Local filmmakers head to Hollywood

Jamie and Eddie: Souls of Strife – which won best action sequence in a feature, and was also nominated in the best foreign film feature category at Pasadena, California’s international Action On Film Festival – is the product of three years’ of hard work by local filmmaker Pascal Aka and an east-end triple threat, manager/actor/martial artist André Givogue.

The action-packed movie follows two top students at “a secret agent school,” both vying for a scholarship to be trained in the United States, explains Aka from California.

The storyline came in the wake of 9/11 and “when (reaction) was really at its peak,” he continues, suggesting at its core, the martial arts-fuelled Jamie and Eddie is an exploration of the ideas behind Canada’s participation – “the should or should not” – in the war on terror.

The origins of the film trace back to 2005, when Aka was only 19 years old and in his second year of Carleton University’s film program.

For Gloucester resident Givogue, the film was an exciting opportunity to take part in an action-packed, well-choreographed project, pointing to his long-standing background in the martial arts. “It’s awesome,” he describes, highlighting the talent of the movie’s fight choreographer and the other actors. “It was really great. There was a lot of practice, a lot of rehearsals; long days, 14-hour days. But it was a fun experience. I’m really happy with the final product.”

What’s especially impressive about Jamie and Eddie, he suggests, is “the talent and the passion that went into it,” even with a small budget and limited resources. “It was all done through the Ottawa area, through favours from friends,” Givogues says, with approximately 80 people involved throughout the entire process, which included 61 days of shooting, and most funds coming from Aka.

Eventually, Aka sent the film to Action On – highlighting in particular a fight scene with Givogues – and two nominations and last week’s win soon followed. “It’s pretty cool to be here at the film festival,” Givogues recounts, especially with the presence of big-name action stars like Ron Pearlman of <@Ri>Hellboy<$p> fame. “To be nominated … that’s really big for us.”

Last week’s screening was “a very good experience,” continues Aka. “It showcases the talents of the people involved. People also like the story-behind-the-story, because of the $6,000 budget. Imagine what we could do with more.”