Regenerations: CMFDC 40th Anniversary Film Commissions
To mark their 40th anniversary last year, the CFMDC (Canadian Filmmakers' Distribution Centre) commissioned seven artists to make works inspired by films that are significant to them as image-makers. Adam Garnet Jones's SECRET WEAPONS is an intensely personal animated film essay whose formal qualities speak to Mike Hoolboom's seminal, award-winning FRANK'S COCK (1993). Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof fashions a visual duet comprised of a 16mm film, THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS and a self-portrait photogram motivated by the incomparable virtuosity of Stan Brakhage's CHRIST MASS SEX DANCE (1991). Jerry Thevent's SHELLEY renders homage to Shelley Niro's work in its meditation on binding relationships between nature, Western ideals, and native life in Canada. Louise Bourque's use of home movies in FISSURES (1999) triggers a promise from mother to son in Lise Beaudry's LA VIE EN PELLICULE . With a playful, destructive spirit, Chris Gehman's ROSTRUM PRESS: MATERIALS TESTING "responds to an isolated aspect of two films by Michael Snow: BREAKFAST (TABLE TOP DOLLY ) (1972-76) and PRESENTS (1980-81), with an additional/incidental nod to Snow's WAVELENGTH (1967)" (Chris Gehman) (Andréa Picard, Cinematheque Ontario).