Six teenaged filmmakers from Elphinstone Secondary School were the sole Sunshine Coast team to compete in the Run N Gun 48-hour Film Competition that began on May 10.
The annual event, based in Vancouver, challenges small teams to write, shoot, edit and submit a short film in 48 hours or less. Required creative elements were revealed at the start of the competition: a hat, a specific line of dialogue, the obligation to include a language other than English, and a reference to an alternate universe.
“I think last year, we didn’t know what to expect,” said Grade 11 student Andrew Maxwell, one of several repeat participants. “This year, we’ve done a lot more planning ahead of time. We have a few locations and we know what gear we’re using.”
Winners are determined by juries composed of Vancouver-area film industry professionals.
The top 39 films of the approximately 150 entries will be screened at the Orpheum on June 29, while all other submissions are programmed at the Rio Theatre from June 17 to 19.
The Coast team successfully met its 48-hour deadline on Sunday while remaining committed to a 12:30 a.m. bedtime both nights.
Great places to muse
BC Museums Week is taking place across the province from May 13 to 19, with a forwarding-looking theme for 2024: “Imagine the Future.”
Four museums and heritage sites on the Sunshine Coast are open for visits.
In Gibsons, the Sunshine Coast Museum and Archives is highlighting a feature exhibit of Jordan Louie’s shíshálh photography. The exhibit builds on collaboration that started with the Sunshine Coast Arts Council and its curator Sadira Rodrigues. It includes Louie’s striking photos of shishalh culture and life on the Sunshine Coast, with more than 200 images on display.
A number of Louie’s photos are paired with three-dimensional items, including woven creations from Jess Silvey (Red Cedar Woman), and items from Candace Campo’s Talaysay Tours. The exhibit also encompasses items related to the Attack of Danger Bay longboarding competition, the longest-lived race in downhill skateboarding history that takes place May 16 to 22 in Pender Harbour.
The shíshálh Nation tems swiya Museum in Sechelt maintains weekday hours, and lovers of second-hand books (or high-quality artisanship) will benefit from a visit to the gift shop next door. The Egmont Heritage Centre is open from Thursdays to Monday, telling the story of Indigenous people and settlers with an emphasis on logging and fishing.
Sarah Wray Hall, historic headquarters of the Pender Harbour Living Heritage Society, will next open on June 1. Tickets for the society’s 2024 canoe raffle, featuring an 11.5-foot cedar strip canoe named “Blue Heron”, are available via the society’s website at penderharbourheritage.ca.
Jazz at St. Bart’s
The Kestra Jazz Quartet, featuring local musicians Steve Giltrow, Ken Grunnenburg, Regan Haydu and Martin Nemcovsky, will perform at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church on Saturday, May 25 at 7 p.m. The group offers a soulful serenade of saxophone, guitar, bass and drums.
“Whether you are a jazz aficionado or just looking for a relaxing entertaining night out, this concert is sure to hit the right notes and keep your toes tapping,” said Haydu.
Tickets ($20) are available at the Medicine Shoppe in Sechelt, One Flower One Leaf gallery in Gibsons, and online through Evenbrite; or by paying $25 at the door.
A real palette-cleanser
Last week’s description of the Coastal Art gallery’s annual Battle of the Brushes pointed readers to the organization’s website, which for technical reasons cannot be updated with information about the event.
Instead, posters now blanketing the community contain the colourful details: gallery artists face off at Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons on Saturday, May 25 from noon until 2 p.m., each attempting to beat the clock and create an original work in two hours.
Visitors can bid on their favourite painting starting at 1 p.m.; bidding in the silent auction ends on June 2 at 4 p.m.
