When Calgarian Doreen Wood decided to produce a movie for the first time, she did it on low-budget Super 8 mm film and shot in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
She never would have made that film, titled I’ll Never Let Go of Your Hand, if it weren’t for the $100 Film Festival, happening this weekend at the Plaza Theatre in Calgary. The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF) chose Wood as one of 10 Calgarians to make low-budget films for the festival.
“The CSIF mentored me from start to finish,” she said.
“I think the festival is really important, especially because we’re shooting on Super 8 film and there’s not many venues available in North America for that. To have a dedicated group for independent filmmaking in Calgary is wonderful.”
The $100 Film Festival began in 1992 with a challenge for filmmakers in Calgary to make a film for under $100. Today it is nearly impossible to produce a film for such a low amount, but the concept of low-budget festival films remains the same.
This year’s festival features 40 local and international films.
