A Winnipeg couple is hoping that a new, upcoming youth film camp will generate enough interest from Gimli’s teenagers to make the camp an annual event.

Randy Guest and Leigh-Anne Kehle will be instructing up to 12 students at the camp, which is to take place on the second floor of the Gimli Recreation Centre, July 15 and 16 from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.
This initial test pilot is being made possible by a $2,500 grant from the Manitoba Arts Council, as well as a $200 contribution from the Gimli Film Festival and a $150 contribution from the Kiwanis Club.

Guest has been trying to recruit students from Gimli High School to take part in the camp. Guest and Kehle will teach students the basic fundamentals of filmmaking -- from forming the idea, scriptwriting, storyboarding and familiarizing themselves with on-set lingo.

Once the students have created an original story and storyboard, the instructors will guide the students through a mini film-shoot -- conducting themselves as professional crews would --and then shoot a short film, up to 10 minutes in length.

Once the film is shot and edited, it will be screened on one of the final two days at the Gimli Film Festival as part of a new, local youth component. If everything goes well, Guest and Gimli Film Festival executive director Kristine Sigurdson hope to incorporate an educational component into future Gimli Film Festivals. These camps would feature a greater number of groups and more films being produced by students.
Guest says that there are still spots open for the camp, so if you are between the ages of 15 and 18 and want to learn how to make films, don’t hesitate to call Randy Guest at 942-5815 or 223-0556 to register.

Dave Dickie