"the ballad" goes to croatia

the ballad of vicki and jake can be seen in competition this week at Zagreb:Dox. The screenings will take place:

Wednesday, February 28 at 17:00
(Student Center Theatre)

Thursday, March 1 at 17:00
(MM Center)

Visit the festival site here.

remember me?

It has been a while since my last update; the last time I wrote was before my trip to Montreal in November to attend the North American premier of our film. We had successful screenings both in Canada and at our Scandinavian premier in Copenhagen (also in November). We were in competition in both festivals, and although we didn’t receive any awards this time, we didn’t come home empty handed: the contacts we made and the experiences we had both are benefiting this film and will prove to be invaluable to our future projects as well. I also had a wonderful time with my family who came up from Maryland to be with me at the festival.

I have found it difficult to update my blog and even just to keep up with correspondences since coming back from Montreal. I think I found that I needed some space to be able to figure out what my next step was, not only with the film but indeed with my life, too. I often talk about the trials and tribulations of the film, but not so much the ones in my personal life. When I look back on what I have written about “the ballad of vicki and jake” I can see that it really parallels what is going on in my life. But it is somehow easier to talk about things in relation to the film rather than directly talk about my life

Since returning from Switzerland last year with the award for our film, I haven’t submitted to any other festivals without invitation; that is, I am ready to focus on our next film and have only sent “the ballad” to a few festivals who have heard about us and requested our submission. This still doesn’t guarantee a screening, but of course it means that the chances of being screened are higher.

I am happy to announce that we have been selected for the international competition category in the Zagreb:Dox International Film Festival in Zagreb, Croatia which takes place next week. I leave for Croatia in the morning; I just couldn’t bear the thought of our baby being unaccompanied in a foreign country. It will be a short trip (just four days), but I am looking forward to the festival and also to having a chance to see a bit of the country as well.

Wish us luck!

in the news

I leave for Canada and the RIDM festival tomorrow.

I googled our film, the ballad of vicki and jake, to see if anything was posted after our screening on Saturday in Copenhagen. Couldn't find anything in English regarding the CPH:DOX screening, but here's a few postings from Canadian sources.


The Canada.com website, in an article titled Really Real Lineup of Films, offers this quote about us:

First Camera shines a light on new directors, with fresh points of view. Ian Thomas Ash's "The Ballad of Vicki and Jake" looks at the documentary form itself.

While the RIDM festival press release Look Harder. See for Real. has this to say about us:

First Camera presented by Planète is all about discovery— emerging filmmakers, original viewpoints and narrative innovation. It’s an invitation into the unknown where tomorrow’s documentary greats are hard at work. Newcomer Ian Thomas Ash’s "The Ballad of Vicki and Jake" is a pointed investigation of the nature of documentary itself. It begins by capturing every detail in the life of a recovering heroin addict and her pre-teen son, and ends with the viewer wondering just who is manipulating whom.


In Highlights of the City’s Ninth Annual Doc Fest, the Montreal Mirror says:

Thorny questions about the relationship between the documentary filmmaker and their subject are raised by "The Ballad of Vicki and Jake". In this British entry by Ian Thomas Ash, the director sets out to capture the rehabilitation of a young junkie and single mom. The bond between filmmaker and junkie subject soon becomes tortured and their manipulations back and forth entangled.


An article from Hour called Getting Off on the One-off says:

Things get troubling in "The Ballad of Vicki and Jake", when the very green filmmaker, Ian Thomas Ash, spends a large chunk of the film convincing his subject - a cracked-out mom and her son trying to make good - to sign release forms that give him and his producer the rights to their story.

And perhaps the strangest piece linked to our film comes from our very own website's guestbook:

Drug Information for Prescription Drugs. Free information about buying meds online, alumogur, tramadol. Canada Drugs is your online Canada pharmacy for xanax. Order from an Online Pharmacy.

How ironic.

Will try to post while I am away. Wish us luck!

three years ago this week

We met Vicki three years ago. The weather was cool and the leaves were changing. This photo was taken in Novemeber during one of the first interviews we had with her.

It is so hard to believe all that has happened in the time since this photo was taken.

castle park, 5 november 2003
photo: ken kwek

I have been busy with preparations for the festival in Montreal. I leave on Tuesday and can't wait!

first date without a chaperone

oneill's pub, 3 November 2003
photo: ken kwek

Our baby, the ballad of vicki and jake, is having its first showing without one of us holding its hand tonight when it has its Scandinavian Premier at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival.

We're thinking of you, baby!

burst my bubbles

Feeling a bit stressed lately? Yeah, me, too.

You know how good it feels to pop bubble wrap between your fingers? Well, thanks to my friend Bullfighter6.2 who pointed me in the direction of THIS website, now that feeling of release is only a click away.

Almost as good as the real stuff. Pop away, stressballs.

Update:

The voice that you hear when you push "fresh sheet" sounds just like Anthea, our assistant editor, when she hasn't had enough coffee. Scary.

what they're saying about us 2

The English version of the CPH:DOX site is now up, so now I can finally tell you what they're saying about us in Copenhagen.

'The Ballad of Vicki and Jake' is a film about the omissions, manipulations and compromises involved in making the film...improvised interviews and choleric conflict resolution dominate the film. A meta film about the negotiation of power relations and the human decency demanded in every form of documentary.

If you have a degree in Film Studies, maybe you could explain the above to the rest of us. (Perhaps you, Matt?). In the meantime, I'm just glad they're talking about us.

For the full synopsis from CPH:DOX, go here.

babtists for "ballad"

I would like to thank all of my friends at the First Baptist Church back in upstate New York* for their lovely send off. Only a week to go until the ballad of vicki and jake premiers in North America and Scandinavia!


*Actually, I would like to thank my new friend, Bullfighter6.2, the vibrating blogger, for making me laugh with his tomfoolery and shenanigans.

posting poster

This is what the new posters look like that we ordered for the festivals in Copenhagen and Montreal for our film, the ballad of vicki and jake.