Conjurer David Ben in 'Yesno'
BDJ Films is not a company. It’s a diversion, by a film critic who spends most of his time watching films, not making them. In the past five years, I’ve found the time, and budget, to produce and direct two professional shorts—thanks to financial assistance from Bravo!FACT, some great collaborators, and the guidance of executive producers Ron Mann and Louise Garfield. Tell Me Everything premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2006. On Sept. 12, TIFF premiered Yesno, adapted from Dennis Lee’s latest book of poetry, and featuring original voice recordings of six major Canadian poets: Leonard Cohen, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Karen Solie, d’bi young—and Dennis. Yesno features cinematography by Nick De Pencier, animation by Nick Fox-Gieg, and a score by Owen Belton. For more details, click on Yesno.
After premiering at TIFF, Yesno screened at the Atlantic Film Festival, the Woodstock Film Festival, The Vancouver Film Festival, Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal (RIDM), the Whistler Film Festival, the Victoria Film Festival and the inaugural San Francisco Green Festival.
Yesno will be broadcast on the main network of CBC TV, Sunday Jan. 29, 2012 at midnight, on its Reflections series.
To watch the full 7-minute festival version of Yesno, with animated credits, click here.
To watch the 6-minute Bravo!FACT version of Yesno, click here.
This site is still under construction, and very DIY. Bear with me. Meanwhile, browse the top menu bar for films, photos and information. The site will be updated as time permits.
- Brian D. Johnson
An image from 'Tell Me Everything,' featuring dancer Andrea Nann
