Face 2 Face With David Peck

Chandler, Jesse and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film We Forgot to Break Up, identity, memory and sexuality, anger, selfishness, relationships, and the messiness of intimate friendships. Biography Chandler Levack is an award-winning writer and director. After being selected for a screenwriting seminar at the University of Toronto taught by Semi Chellas (Mad Men) and Patricia Rozema (Grey Gardens, Into the Forest), she wrote the coming-of-age comedy Felt Up, based on an article written for her college newspaper where she investigated the world of professional pickup artists. A music journalist for SPIN and The Village Voice whose writing has been nominated for multiple National Magazine Awards, Chandler transitioned into filmmaking after graduating from the CFC Writer’s Lab in 2012, where she wrote the short film Lunchbox Loser, which has screened at festivals world-wide including the Portland Women’s Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner, Canadian Film Festival, and the Lahore International Chi

Mina Shum and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Meditation Park, neighbours, Buddhism, the falsity of capitalism, underwear, the obstacles and triumphs we face and why we’re constantly coming of age. Biography Mina Shum is a Hong Kong–born, Vancouver-raised filmmaker who studied theatre and film production at the University of British Columbia. Many of her films have played at the Toronto Film Festival, including her short Me, Mom and Mona, which was awarded a Special Jury Prize; her feature debut, Double Happiness, which won the award for Best Canadian Feature; the films Drive, She Said and Long Life, Happiness and Prosperity; and the Canada's Top Ten Film Festival selection The Ninth Floor.  Synopsis “Mina Shum directs an all-star cast — including Cheng Pei Pei, Sandra Oh, Tzi Ma, and Don McKellar — in her latest feature, about a devoted wife and mother (Pei Pei) who is forced to reassess her reverence for her husband after she finds another woman’s thong in his laundry. In Meditation Park,

Arshad Khan and Face2Face host David Peck talk about similarity through difference, his new film ABU, Pakistan, immigration, puritanism, regret and why librarians matter. Khan is a filmmaker, film festival director, festival strategist and film educator from Canada. Born in Pakistan, Khan believes in cinema as a catalyst for change. He hopes to make films that shed light on subjects that are ignored by the mainstream media. He is interested in realism in cinema and the new wave in South Asian cinema, yet not restricted to any one cinematic genre. As a gay man, Filmmaker Arshad Khan explores his troubled relationship with his devout, Muslim, Pakistani father Abu. Khan documents his struggles with his sexual identity as his Muslim parents attempt to fit into Canada. Using family archives, pictures and movies, ABU is a revealing and deeply affecting portrait of a family’s tug-o-war between conservatism and liberalism that has greater implications for those choosing the west as their home. ABU is a journey to the

Sherwin Haji and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film The Other Side of Hope, immigration, voice and identity, fear of the other, history, memory and the extreme right wing. Biography Sherwan Haji (born 1985) plays the role of Khaled, a Syrian refugee. Haji, who came to Finland from Syria in 2010, graduated from Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus in 2008. Haji acted in several TV series in Syria and continued his studies in Cambridge School of Art – Anglia Ruskin University in 2015, graduating last year with a Master of Arts degree. Since 2012 Haji has, in addition to acting, also written and directed several short films and video installations for Lion’s Line, his production company. This is Haji’s first main role in a feature film. The film’s soundtrack also includes music performed by Haji on saz, a traditional stringed instrument. Synopsis The film consists of two stories that by chance intersect at the forty-minute mark. The first one is about Khaled, a young Syrian refugee who ha

Boris Ivanov and Face2Face host David Peck talk about propaganda, international adoptions, state sponsored hate, political complicity, LGBTQ issues in Russia, independent media and Pussy Riot. Biography Boris Ivanov’s directing credits include theatrical recreations for History channel’s Beyond Top Secret, which earned two News and Documentary Emmy nominations. He co-directed Loving a Stranger, TV documentary on the complexity of cross-cultural relationships. He has directed several narrative films including Seven Storeys, winner of Los Angeles Short Film Festival, and Princess Castle. Recently Boris directed an online documentary In The Monument on the evolution of Holocaust memorialization. Boris is also the producer behind Sundance premiered Family Portrait In Black and hite (VIFF 2011), Love Translated (VIFF 2010), High Five: A Suburban Adoption Saga (VIFF 2012). Synopsis On Putin’s Blacklist presents the reality of how an adoption ban of Russian orphans to US citizens came about and how it was the first

Gustavo Salmerón and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Lots of Kids, A Monkey and A Castle, emotional intelligence, hoarding, death, fascism and family and why you need to record your parents on video – soon. Biography Gustavo Salmerón, actor and director, (Madrid, Spain, 1970) has worked as an actor in over thirty films by internationally renowned directors like Julio Medem, Agustín Villaronga, Manuel Gómez Pereira, J. Luis García Berlanga, Manuel Gutiérrez Aragón and Mario Camus, among others. In 2001 he directed the short film Desaliñada (Salad Days) which won the Spanish Film Academy’s Goya for Best Short Film. It also won numerous international awards including: Best Short Film at the Los Angeles International Film Festival, the Gold Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival, Best Short Award (Brest) of Canal+ France. Since 2002 he has been directing, over the course of 14 years, the documentary Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle. The film has been selected for competition at the

Karim Sayad and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Of Sheep and Men, ram fighting, Eid al-Adha, Algeria, colonization, democracy and the Arab Spring, empathy and gender injustice.  Biography Karim Sayad was born in Lausanne, Switzerland and completed a master's degree in international relations at Geneva's Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. He has directed the short film Babor Casanova.  Of Sheep and Men is his debut feature documentary. Synopsis “Sixteen-year-old Habib dreams of training his prized sheep to become a fighting champion and middle-aged Samir just wants to sell enough sheep before Eid to make ends meet, in this emotive profile of two men in an impoverished Algerian community. It's a tale of two men, one country, and many sheep. Habib is 16 years old, working as a bus conductor although he had once dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. He is the proud owner of El Bouq, a ram he hopes to raise to become a champion fighter. Samir is 42 years old, having seen e

Leslea Mair and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Losing Our Religion, trauma, atheism and non-belief, the power of community and preachers who have no faith. Biography Leslea Mair is a writer and producer based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She has been the President and CEO of Zoot Pictures Inc. since 1998. Following completion of her BFA at the University of Regina, Leslea spent a number of years honing her skills as a writer, participating in the PRAXIS writers' workshop in 1992. She joined the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, serving as president twice. Leslea produced several experimental shorts and directed the experimental documentary Jigsaw, receiving nomination in the Experimental category at the Yorkton International Short Film Festival. She has also written multi-threaded educational multimedia products. In the field of documentary, Leslea researched and wrote the treatment for Two Gun Cohen in 1999, and wrote A Count's Colony for White Pine Pictures in 2000. In 2001 she produced, resea

Mouly Surya and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Marlina The Murderer in Four Acts, multiple possibilities, writing with images, violence, stillness and why women need to fight back. Biography Born in Jakarta in 1980, Mouly Surya is considered one of the most promising female filmmakers in Indonesia. Surya had a degree in media and literature before studying film in Australia. She directs her first feature film in 2008, FIKSI. The film opens at Busan IFF and wins numerous awards including Best Director at JIFFEST. Her second feature WHAT THEY DON’T TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT LOVE (2013) screens at various film festivals including Sundance competition and Karlovy Vary. It receives The NETPAC Award at Rotterdam. MARLINA THE MURDERER IN FOUR ACTS is Surya’s third film. Synopsis “Powerful, provocative, and visually stunning, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is a luminous new entry in the feminist western subgenre. Mouly Surya's accomplished third feature is one of a kind: a contemporary rew

Alanis Obamsawin and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Our People Will Be Healed, the Sundance ceremony, remnants of colonialism, indigenous peoples, the power of story and why hope isn’t a big enough word. Biography Alanis Obomsawin was born in New Hampshire and raised in Quebec. A singer, songwriter, printmaker, and engraver, she has also written and directed many documentary features, including Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance, Rocks at Whiskey Trench, Is the Crown at War with Us?, Hi-Ho Mistahey!, Trick or Treaty?, and We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice.  Our People Will Be Healed is her latest film. Synopsis “Norway House Cree Nation sits more than 450 km north of Winnipeg. One of Manitoba's largest First Nations communities, it is also among the most innovative on Turtle Island. With a focus on self-determination and sustainability, Norway House is home to a remarkable education centre and a range of community-managed industries. But the legacy of colonial policies, the trauma of r

Michael, Sean and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Five Fingers for Marseille, land rights, Apartheid, heroes and colonization, nationalism, pride and race relations and Spaghetti Westerns. Biography Michael Matthews Directing technically complex productions under pressure, has earned Michael a reputation for executing ambitious projects. Michael has a strong focus on emotive, visual storytelling. His work has been nominated and won awards both locally and internationally. Michael co-founded Be Phat Motel Film Company in 2007 with the aim to develop and produce progressive cinema, and has seen a number of projects into international development. In this period Michael has also made award-winning commercials, short films and music videos, working with worldwide brands and artists. Michael’s half hour film, Sweetheart (2011), screened at festivals in South Africa, Poland, Russia, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Singapore, Costa Rica and the USA. Sweetheart’s international in

Robert Schwentke, Frederick Lau, Max Hubacher and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film The Captain, WW II, misplaced power, violence from a perpetrators perspective, the banality of evil and why this is a story about uniforms. Biography Robert Schwentke was born 1968 in Germany. He studied Literature and Philosophy at the Eberhard Karl University in Tuebingen and later earned an MFA in directing from the American Film Institute. Synopsis In the last, desperate moments of World War II, a young German soldier fighting for survival finds a Nazi captain’s uniform. Impersonating an officer, the man quickly takes on the monstrous identity of the perpetrators he is trying to escape from. ---------- For more information about David Peck's podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here or check out the site of his podcast on film, social change and much more. With thanks to producer Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound. Image Copyright: Robert Schwentke and Opus Films. Used with perm

  Stephen McCallum and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film 1%, violence, loyalty and the bonds of friendship, a sense of belonging, finding our way home and why people need story. Biography Stephen graduated from AFTRS in 2011 where he won the Foxtel Exceptional Talent award and the AFTRS EU scholarship. Since graduating Stephen has directed multiple award winning short films and commercials including his marriage equality advert for GetUp - It’s Time which was voted AdNews Viral of the year and has had over 16,000,000 hits on youtube. In 2013 Stephen was the recipient of Screen Australia's director's attachment scheme for Tony Ayres' Matchbox feature film. In 2014 he was Glendyn Ivin's Director’s Assistant on Channel 9’s “Gallipoli” where he directed 2nd Unit. In 2016 Stephen was awarded the West Coast Visions fund to direct his first feature film 1%. Stephen has garnered a reputation for creating bold, character driven films set within visceral story worlds. He currently has multiple long form

Govinda Van Maele, Frederick Lau and Face2Face host David Peck talk about their new film Gutland, irony, cynicism, childhood dreams, fairytales for adults, and why evil doesn’t think its evil. Biography Govinda Van Maele, born 1983 in Luxembourg to Belgian-Sri Lankan parents, started making films as a teenager. After high school he took on an apprenticeship of sorts in producer-director Pol Cruchten’s company Red Lion, working as an asstistant director, casting assistant and stills photographer among other positions. His short films JOSH (2007), A DAY IN THE OPEN (2012) and YOU GO AHEAD (2013) travelled extensively on festivals and won several awards. He worked on documentaries as director (WE MIGHT AS WELL FAIL, 2011) and director of photography (MUEZZIN, 2010) and is a member of Kollektiv13, producing documentary shorts for RTL in Luxembourg. In 2014 he founded the production company LES FILMS FAUVES with producer Gilles Chanial and director Jean-Louis Schuller. In his spare time he curates exploitation cin

Jonas and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Valley of Shadows, Freud, fairy-tales, fantasy and fatalism, dream life, cognitive dissonance and why good questions are so much more important than answers. Biography Jonas Matzow Gulbrandsen was born in Bjørkelangen, Norway, and he studied directing at the Polish National Film School in Lodz. He is the director of the shorts Darek and Everything Will Be OK.  Valley of the Shadows is his debut feature film. Synopsis Between the sea and the mountains in a small village in Norway, Aslak (6) lives with his mother Astrid. A tragic event occurs that Aslak can’t quite understand and Astrid struggles to handle. Aslak’s friend shows him a macabre scene; three half-eaten sheep killed in the forest on a full moon night. In a quest for answers, Aslak ventures into the menacing forest behind his house. Is what happens on his journey merely a boy’s imagination or is it reality? Valley of Shadows is a film in the tradition of Scandinavian Gothic fable. Trailer --

Urszula Antoniak and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her gorgeous new film Beyond Words, Identity, voice, racism and otherness, immigration and empathy and how a film is rarely about the plot. Biography Urszula Antoniak studied Film Production at the Polish Film Academy and Film Directing at the Netherlands Film and Television Academy. Her feature film NOTHING PERSONAL  won six awards in Locarno, including the Silver Leopard for Best Debut Film and the FIPRESCI Prize. Antoniak’s second feature, CODE BLUE, was selected for Cannes’ Quinzaine des Realisateurs. CODE BLUE won two Golden Calves, and the lead actress, Bien de Moor, won several international prizes for her role. NUDE AREA, Antoniak’s third feature, was nominated for the Golden Frog at Camerimage. The children's film LIFE ACCORDING TO NINO (2014), which was written by Antoniak, won the prize for Best Children's Film at the Cinekid Film Festival in 2014 and at BUFF in Sweden in 2015. BEYOND WORDS is Antoniak’s fourth feature film. Antoniak has rec

Iram Haq and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her stunning new film What Will People Say, gender, oppression, moralism, family, anger, fear and shame and why validating voice and identity are critical to a better future. Biography Iram Haq (b. 1976) is an actress, writer and director. She made and starred in her directorial debut, the short film Little Miss Eyeflap, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. Her feature film debut I Am Yours premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2013 and was selected as Norway’s official Oscar entry. The film has gone on to win a number of prizes at festivals around the world. Synopsis Sixteen-year-old Nisha lives a double life. At home with her family she is the perfect Pakistani daughter, but when out with her friends, she is a normal Norwegian teenager. When her father catches her in bed with her boyfriend, Nisha’s two worlds brutally collide. To set an example, Nisha’s parents decide to kidnap her and place her with relatives in Pakistan. Here

Boudewijn Koole and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Disappearance, looking closer, the wonder and mystery of life, Mother and daughter relationships and death as an inspiration. Biography Boudewijn Koole won the Discovery Award of the European Film Academy in 2012. He started as a documentary filmmaker after his studies at the University of Delft. His first documentary series for television on children in the Northern Ireland conflict and children and death were nominated for the UNICEF award and an International Emmy. He recently began to write and direct fiction films. His first feature film, Kauwboy (Little Bird) was sold to over 20 countries and won more than 30 awards worldwide, amongst them the First Feature Award at the Berlinale. Kauwboy was the Dutch entry for the 2012 Oscars. In 2016 Beyond Sleep, premiered at the opening night of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. In September 2016 Koole has won a Golden Calf for Best Director at the Netherlands Film Festival in Utrecht. S

Kathleen Hepburn and Face2Face host David Peck talk about a Mother’s strength, life and the Canadian landscape, empathy, coming of age, Parkinson’s disease and death as a beautiful part if life. Biography Kathleen Hepburn is a Vancouver born writer and director who holds an MFA in Creative Writing, and a BFA in Film Production from the Universities of Guelph and Simon Fraser respectively, and is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre's Writer's Lab. Her debut feature, NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL is a film that exposes the tenderness that exists within struggle, and our ineffable connection to the landscape around us. Her most recent short film of the same name was included in TIFF's Canada's Top Ten, and was awarded Leo's for Best Dramatic Short and Best Direction, and Most Promising Canadian Director at VIFF 2015. Synopsis The feature film debut of writer/director Kathleen Hepburn, NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL is a tender and heart-breaking story of a physically disabled mother and discontent son ­ each alienated

Amr Salama and Face2Face host David Peck talk about his new film Sheikh Jackson, pop music, cinematic language, identity, Islam, father figures, inclusion, imagination, and. Michael Jackson. Biography Amr Salama is a prominent young Egyptian writer and director whose credits include the prize-winning AIDS drama Asmaa and the coming-of-age comedy Excuse My French, which swept the board at Egypt’s equivalent of the Oscars. Says Amr, I never felt as vulnerable making a film, it was half writing a memoir and half fictionalizing a universal story that can transcend above stereotyping and prejudice, a story about fear of death and loving life, identity, temptation and self love. Synopsis The sudden death of Michael Jackson sends a former King of Pop devotee — now a young imam — into a tailspin. But, what does an imam have in common with the King of Pop? More importantly, can he now go back to his normal life, or will his memories and relationships with his loved ones raise the most prominent question in his mind: i