A Kensington writer and actor can’t wait until his short film hits the big screen this weekend.
Shane Mountain wrote, produced, directed and acted in the seven-minute short film, The Seventh Man, which will be featured at the sixth annual Charlottetown Film Festival, Oct. 23-25, at City Cinema.
“Just to have it in with other films from peers and to have it up on the big screen is amazing,’’ Mountain said. “You never know who is watching. If the right people see it, that can go a long way to getting the next one made.’’
The Seventh Man is a story about a veteran returning from war who helps a young woman pursue her dreams in the harness racing industry. Red Shores allowed him to shoot at the Charlottetown Driving Park for some scenes.
“It was very hard to cram that story into seven minutes but it was inspired by a lot of the stories that I used to hear from the veterans when I was younger,’’ Mountain said. “Harness racing is a prominent Island (industry). It was something I wanted to incorporate into the movie and I figured the best way to do it was to make it one of the central focuses of the film.’’
Islanders to watch
Following is a selection of short films and music videos by Islanders that will be shown at the Charlottetown Film Festival:
- This Storm, Tara MacLean and Catherine MacLellan
- Home But Not Alone, Ian and Mary Wilson
- Song of the Stevedore, Shane Pendergast
- The Rolling Pin, Trilby Jeeves
- Halfway Tree, Aiden Searle
- The Summerside Kitchen Party, Louise Lalonde
- The Story of the I’m Alone, Allison Wolvers
- The Sins of the Father, Ryan McCarvill
- The Seventh Man, Shane Mountain
- Pointless, David Rashed
- Psychology of Demons, William Wright
- While Time is Passing, Emma Fugate and Trilby Jeeves
- Dancing, Millefiore Clarkes
- Terrain/Territory, Adam Hill
- Love in Quarantine, Millefiore Clarkes
For more information, go to www.charlottetownfilmfest.com
Filmmakers from across Atlantic Canada will be featured in the three-day festival. The 7:30 p.m. slot on Saturday is called Islanders to Watch, a portion of the event that is solely dedicated to a selection of short films and music videos by Island talent. Islanders to Watch will be replayed on Sunday at noon.
“This is about the development of our film community,’’ said Cheryl Wagner, executive director of the film festival, who added that due to public health guidelines the capacity inside City Cinema is being limited to 30 people but that passes can be purchased to watch the films online.
Wagner is particularly excited about the industry sessions they’ve been able to organize. All take place at City Cinema and via Zoom.
Writer and director Adam Perry and Toronto producer Mary Young Leckie (produced Maudie, Halifax Explosion) will take part in the Friday session from 11 a.m. to noon.
Harmony Wagner will moderate a discussion with Telefilm Canada’s Melanie Hartley and Marie-Claude Giroux on International Discoverability: A Power Point Presentation. That goes from 2-3 p.m. on Friday.
On Monday, from 11 a.m. to noon, Wagner and Rob Mills, both of whom have extensive experience in children’s television will present Puppets Up for the Screen: Tips on Performing, Writing, Directing and Producing.
The last session will be Open for Business with Laura MacKenzie, executive director of Screen Nova Scotia. MacKenzie will speak about what out-of-province productions are looking for from a destination. That goes at from 1-2 p.m. on Monday.
“For our local people to have access to pros and experts in the field in different capacities is invaluable,’’ Wagner said.
Mountain said the industry in Atlantic Canada is growing and there are opportunities for local filmmakers. He got funding from Corus Media, Bell and CBC after he pitched an idea at a screen writers’ boot camp in Charlottetown.
“The Charlottetown Film Festival has a great base of talent,’’ Mountain said. “There are a lot of talented filmmakers in P.E.I. I think the festival is only going to get better as more of those people start delivering product. It’s a great way for Islanders to get their films seen and out there and experience that film festival atmosphere.’’
Twitter: @DveStewart
