CCE AWARD FOR JESSE JAMS

Jesse Jams continues to rake in the nominations, and this time I’m thrilled to be the one nominated!

I’ve been nominated for a Canadian Cinema Editors Award for Best Editing in Documentary Short Form!!! Working on this documentary was an emotional and inspiring journey for me, and successfully translating that same journey to so many people across the country is one of the best feelings you can get as an editor. I feel so lucky to have been a part of this project, and gratified to have my work recognized like this.

Keep an eye on the CCE website for details about the upcoming awards show!

https://cceditors.ca/cce-awards/

JESSE JAMS IS UP FOR A CANADIAN SCREEN AWARD!

The recognition just doesn’t stop for this incredible short documentary!

Jesse Jams, the story of a young indigenous musician and his band bringing mumble punk to the Interstellar Rodeo, is nominated for Best Short Documentary at the Canadian Screen Awards. Take a scroll through my news section for more content about the documentary.

Find out when and where to watch here: https://www.academy.ca/schedule/

GOLDEN SHEAF AWARD NOMINATION

(Re)claiming Indian Status tells the story of the fight to end sex-based discrimination in the Indian Act and return status to those who had lost it. It’s nominated for a Golden Sheaf Award in the Social/Political Documentary category.

This was the first documentary I worked on where I had the role of voice over artist as well as editor! It was such an honor to be involved in telling this story. I hope that it sheds light on the history the Government of Canada has on taking rights away from indigenous women. 

I can’t wait to attend the virtual Yorkton Film Festival and Sheaf Awards this May!

https://yorktonfilm.com/2021-festival

EDMONTON FILM PRIZE FINALISTS 2020

Two films I worked on, The Wise Fool and The Sash Maker, made it to the final round of the 2020 Edmonton Film Prize!

The Sash Maker, by Rebecca Sadowski and Tamarra Lessard, explores Metis heritage through traditional Metis sash weaving. The artists describe it as a work that communicates a collective yearning for family, understanding, and peace. Working on this film was a beautiful experience, in both the visuals of the footage I was working with and the story about accepting oneself. It received the second runner up prize for 2020.

The Wise Fool, by Geraldine Carr, explores the story and work of Edmonton's internationally renowned clown and educator, Jan Henderson. Jan’s view of the world and clowning was so inspiring, especially the way it helped her thrive while dealing with depression throughout her life. We were so excited to be finalists for the 2020 Edmonton Film Prize!

MENTAL HEALTH WITH REBECCA DAY

I recently sat down and talked with psychotherapist and freelance documentary producer Rebecca Day as part of the podcast, The Editor’s Cut.

Mental health is an important topic for me, and this isn’t the first time I’ve contributed to the public dialogue about it. There are infinite aspects of mental health and mental health awareness to explore, and in this episode we spoke specifically about the mental health of those working in creative industries during a pandemic.

We talked about burnout, the stressors that can come with a creative career, and recognizing when you need help. We also explored some of the ways this conversation has changed as a result of the pandemic, and some of the pre-existing mental health challenges of creative work that were made more obvious by society’s shared struggles in the last year.

Find out more about Rebecca Day’s work here: https://filminmind.co.uk/ 
And listen to the full episode here: https://cceditors.ca/fr/2021/03/16/episode-045-mental-health-with-rebecca-day/

GIFT MENTORSHIP

Girls in Film and Television, or GIFT, is an incredible organization that aims to give teen girls real experience in all aspects of creating film and television content.

As a female editor, I know what it feels like to try to build a career in a male-dominated field. That’s why I wanted to mentor the next generation of girls and women in the film and television industries. Their mission and vision of getting more girls and women behind the camera and on screen mean a lot to me, and being a mentor has been a wonderful experience.

Find out more about GIFT: https://www.girlsinfilmtv.com/ 

Watch this space for updates on GIFT’s first feature film which I am happy to editing with the help of our gift girls!

Jesse Jams Wins The Lodestar Award!!

Jesse Jams has won The Lodestar Award at the 2020 Dawson City International Short Film Festival. 

The Lodestar Award is given to the best Canadian or International film which exemplifies the guiding principles of the art of independent short film/video making — freedom of expression, authenticity, exemplary artistry despite limitations, and clarity of vision.

http://dawsonfilmfest.com/about.html

Two Snakes Coming Together Like So Premiere

On Saturday October 10th Two Snakes Coming Together Like So premiered at the Dawson City International Short Film Festival!

Jesse Jams

Jesse Jams won the  Calgary Underground Film Festival jury award for Best Canadian Short! Thank you Jesse for letting us help you tell your story! The jury called it "a poignant and beautifully executed portrait of mumble punk's Indigenous trans visionary Jesse Jams. Anderson and his crew push the documentary form forward, creating a low-fi-lush texture, atmosphere, and aesthetic that captures and complements the music of Jesse Jams and the Flams and the journey of this unique and persevering young musician." POV magazine did a write up on the festival winners. You can read it here!

HOPE IN THE TIME OF CORONA

This episode of the Editor’s Cut featured a check-in with past guests and editors on how they’re handling the strangeness of this pandemic, and how they’ve adapted their lives to work with our new “normal”. This podcast celebrates the ups and bemoans the downs of pandemic living, gives advice for staying sane in a more solitary world, explores the changes and challenges our industry is facing, and much more.

You can listen to this series of short, uplifting messages from all sorts of people in the editing profession here: https://cceditors.ca/2020/09/18/episode-027-hope-in-the-time-of-corona/

THE WISE FOOL AT THE GARNEAU THEATRE

This Saturday I got to attend a screening of a really cool documentary I worked on. The Garneau Theatre in Edmonton held a screening followed by a Q & A of The Wise Fool, the story of world renowned clown and beloved mentor to many, Jan Henderson. I love going to screenings of things I’ve worked on. The main goal of any video editor is to communicate a story in a way that engages the audience and opens up a new world to those who see it. It’s wonderful to sit in the crowd as the audience reacts in just the right ways at all the right parts.

There was a Q & A at the end of the screening, and the thoughtful questions that were asked by the audience really shows how relatable and humanizing Jan’s story is. The audience even gave Jan a well-deserved standing ovation! 

The whole affair finished off with a networking session in the Garneau Theatre lobby, and it was really fun to mingle and connect with the colleagues, friends, family, and members of the community who came out to see the show.

You can learn all about Jan at her website: https://www.foolmoon.org/

EDITCON 2020

I had a blast at EditCon this weekend!

EditCon is an annual event where CCE members and friends come together for a day of networking, panels, and a keynote interview with some of the best editors in the industry. This year, the panels included discussions on editing comedy, theatrical films, and unscripted programming, and the keynote discussion (hosted by me!) featured none other than the amazing Susan Shipton.

Susan shared her vast knowledge from her work on award winning films and critically acclaimed television series. We heard about how she got her start as an editor, and how a little bit of luck and a lot of saying “yes” to every opportunity carried her through the early years of her career. She also talked about her work with Atom Egoyan, her editing process, the skills she honed while working on different projects, how the job has changed over time, and what makes a good editor.

I was nervous to take this on but was encouraged by my husband and colleagues so I dived in! I am happy to say it was an absolutely amazing experience! A career highlight for sure!! My cheeks hurt after our chat because of all the smiling and laughing!

Recordings and transcripts of the panels from 2020 are available on the CCE website.

https://cceditors.ca/2020/02/01/editcon-2020-event/

FAST HORSE Q&A with Sarah Taylor

It was strange to be on the other side of the questions! In this episode of The Editor’s Cut I chat with fellow editor Brenda Terning about my work on the short documentary film FAST HORSE.

Brenda Terning and Sarah Taylor in Edmonton, Alberta

FAST HORSE follows the return of the Blackfoot bareback horse racing tradition in a new form: the Indian Relay. Siksika horseman Allison Red Crow struggles to build a team with second-hand horses and a new jockey, Cody Big Tobacco, to take on the best riders in the Blackfoot Confederacy at the Calgary Stampede.

Welcome to the dangerous, high-stakes world of Indian Relay - North America's original extreme sport, where jockeys ride horses bareback and jump from one ho...

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2019, “Special Jury Prize for Direction”
2020 CINEMA EYE “SHORTS LIST” Nominee
TRAVERSE CITY FILM FESTIVAL 2019, “Best Short Documentary”
SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2019, “Special Jury Mention”
IMAGINATIVE FILM FESTIVAL 2019, “Best Short Documentary”
MAORILAND FILM FESTIVAL 2018, “Best Short Documentary”
BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL 2018, “World Tour Selection”
YORKTON FILM FESTIVAL 2019, “Best of the Festival” & “Best Short Documentary”

Director: Alexandra Lazarowich
Producer: Niobe Thompson
Composer: Jonathan Kawchuk
Cinematography: aAron Munson, Daron Donahue, Sergio Olivares
Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Docs: Lesley Birchard

NEW ORLEANS FILM FESTIVAL 2019

This past week I travelled all the way to New Orleans to attend the 2019 New Orleans Film Festival as part of the team that worked on Fast Horse!

I love New Orleans, and with parties, receptions, and lots of incredible films to watch, the festival itself was so fun to attend. I even got to walk the carpet, which was a super cool experience!

My beautiful in laws were visiting New Orleans at the same time and were able to attend the screening!

The film was really well-received, and I loved sitting in the audience as Cody BigTobacco’s incredible journey in the fast and furious world of Indian Relay became their own. The tension was palpable in the room as the race began.

What made the whole experience even more amazing was I got to bring one of my best friends along for the ride, my wonderful cousin Ann.

Check out the New Orleans Film Festival here: https://neworleansfilmsociety.org/

UNMOTHERED AT NORTHWESTFEST

I had such a great time at the screening of Unmothered during the NorthwestFest International Documentary Festival.

If you haven’t seen it for yourself, Unmothered is an emotionally moving story told by Marie-France Guerrette about the loss of her mother, the life her mother led and the people she left behind.

Following the screening, I got to host a Q & A with Marie-France herself, as well as editor Pauline Decroix.
You can watch the documentary here: https://www.nfb.ca/film/unmothered/

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2019

Director Alex Lazarowich and editor Sarah Taylor attend the Sundance Film Festival. Photo: Jen Fairchild

WINNER – Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing

FAST HORSE – Alexandra Lazarowich

Welcome to the dangerous, high-stakes world of Indian Relay — North America’s original extreme sport, where jockeys ride horses bareback and jump from one horse to another in the middle of the race. #CBCShortDocs Winner of the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing at Sundance 2019: Alexandra Lazarowich

The 2017 CCE Awards

his is the third year that I have taken the trip out east to Toronto to attend the Canadian Cinema Editor awards. In 2015 I started organizing CCE events in Edmonton, Alberta. The CCE saw my enthusiasm for editing and my desire to help grow the editing community in Alberta so they invited me out to the awards!  In 2016 I was nominated for Best Editing in Documentary Short Form for my work on The Harder I fight II and this year I was nominated for Best Editing in Lifestyle/Docudrama for my work on UpRooted: The Oyster Harvest.

Attending the awards this year was extra special because I was able to meet with Jennifer Howe of Echo Bay Media and the producer of UpRooted. Getting to work on a show like UpRooted was truly a delight! In the summer of 2016 Jennifer was looking for an editor to help with one episode of UpRooted. They needed to start the edit fairly quick. She took a look at the nomination list from the 2016 CCE Awards and found my name. She looked me up and gave me a call. At that time I was taking some time off editing to take care of my daughter who was 6 months old. Once I spoke to Jennifer and took a look at the other episodes of the show, I knew I needed to take the opportunity to work on UpRooted! So I called in some family to help with my daughter and said yes to the job! It took a couple weeks of nap time edits, playtime with Aunty edits and late night edits to get it done! I am very proud of the edit and so happy I jumped at the opportunity!!

If you would like to check out UpRooted it’s currently airing on The Cooking Channel US and will soon be on Gusto in Canada!

Sweet Jane Studio – Brand Video

Recently Suite One Productions was able to collaborate with Jillian of Jillian Schecher Studio on a brand video for Sweet Jane Studio!

“Sweet Jane Studio products are well made but not precious and can be worn for any occasion –  to a birthday party or to the playground! Many Sweet Jane Studio clothes are appliquéd with images of animals that kids like but that are not too cutesy or cliche so parents can enjoy them too.”

It was so fun working with Jillian and the sweet footage she captured for this project! I foresee many more videos in the future!

Dino Trails

n the fall of 2016 I had the pleasure of working with Brandy Y Productions on the documentary series Dino Trails! It was a 5 part series that reveals the latest dinosaur discoveries in Canada that are making headlines around the world and explains why these locations are famous.

It was so fun to discover such rich history in my own province! I look forward to taking my daughter to some of the places we visited in the documentary.

You can watch the whole series here and on TELUS Optik Local’s VOD channel.

That’s So Maven Podcast

Back in July I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andrea Beça and Lauren Dary of the podcast That’s So Maven. It is a podcast by, for and about female entrepreneurs!

Photo by the lovely Lauren of L Photograpy

Photo by the lovely Lauren of L Photograpy

I have been a listener from day one and I haven’t missed an episode yet so it was an honour to be part of this project! Take a listen to my interview here! Or on iTunes here!