Down To The Dirt At The Toronto Film Festival

Down to the Dirt - the feature film based on the novel by Joel Thomas Hynes is screening at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Now that’s a big deal folks. TIFF as it’s called [rhymes with SJIWFF } is one of the most important festivals there is, and is perhaps the hottest marketplace for film. To have your film screen at TIFF is HUGE!!  Competition is stiff – everyone wants in so there are tons of submissions, and tons of rejections – so make sure you give the D2D filmmakers a big hand when they get home – because they done damn good.

Actually, forget waiting till these guys get home – the filmmaking team is super busy the next few months showing off their film at tons of other important festivals too. Who knows when we’ll see them next.

So – in the meantime send them some love by leaving a comment on their brand new website. (NB. It’s built by moi using WordPress….more on how WordPress is great for building web sites for filmmakers and artists here.)

Now just who is this illustrious team of filmmakers? Well, it’s a Newfound Films production – directed by St. John’s residents Justin Simms and produced by Anna Petras, the latter of which just happens to be my landlord – the bestest landlord in the word. These guys have been working together for a while producing award winning films, and this is their first feature length production.

Down To The Dirt is a homegrown love affair and as all films, is a collaborative effort of some of the city’s best artists and filmmakers. Imagine a drum roll here as I list off some of the key players: the screenplay is co-written by Justin with Sherry White, who will be directing her feature Crackie this fall; Executive produced by Jennice Ripley – who is also producing Crackie; original music and soundtrack by local fave Mark Bragg. Charlotte Reid on costumes.

Starring Joel Thomas Hynes as Keith, with key roles played Robert Joy, Hugh Dillon, Phil Churchill, Jody Richardson, Glenn Downey, Sherry White. Lois Brown and Mary Lewis just to name a few.

The film is off to Halifax next to be screened at the Atlantic Film Festival, then Vancouver, Wales, Sudbury – who knows when we’ll see these guys next.

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