The Cinematheque

In February, participants in our Early Cinema 2‑Day Filmmaking Workshop created three weird and wonderful short films, which are now available to view and share on The Cinematheque’s Vimeo page! This workshop was part of a new initiative from our Learning & Outreach team to offer fun and low-cost filmmaking workshops for adults with all levels of experience. The ​“Early Cinema” workshop coincided with our ​“Celluloid Dreamland: The Cinema of Guy Maddin” series retrospective, and participants borrowed the techniques and stylistic signatures of early cinema using modern filmmaking tools. We incorporated advice from Maddin, the undisputed maestro of DIY, low-budget, silent era-inspired filmmaking: chocolate syrup makes the best fake blood! Your best friend is an unplugged lamp—embrace shadows! Mistakes and accidents can enhance creativity! Making a film from start to finish in one weekend is no easy feat, especially considering many participants had zero prior filmmaking experience. 

We are proud to present three original new films:

Vomi en magenta
An early cinema homage inspired by the feeling of a hangover.

Forbidden Flash
A hapless photographer falls under a witch’s curse. (Advisory: this short features strobe effects that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.

In a Silent Way
A jazz musician finds their voice. 

Interested in joining future Learning & Outreach workshops? Keep an eye on our calendar and print guide for announcements of future weekend filmmaking workshops!