Blackbird

Atlantic Filmmaker Focus – Marc Almon

Christina Kentris — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:03:57 +0000

Check out the original article at | Atlantic Film Festival

The Atlantic Film Festival is a champion of Atlantic Canadian filmmakers. In keeping with this promise, every month we will be profiling some of the most incredibly talented people in the filmmaking industry, today. This month, we look at producer/director, Marc Almon.

Marc’s latest film, BLACKBIRD, is a film that explores the power and the danger of social media and cyber-bullying while showing that the worst prisons are often the ones we create for ourselves.

DOB: March 21 1978
From: Halifax
Currently residing: Halifax

Working on: A film called “Chenu” which takes place in India. About a 14-year-old boy whose sister has terrible things happen to her. In an act of retaliation and revenge, he joins a gang and a class war is ignited. Also, I am working on a local indie romantic comedy called “A Good Girl” which is about a 34-year-old man trying to hold on to his youth by dating an 18-year old girl. I am also working on an erotic thriller as well as a sci-fi film.

AFF: What first got you interested in film?

MA: I’ve always loved movies. I was interested in making them when I was in high school. In my first year of university I made my first short film and it got accepted into the Atlantic Film Festival. I thought, “I want to do this for a living.” I got my start from that and I love the Atlantic Film Festival.

AFF: What in your opinion makes a good film?

MA: A good film entices an emotion and entices thinking. It evokes an emotional and an intellectual response.

AFF: What advice would you give aspiring filmmakers?

MA: Follow your dreams but be prepared for the long haul.

AFF: Is there any local talent you haven’t worked with that you would like to?

MA: I just had a meeting with Ian Macleod talking about a project. That was exciting and I hope that that happens. I would like to work with Andrea Dorfman in the future as well as Ashley Mckenzie and Nelson Macdonald.

AFF: Where did the inspiration for Blackbird come from?

MA: I was involved right from the beginning. It ‘s based loosely on a true story. Jason Buxton was doing some research for the National Film Board with the possibility of making a documentary on kids who say things online and get in trouble for it. The documentary didn’t move forward, but it was a compelling idea, and we thought, “Wouldn’t this make a great film?”

AFF: Were there other considerations chosen for filming or was Nova Scotia the only consideration?

MA: Well it was about 50/50 for Halifax and Windsor. Originally we were going to shoot in Bridgewater but it would have been a long drive everyday for the cast and crew, so we went with Windsor. But it was always going to be filmed here in Nova Scotia.

AFF: How much of the crew was local and how important is the idea of hiring local talent to you?

MA: Most of the crew was local and I think it’s very important. I like working with a local crew. We have an incredible source of talented crew and actors here in Nova Scotia and I think we should take advantage of that as much as we can.

AFF: What are you looking for in actors when casting a film?

MA: That’s a hard question to answer. It really depends on the film and the role… It’s hard to explain. There’s a vibe, a feeling and you really need to be in the room to witness that. Some actors are great at that but for some reason the camera just doesn’t capture it and vice versa. But ultimately, you need an actor who can provide an amazing performance on camera. Both Jason and I were excited about Connor Jessup, who plays the lead role. We saw his audition and both thought he was THE ONE. We were also really excited about Alex Ozerov who plays Trevor, the troubled kid. We kind of felt like we ‘discovered’ him because he had never been in a feature, before. He just has this presence that sticks with you. We called back Connor and had him and Alex do a scene together and it was electrifying. They were so into their characters and worked well together. That’s the kind of thing you pray for when casting a film… That incredible collaboration.

AFF: How did your experience as a filmmaker inform your role as a producer?

MA: For me, having been a filmmaker, writer and director on shorts gave me experience that I was able to bring to producing this film and in my interactions with Jason Buxton.

AFF: What were some of the challenges of making this film?

MA: The budget was challenging. We had a budget of 1.2 million; which may sound like a lot but we had over 40 speaking roles. There were times when we thought, “Oh my God, we’re going to run out of money and get shut down.” There were some very scary periods like that.

AFF: What were some of the film influences for Blackbird?

MA: There were a few. ELEPHANT, which is a 2003 drama, written and directed by Gus Van Sant. THE DEAD POET’S SOCIETY had a minor influence because it was a story showed in high school that all ages could appreciate. L’ENFANT (THE CHILD) was a major influence, stylistically.

AFF: What were some of the key messages/themes you wanted to convey in this film?

MA: It’s important to remain true to yourself. That was an important one for us. Also, it’s important to step outside yourself and to have empathy for others.

AFF: What were your favorite scenes of the film? Was there a special moment during the making of the film that stood out and that you will always remember?

MA: The last day of filming and not because, “Oh thank God it’s over,” but because it was an amazing accomplishment. We had to shoot a lot of scenes on the last day and they had to be filmed in 12 hours. Connor was 16 at the time, so we had a race against the clock. We got this amazing scene with Connor and Trevor and there just happened to be a thunderstorm happening. It was amazing… Like biblical. It made the scene so intense. It was one of those times when you are standing there, yet racing to get the shot, but just in awe knowing that it is going so well.

AFF: BLACKBIRD was chosen for the Viewfinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth opening Gala. How do you feel about that? Do you think it’s a good fit?

MA: I feel very honored and I think it’s a tremendously good fit. Early on, Jason and I had a debate. Jason saw it more as a film for adults. It was an intense film and it wasn’t made specifically for a younger audience. I said, “Fine. Make it that way but it’s going to be of interest to youth.” I find it gratifying that it has gotten such a great response from youth AND adults. Based on the success, it’s achieved both of our hopes. It’s a film that’s seems to be connecting with everyone.

Check out the original article at | Atlantic Film Festival

Blackbird Review Raw and seething

Christina Kentris — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:24:02 +0000

by Jacob Boon

Jason Buxton’s locally-made, festival darling finally comes to theatres in the earnest depiction of youth justice, Blackbird. Teenager Sean Randall is your typical outsider goth. When his friendship with local “puck bunny” Deanna (Alexia Fast) angers her jock boyfriend, Sean becomes the target of some vicious bullying. Pushed to his breaking point, he crafts an online revenge fantasy that inadvertently comes to the attention of concerned parents. A paranoid town railroads Sean into a violent youth detention facility, where he struggles to remain true to his morals. Star Connor Jessup (TNT’s Falling Skies) gives a sunken, fatalistic performance in this isolated character study. For his debut feature, Buxton navigates a difficult line by finding a sombre balance between the Kafkaesque justice system Sean finds himself in and the personal teenage drama that got him there. Blackbird offers a raw, seething experience.

Blackbird
107 min. | Rated NR
Official Site: www.blackbirdthefilm.com
Director: Jason Buxton
Writer: Jason Buxton
Cast: Alexia Fast, Connor Jessup, Tanya Clarke, Michael Buie, Craig Arnold, Jeremy Akerman, Alex Ozerov, John Beale, Wayne Burns and Mark A. Owen

Blackbird, High triumph at Sonoma

Christina Kentris — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:28:37 +0000

SCREEN DAILY | 14 April, 2013 | By Jeremy Kay
Jason Buxton’s Blackbird was named best world feature as the 16th annual Sonoma International Film Festival came to a close on Sunday [14].

Nikki Braendlin’s As High As The Sky claimed the best American independent feature award and Terms And Conditions May Apply from Cullen Hoback scooped the corresponding documentary prize.

Chance Of Rain by Philipp C Wolter won best narrative short and Johan Palmgren’s The Flogsta Roar took the documentary award.

The Stolman Audience Award of $1,000 for best American independent feature went to As High As The Sky and the A³ Audience Award of $1,000 for best documentary was presented to Zach Ingrasci, Sean Leonard and Chris Temple’s Living On One Dollar.

The audience award of $1,000 for best world feature went to Jackie (Netherlands) from Antoinette Beumer.

“This has been an extraordinary year,” said SIFF executive director Kevin McNeely. “We are energised by the talent we’ve seen by both emerging and established film-makers and we’ve enjoyed introducing them to our vibrant community.”

The Iceman [pictured] and A Monkey On My Shoulder (A Coeur Ouvert) bookended the festival and Sonoma Spotlight Awards went to Demián Bichir and Mary-Louise Parker.

Programme strands included Latin spotlight Vamos Al Cine (Cinema En Español). The festival ran from Apr 10-14.

Link to article on Screendaily

Q&A with Jason Buxton

Christina Kentris — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:18:39 +0000

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May 5, 2013 | 7:12pm | BY THE CHRONICLE HERALD

Jason Buxton, winner of Best Atlantic Screenwriter, Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Feature during the Atlantic Film Festival Awards at Park Lane theatres in Halifax last September. (INGRID BULMER / Staff / File)

Blackbird, the debut film of Chester filmmaker Jason Buxton, is opening nationally in select theatres, including Park Lane in Halifax on Friday and in Sydney on May 17. It also screens next Sunday at the Al Whittle Theatre in Wolfville. Blackbird is the tale of Sean, a socially isolated teen who is falsely accused of planning a school massacre in his small rural town.

Is this a film about bullying?

I did a lot of research on the prison system and the Young Offenders Act. Bullying is more of a peripheral issue, related to the story I was interested in telling about how an alienated youth could retaliate against the feeling of being a target at school.

When you see bullying, you have to look at the bully. If there is bullying at school, chances are that person is being bullied somewhere else. There’s not a black and white view of bullying. We have all felt like we were being bullied or being bullies, that’s in the thematics of the movie.

There’s a character in Blackbird who is bullying Sean (played by Connor Jessup), but that person becomes a victim and Sean in a way becomes the bully. We recognize the switch that takes place. The intent is to draw in the complexity. We need to look at what`s happening to youth. There’s a bigger picture rather than just finding a scapegoat.

Social media and technology feature prominently in Blackbird. The more we look at screens, the less we look at each other and the less empathy we have. We’re spending an increasing amount of time away from each other looking down at our screens.

Which of the film’s awards means the most to you?

The Claude Jutra Award. It has such a great legacy of supporting top talent in Canadian film, including our executive producer Thom Fitzgerald in 1997.

Reporter notes: The award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television honours outstanding achievement by a first-time feature filmmaker.

Blackbird shared the Toronto International Film Festival Award for best Canadian debut feature with Antiviral, by Brandon Cronenberg. At the Atlantic Film Festival, Blackbird won best Atlantic feature, best Atlantic director and best Atlantic screenwriter.

Blackbird is screening in competition at Cannes Ecrans Junior during the 66th Cannes Film Festival. Is this just a film for teens?

It is a great movie for teenagers, but it crosses demographics. It really resonates with people in their 30s to late 40s.

It is a modern story, a story about the individual’s struggle choosing between reputation and integrity. It’s similar to The Crucible, it’s a story of being wrongfully accused. It’s easy to put yourself in Sean’s shoes. It’s plausible it could happen to any of us.

We make a connection on an emotional level in that way.

What’s next?

After Cannes, the movie will be released in France. I saw the French trailer and it’s really great and encapsulates the movie quite nicely. It will also be released theatrically in the U.S. at the end of the summer and has been sold to other territories.

I’m now working on The Misery of Others with co-writer Jennica Harper of Vancouver. It’s based on a number of short stories from Newfoundland writer Russell Wangersky from a collection called Whirl Away that was nominated for a Giller Award in 2012. I’m hoping it will be my next feature film.

Blackbird to be shown at Cannes Youth Event

Christina Kentris — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:12:12 +0000

May 1, 2013 | 5:48pm | BY THE CHRONICLE HERALD

Blackbird, the award-winning film written and directed by Chester’s Jason Buxton, will be screening in competition at Cannes Ecrans Junior during the 66th Cannes Film Festival.

It is part of a program of eight international films in Cannes Cinephile theatres from May 20 to 25 that were selected because they are of particular interest to children between 13 and 15. Blackbird will be competing for the Young Jury Prize, chaired by French actor Frederic Gorny.

The drama, which stars Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast, Michael Buie and Alex Ozerov, opens theatrically in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal on May 10, and in Calgary, Sydney and Moncton on May 17.

The tale of an isolated teen (Jessup) falsely accused of planning a school massacre in his rural town, Blackbird was filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011. Local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns and Mark A. Owen are featured.

Buxton won the Claude Jutra Award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for outstanding achievement by a first-time feature filmmaker, for Blackbird. The film shared the Toronto International Film Festival Award for best Canadian debut feature with Antiviral, directed by Brandon Cronenberg. It also won best Atlantic feature, best Atlantic director and best Atlantic screenwriter at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, and the best Canadian film at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

Nova Scotia filmmaker Jason Buxton Wins Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 15:48:36 +0000

Photo: Blackbird star Connor Jessup discusses a scene with director Jason Buxton
Photo credit: Christopher Porter
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Facebook this release: Nova Scotia filmmaker Jason Buxton Wins Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird: www.academy.ca/press/

TORONTO – Jan 29, 2013 – The 2013 Claude Jutra Award, sponsored by Telefilm Canada, goes to Nova Scotia filmmaker Jason Buxton for his debut feature film, Blackbird, it was announced today by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

“The Academy is honoured to present filmmaker Jason Buxton with the Claude Jutra Award for Blackbird which is a cutting edge and socially poignant debut film,” says Richard Speer, Academy’s Quebec Chair.

Blackbird is a film that explores the power, and danger, of social media and cyber-bullying.

“I am absolutely thrilled with this honour. To be recognized by my peers for excellence in filmmaking is deeply meaningful, and looking back at the caliber of directors honoured over the past twenty years of the Award’s history is both humbling and reassuring,” said Jason Buxton.

The Claude Jutra Award honours outstanding achievement by a first-time feature filmmaker and was established in 1993 in honour of the late Quebec director Claude Jutra, best known for Canadian classicMon Oncle Antoine.

In addition to winning the Claude Jutra Award, Blackbird is in the running for two Canadian Screen Awards: Best Original Screenplay for Buxton and Achievement in Editing for Kimberlee McTaggart. The film’s producers include Marc Almon, David Miller and Buxton, with distribution by A71 Entertainment.

Blackbird highlights the story of a troubled teen, Sean Randall (Connor Jessup), who is falsely accused of planning a Columbine shooting scenario. An unlikely bond between Sean (Jessup) and a preppy teenage girl, Deanna Roy (Alexia Fast) results in a violent confrontation. His only hope is to overcome his dark image, and prove his innocence to Deanna and to his community.

Blackbird had its world premiere at TIFF, where it earned the SKYY Vodka Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film. It went on to shine at events across Canada, including the Vancouver International Film Festival (Best Canadian Feature) and the Atlantic Film Festival (Best Atlantic Feature, Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter).

To date, Blackbird has made some significant progress internationally, including a key sale to France. Films Boutique is handling international sales.

Born in Farmborough, England, Buxton studied film production at Simon Fraser University and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Prior to making films, Buxton worked behind-the-scenes as a camera assistant, where he learned the craft observing many established filmmakers at work, including James Cameron on Titanic and Lasse Hallstrom on The Shipping News.

About the Academy: Established in 1979, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a national, non-profit, professional association dedicated to the promotion, recognition and celebration of exceptional achievements in Canadian film, television and digital media. Unifying industry professionals across Canada, the Academy is a vital force representing all screen-based industries.

About the Canadian Screen Awards: The Academy’s Canadian Screen Awards is the new annual awards show to celebrate the best in film, television and digital media. Canada’s king of comedy, Martin Short, will host the inaugural 2-Hour Live Broadcast Gala Sunday March 3, 2013 @ 8pm (8:30 N.T) on CBC.

About Blackbird: Blackbird is produced by Marc Almon (Story Engine Pictures), David Miller (A71 Productions), Jason Buxton (Festina Lente Productions) and executive produced by Thom Fitzgerald and Chad Maker. It is supported by Telefilm Canada, Film Nova Scotia, Shaw Rocket Fund, The Harold Greenberg Fund and Super Channel. The film is being sold internationally, minus North America, by Films Boutique.

Blackbird wins crowing rights at Vancouver International Film Festival awards

admin — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:44:20 +0000

BY MARK LEIREN-YOUNG, VANCOUVER SUN OCTOBER 15, 2012
Blackbird was flying high Friday night after winning the award for Best Canadian Feature at the 31st annual Vancouver International Film Festival and taking home the $10,000 jury prize. The first feature by Nova Scotia director Jason Buxton hit a chord with jurors with a beyond timely exploration of the issue of cyberbullying and a look at the life of a creative kid caught up in the corrections system.

The film stars 18-year-old Toronto actor Connor Jessup (one of the stars of the locally shot sci-fi series, Falling Skies) and rising young Vancouver star Alexia Fast (who just joined the cast of the upcoming Tom Cruise feature, One Shot which is written and directed by Oscar winner Chris McQuarrie). Blackbird tied with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral for the award for Best Canadian First Feature at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and picked up three awards at the 2012 Atlantic Film Festival including Best Atlantic Feature.

Honourable mention for Best Canadian Feature at VIFF went to B.C.’s Becoming Redwood — written and directed by Jesse James Miller and featuring his wife, Jennifer Copping. The jury noted the film’s, “beautiful journey that transports you to the 1970s,” and cited the phenomenal performance by the film’s now 14-year-old lead. “Ryan Grantham carries the film with extraordinary gravitas on his 14-year old shoulders, winning the audience over.”

Jesse James also stole the hearts of audiences, winning the VIFF audience award for Most Popular Canadian Film. The film was producer by performers turned producers Chad Willett and Joely Collins and features a tune by Collins’ dad, Phil (aka the guy from Genesis).

The Roger’s People Choice Award was presented to Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt, which picked up a trio of awards at Cannes, including Best Actor for star Mads Mikelsen. It was also a finalist for the Palme d’Or.

The most popular Canadian documentary for VIFF audiences was Nimisha Mukerji’s Blood Relative who previously won the hearts of Vancouver audiences (and the audience awards for Best Canadian Film and Best Documentary) with 65_RedRoses.

The Most Popular International Documentary was Patrick Farrelly and Kate O’Callaghan’s Nuala.

Rob Stewart’s Revolution — a follow-up to his eco-smash Sharkwater — was the audience choice for Most Popular Environmental Film.

The Most Popular First Feature Award went to Barnaby Southcombe’s thriller I, Anna.

The Women in Film and Television Artistic Merit Award was presented by unanimous decision to the writer-director of Liverpool, Manon Briand.

The Canadian Images jury, which selected Blackbird, included iconic local actor Jay Brazeau, filmmaker Anne Émond and Claudia Mendoza-Carruth. They also presented the award for most promising director of a Canadian Short Film (along with a $2000 cash prize) to BC’s Juan Riedinger for Float. Honourable mention went to another BC project Peach Juice, directed by Brian Lye, Callum Paterson and Nathan Gilliss.

The Awards were presented just prior to the screening of the festival’s closing gala presentation of Holy Motors at the Centre for Performing Arts.

“There were innumerable successes at this year’s festival,” Festival Director Alan Franey told the Sun Friday. “We’re particularly gratified that the large majority of films — eighty six percent at near final count — received ballot results rating films ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’, and that’s with well over 20,000 ballots cast! That’s a remarkable success rate, and audience enjoyment is what it’s all about in the end.”

Franey said this year things also went smoothly behind the scenes. “We are proud of the fact that every single film made it to the Festival in time for its screenings, no matter how far they needed to come from overseas. It’s also especially gratifying to hear once again how much visiting filmmakers appreciated the Festival’s programming, hospitality and the warm and intelligent audience response to their films. These are the things that put the wind in our sails for next year.”

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Blackbird continues to soar with three AFF awards!

admin — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 18:15:21 +0000

September 21, 2012 – 4:00am BY ANDREA NEMETZ ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER
Chester filmmaker’s drama also won prestigious TIFF feature prize

Chester filmmaker Jason Buxton claimed a trio of trophies when the Atlantic Film Festival Awards were presented on Thursday in Halifax.

Buxton won Best Atlantic Feature, Best Atlantic Director and Best Atlantic Screenwriter for his debut feature film Blackbird.

The searing drama, about a socially isolated teen who is falsely accused of planning a school massacre in his small rural town, also shared the Toronto International Film Festival Award for best Canadian debut feature with Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral.

Buxton claimed $18,000 in services and $1,500 cash for his wins in Halifax and $15,000 for his Toronto win.

Blackbird had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival with two sold-out screenings. Buxton learned of the TIFF award just before its sold-out Atlantic Film Festival screening on Sept. 16.

Filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011, Blackbird stars Connor Jessup, Alexia Fast, Michael Buie, Tanya Clarke and Alex Ozerov, as well as local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns and Mark A. Owen.

An honourable mention for Best Atlantic Feature Film went to The Disappeared, shot off the coast of Lunenburg last September. The tale of six men adrift on an unforgiving ocean was written and directed by Shandi Mitchell.

New Waterford filmmaker Ashley McKenzie was named Best Atlantic Emerging Director for her short film When You Sleep.

The 12-minute film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France in May and also screened at TIFF where McKenzie was one of 25 filmmakers from around the world selected to participate in the festival’s talent lab.

Shot in Halifax in the fall of 2011, it stars Toronto actress Eve Harlow and New Waterford actor Winston DeGiobbi in the story of a misfit young couple who feel trapped in an unhappy existence.

The award for best Atlantic cinematographer went to Jeff Wheaton for his work on the feature film Gravity and Grace, directed by NSCAD University film professor Solomon Nagler and shot against a series of Nova Scotia landmarks, including the Halifax grain elevators and the Cold War underground bunker in Debert.

Newfoundland actor Mark O’Brien, who stars as Des Courtney on Republic of Doyle and was in the recently released feature film Beat Down, won the award for best Atlantic short for Better People. The 10-minute film, that screened as part of the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala, was about attraction, emotional baggage and love at first sight.

Best Atlantic Original Score or Song went to Claude Fournier for his work on Last Chance, a documentary about five asylum seekers who have come to Canada from their native countries in order to escape homophobic violence. It was written and directed by Paul-Emile d’Entremont of Nova Scotia.

The Best Atlantic Sound Design Award went to Andrew MacCormack of Nova Scotia for Here and Away, a short film he also directed that screened as part of the CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala. The 6 -minute film is about place and belonging.

Nova Scotia writer-director Greg Jackson, whose short film Halloween 1977 screened at this year’s Atlantic Film Festival and whose sci-fi short Goodbye Robot Army was part of last year’s CBC Atlantic Shorts Gala, was the First Feature Project recipient. Jackson will receive production financing of $105,000 towards Bunker 6, which will be produced by Rebecca Sharratt, with mentorship from Bill Niven. Bedford native Michael Ray Fox won the First Feature Project award last year and his film Roaming screened at this year’s festival.

Wanda Nolan won the Script Development Award for The Magic of Boxer Conner.

The RBC 10×10 Emerging Artist Award — $10,000 to be split between filmmaker and artist, went to Crows, directed by Scott Simpson and the ECMA-winning New Brunswick band The Divorcees. Simpson directed the 2003 feature film Touch & Go and shares a writing credit with Michael Melski.

Audience awards for best feature, best documentary and best short were slated to be given out at midnight at the Atlantic Film Festival closing gala party at the Lord Nelson Hotel.

(anemetz@herald.ca)
Link to article

Jason Buxton on Blackbird: ‘There’s a meditative quality to it’

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:26:18 +0000

Melissa Leong | National Post | Sep 10, 2012 2:30 PM ET

Jason Buxton. Photo by Peter J. Thompson/National Post

Despite the young protagonist’s nickname in the film, “Columbine,” Blackbird is not about a school shooting. Rather, Jason Buxton’s first feature is an exploration of youth, alienation and prison culture. The movie tells the tale of a bullied teen whose online threat sparks hysteria in a small town. The 41-year-old filmmaker based in Chester, N.S., spoke to the Post’s Melissa Leong about adolescent melodrama and being wrongfully accused.

Q How did this story originate?
A I was researching the subject in 2006 for a documentary. I was intrigued with the Young Offender’s Act, and how teens often from disadvantaged backgrounds reacted to being bullied in school, and how creative people would express themselves and express their anger.

Q How do you relate to the reaction of community members in your film as well as to the lead character, Sean?
A [My children are] almost 11 and 5. Since becoming a parent, I’ve realized how the protective instinct kicks in. But at the same time, I remember what it’s like to be a teenager, and a creative person. In the ’80s when I grew up if somebody made an offhand threat to someone, it was on the street, and it was taken in that context. But if the outlet for a teenager is [this] new technology, with threats, we don’t know the degree of seriousness that they might have. In my research at the time, a couple brothers in Ontario were arrested and suspended from school. Some of these teens were writing essays that were in the third person. But even a creative essay about teens with destructive feelings who want to shoot up a school — that is considered to be their thoughts and the extension becomes their plan. A lot of these expressions are a natural part of growing up and embellishing — that’s what melodrama is and what teenagers specialize in.

Q What was your youth like?
A My teenage experience was very normal. Very unremarkable, I’d say. The more general theme of feeling misunderstood is something I’ve felt. I remember when I was four and misperceived with an accusation — it’s one of my first memories. I grew up in England and there was some misdeed that an older kid would have done; we were all lined up at an assembly. I was one of the shortest kids and I had an itch at the top of my head. [The principal] was trying to get someone to own up to this misdeed. I thought, “If I slowly raised my hand up and scratch …” But it looked more like a scared kid taking ownership. He took one look at me and said, “Don’t do it again.” There are certain memories, they form a certain psychological and emotional reality that shapes you.

Q I know you considered many actors for the part of Sean.
A Everyone who we were seeing was what I called the “Beverly Hills 90210 casting.” The average age was about 25 and I needed a 16 year old.

Q Then when you saw Connor Jessup (Falling Skies), what did he bring to the part?
A Teenage girls. [Laughs.] That’s not obviously why we cast him. There was a short list of about three to four. Connor was in L.A. at the time and he put something on camera. I remember watching it on my iPhone because I was in a coffee shop. I was enamored with the choices he made. Connor was exploring the material. It was more free flow. I just read an interview with him talking about it. He said, ‘I think it was because I was chewing gum.’ Well, it worked.

Q How has the reception been so far?
A I think for people who watch it in a theatre, the film tends to draw people in slowly. There’s a meditative quality to it.

Blackbird screens Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. at Jackman Hall. It is scheduled to open in theatres in November.

Link to article in National Post

Chester filmmaker wins TIFF award for Blackbird!

admin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 17:38:21 +0000

September 17, 2012 – 2:40pm BY ANDREA NEMETZ ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER
Jason Buxton, Brandon Cronenberg share best debut Canadian feature prize

Jason Buxton had extra reason to celebrate heading into the sold-out screening of his first feature film Sunday night at the Atlantic Film Festival.

The Chester filmmaker learned just a few hours before that Blackbird had won the best debut Canadian feature prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. The award was shared with Brandon Cronenberg’s stylized feature Antiviral. Both directors also each won cash prizes of $15,000.

“I’ve never won an award for a film before, so this is a nice one to start off with,” said Buxton from his home in Chester, noting he was still processing the news.

“The award, and being at TIFF, gives us really nice exposure. And to tie with Antiviral, a film that has more exposure helps us even more. Being aligned with that film, it’s a good tie for us to have.”

Cronenberg is the son of famed Canadian director David Cronenberg.

Blackbird, filmed over 20 days in Halifax and Windsor in May 2011, is the story of Sean, a socially isolated teen who is falsely accused of plotting a school massacre in his small town.

It stars Connor Jessup (Falling Skies) as Sean, Alexia Fast (Jack Reacher) as his love interest Deanna, Michael Buie as Sean’s dad Ricky, Tanya Clarke as Sean’s mother and Alex Ozerov as Trevor, who torments Sean.

Local actors John Beale, Graham Percy, Stacy Smith, Ryan Wells, Wayne Burns, and Mark A. Owen have prominent roles among the cast of about 40. Buxton’s five-year-old daughter Sadie, conceived at the same time as the movie, is also featured.

Halifax’s Marc Almon and Toronto’s David Miller, share producing credits with Buxton, who wrote and directed the 90-minute film.

Buxton, who arrived home from TIFF on Thursday, says he didn’t realize how dark Blackbird was until he saw it on the big screen in Toronto with sold out audiences Sept. 11 and 12.

“It’s a very tense, dark movie …you judge how an audience responds to a dramatic film by how still and attentive they are and there was very little fidgeting, people were drawn into participating with the narrative. It’s not an easy film.”

Almon says Blackbird is slated for a Nov. 30 release in Canada and now has a distributor for a theatrical release in France. They’ve had offers for U.S. distribution but haven’t signed anything yet.

The movie is also slated to play at festivals in Sudbury and Vancouver and a few others that can’t yet be named.

Winning the TIFF award will open doors predicts Buxton, whose short films A Fresh Start (2001) and The Garden (2003) were also shown at TIFF.

He’s written a comedy called Ordinary Joe and is working on another dark drama. There are also a couple of novels he’s interested in adapting.

Link to article