Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

This is As Far as the Road Will Take You

Posted: 25 Oct 2018 08:21 AM PDT

A spirited glimpse of a couple at odds after being entrusted to deliver an enigmatic passenger to detox.

Creative team

Writers/producers: Julia Chantrey, Andrew K. Martin, Bryce Hodgson
Director: Andrew K. Martin

About Andrew K. Martin

Andrew K. Martin is a veteran television director whose credits include Vegas Rat Rods (Discovery), Made by Destruction (Discovery) and Train 48 (Global TV).

The post This is As Far as the Road Will Take You appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

Girl Trip

Posted: 25 Oct 2018 08:18 AM PDT

A fun road trip ends in murder and mayhem when hidden resentments surface between best friends.

Creative team

Writers: Catherine Black, Brooke Lenzi
Director/producer: Catherine Black

Filmmaker’s statement

Girl Trip is a dark comedy in the horror genre about internalized sexism. It’s a violent tongue-in-cheek commentary on toxic female friendships, and a satire on the need for women to support each other and not rely on a man.

In my films, I have recurring images of women gagged. Silence and powerlessness go hand in hand. Silence is central to women’s history. Generations of being silenced. Violence of women is often violence against our stories and our voice.

Since making Girl Trip I’ve had so many women share stories with me about their own troubled female friendships. It makes me ridiculously happy that this movie is already bringing women together. Most women have a story about a friend/ex-friend who’s competitive, cruel, threatened, as a source of shame.

It leads to beliefs like “I’m not close with women because I can’t deal with the drama,” or thinking a woman is lying for some kind of gain, or not giving credit to a woman for her great work, believing she must have had help from a man. That’s how systemic sexism works.

Girl Trip is a super dark and fun satire on sexist stereotypes. As woman we should be each other’s greatest allies. When woman stand together, we’re stronger, for better or for worse.

About Catherine Black

Catherine Black is an award-winning Canadian actress, artist and filmmaker.

Catherine is a self-taught painter. Her paintings have been exhibited internationally. Catherine photographed and wrote about the journey of her large oil paintings travelling from her family farm in Fergus, Ontario across the Old Oregon Trail to California.

As an actress, Catherine is best known for her role as Vanden in American Psycho, starring opposite Crispin Glover in The Donner Party (Showtime), multiple guest starring roles – most recently on Playing House (USA) – and starring in many independent feature films.

Catherine’s extensive practice as an actor and artist has rooted her artistic vision in filmmaking. Catherine is a member of the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD). Her directing debut, the multi award-winning ‘sexy and surreal’ short film, De Puta Madre: A Love Story (2014), won Catherine best director (London IFF 2015), best lead actress (Madrid IFF 2014) for her performance, and best cinematography (Columbia Gorge IFF 2014) along with multiple international jury awards and nominations.

Girl Trip (2018) won the Audience Choice Award at Hollyshorts Monthly. Girl Trip is a short film, but it’s also a proof of concept for a half-hour TV series Catherine is currently pitching.

Catherine divides her time between Toronto and Los Angeles, creating complex female characters, and always working on various projects for both markets as a director-writer-actress.

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