DVD is now available for purchase online for $15 (includes shipping and handling)

Synopsis: Follow experimental filmmaker Miriam Needoba in this rare view of British Columbia’s remote Selkirk Mountains as seen through the eyes of wildlife photographer Jim Lawrence. Interweaving the startling imagery of Lawrence’s still photography with Needoba’s sublime cinematography, Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence is both a restrained study of landscape and wildlife, and a conversation between two artists and their art forms.

Lawrence is as much a part of the landscape as the grizzly bears, eagles, caribou and squirrels he captures on film. Combining the engaging soundscapes of the environment with Lawrence’s gentle narration, this short documentary transports the audience deep into this wild and beautiful world.

“I wanted to provide an experience – an intimate view of this world that is often hidden from sight but is deeply impacted by human action,” says Needoba. “I hoped that representing their world, and Jim’s experience of it, would inspire greater empathy and understanding for the wildlife we so admire.”

This film was produced with the support of the National Film Board of Canada’s Filmmaker Assistance Program and Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, Columbia Basin Trust.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2369005/

SCREENING SCHEDULE:

Jan 2014, Fernie’s 6th Annual Reel Canadian Film Fest, Fernie, British Columbia

Jan 2014, Knowledge Network in British Columbia have acquired the film for broadcast over the next five years.

Jan 2014, CMS VATAVARAN, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival and Forum, New Delhi, India (Eyes In the Forest’s film poster image is being used as the poster image for this film festival!)

Dec 2013, Fall 2013 Wildsight Series, Creston, British Columbia

Sep 2013 – DOCUTAH, in competition (Short Films), Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival, Utah

Aug 2013 – Celebrate BC Day, Victoria, British Columbia

Jul 2013 – Art & Activism Event Series, Touchstones Nelson, British Columbia

May 2013 – Green Film Festival, Seoul, Korea

Apr 2013 – Sonoma International Film Festival, Sonoma, California

Apr 2013 – American Documentary Film Festival, Palm Springs, California

Apr 2013 – The Langham Cultural Centre, Kaslo, British Columbia

Mar 2013 – West Virginia Mountaineer Short FiIlm Festival, Morgantown, West Virginia

Mar 2013 – North Valley Mountain Film Festival, New Denver, British Columbia

Feb 2013 – Fernie Mountain Film Festival, Fernie, British Columbia

Feb – October 2013 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival Tour: Allegheny Defense Project – Bradford, PA 4/21/2013 + Environmental Learning Center- Vero Beach 4/21/2013 + Friends of the Kaw – Stilwell, KS 10/13/13 + Hawaiian Island Land Trust – Waimea, Kauai 4/7/2013 + Land Trust of the Treasure Valley – Boise, ID 3/9/2013 + Montana Wilderness Association – Kalispell, MT 10/26/2013 + Orcas Center – Eastsound, WA 11/15/2013 + Powder River Basin Resource Council - Sherdan, WY 4/17/2013 + Rocky Mountain Wild – Denver, CO 9/19/2013 + Sierra Nevada Alliance – South Lake Tahoe, CA 3/8/2013 + Trail Creek Outfitters – West Chester, PA 2/27/2013 + Ventana Wilderness Alliance – Big Sur, CA 8/26/2013 + Vulcan Mountain Preservation Society – Julian, CA 5/17/2013 + Western Environmental Law Center- Taos, NM 4 & 5/4/2013 + Western North Carolina Alliance - Boone, NC 6/29/2013 and Collowee, NC 4/25/2013 + Wild Virginia – Harrisonburg, VA 4/18/2013 + Wildlife Rescue Center – Ballwin, MO 10/11/2013

Jan 2013 – Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Nevada City, California

Dec 2012 – Thinking Mountains Conference, University of Alberta, Edmonton

Nov 2012 – Teck Rossland Mountain Film Festival, Teck Mountain Gala Screening, Rossland, British Columbia

Nov 2012 – Aesthetica Short Film Festival, York, England

Oct 2012 – Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario

ARTICLES AND REVIEWS:

Review of North Valley Mountain Film Festival Screening in New Denver, by Art Joyce published in Valley Voice / March 20, 2013

Article on film and filmmaker , By Sam Van Schie – Nelson Star / Published: October 18, 2012

Review of Planet in Focus Festival Screening in Toronto, posted on the Leaf blog byPosted by Matthew Higginson / October 17, 2012

Article on film and filmmaker by Margaret Tessman, in ARTiculate magazine – a twice yearly publication that covers heritage and cultural stories and events throughout the Columbia Basin. Issue FALL/WINTER 2012-2013

PRESS RELEASE:

(Updated December 2012)

Small Town Film’s latest production Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence premiered in Toronto at the Planet In Focus Environmental Film Festival on Sunday, October 14 at 4:00 PM at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The film’s director, Miriam Needoba, was in attendance for the screening, and was also able attend the Creative Documentary workshop put on by the festival with award winning filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal, who’s film Manufactured Landscapes about Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky was very influential in the research for this film. Many thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts for supporting Needoba’s attendance at these events.

IMDb (Link here)

CONTACT US (Link here)

Small Town Films shot 2nd Unit Photography for the wheat and the one on garlic episodes and webisodes, see them all on http://deconstructingdinner.ichannel.ca/

Deconstructing Dinner: Bringing Home the Bread
 (24min, Canada, 2013)

Worldwide theatrical premiere (and sneak peek!) of Bringing Home the Bread – one of six episodes for the forthcoming series set to air nationwide on ichannel this Summer. Written and hosted by Nelson’s very own Jon Steinman of Kootenay Co-op Radio’s Deconstructing Dinner (2006-2010). Alongside James Beard Award winning producer and former Kootenay resident Declan O’Driscoll (Milk War), this episode features chef John Sundstrom of Lark in Seattle – also a James Beard Award winner! A great line-up of Kootenay residents are also featured including Matt Lowe, Roy Lawrence, Jay Blackmore, Jesse Phillips and Natalka Podstawskj. This episode examines the little known yet significant nutrient declines being documented in wheat following the decades-long evolution of modern wheat varieties. Along with the loss of nutrients, so too has the flavour of wheat all but disappeared. But there are inspiring efforts in the U.S. and Canada which are successfully reversing this trend and bringing the bread back home!

It was a Needoba who suggested sending a copy of the finished DVD to Jerry Yarnell, a 30-year veteran of a popular painting show on PBS. The Yarnell family was so impressed with the product that they agreed to list it on their popular website at www.yarnellart.com.

“I am incredibly excited to have my DVD listed on the Yarnell Art website, alongside other artists seen on PBS, such as Buck Paulson and Bob Ross,” says Vahala. “I was originally inspired by Yarnell’s clear instruction to create a DVD to guide aspiring artists. It’s an amazing feeling to be associated with an instructor of his caliber.”

Mirja Vahala’s DVD offers over 2.5 hours of content focusing on basic instruction for new artists. Starting with brush handling, tinting and shading, through to the basics of the colour wheel, gradations, blending, glazing and painting a landscape, this DVD is offered for $49.

“I was compelled to create this DVD for those who are unable to attend my workshops. It’s taken years to hone these methods for the true beginner. It is my passion to remove barriers to creativity.”

Mirja’s ability to provoke emotion in her own nature landscapes, and to articulate her methods to students have brought her some incredible teaching opportunities. Since moving to Castlegar BC in 2007 to pursue her craft fulltime, Mirja has instructed on behalf of Selkirk College and Holland America Cruises, as well holding classes in her own art studio.

For more information on ‘Acrylics for True Beginners’, please visit www.MirjaVahalaArtStudio.com, or contact Mirja Vahala at: mirja@mirjavahala.com or by phone at 250-365-7679.

Acrylucs for True Beginners – Masterpiece Chapter 1

Small Town Films was thrilled to be able to lend a hand to shoot the intro for the Kickstarter campaign for Jon Steinman and Declan O’Driscoll’s project, Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing Our Food System. Steinman’s syndicated radio show Deconstructing Dinner was produced right here in Nelson, B.C. at Kootenay Co-op Radio. It was here that Steinman uncovered the Kootenay egg fraud scandal that many locals will recall, as well as enlightening us to the many facets of the food production industry and its players.

Steinman went on to research and produce the document “Towards A Regional Food System Alliance, Development Strategy For The West Kootenay” and is an active participant in Kootenay’s progressive and ground breaking local food production scene.

Small Town Films hopes everyone will get behind and spread the word about this great and important project as it crosses platforms and is reincarnated in TV land! Kickstarter campaigns are a direct way for people to support the independent production of content that interests them. Help produce the sort of media you want to watch.

This campaign closes on July 20^th.

For more information or to support the project directly go to the project’s website and select the “Donate: button.

Christmas Miracle is a Canadian made film starring Manitoba born Allison Hossack and Country Western singer George Canyon. Christmas Miracle is a Christmas movie about bunch of people who get stranded in a blizzard on Christmas Eve in a desolate part of the country a few miles outside of a small town,” Line and Executive Producer Tara Cowell-Plain.  NGN Productions.