The Films and Music of Trevor Anderson

3 May 2016 - pdome.org

Curated by Melanie Wilmink and Daniel McIntyre this program was the first Canadian retrospective screening of Trevor Anderson’s short films. Over the course of a decade, Trevor has created more than ten short films which have gone on to international renown, including a 2016 Canadian Screen Awards nomination for The Little Deputy. Rock anthems meet Hollywood divas meet Edmonton grime, Trevor Anderson’s artistic output combines music and film in a cinematic experience that is simultaneously humorous and raw. Turning a theatrical eye on his personal narratives, his work is always fresh, self-deprecating, bittersweet, and balls-to-the-wall fun.

Although separate from his film practice, Trevor’s other gig as drummer in the “shambolic, exuberant, demented rock” band The Wet Secrets, clearly demonstrates the same bold aesthetic. The Wet Secrets was formed on an impromptu dare between bassist Lyle Bell and Trevor to write, record and release an album within one week, resulting in their debut album A Whale of A Cow.

In this spirit of Anderson’s creative practice, the retrospective flowed into a party featuring musical responses to both the sight and sound of Anderson’s work. The screening event also coincided with a live performance by the Wet Secrets the following day, as part of Canadian Music Week.

Program:

Punchlines – 2009, 5 min.
Trevor considers an early motivation to become an artist. Created for the “cell phone self-portrait” assignment as part of Talent Lab 2009 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Featuring original music composed for the video by Doug Organ.

The Man that Got Away – 2012, 25 min View trailer!
A musical documentary that tells the true life story of Trevor’s great-uncle Jimmy in six original songs. Featuring Bryce Kulak, Noam Gagnon, Aryn McConnell as Jimmy, and Connie Champagne as Judy Garland. Original music by Bryce Kulak. Produced by Katie Weekley and Trevor Anderson.

Carpet Diem – 2008, 3 min.
Trevor’s first-person travelogue from the outskirts of anxiety to the center of the known universe. Made from two unaltered still photos: one taken by Trevor on his cell phone, the other taken by a professional Hollywood paparazzo.

Nightlife (music video version) – 2014, 6 min.
An immortal vampire struggles to engage with youth culture. Starring Joe Flaherty (SCTV, Freaks and Geeks) as his cult character Count Floyd. Featuring Mathew Hulshof as Robert Battinson, and Nicola Elbro as Kristen Boowart. Directed by Trevor Anderson. Produced by Katrina Beatty. Executive Producer Jason Kapalka. Director of Photography, Peter Wunstorf, ASC.

The Island – 2009, 6 min.
Trevor considers, with the help of animation, a piece of fan mail he received.

High Level Bridge – 2009, 6 min.
Trevor drops his camera from Edmonton’s High Level Bridge in memory of those who’ve jumped.

Figs in Motion – 2010, 8 min.
Two men become six ballerinas and several horses in a bestial, impromptu corps de ballet. A riff on the imagery of Edgar Degas and the photography of Eadweard Muybridge. Commissioned by the Art Gallery of Alberta as part of their grand reopening celebrations. Featuring original music composed for the film by Bryce Kulak and by The Wet Secrets.

The Little Deputy – 2015, 9 min.
Written and directed by Trevor Anderson; produced by Blake McWilliam; cinematography by Peter Wunstorf, ASC, and aAron munson; production design by Matt Vest; costume design by Nicole Bach-Labrecque, edited by Justin Lachance, sound design by Johnny Blerot, original music by Luke Doucet.

Rock Pockets – 2007, 6 min.
A sugar rush of sex, politics, and rock ‘n’ roll, as seen through the eyes of a ten-year-old boy at the fair.

The Wet Secrets Peak Performance Project 1973 Celebrity Endorsement – 2015, 2 min

Since 2005, Trevor Anderson has written and directed ten short films. His most recent film, The Little Deputy, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Previous films include: The Man That Got Away, which won the prestigious D.A.A.D. Short Film Prize at the 2012 Berlin International Film Festival; The High Level Bridge, which was included in the 2012 Sundance Shorts touring package, and which Roger Ebert proclaimed, “better, minute for minute, than most of the features at your multiplex”; and, Rock Pockets, which won the inaugural Lindalee Tracey Award at Hot Docs 2007, presented to “an emerging Canadian filmmaker working with passion, humour, a strong sense of social justice, and a personal point of view.” Trevor worked in theatre as a playwright and director for ten years, from 1995 to 2005, before starting to make movies. He is also the drummer in The Wet Secrets, a six-piece rocknroll band whose new EP, I Can Live Forever, is out now on Six Shooter Records/Thirty Tigers. https://www.trevorandersonfilms.com/