Martha Jurksaitis – Summer 2017 Artist in Residence
LIFT ANNOUNCES SUMMER 2017 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
MARTHA JURKSAITIS (CHERRY KINO)
Toronto, June 1, 2017—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that Martha Jurksaitis (aka Cherry Kino) has joined us from Yorkshire as a visiting artist from May 23 to June 23, 2017 to work on completing a new 16mm film revolving around Mexican myth of the Totonac people about the origins of the vanilla orchid. While in town, Jurksaitis will be teaching an Eco Colour Super 8mm Filmmaking workshop on processing film with caffenol (coffee-based chemistry) on June 18 and presenting a screening of her films at PIX Film Gallery (1411 Dufferin Street, Unit C) on June 20 at 7:00pm.
Martha has become quite a creative force in the last ten years, making numerous films and teaching dozens of filmmaking workshops both in Yorkshire and in micro-labs around Europe. She has embraced the relative isolation of Northern England to create a self-sufficient filmmaking practice that has allowed her to be both productive and idiosyncratic. Along with a growing movement of personal filmmakers, she has also focused her energy on developing ecologically minded filmmaking processes—processes that she has been keen to share with other filmmakers of her persuasion.
Martha’s ecological approach to filmmaking will be brought to the local community in part through her workshop, “Eco Colour Super 8mm” workshop, which involves processing black and white film in caffenol and then hand-tinting it with eco-friendly photographic watercolours. This process ties in to a recent surge in filmmakers being interested in decreasing their ecological footprint even while they work with a medium that leaves behind a toxic path. Because celluloid filmmaking is an organic process, they argue that there can be ecologically minded alternatives to the chemistry that is used to process film and filmmakers like Martha have gone a long way towards propagating this alternative model to filmmaking. Martha’s experience teaching multiple workshops on this subject will be a big boost to the local film community who are interested in these alternative processes.
Martha’s screening will build upon this practice by showing how she has utilized this ecological and independent practice to create lushly beautiful films, both sensual and lithe. Her films, made in Super 8mm and 16mm and bursting with colour, frame a true and passionate interest in ecology, sensuality, and the possibilities of celluloid filmmaking.
Martha Jurksaitis’ visit is made possible in part through the support from Canada Council for the Arts through their Visiting Foreign Artist grant program. Her artist talk at PIX Film Gallery is generously supported by the LivingArts Kitchen.
Martha Jurksaitis, aka Cherry Kino (b. 1981, UK) works with Super 8 and 16mm film, which she processes and edits by hand. Her filmmaking approach is artisanal, constantly experimenting with materials and techniques to combine process and material with feeling and concept. Fascinated by the tangibility of the image, she seeks to materialize her visions and emotions in the sensual body of the spectator. Since 2009, Cherry Kino has helped hundreds of people to get started with DIY filmmaking through Super 8 and 16mm filmmaking workshops, and has presented a large number of artist film screening events—often on 16mm—in a variety of unique spaces. She holds an MA by Research in Synaesthetic Cinema from the University of Leeds and was an Artist in Residence at the National Media Museum, UK in 2015. www.cherrykino.com
Eco Colour Super 8mm Filmmaking
Sunday, June 18, 2017
10:00am – 6:00pm
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street (at Gladstone Avenue)
Cost: $60 LIFT members, $85 non-members
Pre-registration Required. Enrolment limit to 6.
Register: 416.588.6444
Cherry Ripe: Super 8mm and 16mm Films by Cherry Kino
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
7:00pm
PIX Film Gallery
1411 Dufferin Street, Unit C
FREE Admission
The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is Canada’s foremost artist-run production and education organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the moving image. LIFT exists to provide support and encouragement for independent filmmakers and artists through affordable access to production, post-production and exhibition equipment; professional and creative development; workshops and courses; commissioning and exhibitions; artist-residencies; and a variety of other services. LIFT is supported by its membership, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Foundation, the Government of Ontario and the Toronto Arts Council. http://lift.ca
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For additional information please see http://lift.ca or e-mail Executive Director Chris Kennedy at office@lift.on.ca
Tuesday 23 May 2017 –
Non-members: Various
Members: Various
Location:
Liaison of Independent Fimmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street
Toronto ON Canada