Oscar Buzz

I mentioned in an earlier post that a couple of the films we're showing this year are getting some Oscar buzz - both Waste Land and Enemies of the People have made the short list for Best Documentary nominations. Of the 15 total short listed films, 5 will be chosen as official nominations and announced the morning of January 25th 2011.

I haven't seen Enemies of the People yet, but Waste Land is an amazing film and I'm not surprised to see it getting all this positive attention. In fact, we loved it so much, we chose it as our opening night feature film. And even if they don't make the cut (knock on wood), I highly recommend you add both to your must see films at this years festival.

Update: If the film links aren't working for you, please visit this link first, afterwards the links should work as they are supposed to. Sorry for any confusion

Quick Tip: Smooth Panning

Having used many cheap tripods I usually just resort to never panning because it's never smooth and just makes things look awful. However, here's a quick video tip on how to get a professional looking pan out of your normally jittery tripod using nothing more than an elastic

Follow us on Facebook - Group vs Page

If you aren't already, you should follow ReFrame on Facebook. We have both a Group and a Page. Why? Well, let me try to explain my new found respect for the differences between the two and help you decide which one is best for you (though I highly recommend joining both!)

Let's start with the Page. Becoming a Fan of our Page will take any post or update we put up and send it straight to your Facebook Newsfeed (what you see when you first login). So, if you find yourself checking your Facebook a couple times a day, this would be a good option for you

On the other hand there's the Group which lets us send messages straight to your Facebook Inbox, where they'll sit and patiently wait for you to read them. If you're the type to check your Facebook every few days, this is a great way for you to keep up with us!

So, here's a simple chart to help you get updates best suited to you:

You Are A...	Join The...
Frequent Facebook User	Page
Occasional Facebook User	Group
Huge ReFrame Fan	Page & Group!

Film Making Tips & Tricks - Basics: The Camera

So, you want to make a film but you don't have thousands of dollars to spend on a camera. No worries! Luckily we're living in a digital age where anyone that knows how to use a computer can make their own videos and put them online for the world to see - and that's resulted in a cornucopia of inexpensive and sometimes surprisingly good quality cameras.

New Film Making Tips & Tricks Series

A film festival is nothing without film makers

But what is a film maker? Is it a multi-million dollar budget, with top-of-the-line equipment, a crew 100+ strong and years of experience? Maybe it's all in the recognition - box office ratings, reviews, awards. Or can anyone be a film maker?

I like to think that any person that has a story to tell is a film maker, they just may have never held a camera before. And that's why we're starting the Film Making Tips & Tricks Series - it's for all the people who have had ideas for fantastic films but thought that they needed more time/money/skill to do it right.

I'll be writing about the most common set-backs I've come across while making films with youth, along with some basic tips that will help everything go a lot smoother. On top of that, I'll be scouring the internet for other peoples' tricks to get professional results without a professional budget.

So, no matter how much experience you have now, follow along and you'll be making your own movies in no time. Who knows? Maybe one day you'll be showing your films at ReFrame!

ReFrame in The Peterborough Examiner

Galen Eagle from The Peterborough Examiner wrote a fantastic article on ReFrame and is well worth the read. There's a few words from our coordinator, Krista English, a bit of ReFrame's history and highlights of some of the films at this year's festival. Also mentioned is our Friday night feature film, Waste Land, one of the two films in our program which have made the Oscar Nomination shortlist - more on these to come!

Tickets - Part 2

For the locals or people visiting the area, here's an up to date list of places selling tickets for us

In Peterborough:

Have You Seen - 321 Aylmer St, Peterborough - 750-0770

Titles Book Store - 379 George St, Peterborough - 743-9610

Kawartha World Issues Centre (KWIC) - Environmental Sciences Building, Room B101 - Trent University - 748-1011 ext. 1680

Lakefield:

Happenstance Books and Yarn - 44 Queen Street, Lakefield - 652-7535

And Lindsay:

Common Grounds - 40 Kent St. W., Lindsay - 324-8117

Tickets Tickets Tickets!

Tickets are now available for the 2011 ReFrame Film Festival, so get them while they're hot!

Weekend passes are going for $25 or $12 for students/unwaged, and individual rush tickets are $8 or pay-what-you-can

New this year, you can purchase tickets online through our friends over at Ticket Break

ReFrame Wants You!

ReFrame needs volunteers for the weekend of the festival, Jan 28-30

To find out what our volunteers do check here. Then email Daphne at volunteer@reframefilmfest.ca for more info!

New Blog Writer

Hey there, my name's Steve and for the next few months I'll be keeping you up to date on what's happening with the ReFrame Film Festival.

I moved to Peterborough earlier this year from Toronto, and was so happy to find just as much arts and culture happening here but with more of that small-town feel. While in Toronto I worked with youth in Regent Park and other low-income communities, teaching them how to use new media as a tool to help their voices be heard. Put a video camera in the hands of a young person and you'll be amazed at what they have to say! And that's why I connected with ReFrame - not only do I enjoy watching films, but I love the whole process of making them, and hopefully I can share a bit of that passion with you.

So, keep checking back to see what updates I have for everyone, and make sure you follow us on our facebook fan page and our twitter account