The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor Don't tell George Major that it's a little late for a new career. In his late 50s, the friendly Xerox service tech has dreams of making small-scale documentary films. That's why Major helped form the Central Canada Film Group, providing a learning outlet for area residents interested in movies and moviemaking. 'Anything that you can dream of you can create and bring to life in film,' says Major, president of the group. 'You can create imaginary worlds and tell amazing stories through making full-length feature films or animations or even short films. It's just the idea of being able to use your imagination to create all kinds of possibilities, all kinds of amazing worlds (that is appealing).' The group officially launched last fall, with about a dozen members meeting twice a month at the NorVA Centre, that hub of creative expression. They hit the ground running with a workshop, held during the 2012 Culture Days weekend, put on by Winnipeg filmmaker James Pashke. Throughout the weekend, group members could be spotted filming the many festivities in and around Flin Flon, honing their filming and editing skills. The group as a whole does not own any equipment, but Major hopes that will change. 'We're just starting out as a young group, so it's basically whatever equipment people have themselves,' he says, '...but we are looking to raise some funds and maybe apply for some grants to be able to get some equipment for the group.' Group members are under no illusion that Flin Flon is the next Hollywood, but they do want to produce films that people will see. Major sees YouTube and the Shaw cable access channel as obvious means of exposure. The group also plans on screening movies from the Toronto International Film Festival at the Hapnot Collegiate Theatre, and their own local films could be shown before the features. But Major says the group is not just for aspiring filmmakers; it is open to anyone with a love of films. Apart from their workshops, they have begun showing and discussing classic films such as The Great Escape and the works of Buster Keaton. Though the group formed last fall, its seed was planted in November 2010. That's when some future members attended a workshop put on by Manitoba Film and Music at the R.H. Channing Auditorium. Anyone interested in joining the Central Canada Film Group is invited to attend a regular meeting, held the second and fourth Thursday of each month at the NorVA Centre beginning at 7 p.m. For more information, e-mail centralcanadafilm [email protected].
