Send Kelp!
Next month, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) will present two Canadian documentaries among 19 other features from around the world. In total, there will be 45 world premieres presented at the festival. The line up includes films and shorts from 48 countries between Feb.7 and Feb.17.
Among the Canadian docs is Send Kelp! (pictured), a TELUS original project by writer/director/producer Blake McWilliam. According to McWilliam, Send Kelp! follows a “seaweed aficionado” who tries to start a kelp farm as a way to combat climate change and global food insecurity. Produced by McWilliam’s Edmonton based banner Back Road Productions, international sales for the film are being handled by Germany’s Rise and Shine World Sales.
Jonathan Kawchuk scores Send Kelp!, with sound design by Johnny Blerot both of whom use instruments made of wild bull kelp harvested off the coast of Vancouver.
The second doc is Toronto filmmaker Matt Finlin’s The Movie Man. The film tells the story of Keith Stata, owner of Highlands Cinema in Kinmount, Ont., who fought to keep his business alive during COVID-19.
Karen Barzilay produced The Movie Man for Toronto’s Door Knocker Media, with Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies fame and Paul Atkinson serving as executive producers. Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene composed original music for the film.
A U.S. distributor is being sought for The Movie Man at SBIFF.
Several Canadian films will have their U.S. premieres at SBIFF, including Whistler favourite Atikamekw Suns (Les Films de l’autre) from director Chloé Leriche; FIPRESCI Prize winner Seagrass (Experimental Forest Films, Ceroma Films) by Meredith Hama-Brown; Christian Sparkes’ drama The King Tide (Sara Fost Pictures); and the documentary I’m Just Here for The Riot, directed by Asia Youngman and Kathleen Jayme, and produced by Michael Grand and James Brown.
Also having their U.S. premieres are writer-director Maya Gallus’ doc Crush: Message in a Bottle (Red Queen Productions); Chloé Robichaud’s drama Days of Happiness (Item 7); James A. Woods and Nicolas Wright’s comedy French Girl (Caramel Film); Nathalie Saint-Pierre’s drama On Earth as in Heaven (Sur la terre comme au ciel), produced by Nicolas Comeau; and Linsey Stewart and Dane Clark’s dramedy Suze (Wildling Pictures).
Watch Send Kelp! For Free On Solarmovies.