Archive for November, 2008

This past September, Color Magazine and Red Bull held a contest involving ten groups of skateboarders in cities across Canada. Each team was made up of three skateboarders, one filmer and one photographer. We were given 10 rolls of 16mm film, and were to use it over a weekend to make a five minute skateboard film. The Calgary team was made up of skateboarders Sean MacAlister, Drew Merriman, and Kevin Lowry, along with Mark Webber filming and myself shooting photos. Once our video was complete, I took it to Chad VanGaalen and had him score it with his own original music.

Click below to watch the video.

Kalamata

Fairly Traded Market Day- Saturday, November 29, 2008 10am to 4pm
Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall 1320, 5th Avenue NW

Market place with over 20 fair trade and local green vendors (Such as Ten Thousand Villages, Hey Market Café, The EcoStore, Pottery to end Poverty, Manana Imports and lots more!)

Great local entertainment throughout the day

Exhibition of Photography

Delicious food from EthniCity Catering

Fair Trade Coffee and Hot Chocolate

Presentations by David Swann (MLA and CMV) and Caesar Apentiik (UofC) of C’

My girlfriend, who just had her wisdom teeth out and is at home getting some valuable recoup time, informs me this flick is on Bravo right now:

It was shot here locally in the downtown plus 15’s (above ground walkways between buildings for any non-Calgarians). I used to see them filming around downtown all the time a few years back and it looked pretty funny. I always wanted to go check it out in theaters but never got around to it.

Anyone see it? reviews?

Well the holiday season is nearly upon us…correction… it is upon us.
Now there are a number of reasons (that I won’t get into) as to why this is quite possibly the most stressful time of the year for many of us.

If your having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit look no further than…
ELF YOURSELF!

This is sure to put a smile on even the most grinchy of grinches grinchy faces…yeah I said it!

I am proud to present to you…Devo, Brodesha, Sandriqua, Jerima, & Danielle…aka THE ELF ETTES! (warning gut wrenching laughter may occour…especially if you know this motley crew.)
http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=CBoPcHTiG0z2cInD&service=sendables.jibjab.com&partnerID=ElfYourself

I think we are a pretty rad looking Elf Band!

eS Footwear, Livestock and Canada Is Awesome present the Clipse from coast to coast. Wamp Wamp!

One of the things that makes Calgary awesome is the many interesting people that move here from all over the country. I moved here in 2001 and have met some great people! One of my favorites is Roland Nincheri

Roland, grandson of Canada’s great stain glass artist Guido Nincheri, moved here from Montreal at the beginning of the century. He has told me many great stories of growing up in Montreal (dude was such a ladies man), and his life as an actor. Being casted in such films as Pick-Up Summer, Scanners, Terror Train, Snake Eater 2: The Drug Buster (staring Lorenzo Lamas) and many more Roland is a talented actor whom if started at a younger age might have been a bigger star than he is today. I recently purchased Pick-Up Summer from amazon.ca, and it is pretty much the early 80’s version of American Pie or Super Bad. Lots of teenage hi jinx and bad jokes. After watching the film I did some research online and was surprised to read what one fan said on IMDB.

“PICK-UP SUMMER (Pinball Summer) was shown as part of the Grindhouse Film Festival at the New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles March 9-10, 2007. This film among others was chosen by Quentin Tarantino as a favorite from his personal 35mm collection. I saw him briefly in the lobby of the theater and he said that he saw this in 1982 when it was first released. On Friday night when I saw it in a packed house, the mainly young audience got the jokes (lots of laughter) and had fun with the film. Obviously inspired by other teen films like THE VAN and THE POM-POM GIRLS, this film revolves around a Pinball Machine (remember them?) tournament. Not too shabby…”

If you are ever surfing the channels at three in the morning and come across Pick-Up Summer check it out, it is good for a laugh!

Hey everyone!  Just a heads up on two awesome shows playing at The Plaza in Kensington TONIGHT ONLY! 

Beautiful Losers 7pm, presented by the Calgary Underground Film Festival, is a film about a group of artists and their work influenced by the underground energy of skateboarding, graffiti, and punk rock.

Stay at the Plaza until 9:30, and see The Big Lebowski…for FREE! (food donation)

Two great things are going on TOMORROW!

Friday November 28th, 2008

1- BUY NOTHING DAY!! One small step to stop our overconsumption.  Join the revolution and go the whole day without buying ANYTHING!

2- CALGARY CRITICAL MASS!! Grab your bike and come on down to Eau Claire Market (meet by the Olympic rings in front of the YMCA) for 5:30pm. Join in on a monthly group bike ride through inner city and near by communities to take back the streets and create awareness that bikes are traffic too. Always a GREAT time and so much fun! An amazing way to top of your day of revolution!

It’s been just over a year since pro snowboarder, artist, innovator, and Calgary native, TJ Schneider, opened up a window into his private life and invited the snowboard community in for a peek. The Snowboard Realms, a DIY video diary chronicling his year as a professional snowboarder, had humble beginnings. Shot entirely by TJ, (except when he was on the shred) the youtube subscription rewarded viewers with a unique, honest perspective of pro shred life, pro contests, and TJ’s other passion: his inspiring art and design. 

The Snowboard Realms has quickly grown, and after 37 episodes in Season 1, Season 2 is off and running with a fresh new website, a new community for snowboarders to join, and the same candid, real-life tales, that TJ’s viewers have grown to love. If you’re a snowboarder, and love the fun, laughs, and excitement that snowboarding can bring to your life, make sure to hop on over and see for yourself.

If you’re interested, TJ recently conducted an interview  with push.ca about Season 2, and there’s some interesting insight into his reasons for starting, and continuing the project.

As well, you can check out TJ’s website for more about him and you can also view The Snowboard Realms on YouTube.

As part of UofC’s Fair Trade Week 2008, two movies will be playing tomorrow night.

“Buyer be Fair” and “Birdsong Coffee” are showing in the Social Science building- Theater 140 at 6:30pm on Wednesday November 26th and its FREE!

BUYER BE FAIR
This film offers an engaging look into one of the hottest topics in today’s marketplace. Its straightforward approach illuminates the considerable and increasing power that is in our hands as consumers to have a direct impact on the lives (and environments) of countless people. This film helps people understand WHY to care and WHAT to do.” – Daniele Giovannucci, World Bank

BIRDSONG & COFFEE: A Wake Up Call
“This film is the single best educational device I have seen — and I have seen many — for increasing people’s understanding about how we can restructure the global economy in a democratic and ecological direction.” — Dr. Kevin Danaher, Co-Founder, Global Exchange.

Try to come down, it will surely be an interesting night! Discussion and Photo exhibit to follow.

For more information, click here!