Prairie Tales 13 premiered on June 24th at the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society's (AMAAS) annual conference, which this year took place from June 23-26 in Hinton, Alberta. Conference delegates and members of the Hinton community gathered at the Firebay Studio at The Guild on 821 Switzer Drive for the 7:30 pm screening. The show was followed by a Q&A session with four directors whose work is featured on the program. The directors were Janna-Marynn Brunnen (Little Heart), Dominique Keller (The Interrogation), Christopher Markowsky (The Lifer) and Stefanie Wong (What Remains).
Prairie Tales’ thirteenth annual program of live-action, animated and experimental works has a running time of 80 minutes and features the fourteen works listed below. Prairie Tales 13 is also available in an abridged, 32 minute version aimed at young audiences aged twelve and up. Works on the Prairie Tales 13 for Young Audiences program are marked with an asterisk (*).
High School Brawl
Lethbridge 2010, 4:46, HD Video, Live Action. Dir: Aaron Kurmey
High school punks get more than they bargained for when they gang up on a lone man in a stairwell.
Suckathumb
Calgary 2010, 9:15, HD Video, Live Action Comedy-Horror. Dir: Xstine Cook
A child’s imagination runs wild in the woods, fueled by a book of horrific bedtime tales.
Felt Up!
Edmonton 2010, 1:35, 2:51, 2:52, SD Video, Comedy. Dir: Simon Glassman
Puppets re-enact true stories told by real people.
Little Heart*
Calgary 2010, 6:43, Animation. Dir: Janna-Marynn Brunnen
A young woman journeys to a new understanding of love after her first heartbreak.
Nature’s Library*
Black Diamond, 2010, 3:10, HD Video, Live Action Drama. Dir: Zoe Slusar
A young girl discovers a mysterious tree while walking in the forest.
Maybe Film Dreams
Calgary 2010, 3:19, Super 8, Experimental. Dir: Murray Smith
A whimsical, experimental eulogy for celluloid film.
The Head
Calgary 2010, 5:00, HD Video, Experimental. Dir: Aran Wilkinson-Blanc
A young woman experiences an altered state that reveals the fluid natures of identity and perception.
i close my eyes and they disappear*
Edmonton 2010, 6:00, Super8, 16mm, HDSLR, Experimental. Dir: Kyle Armstrong
An experimental depiction of the border zone between waking and dreaming.
Dragon.Love*
Calgary 2010, 2:34, Animation. Dir: Haleigh Toney
A humourous new take on the story of the knight in shining armour who rescues a damsel in distress.
What Remains*
Calgary 2010, 4:20, Stop Motion Animation. Dir: Stefanie Wong
Fiona discovers a strange room filled with objects from her past and must link them with the present before returning to the real world.
A Prairie Love
Edmonton 2011, 3:14, Animation. Dir: Michael Pedruski
An elderly, hospitalized woman recalls her past in rural Alberta’s Kalyna country.
The Lifer
Calgary 2009, 8:00, HD Video, Live Action Comedy. Dir: Christopher Markowsky
A postal worker must choose between a promotion and his dream of becoming the world’s best marine biologist ever.
The High Level Bridge
Edmonton 2010, 4:39, HD Video, Documentary Essay. Dir: Trevor Anderson
The filmmaker drops his camera from Edmonton’s High Level Bridge in memory of those who have jumped from it.
Just Can’t Trust a Drunk Ninja*
Calgary 2011, 2:00, Animation. Dir: Greg Doble
A cautionary tale about the dangers of mixing alcohol and the martial arts.
The Interrogation*
Calgary 2011, 7:00, HD Video, Live Action Comedy. Dir: Dominique Keller
A late evening drive home from the office takes an unexpected turn when Gloria is pulled over by the cops.