LIFT Touring Master Class with Belleville Downtown DocFest: Brian D. Johnson
LIFT Touring Master Class with Belleville Downtown DocFest
The Delinquent Documentary: How to Direct a Film That Has Authority Issues
LIFT Touring Master Class with Belleville Downtown DocFest
The Delinquent Documentary: How to Direct a Film That Has Authority Issues
A Discussion with Brian D. Johnson (Director/Producer Al Purdy was Here)
Saturday, March 5, 2016
2:30pm – 5:00pm
Capers Richie Room
272 Front Street
Belleville, ON
Join Brian D. Johnson as he shares the story of his trajectory from longtime film critic to first-time filmmaker. Seduced by the DIY revolution in digital video, he first began mixing poetry, music and documentary in experimental shorts. Years later, Al Purdy Was Here evolved from a fundraiser, then outgrew its modest ambitions as artists like Leonard Cohen, Bruce Cockburn and Tanya Tagaq came on board. Johnson will talk about how the film became a virtual master class, as it took on a life of its own, uncovering new details from Al Purdy’s life. He will describe how a film about sacrificing family for art affected his own family—his wife, Marni Jackson was its co-writer and his son, Casey Johnson, was the composer. Other issues to be discussed include the cinematic framing of poetry and music, the role of screenwriting in documentary, the orchestration of multiple storylines, and the problem of editorial balance in portraying an iconic character with serious flaws.
Brian D. Johnson is one Canada’s leading film critics and cultural commentators. He is also an author, filmmaker and musician. As President of the Toronto Film Critics Association, he created the annual TFCA Awards gala in 2008, now home to the $100,000 Rogers Best Canadian Film Award. From 1985 to 2014, he was a Senior Writer with Maclean’s magazine, where he remains a Contributing Editor. And in 2015 he produced and directed his first documentary feature, Al Purdy Was Here. Born in England and raised in Toronto, Johnson is an award-winning journalist who has written for publications ranging from Rolling Stone to The Globe and Mail. He has interviewed countless celebrities in print, on TV—and onstage, notably in conversation with Al Pacino at Massey Hall as host of Pacino: One Night Only (2013). Johnson has pulblished three non-fiction books: Railway Country: Across Canada by Train (1985), The XV Olympic Winter Games: The Official Commemorative Book (1988) and the TIFF history Brave Films, Wild Nights: 25 Years of Festival Fever (2000). His book of poetry, Marzipan Lies (1974), was the first work published by the Porcupine’s Quill. In 1994, he published a novel, Volcano Days. Johnson has produced and directed two BravoFACT shorts, Tell Me Everything (2006), a montage of hands at work; and Yesno (2010), based on a book of poetry by Dennis Lee. Al Purdy Was Here premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won 2nd runner-up for the TIFF Grolsch Documentary People’s Choice Award and went on play theatres in over 50 communities across Canada.
This artist talk is part of LIFT’s Touring Filmmaking Workshops with media arts centers throughout Ontario. The touring program is generously supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF).
Starting: Saturday 5 March 2016 14:30
Non Members: Free
Members: Free
Location:
Capers Richie Room
272 Front Street
Belleville ON Canada