A family squabble at her beloved grandmother91裸聊视频檚 funeral when she was only 10 has a Vernon woman inching closer toward a major prize.
Janalee Budge (n茅e Guenther), a 1982 graduate of Vernon Senior Secondary School, is an indie filmmaker living in Whistler. Her short film, Grandma Lee91裸聊视频檚 Dress, which stems from Budge91裸聊视频檚 memory as a 10-year-old, is one of nine finalists in CBC-TV91裸聊视频檚 Short Film Face Off, now in its 16th season.
91裸聊视频淚 have a real Grandma Lee, and the opening scene of the film is my memory of 10-year-old Janalee at my grandma91裸聊视频檚 funeral and there was a big family feud,91裸聊视频� said Budge. 91裸聊视频淚t has different traits and things, of being in a mixed race family, and my grandma was quite the character so her personality and and strengths come out in everybody in little ways.91裸聊视频�
Budge91裸聊视频檚 film was one of three shown on the season91裸聊视频檚 opening night Sept.2. If you missed it, Grandma Lee91裸聊视频檚 Dress and the other eight offerings can be viewed on the CBC GEM app.
In each of the first three episodes (Sept. 2, 9, 16, 8 p.m. Pacific, CBC-TV), three filmmakers and their films and self-videos are aired, as well as commentary from the show91裸聊视频檚 three panelists (SPOILER ALERT - they loved Budge91裸聊视频檚 film).
At the end of Episode 3, host Amanda Parris will announce the details on how viewers can vote for their favourite film this year. The voting is done online and Amanda will give the URL - cbc.ca/shortfilmfaceoff (This link won91裸聊视频檛 work until Sept 16). The voting window is open for 24 hours, and note: the show will accept only one vote per email address.
The finale airs on Sept. 23 (8 p.m.) and will reveal the three finalists (based on audience vote) and the overall winner, who will collect the grand prize of a Telefilm Canada grant of $30,000.
Budge is the only filmmaker from B.C. to make the final nine.
91裸聊视频淚 was ecstatic,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an incredible opportunity, especially for an indie filmmaker. Getting your stuff out to share with a bigger audience is amazing. Not only that, the prize ($30,000) would be amazing because then we could make more films.91裸聊视频�
The idea for Grandma Lee91裸聊视频檚 Dress came to Budge about five years ago when she was talking with her cousin, Ana Pacheco 91裸聊视频� who wrote the script and is one of the actors 91裸聊视频� about the idea. Then, she said, she forgot all about it. Until 2022, when the Vancouver Asian Film Festival91裸聊视频檚 Mighty Asian Movie Making (MAMM) contest was putting out an entry call.
Budge and Pacheco pitched the idea to film festival organizers.
91裸聊视频淓ven at the time, we wondered if we Asian enough to be in the film festival,91裸聊视频� laughed Budge.91裸聊视频漈hey told us, 91裸聊视频極f course your voice matters,91裸聊视频� and we still weren91裸聊视频檛 convinced. We91裸聊视频檙e half-and-half. They picked 10 films to make, gave us a little bit of money to make the film. We didn91裸聊视频檛 win, but it was shown at a big gala at a sold-out venue. It was super exciting.91裸聊视频�
She had 10 days total to shoot and edit the 10-minute film. She paid homage to her hometown in the movie.
91裸聊视频淭here is a line about Vernon,91裸聊视频� she chuckled.
Budge started submitting Grandma Lee91裸聊视频檚 Dress to other festivals, including the CBC Short Film Face Off. Just last week, her movie won Best International Film at the Huntington Beach (California) Cultural Film Festival, and was one of the three finalists for Best of Fest (did not win).
91裸聊视频淛ust getting nominated is huge,91裸聊视频� said Budge. 91裸聊视频淲e were thrilled. We were among some really provocative and deep films. Ours is light and charming, but has a lot of layers, a lot of different meanings that mean things to us, and to those raised in a mixed race family, especially Chinese, they91裸聊视频檒l get a lot of underlying things going on.91裸聊视频�
Budge worked in a creative agency for a number of years, starting as a graphic designer and then getting into directing TV commercials. She was, essentially, self-taught behind the camera, took no film courses. That is, until she turned 52. She left the agency to enrol in film school to get the art degree she always dreamed of.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been making documentaries,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淕randma Lee91裸聊视频檚 Dress is my first true narrative film with several actors so that was exciting and nerve-wracking. I91裸聊视频檓 super happy with how it went.91裸聊视频�
Budge is currently working on an artistic mini-docuseries with the Squamish-Lil91裸聊视频檞at Cultural Centre in Whistler. She is working with Indigenous artists telling their stories. She also has another script based on her family roots that she hopes to develop into a series or feature.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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