Film board offers workshops in doc film-making

Are you a budding Michael Moore? Is there a story you want to tell that would be suitable for film?

Perhaps you should consider signing up for a new program offered by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB).

It's called First Stories and it's a six-day intensive workshop that gives the emerging motion picture artist a well-rounded look at documentary film-making from concept to post-production.
The workshop, through lectures from industry professionals and hands-on experience with the latest film-making technology, will develop the skills of Aboriginal people that want to get involved in film-making.

Participants will learn about the history and purpose of the documentary genre. They'll be introduced to cinematography, camera movement and lighting. They'll learn about the producer's role and how a producer works with a director. And they'll learn about the business, funding sources, and how to develop a network of contacts.

"I've packed so much into this workshop that it's film school in six days," said William Belcourt, a film-maker himself and an associate producer with the NFB.

Belcourt said there is a sad lack of films being made by Aboriginal people about Aboriginal people, and when the Aboriginal perspective is not seen it affects the community for the worse.
"I think it has a lot to do with race relations and how people exist with each other in Canada. I mean, if a voice is not heard and recognized then there's a lack of education towards Aboriginal people. So the more that's known about our people the better it is for future generations and education and co-existing in society."

He said there is a story unfolding in each Aboriginal nation and in each Aboriginal individual in the country, and these stories are missing from the screens.

"You only have to turn on the television to realize that there is a lack of representation from the Aboriginal population. I mean ,things are moving ahead with APTN and Maori television and that kind of Aboriginal programming, but it's missing in mainstream society."

Belcourt said the circumstances of Aboriginal people are unique, "where we come from, where we are going and our relationships with each other or our environments...

"That's one of our number one strategies for promoting this workshop, is that people do have a chance to give voice to their own stories and present them as they see their stories being, instead of an outsider coming in and trying to tell Aboriginal stories. It definitely has a lot to do with how we perceive ourselves, if we are telling our own stories with the technology."

Two workshops are planned, one in Calgary from March 6 to 11, and the other in Edmonton from March 13 to 18. There is also a plan in the works to take a version of the workshop to the Northwest Territories.

There should be no cost to participants to take this program, if all the partnerships with funding agencies come through, said Belcourt. Even those who have to travel from areas outside of Edmonton and Calgary will be accommodated and fed.

After the workshops are delivered, participants will have an opportunity to pitch their ideas for a film and two to four people will be funded to make 10-minute documentaries.

"We are hoping to get people with a range of skills," said Belcourt. Young adults are the target group for the program, but Belcourt said he would not put limits on who could apply for a spot. Even those who might already have some background in the film industry are welcome.

"We're looking for new talent, new voices, people who want to make an impact with their stories."
The deadline for sending in an application is the end of February. Contact Belcourt at the NFB at (780) 495-3016 or at W.belcourt@nfb.ca by e-mail. There will be 20 people in each of the workshops.

"The film industry is a tough career choice and, realistically, it's not an overnight root to success, but once people step on that path in the motion picture arts industry, I believe that with a positive attitude, motivation, creativity and the will to succeed, as well as the support mechanisms people have, they can have a really fulfilling career.

"I'm proof of that."