The Alliance for Children and Television presents series with Award of Excellence

(Saskatoon, SK) – The producers of Wapos Bay received the ACT Award of Excellence for Animation, ages six to eight category, for the episode Raiders of the Lost Art in Toronto on June 3 2009.  The Alliance for Children and Television honours the best in children’s entertainment, juried by Canadian and international industry creators, craftspeople and professionals.

Producers Dennis & Melanie Jackson (Dark Thunder Production), Anand Ramayya (KarmaFilm) and Derek Mazur (National Film Board of Canada) add this award to their slate of wins for Season 3 of the series.  Season three award recognition includes the 2009 Golden Sheaf Award (Yorkton Film Festival) for Best Children’s Production, the 2009 Elan Award for Best Children’s Animated Television Production, and the 2008 Gemini Award for Best Ensemble Performance in an Animated Program or Series.

Wapos Bay just wrapped production of season four, which is scheduled to broadcast on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) in the fall of 2009.  Seasons two and three are currently airing on APTN and the Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN).  As pre-production for season five begins, Wapos Bay is also versioning the series into French, Cree and Inuktitut.

The 62nd Annual Yorkton Film Festival, the longest running film festival in North America, announced the winners of the 2009 Golden Sheaf Awards on May 23rd.  Of the 21 genre categories, three craft categories and six special awards recognizing excellence in Canadian short film, four Saskatoon producers were honoured with nine nominations and six awards at the Golden Sheaf Awards Gala, closing a weekend of meetings, workshops and skeet shooting in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

Writer/ director/ producer Anand Ramayya (KarmaFilm) and producer/ researcher Ryan Lockwood (Hulo Films) accepted the Golden Sheaf for Best of Saskatchewan Ruth Shaw award and Best Research for their work on Mad Cow Sacred Cow.

Wapos Bay, the charming stop motion animated series created, written, and directed by Dennis & Melanie Jackson (Dark Thunder Productions), was awarded the Golden Sheaf award for Best Children’s Production for the episode Raiders of the Lost Art. The Jacksons and Anand Ramayya produce the series with Executive Producer Derek Mazur (National Film Board of Canada).

Producers Ryan Lockwood and Anand Ramayya also accepted the Golden Sheaf award for Landing, winning Best Documentary Series, and Best Multicultural Documentary for the Razawa episode.  The series also won the National Film Board of Canada’s Kathleen Shannon award, presented to an independently made documentary film that “allows people outside the dominant culture to speak for themselves.”

Hulo Films’ Interpersonalities, produced by Stephen Huszar (Hulo Films) and directed by Aidin Nakhai, received a nomination for Best Short Drama and the Ruth Shaw Award for Best of Saskatchewan.

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Mad Cow Sacred Cow – Best of Saskatchewan Ruth Shaw Award, Best Research

Landing – Best Documentary Series, Best Multicultural, NFB Kathleen Shannon Award

Wapos Bay – Best Childrens Production

Interpersonalities

“Poetic Moves”

18 March 2009 (Vancouver, BC) Vancouver contemporary choreographer Heather Laura Gray and NYC spoken word poet Mahogany Browne will perform at the Sound Bites Poetry Festival April 12th with an added show on 13th 6pm, Roy Arias Theatre 300 West 43rd St., New York, NY.

This exciting collaboration began after Gray traveled to New York to deliver a DVD of a performance done to Mahogany’s “She”. “In 2006 I produced a 60 cast showcase of spoken word through music and dance. I found “She” on an unlabelled burnt CD from poetCD.com and instantly connected with Mahogany’s content and amazing delivery not knowing the author or the title”.

When Gray went to perform “She” a second time in 2007 she made sure to determine the author. From there the two communicated via email. “Trying to describe what I did was pointless; I knew I had to show Mahogany.” Soon after viewing the DVD Browne commissioned Gray to collaborate on new work for The Sounds Bites Festival 2009.

Both artists come from different cities, countries and very different backgrounds but bond through their passion to create journeys for their audiences. “She is an artist with amazing craftsmanship and awareness” said Gray “To hear that she was moved by my work meant I succeeded in connecting to that. I look forward to putting it together now in the same room.”

The SoundBites Poetry Festival returns, April 11th and 12th, with writing and performing workshops (sponsored by Poets and Writers) with an Off Broadway Showcase and a $1000 Team Slam. The team slam will be a 4 round event for 4-5 person teams. This slam will only host 12 teams. For more information go to www.soundbitesnyc.com

Mahogany Browne is a nationally renowned performance poet, author, editor, freelance journalist, entrepreneur, and among other highly prestigious positions, the host and curator of the world-renown Nuyorican Poets’ Café in Manhattan.

Performing at "Body Language" Vancouver 2008

Heather Laura Gray is a professional contemporary dancer, choreographer, actor, musical theatre performer as well as producer. She currently resides in Vancouver B.C. Canada.

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Contact:

Kelly Balon
Raw Talent Entertainment Management
Telephone: 778-838-7306
Email: rawtalentbc@gmail.com

The 2008 edition of Whistler Film Festival kicks off with the world premiere of Anand Ramayya’s feature length documentary, Mad Cow Sacred Cow, on December 4th, 3:00 pm at the Rainbow Theatre in Whistler.

In the wake of the Mad Cow Crisis, terrified of his food, filmmaker Anand Ramayya (Cosmic Current) embarks on a journey from his in-laws’ family farm in Canada all the way back to India, land of the Sacred Cow. His Journey reveals shocking connections between the Mad Cow crisis and Global Food crisis.

Weaving interviews from Dr. Vandana Shiva, Maneka Gandhi, Dr. Murray Waldman, Nettie Wiebe and Swami Agnivesh with stunning visuals of a personal journey that crosses continents, the story of Mad Cow Sacred Cow takes us from the filmmaker’s own happy days of indiscriminate beef consumption to the frightening realities created by globalization.

Congratulations to the crew: Producer/ Writer/ Director Anand Ramayya, Producer Ryan Lockwood (Hulo Films), Cinematographer Thomas Hale, Composer Raj Ramayya, Editor Chris Bizzocchi.

Financing partners of Mad Cow Sacred Cow include Canadian Television Fund, Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, Rogers, SaskFilm and broadcast partners CBC Newsworld, Saskatchewan Communications Network, and Knowledge Network. It will air on CBC Newsworld’s The Lens in Spring 2009.

contact: anand@karmafilm.ca, rawtalentbc@gmail.com

October 28, 2008 (Saskatoon, SK, Canada) – At The 23rd Annual Gemini Awards, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television has awarded Wapos Bay with the Gemini for Best Individual or Ensemble Performance in an Animated Program or Series.  The prize winning ensemble cast includes Gordon Tootoosis, Raven Brass, Trevor Cameron, Lorne Cardinal, Taylor Cook, Eric Jackson, Andrea Menard, and DerRic Starlight.

 Saskatoon based production company, Wapos Bay Productions, in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada has produced this unique stop-motion animated series broadcast nationally on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).  Created by Saskatoon based husband and wife team Dennis and Melanie Jackson, Wapos Bay has received 3 consecutive Gemini awards to date and begins principal photography on season 4 on November 10^th, 2008.  Special guest, Mike Holmes will play himself in the new season of Wapos Bay, which starts shooting November 10, 2008.  Wapos Bay Productions will be recording Mr. Holmes’ lines on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 in our Saskatoon studio.

 The premiere airdate for six new episodes of Wapos Bay, shot last winter, is set for November 11, 2008 on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (Check local listings).  This one of a kind, half-hour, stop-motion series focuses on three Aboriginal children as they learn about teamwork and cooperation from their grandparents in the fictional northern community of Wapos Bay. 

Gordon Tootoosis (Legends of the Fall) voices the wise and good-humored grandfather Mushom.  Andrea Menard (The Velvet Devil) voices the patient, kind grandmother, Kohkum.  Lorne Cardinal (Corner Gas) voices the caring, good-natured single father of T-Bear.  Saskatoon based newcomers Eric Jackson and Taylor Cook play the calm, team player Talon and the rambunctious, independent spirited T-Bear.  The innocent, playful and spunky Raven is played by emerging talent Raven Brass. 

Wapos Bay – is produced by Dennis and Melanie Jackson, Anand Ramayya and Derek Mazur. The production will be distributed internationally by the National Film Board of Canada. 

For more information on Wapos Bay, please contact:

Kelly Balon

Wapos Bay Productions Inc.

Telephone: (306) 652-9335 

A New York disc jockey announces a contest to name 30 songs in 30 seconds. A trip for two to a rock and roll concert in New York City goes to the winner. By some fluke atmospheric condition, the airwaves travel 2000 miles to Goose Bay, Saskatchewan and to the ears of two youth desperate for a better life. For Parry Tender and his side kick Luke, winning the contest is their only hope of getting out of a remote northern Canadian town in 1960.

1960s period piece “45 RPM,” written and directed by Saskatoon’s Dave Schultz, was shot in Saskatchewan by producing partners Chad Oakes and Michael Frislev of Calgary’s Nomadic Pictures, Don Carmody, and co-Producer Anand Ramayya of Saskatoon’s Karma Film. The picture introduces lead actors Jordan Gavaris and Justine Banszky as Parry and Luke. They deliver an honest portrayal of a trapped youth in small town Saskatchewan with a strong supporting cast including Michael Madsen, Amanda Plummer, Kim Coates, Terry David Mulligan, August Schellenberg and MacKenzie Porter.

Kempton, a blogger and filmmaker, interviewed Director Dave Schultz and got the background story (spoiler alert) of 45 rpm while Schultz described his process of writing and directing the film.

45 RPM screened it’s international premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival and is playing at VIFF on October 8th and 10th at the Pacific Cinematheque. Saskatchewan screenings of the film are tentatively scheduled for late October in Regina and Saskatoon.

Watch Trailer

Reviews

Industry Moves at 45 rpm

INTERVIEW with Jheric Hizon – part two

READ Part One of the Interview

KB: How long have you been preparing for BOTY Canada?

JH: We’ve been preparing for it for almost a year now!!!!

You go to the World Finals on October 18th in Volkswagen Halle in Germany. NON has dedicated themselves for this moment. What do you expect from this competition in terms of reaching new levels as a bboy crew and being part of the bigger international bboy community?

Going to battle of the year were going to go there repping canada and were going to rep canada well. We have a good routine and hopefully the judges will like it that were good enough to make top 4. We know that the level of competition is amazing out there so we really just have to be on point when we’re there, and we have battled good crews in the past so we know that we measure up pretty good. Being at boty will just make us better bboys because the energy level will just sky rocket being with the top crews from around the world.

What do you think it is about bboying that attracts individuals from all different cultures?

I think its the rawness of the culture of bboying that attracts a lot of the other countries and people to bboying and also to push yourself to your own physical limits while doing it with style and grace… and the togetherness of different cultures coming together to battle each other without anyone actually dying lol!! (youknowhatimean)

NON is a multicultural crew. What has influenced your style and movement?

As we all know breaking originated in the bronx new york I would say that we embraced their culture… and my major influences were crews like the Rock Steady crew and New York City Breakers. I think its more of our work ethic that we bring to the table when we get together to practice or when we battle… we practice hard and battle even harder.

Which crews do you want to battle?

Definitely the Koreans or the Japanese just because we want to know how well or how bad we do. But most likely we will battle anyone who gets in our way!!! We would like t battle them all.

What lies ahead for NON after the BOTY?

More shows and more training and more competition… right now NON is riding high with the title but we try to stay humble we listen to what others tell us and we take what judges have told us in the past and try to just make ourselves just all around better dancers/bboys

Why isn’t Canada buying into BOTY as much as I thought they would?

I’m not sure why Canada isnt buying into boty. I cant speak for other Canadian crews, but as far as NON is concerned we just want to get out there and maximize our potential as a bboy crew. Right now we’re the big fish in the small pond and we want to be able to swim with the rest of the best and being in boty Germany I think we’ve proven that we can and we are!

I think to keep boty Canada going, crews need to step up, but like I said, I don’t know what the other crews are thinking. Maybe boty is not in their minds at all…who knows? But its such a good opportunity to be a part of it, just to be standing and competing and meeting other bboys you only get to see on videos on you tube.

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Now or Never Crew competes at Battle of the Year in Germany on October 18th.

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The hype around bboying has never been higher. Transcending politics, geography, language and borders, breakdancing, or b-boying, has become the global phenomenon that everyone wants a piece of. Bboys and bgirls in community centres and nightclubs in every direction are breaking new limits in the art and discipline of movement. What began in 1980’s South Bronx has grown to reach every continent.

Battle of the Year (BOTY) is the World Cup of Bboying and it began in 1990. This is the competition that attracts thousands of bboys, bgirls, hip hop heads and fans to the new international bboy headquarters! The preliminary competitions are held in 33 countries with the Finals held at the Volkswagenhalle, Braunschweig, Germany. Doc feature film, “Planet B-boy” by director Benson Lee dives into the international culture of bboying telling the stories of bboys and bgirls from around the world, and brings it together at the Battle of the Year.

Battle of the Year Canada finally joined the preliminary circuit in August 08. Vancouver’s Now Or Never (NON) crew represents Canada for the first time at BOTY International Finals and is heading to Germany on October 18th.

Current members include bboy how (Jeri), bboy G (jay), bboy eloquence (jhaymee), bboy Twist (jheric), bboy Savage (victor), bboy Trickey (colin) bboy Jax(jackie), bboy Mugg(Kenny), bboy Bminus (Brian), and bboy Sniper (York).

To read the story of how NON got it together, get it here

Jheric Hizon joined NON for the World Hip Hop Championships in Los Angeles ‘07, where they came in sixth. At this year’s competition in Vegas, NON finished second, next to knuckleheadzoo (aka super crew of mtv”s America’s best dance crew). Also the founding member of Dead Reckoning Crew, Jheric is prepared. He gave me the run down about the crew, what they have been doing to prepare, what he expects in Volkswagenhalle, and where they go next.

INTERVIEW with Jheric Hizon of NON

KB: How was the BOTY Canada competition?

JH: There were only two crews that entered boty canada this year it was NON and another crew that was put together from 3 different crews in toronto..its too bad that most of the crews did not enter, either they werent prepared or they just didnt bother entering there was a two on two competition and most of the major crews in toronto entered that one. either way NON won the first ever battle of the year canada..hopefully more crews will follow in the next year( if they decide to hold boty again)

The competition wasnt too bad we definitely had our shit together we came fully prepared we won the best show for the showcase part of the competition and then we beat out the other crew for the title of boty canada….the other team was pretty good as well but they didnt have their routine down and when it came time to battle i think we shook them up with our routines and commandos cuz they tried to interrupt our runs by jumping in and out of the battle (not doing proper commando styles) yeah they were pissed off lol!!

What can you say about the caliber of talent in Canada? How do we measure up at the international level?

The calibre of talent we have in canada is incredible we just have to go out there and make a name for ourselves by hitting up international jams. There are a few bboys/Crews that make noise outside Canada (Casper, Dyzee and his crew Supernaturalz, NON). We try to do the same by competing against the best of the best out there… we don’t always win but we sure leave a presence at the end.

On an international level we’re up there its just there’s not enough of us doing it and trying to make it happen. That’s what NON is trying to change…. we want to encourage the young gens by stating that with hard work and dedication you can achieve success in what you do. It might take time but it will happen eventually!

Part two here

Friday’s Pride Ball at Celebrities Nightclub in Vancouver opened with the work of six of Vancouver’s most innovative young dance choreographers and their powerful demonstration of the Vogueing / Waacking dance style made popular in the 80s by Madonna. La Douche, with their electric wardrobe, eccentric and impressively synchronized movement, took the stage and audience by surprise, commanding attention of more than 800 party-goers from front to back. Equipped with glitter, spandex and glam reminiscent of the disco era, this crew brings their fresh technique to this revived dance trend.

Its history rooting back to Ball Culture, an underground scene characterized by drag shows and dance competitions, Vogueing and Waacking were created in the gay clubs of New York City by Shabadoo and the House of Ninjas in the 1970s. Madonna introduced the dance style to pop culture upon the release of Vogue, in the 1980s. Vogueing and waacking are recognized by model-esque poses, and the rigid and fluid geometric body movement that merge with other disciplines including breakdancing (popping and locking), martial arts and gymnastics. Influences of ballet and modern jazz are also identifiable.

Jojo Zolina, known locally and internationally for his contribution to dance culture, introduced vogueing and waacking to Vancouver after working with the pioneers in New York City. Together with original creators Melena Rounis, Taylor James and Jen Oleksiuk, La Douche was formed as nothing more than an accidental creation among friends that shared a common interest in vogueing and waacking. Variations of the group have performed in Paris, Vegas and at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, and now it is on the radar of Chris Brown and Madonna’s choreographer.

Here is a clip from the original group at “For the Luv of it” in February 2008

What makes this latest performance of La Douche so interesting is the members of the crew, who are among Vancouver’s most inspiring to this city’s dance community. The original creation of La Douche involved these dancers, each of whom come from an impressive background and celebrated achievements. The new edition of La Douche, in the regrettable absence of Taylor James, added Vancouver’s leading young choreographers Heather Laura Gray, Geneen Georgiev and Louise Hradsky into the collaboration.

Collectively this group of performers has film and television credits including Catwoman, Reefer Madness, Studio 54, Dead Like Me, and Scary Movie 3. Each of them are successfully creating their own brand. Jojo Zolina is the creator of several other dance crews including hip hop group Over the Influence (with Marc Generoso, Stewart Iguidez and Tal Iozef) and Bucky Top, and continues to tour worldwide and train with the most prolific in the industry. He is currently teaching workshops across the country with OTI and is in collaboration with House of DangerKat.  Jojo is also one of the creators of BreakNorth, a hip hop conference educating youth on the hip hop elements and the roots of its influence in Vancouver.

Jen Oleksiuk is kicking ass with her new all-female dance group, Stonefoxx, which is taking on Plush nightclub and several other venues and festivals, as she and other members (Laurin Padolino, Maiko Maiyuchi, Kathryn Schellenberg, Natasha Gorrie, and Shauna Smith) tirelessly create new performances.

Newest members to La Douche, Heather Laura Gray, Geneen Georgiev and Louise Hradsky added a lot of hype to the stage on Friday, each with their unique character, supreme skill and control over their bodies. Louise Hradsky is currently part of the Inner Ring Circus and performs regularly as an aerialist and dancer. Heather Laura Gray, owner of Urban Flow Productions, has just been added to Amber Funk Barton’s new company, The Response, and will be performing in the full-length production of RISK.

Geneen Georgiev is the co-owner of Drive Dance Centre, Vancouver’s newest studio known for its unique supply of top level instructors representing the newest trends in dance. She also trains with the Underground Circus. Her business partner, Melena Rounis, is currently cast in Cirque de Soleil’s “The Beatles: Love” in Las Vegas, as she continues to co-manage the school.

La Douche at Vancouver Pride 2008 was a hype reflection of the diversity and aptitude of Vancouver’s dance scene. Members of the latest performance are among the rising legends in our city that are bringing fresh influence and inspiration from global trends and passing it on to the next generation of performing artists. Many fans will be looking out for their next creations, both individually and from La Douche. For those interested in learning from this super crew, they can be found at Harbour Dance Centre, Drive Dance Centre and A-Star Studios.