For the 2nd time in South Florida, and after 9 successful years, the original One Take Super 8 Event presents the 2nd 1:1 Super 8 Film Festival. 25 independent filmmakers from South Florida and beyond will load their cameras to take part in this year’s spectacle. These 3-minute “masterpieces” will truly display the diversity and creativity of independent filmmakers of South Florida. The One Take Super 8 Event was established in 2000 by (ex)Saskatchewan filmmaker Alex Rogalski, now in Toronto, as a way to help create more independent films by a variety of artists, while giving the local community an opportunity to view these films collectively. The concept of using super 8 cameras is centered on the idea that super 8, often discarded to antiquity in this digital age, is still the most affordable film gauge for independent filmmakers. In recent years, more attention has been given to this film format, as it once sat on the edge of extinction. Now its effects are seen in major Hollywood films, as well as music videos and mainstream television advertisements.
The popularity of this noncompetitive festival has enabled it to return each year with more filmmakers participating. To date over 500 films have been created, collected and distributed for the One Take Super 8 Event; drawn sold out audiences to its screenings; produced 3 television episodes for community television in Canada; had films from the event screened throughout Canada, Japan, Australia, United States and other nations; produced a DVD collection of the films for distribution; been organized, funded, and supported by it's filmmakers, arts organizations and corporations; been featured in radio, print and online articles and reviews.
The event has also expanded from Regina (2000-Present) to a number of cities throughout North America. The first being Montreal (2005) and the second being Metro Fort Lauderdale/Miami. Furthermore, this was also the first time the One Take Super 8 Event left Canada for a jaunt south of 49. The Fort Lauderdale/Miami show (2006), coordinated by (ex)Saskatchewan filmmaker and Florida Atlantic University Film Production Professor Shane Eason (via Regina/Montreal/Fort Lauderdale), spawned 20 films, some new and some programmed from previous shows.
The 1:1 Super 8 Film Festival and it’s sister events such as the OTS8 are distinct film spectacles, in that none of the films are viewed before the screening. The filmmakers are not allowed to edit or preview their films prior to the screening. What they shoot in camera is what is shown. There is no physical cuts or splices allowed. There is no opportunity to make changes and the sound tracks must be prerecorded or performed live. One take! One night! This concept leads to some exciting and refreshing films, and a rare opportunity for public viewing.
Already a hot topic of discussion among artists yearning for the sight, sound and smell of super 8 film, this soon to be annual autumn screening has adopted a fresh title for the Fort Lauderdale show, the 1:1 Super 8 Film Festival. This festival will continue to remain true from it’s inception, and hold concepts and cinematic attributes associated with the original manifesto of the One Take Super 8 Event that began years ago.
The 1:1 Super 8 Film Festival is happening December 11th, 2009 at The Bubble, 810 NE 4th Ave., in Fort Lauderdale. Doors will open at 7 PM and the screening will begin at 7:30 PM. A $5 suggested donation will be accepted upon entry. After party to follow at the Briny Riverfront located at 305 South Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Filmmakers will be in attendance at the screening, however the program is subject to change. Special guest, Alex Rogalski will also be in attendance and will be holding a short lecture before the screening on the history of the One take Super 8 Event and the aesthetic characteristics associated with super 8 film making and exhibition.
Alex Rogalski was raised in the small town of Melville, Saskatchewan. He studied film production at the University of Regina, where he was introduced to the worlds of David Rimmer, Allan King and Unit B. Thus began a life of travel and a passion for small film. He has been the director of the One Take Super 8 Event since 2000, promoting and screening small-gauge cinema across Canada and the United States. His own super 8 films have screened across Canada, the US, and Europe. Rogalski moved to Toronto in 2004 to complete his master’s degree in communication and culture at York University and serves as a board member at the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. He has guest lectured at Concordia University, the University of Regina and Oberlin College. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Short Cuts Canada programming committee. He has also served as a panelist for Canada's Top Ten 2008 and programmed for numerous festivals including Human Rights Watch, Images, and Pop Montreal.
Information & Questions 1to1super8filmfestival@gmail.com
Acknowledgements Florida Atlantic University, FAU School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, FAU Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, The Bubble, Independent Working Artists Network (IWAN), One Take Super 8 Event, Briny Riverfront Irish Bar and Restaurant, Exclusive Film and Video, Eastman Kodak USA, Ghost Shadow Studio
