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Cinecoup Title Card — Vancouver-based company CineCoup offers $1 M

Sad Mag loves a good show-and-tell almost as much as we love independent arts and culture. In fact, if showing off could be an independent art form… well, we would be doing it, now wouldn’t we? So when Sad Mag heard about CineCoup, we thought, “What better way to strut your Canadian film-making stuff, than competing for one million dollars via social media?”

“At it’s most basic level, the CineCoup Film Accelerator is sort of like American Idol, except for indie film in Canada,” says Sean Horlor, co-founder of Steamy Windows Productions, CineCoup contestant, and organizer of the CineCoup West Coast Party at The Queen’s Republic on April 25th. “Between now and June 11, filmmakers get to showcase their filmmaking abilities every week on CineCoup.com and in June, one filmmaker will be selected for a $1M production budget and a 2014 release in Cineplex. Fans and critics will vote their favourite filmmakers to the top.”

A pretty sweet deal, and one bankrolled by J Joly, founder and CEO of OverInteractive Media and dimeRocker. Joly’s project puts the curatorial power of social media to the test, so that filmmakers who participate gain valuable audience feedback based on their film’s trailer and concept. Rather than relying on film competitions or focus groups, it’s really the team’s social media savvy and the professional online pitch package which will bolster fan support. In the end, the Top 10 projects will be optioned for development. A jury of industry professionals and a “CineCoup Superfan” will select one project for up to $1 million (CDN) in production financing and guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres in January 2014.

Is there a need for such a competition in Canada? For Horlor and his team, the answer is, “Definitely.” Says Horlor, “my team joined this year because the barriers to entry to the filmmaking industry are huge. Only 3% of the films screened in Canadian theatres are made by Canadian filmmakers.”

CineCoup gives indie filmmakers a chance to tell stories that might never make it to screen through the traditional filmmaking model in Canada. It’s a novel concept that, according to Horlor, has really changed the game: “So let’s say you’ve shot a few short films or done a ton of commercial work. You’ve got the skills to make your film. You have a great feature script, access to the best talent, and a great crew…now what? If you don’t have connections to investors or distributors or have a film that’s suitable for federal grants, your project will never find the money to get made.

CineCoup has changed that model. We’ve been connected to fans before our project has even gone to picture and they have helped crowdsource our concept and screenplay by interacting with us in realtime. CineCoup is also finding investors on our behalf and connecting us to their industry network. CineCoup will pitch the Top 10 projects this year at Cannes and the Top 5 filmmaking teams will be going to Banff to pitch industry reps themselves.”

***

Horlor invites fans to come to the CineCoup West Coast Party at The Queen’s Republic April 25th. It will be a night of celebration and great drinks. Help all eight of these West Coast teams reach the Top 15! Teams in attendance are:

http://www.cinecoup.com/gradeninemovie
http://www.cinecoup.com/scam
http://www.cinecoup.com/thedangersofonlinedating
http://www.cinecoup.com/bad
http://www.cinecoup.com/themillandthemountain
http://www.cinecoup.com/hastings-street
http://www.cinecoup.com/the-fall
http://www.cinecoup.com/thirdwavefilm

Our third ‘Mo-Wave interview also comes to you from the very noisy but very friendly Chop Suey greenroom. Tyler Morgenstern stole a few moments with Bryn, lead vocalist and guitarist of so-called “queermocore seagaze” four piece Wishbeard, who hours before hard charmed the room with their dreamy, heavy, driven, noirish pop.

How long have you been playing together as a band, and where are you from?
March 17^th was our one-year anniversary as a band! I’m from Seattle, Brighton (bass) is from Marysville, Washington, Res (keys) is from Florida and Jude (drums) is from Maryland. And I guess I moved here from Mississippi.

What draws you to ‘Mo-Wave?
Well. Being gay for one. But also I think a lot of us recognized, around the issue of marriage equality, when we were having that conversation in Washington…there were a lot of fundraisers and benefits and shows and concerts for marriage equality, but there were no queer bands. No gay bands. Not that it’s not good to be behind a cause, and it’s important to have allies, but I think that, at least for me, I see ‘Mo-Wave as an opportunity to be queer and be with other queer musicians and be just as good as anyone else.

But also, being queer is a part of who we are, but it doesn’t define us. And I hope that even though we’re recognized as a queer band, that we’re seen as a really great band, and that people hear our music for what it is. I think all my band mates would say that.

What do you think can be done to make more stages for queer artists?
I think a lot of that is our responsibility in identifying as queer. There’s been a lot of shows we’ve played that have not been queer-oriented. And it’s funny, as a band, we joke. Because it’s always the shows where we’re playing to straight bro-ey dudes with beards (which is funny because we’re called Wishbeard), but they’re always the ones who come up and go “Oh man I love your stuff! It was so good!” And it’s funny for us, but I still think that there’s a lot of responsibility for queers to be visible.

We have to make an effort to be visible, and something like ‘Mo-Wave gives us an opportunity and a platform to do that. We all identify as queer in our bands, and it’s something that we talk about and hold close. But we still take being good musicians as something really important–practicing good musicianship and being a good band and being dedicated to that. If people connect with us for being queer, that’s awesome. But if they connect with us for being queer and for our music, that’s awesome, too.

NightCadet — Night Cadet: Spencer Bray (drums), Barret Anspach (violin), Seth Garrison (keys, lead vocals), Garrett Vance (guitars)

Our second ‘Mo-Wave interview comes to you from the Chop Suey greenroom at an hour that felt very late. We later confirmed that it was about 9 PM. It was a long day. Tyler Morgenstern sat down with Seth Garrison, lead vocalist for Seattle-based dream pop quartet Night Cadet and festival organizer, to chat/yell about queer art, lousy budgets, and pride.

Where is your band from, and how long have you been playing together?
We’ve been together for probably a year, and we live here in Seattle. But Barrett [Anspach, violinist and composer] and I moved here from New York about two years ago.

What draws you to ‘Mo-Wave as an artist, and in your case, as an organizer?
I think people often forget about how much cool shit queer people do. So to me the festival was just a way to be like “Oh yay! Look at all this cool stuff we do!” Every band you know has a gay person in it, and that’s kind of awesome. And with ‘Mo-Wave in particular, there’s just so many different kinds of music. It’s so eclectic. Tonight is a perfect example. There’s metal, dance, punk, us–dreamy shoegaze. It’s so diverse, what ‘Mo-Wave is presenting. And it’s great. At least I think it’s great (author’s note: it was really great).

I saw Jordan O’ Jordan this morning and, oh my God. It made me feel proud. It made me feel so proud to be gay. So that’s another reason why I’m doing it. It makes me feel very proud.

And this is another big question for you as an organizer: what can be done to get more queer people on stage?
Well. Having more funds means you can do more, obviously. Being able to pay people is huge. Right now we’re shoestringing it, and we’re just trying to break even. It’s expensive to do this. The issue isn’t finding queer people that are awesome. They’re everywhere, and this is just one step in putting the spotlight on that. But I think in the future, putting on an all-ages event is important. We didn’t do that this year because it doesn’t work here very well, and we all have full time jobs. Just to do what we did was a sacrifice we all had to make.

JOJ_Press — in which paper feathers, bowler hats, and patterned collars queerily coexist

On April 12, the Sad Mag crew piled into a car and headed for Seattle to take in ‘Mo-Wave, Seattle’s brand new, all-queer music festival. In between comically oversized whiskeys and late night street meat breaks, we found some time to interview a few of the festival’s outstanding artists. We took the same (sort of) three (or so) questions to all of them to see what made this amazing celebration of queer art and culture tick.

Over a beer at The Wildrose, Tyler Morgenstern chatted with Jordan O’Jordan, a Seattle transplant with bluegrass charm and a penchant for the personal as political.

Read on! and have a listen to Jordan O’Jordan seduce you with his banjo…

How long have you been playing as your current project and where are you from?
My name is Jordan O’ Jordan. I’m originally from Ohio, but I live in Seattle now.

What brought you to Seattle?
Originally I wanted to make the pilgrimage to the Mecca of grunge rock. Long ago, after college, I thought, “I wanna get out of Ohio, where do I wanna go? Oh. Seattle.” So many bands. Singles is one of my favorite movies of all time. And I know it’s not actually Seattle. It’s like falling in love with LA from movies like LA Story or like…watching Joan Crawford in LA. It’s not real LA, just as watching Singles is not real Seattle, but I still really liked it.

This project (Jordan O’Jordan) started in 2002. So I’ve been doing that for about 11 years now.

How do you go from making a cross-country migration to the city of grunge and end up playing blue grass and doing slam poetry?
I grew up in southern Ohio—in Appalachia—so I grew up listening to a lot of blue grass music. But I played in a bunch of punk bands in high school, then went to college. And it’s hard to play solo punk drums in your dorm room. So I thought “I’ll pick up a string instrument. I’ll pick up the banjo so I can take my culture wherever I go.”

What do you like about ‘Mo-Wave?
One, it’s a bunch of friends of mine who put it together. And it’s always nice when your buddies do something really cool. And I think it’s awesome to have a queer music festival in Seattle. There’s a ton of queer artists around here and we’re all playing music, so just to have a space that’s specific for a moment is awesome. To just say “hey, we’re integrated most all of our lives. But every once in a while we just want it to be us. This specific, tiny, discrete moment–for just a moment–where we can feel completely comfortable.”

As an artist, how do you think we go about creating more queer stages?
Sometimes I think it’s about making specific choices. Touring according to specific choices, about who we listen to, who we are around. It’s so easy to go into a town when you’re on or booking a tour and be like “Who’s gonna draw the most people? Who’s the popular band I wanna play with so lots of people will be at my show? I don’t care if it’s straight people.”

But then sometimes you think, “You know what? No.” Let’s contact our friends who are the queers and the gays in town and let’s play the dive gay bar, rather than the cool, hip joint. Let’s take these spaces, where we’d be anyway and then let’s make them into show spaces or let’s do guerilla art stuff. Some of my favorite shows have been in non-traditional venue spaces like queer houses, parks, galleries, or in tattoo parlors, or on top of a building. People put it together just for a moment.

And it builds community, too. Those spaces are more close-knit. And at the risk of sounding preachy, it’s not about selling booze. When you play a bar or a venue, the goal of why you’re there is to sell booze. Let’s call a spade a spade. You need to pay all the bartenders, you need to pay the door people. You need to sell a lot of booze.

Which, thank God. Everybody likes to get fucked up. But every once in a while, it’s important to make specific choices about the things we’re saying with our careers…that maybe aren’t the things we want to say.

If you’re only playing venues or only playing with straight people…take a minute. Get a little political. Get a little meta.

Pulse_Screenshot_00 — Pulse won the best Unity Student game for 2012

Vancity has always had a reputation for being a place that loves independent art and culture of all kinds. Of the various mediums of art that Vancouver loves, and there are lots, there is one that often gets overlooked: video games. What’s this you say? Video Games aren’t art? Pish tosh to you sir/madam! video games are indeed a form of art! Vancouver is renowned as a nexus of independent game design and a home for many of those for whom Independent game design is their career.

At Vancouver Film School, every few months a new round of students graduate after pouring blood, sweat, tears and hundreds of hours into a final project over the course of 5 months. Most of these projects become pieces in portfolios, things students have worked on that they let fall by the way side. The keyword here being ‘most.’ Every now and then a team of incredibly talented and passionate young people put out something miraculous that they poured themselves into. One of these games is Pulse.

Pulse is a game where the player takes on the role of a little blind girl to try and save her lost brother. Their world is one lit by sound, and filled with adorable little creatures called ‘Mokos’ and ravenous monsters.

Approximately one month ago Pulse did what a lot of independent artists only dream of: they tried to go big! They put themselves out on KickStarter for the world to judge their worth. Currently they have approximately $47 500 out of their goal of $75 000 and time is running short for them!

Sad Mag and VFS urge Vancouver’s lovers of independent art to pitch in, and try and make this dream a reality for five exceptionally dedicated and hardworking individuals who are trying to do what all new artists want to do: turn their passion into their career. You can read more about Pulse in the Globe and Mail, and visit their KickStarter Page to donate!

Vancouver Notables is the ongoing interview series where “No Fun City” shows off. More like burlesque than a talent show, Vancouver Notables wants you doing what you do best, but with sequins on your nipples. Tell us who you are, what you’re doing that’s of note and why, oh why, are you rocking that boat?

Sad Mag cornered Dress for Success organizer Jackie Powell and asked her all sorts of questions about her work helping disadvantaged women get back on their feet.

Sad Mag: Who are you?
Jackie Powell: My name is Jackie Powell and I’m a relatively new addition to Vancouver. I moved to this fine city at the beginning of last year and fell in love with its beauty. I have been involved with community outreach programs for women and children for over 10 years now. This year I am proudly chairing the Dress for Success 5KM Power Walk that is happing on Saturday May 11th around Queen Elizabeth Park.

SM: What is Dress for Success and how did you get involved?
JP: It was an easy decision for me to get involved with DFS because they promote the economic independence of women in a sustainable way. They believe in treating the problem, not the symptoms, by setting women up with equal opportunities for employment. I think most Vancouverites know that we have a problem with the socio-economic distribution in this city and there are simply not enough programs to support the many people needing a break. Strong, self-sustaining women are key to the overall wellbeing of a city. Women typically reinvest a much higher portion of funds into their families and the community than men, and therefore speed up the process of overcoming poverty. The mission of DFS is to help disadvantaged women overcome their current hardships by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. I am a strong believer in the power of women and I think our capabilities are limitless when given an equal playing field!

SM: You’ve been with DFS for how long?
JP: I’ve been volunteering with DFS for over a year now.

SM: If you could choose a dream route (any country, any season, any difficulty level) for the DFS power walk, where would it be?
JP: Well, my dream route for the Power Walk would end up being far longer than 5KM! It would start at ground zero in downtown Vancouver at our DFS office on Hastings Street. We would head out through the streets of our city reaching out a hand to any and all disadvantaged women along the way. Our walk would continue on past city limits and span the country. By the time we crossed the finish line in the east, we would have successfully helped every woman in Canada!

SM: People often accuse Vancouver of being “No Fun City.” Do you agree or disagree? What for you makes Vancouver unique?
JP: Although I understand the “No Fun” argument, I disagree. There is no question that this city thrives in the daytime with all of its outdoor beauty, then seems to slow to an agonizing halt once the sun goes down but I believe the fun is still out there… we just don’t know where to look. Vancouver is full of art and culture but it needs to be better represented and better accepted. I feel like there is a lack of acceptance when things are done differently. We have the population to support all types of people and artists but somehow there is a push for conformity that seems to happen here. If people stepped out of their boxes or for that matter out of their neighborhoods, they would find a buzzing city out there that is comparable to the New Yorks of the world!

SM: Favourite local Vancity spot?
JP: I have so many favorites but right now I would say the Calabash Bistro tops my list. Great Caribbean food and even better dancing!

SM: Where are you as you answer these questions?
JP: I’m sitting on my work patio overlooking the harbor and Lions Gate Bridge. Not a bad view!

SM: Last album you listened to?
JP: Frank Ocean

SM: What are you most excited about right now?
JP: Right now I am most excited about the DFS Power Walk next month. We have been in full-planning mode since January, so it is exciting to see it come into fruition! Our planning committee is full of energetic and determined women that want to help and inspire others so it has been a motivating event to plan. The race will start at the Oakridge Centre Mall at 9:00AM on Saturday May 11th and will go around beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park. There will be keynote speakers, yoga, prizes, auctions, and of course, empowering women empowering women, if you know what I mean!

Tonight! Wednesday April 3rd, the BC Youth Poetry Slam has their opening night Spoken Word Jamboree! Featuring acclaimed Ted-X featured poet and Sister Speaks featured poet, TRUTH IS.

Show starts at 7:30pm at the Roundhouse Community Centre

{181 Roundhouse Mews, just down the street from the Yaletown Canada Line stop. The Roundhouse also has wheelchair access for anyone needing assistance.}

Thursday and Friday evenings feature preliminary bouts for the high school teams involved. This is what they’ve been working for all year long! A chance to compete for the coveted Billy Sharkspeare championship trophy.

Friday night also has the 2nd annual Hullabaloo Indie Poet championship featuring 14 team reps competing to see who can bring the poetic noise the best.

Saturday night wraps up the festival with the team poetry slam finals plus a feature performance by 2009 Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, Amy Everhart. Advance tickets for this show and the others can be purchased before the day of. No online sales will be available the day of the show: for tickets and full event schedule, visit their website!

Ohh baby, this mix knows exactly how you want it…in your ears! Enjoy these sexy sounds curated especially for you. Pervert.

Listen to Pam’s Do You Right Mix

A maven of music, a food snob and a stickler when it comes to good design, those of us who know Pam regard her as a passionate person for all things creative. Pam received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art& Design in 2006 and her diploma with honours in Illustration and Design from Capilano University’s IDEA Program.

When Pam isn’t doing her design magic for Sad Mag, she enjoys being a soprano diva in the Kingsgate chorus, making elaborate meals and then eating them, and making daily playlists for your listening pleasure.

Look out the window. Is it raining? Is it sunny? Can you see the smoke from the fiery embers that will be our summer? Until it’s a reality, listen to this mix and think of road trips, sunshine and that gross feeling of sand in your flip flops.

Listen to Pam’s “Summer Smoke” Mix

As the New Year hit, Rolling Stone magazine had claimed that Vancouver’s Punk Scene was blowing up; as a city with a great deal of 90’s resurgence. While recognizing Vancouver’s well-known title of “No Fun City,” the magazine celebrated great local acts such as White Lung, Japandroids and Nu Sensae, amongst others. Their attention focused on great local albums, Rolling Stone recognized the city as having great talent and hope for being a city that produces solid work on the world stage. As many great bands start out in Vancouver, many also leave or disband, leaving the creative flow disjointed. Although this may be a challenge for a city that continues to lose great music venues, one thing holds true for Vancouver: there is talent, community and, for the most part, support. With local organizations like Safe Amplication Society and Girls Rock Camp Vancouver, we demonstrate the ability to be progressive while investing in a music-empowered future.The March playlist showcases ear candy local bands and suggests that Rolling Stone may be right about our city’s music scene.

Listen to March’s Local Musics – Spring Break!

Japandroids – The Nights of Wine and Roses
Sex Church – Not Anymore
Needles//Pins – 12:34
Slow Learner – Grocery Store
Yung Mums – Cobra
Hard Feelings – E on the 13
B-13’s – Burnt CD’s
Apollo Ghosts – Ultra Kool
Thee Ahs – To Young for You
Peace – The Perp Walk
Ladyhawk – Rub me Wrong
Tranzmitors – You Get Around
Channels 3 and 4 – The Queen
Shearing Pinx – New Gospel
White Lung – Viva La Rat
Nu Sensae – Swim
Baptists – Farmed

The Sad Mag Archives

CineCoup // Indie Film + 1 Million $

‘Mo-Wave Interview // Bryn

‘Mo-Wave Interview // Seth Garrison

‘Mo-Wave Interview // Jordan O’Jordan

Indie Game, Vancouver // Help Support “Pulse”

Vancouver Notables // Jackie Powell

Hullabaloo: BC Youth Poetry Slam Championships!

Designer Beats: take 2 // March Madness

Designer Beats // March

Local Musics // March 2013