best horror and short film from nominees screened on Friday and Saturday will be presented. Larson's band will also be performing.
The festival wraps up Oct. 19 with a variety of workshops from mastering green screen effects to planning productions and editing. The workshops will be held from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Ed Video and Synn Studios.
For more information on how to participate or to buy tickets to the gala event visit the SharpCuts website.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, 519-824-4120, Ext. 53338/l.hunt@exec.uoguelph.ca, or Deirdre Healey, Ext. 56982/d.healey@exec.uoguelph.ca.
