Eyes in the Forest: The Portraiture of Jim Lawrence – 12:36 minutes, HDV, Colour, Stereo
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.
FILM SYNOPSIS & BIO (Link here)
Film still – Photo Credit: Miriam Needoba
Film still – Photo Credit: Miriam Needoba
