Calgary filmmaker to highlight local, unconventional art.
Jordon Bourgeault always enjoyed art, but it wasn’t until a friend commissioned him a helmet to paint when he realized art could become his full-time job.
Bourgeault’s journey in becoming an artist –and one of the biggest Airbrush names in Western Canada — is showcased in the pilot episode of Creative Canvas, a 10-minute web series that highlights Calgary artists who use unconventional art forms.
Directed by Ximena Ríos, a Mexican-Canadian filmmaker, the series aims to share the stories of local artists and to show a different side of art.
“The endless creativity of these artists really amazes me and encourages me to bring those masterpieces, and their creators, into the spotlight,” Ríos says.
“There are so many talented artists in the community that need to get more recognition.
“The main purpose of this project is to offer a platform to those artists to tell their story and showcase their art because not all art is done on canvas.”
Creative Canvas is one of the 20 Alberta projects that received $20,000 in funding to produce a web series pilot as part of the TELUS’ STORYHIVE 2019 Web Series edition.
Telus’ STORYHIVE is a community-powered funding program from TELUS that encourages content creators in British Columbia and Alberta to submit their pitch ideas for a chance to receive production grants and distribution opportunities.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by surprise and was a challenge for many, Ríos found a way to endure hardships.
“The production had to be paused because it wasn’t safe for the crew or the talent to continue, so I filmed the remaining footage by myself at home.”
Ríos is no stranger to filmmaking. She graduated from SAIT’s Radio, Broadcast and Television program, and is a co-founder of L120 films, a comprised group of indie filmmakers in Calgary whose films have been showcased in Vancouver, Toronto and New York.
As for future plans, Ríos says she wants to continue with the series and obtain funding to bring her project into fruition.
The pilot episode of Creative Canvas will be live on TELUS Optik TV Fall 2020.
You can watch the teaser trailer here:
