#TheFrozenGoose CANADIAN SHORT FILM Update

As some of you know, I'm doing a short film, The Frozen Goose, based on a published short story of mine of the same name. We've found some astounding private locations, as seen below, but we NEED Mother Nature to co-operate. We NEED below freezing temps for 2 weeks SOLID, to insure safety on the lake. (And we could use a bit more snow ...)  But, overall, SWEET!  - All coming together nicely. We SHOOT from February 6th to the 12th. Aiming for Release FALL 2016.

Follow along with cast & crew during pre-production via Facebook, Twitter or via dedicated website.

 

2016 - HERE WE COME!

So many things seemed 'rotten' last year
 - coming at us from all angles of mainstream media -

 one wondered, what has HAPPENED to Humanity?

It seems we just cant get along anymore,
that we have to ruin the planet on route,

that we have no sense of decency anymore -
that we now revel in revolting vulgarity,
endless gore and mind-numbing mediocrity.

Well, I say, UGH. 

This painting is a 'throw back' to a BETTER TIME,
when community - and personal satisfaction - 

could be found in the reliability
and profound  'simple'  beauty of a setting Sun ...
Remember THAT?

Here's to a BETTER 2016 for EVERYONE -

filled with Peace & Good Will. 

'Doe at Dawn' - New & Final Painting by m.l.holton for 2015

'Doe at Dawn' - Acrylic by m.l.holton,, unframed

Inspired by a photo image that was swirling around the net, I liked that image and zapped it a la mlh. 

Happy enough with the result, though that that lifted hind leg will always bug me ... 

Here are some preliminary photos of the work in progress showing the undersketching, 

and a change in the background colouring ... Lotsa Serious Fun.

Underpainting, note that hind leg is better here ... arg.

ALMOST done, but changed the centre mountain 'blue'.... darkened it up.

If interested in purchase and size, please contact the artist. 

FINAL painting for 2015,

Signed, Dated and Numbered by Yours Truly.

'CELEBRATE the SEASON!' - at the Holcim Gallery, Milton, Ontario, Canada

Please join us for the much loved 

Members' Show & Sale 

at the

Holcim Gallery, Milton Centre for the Arts

1010 Main Street East, in Downtown Milton, Ontario, Canada 

 

Opening Reception: 

Friday, December 4th, 2015 

- 6:30pm to 8:30pm - 

Refreshments & Seasonal Cheer!

Members' Show Runs Until January 3rd, 2016

Gallery Hours/Map here.

Have put in my popular 'Twilight Zone' ...

aka ...'The Magic Hour'...Come SEE! 

Season's Very Best! - mlh 

-  on location - 

 

Paris. Nous Souviens.Toujours.

After initial news of the horrific attacks that occurred in Paris, France, on Friday, the 13th of November, 2015, broke, the 'plugged in' world quickly rallied in solidarity. Most potent was the viral spread of this iconic symbol. Drawn hastily while news of the attacks continued to come in, by Jean Jullien, a Frenchman now living in London, it immediately became the 'badge' that global strangers could share their common humanity, their deep concern and their heart-felt empathy.

PARIS. NOUS SOUVIENS. TOUJOURS. 

'Last Stand' - by m.l.holton - SOLD

Good news!!!

Sale of painting in support of The Frozen Goose film project ... 

Fine out more on our Fan Page on Facebook.

10th Annual Hamilton Film Festival - m.l.holton

Thrilled to announce that my short documentary about David Lambert: The Fastest Knot Tyer in Canada has been officially selected for the Documentary Short program for the 10th Annual Hamilton Film Festival. Running for one week during the early part of November this festival is WIDE-RANGING with over 200 films, a film expo, and entertainment throughout.

More info here: http://www.hamiltonfilmfestival.com/ 

My effort will be showing with a few other short great films - 
WEDNESDAY November 4th, 7pm - $10
STAIRCASE THEATRE, 27 Dundurn Street N. 
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 

Originally produced as an embed for a published article on Raise the Hammer in 2014, it's going to be a thrill to see it on the BIG SCREEN - Don't Miss It!

 

 

Director, Margaret LIndsay Holton, 

photo by A. Hornby, from Snapd Hamilton

Launch of THE FROZEN GOOSE - Part 3. INDIEGOGO LINK

It's OFFICIAL!! Join Us!!  Indiegogo campaign is now LIVE - 
NEW perks & Updates added - Sept 11th, 2015

So thrilled to have such great support from those in the arts & film community.  Keep 'em coming folks - only 22 days to go!!  

UPDATE: 6 days to go! It would appear that we've not done so well on the Indiegogo campaign, but thanks to 'private' contributions, like arts impresario Robert Missen and famed Canadian artist, Charles Pachter, we're much closer to a 'start point'. Thanks be to everyone who has pitched in to help make this happen! Your pennies do count! Please do chip in what you can before October 5th. Cheers!   

UPDATE, October 7th: DONE. Well, we didn't get anywhere NEAR what we'd hoped. STILL - because of other generous 'outside' contributions, we do have 'Lift Off'. This production is now fully in 'pre-production'. Aiming for - Release - in the September of 2016.  

Follow along on our Facebook 'fanpage', The Frozen Goose, or on Twitter, @TheFrozenGoose. Thanks everyone!  Lots of 'serious fun'! On & UP!

FASM Studio Tour / PINHOLE LOCATION, Oct 3rd & 4th.

Mount Nemo - as seen from Gallagher Farm, Photo by m.l.holton

Delighted to be showing this year with Linda Ross Gallagher at her nifty organic farm, (donkeys even!), located just south of Derry Road on the Guelph LIne, in North Burlington. Linda is a fabulous painter & portrait artist. I will be exhibiting & showing my B&W pinhole photography as well as a selection of my hand-made pinhole  cameras. (A primer for those who don't know what 'pinholing' is, can look HERE. )  Wonderful location for an Fall STUDIO TOUR, nestled between Mount Nemo & Rattlesnake Point. Splendid views. The vibe is earthy, sacred and welcoming.

First weekend in October

Fine Arts Society of Milton, Fall STUDIO TOUR, 2015

Saturday & Sunday, 

10-5pm. Rain or Shine, FREE. 

21 Locations / 35 Rural-based Artists & Artisans

Maps and detailed brochures can be found at select locations throughout Burlington, Halton and Milton. Libraries, Senior Centres, Tourism Burlington, City Hall, etc. Seek and ye shall find!! 

 We can be found at No.11 on the map above.

Find us South of Derry Road, at 6691 Guelph Line. 

Lovely spot. Drop in, say hi, watch pinhole demos ... 

Pick up a print for your home or photo collection. etc. :) 

 Update: Great Tour! 
Weather didn't co-operate that much with HIGH winds on Saturday, but interested & interesting people made the trek to our location on the tour.

Location, Location, Location - Gallagher's Farm

Rattlesnake Point, in distance, with beguiling fall colours EVERYWHERE - and farmyard 'totem'

Very busy two days, with lots of food, chatter, and mixed attendance from younguns to esteemed seniors

Meanwhile, down in the barn - livestock entertained with braying, howling, chirping, and croaking ...

Goats galore - at feeding time, friendly but ready to 'butt' at a moment's notice!

Day 3. Removing the Studio Tour signage in the 'hood - soaking up the 'rooted' history. Lovely country. Precious, in fact.

All in all, wonderful tour, wonderful weekend. 
Old & New faces & friends made it 'happen'. 
Lotsa SERIOUS FUN. :)  

Sounds of Summer - VIDEO

Ambient sound is the single most important element in any film ... It is the backdrop for all dialogue and action. Get it right, and the 'texture' goes unnoticed, get it wrong and the entire film can be jeopardized. Be sure, when on location, to record the ESSENTIAL sounds of place ...Offered here on my two channels: canadada on VIMEO & MLH Productions on YouTube. It is the same video. - Which format do you prefer?  (UPDATE: Consensus is in. VIMEO for better quality, but YouTube for efficiency & better public reach ... )

Ping Pong and Poetry with MLH - CULTURE DAYS CANADA - Burlington, Ontario

 Join Golden Horseshoe Artist, Poet & Filmmaker

Margaret Lindsay Holton

for a bit of 'round robin' fun ...

Saturday, September 26th, 2-4pm - (ONE DAY ONLY) 

'PING PONG & POETRY with MLH'

@ Halton Hive (NB: formerly called 'Burlington Hive' ) 
901 Guelph Line, Burlington

LINK to EVENT here

 From Guelph Line & Fairview intersection, 

go UNDER the bridge towards Lowville, take 1st RIGHT IMMEDIATELY  

Fun to be showcased under the 

Ontario Activites - for CULTURE DAYS CANADA
and then again, on the Culture Days BLOG

'Peach Bounty'

Sometimes the unexpected beauty of the simplest things just catches your eye and takes your breath away. I had pulled some fresh peaches, put them in a bowl in the sink, was boiling the water ready to skin them, and just stood and LOOKED ... Then, went and got my camera ...Enjoy.

'Peach Bounty' by mlholton, 2015

Actor Jens Hansen as Canadian poet, Robert W. Service

Robert W. Service, Courtesy of Wikipedia CC.

Local actor Jens Hansen performs a spell-binding rendition of Robert Sevice's 'The Cremation of Sam McGee' ~ in the persona of the poet. This short film below has been made as a video embed for a review that I'm doing of the poet's life & major works for Brick Books of Canada: 'In Celebration of Canadian Poetry'. To be published in October, 2015.

UPDATE: October 29th, 2015 - NOW UP on Brick Books of Canada, in 'Celebration of Canadian Poetry'. 

Hamilton Music & Film Festival, Sept 25th-27th - Yeah! I'm IN!

Thrilled that my 14 minute documentary short - 

'Harold Dickert: Burlington Luthier' - will be presented at this festival. 

Soon nice to see my film-making efforts finally come to fruition ...

Harold makes the most beautiful stringed instruments 

in exotic and local woods that have great tonal resonance and sound clarity. 

Showing at THE SPICE FACTORY at 
121 Hughson St North, Hamilton, ON

Check for schedule & tickets HERE.

Launch of The Frozen Goose - Part 2

\

I've just picked up the promo cards for the IndieGoGo campaign. 

Lookin' good people!

----- Press Release ----- 

 

A new independent Canadian film production is underway in the GHA!

The Frozen Goose, based on a published short story of the same name by award-winning Golden Horseshoe artist & author, Margaret Lindsay Holton, is being made into a short film.

First published in the critically acclaimed cross-country World War One anthology, 'Engraved: Canadian Stories of World War One' ,The Frozen Goose follows a rural farming Canadian family as they cope in the aftermath of The Great War ...Their lives have been shattered. There has been Great Loss. And then - a horrific incident occurs that tests the very last shreds of their Survival Capabilities ...

Directed by Holton, cinematography will be handled by local photographic all-star, Kien Tran. Principal Photography is set to shoot in the first week of February, 2016.

A superb cast includes two veterans of the local stage, Leslie Gray, co-founder of Koogle Theatre Inc, and the ever affable Rod McTaggart - known for his recent performances at The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. Newcomers to the set include Cameron Brindle and the brilliant young starlet, Hannah Ralph - of Hamilton.

A novel aspect of this film production is that the Director, MLH, has committed to give a percentage of the net revenues to support The Red Cross of Canada. As MLH says, "Without The Red Cross, Life would be very bleak for many throughout the world. Thanks are to be given for their outstanding work for the young and old alike - all across Canada - and beyond."

- - - - - - - - -

See seductive teaser trailers for The Frozen Goose on YouTube, under MLH Productions. Beguiling and thought-provoking imagery is accompanied by the toe-tapping fiddling of the ever popular Golden Horseshoe fiddler, David Clarence MacLean.

Teaser Trailer 1.
  Teaser Trailer  2.

Keep up with the The Frozen Goose production via their fan page on Facebook.

Or, via Twitter @TheFrozenGoose.

For additional media updates and/or press queries, contact -

Margaret Lindsay Holton -

Writer/Producer/Director

Phone (redacted for internet)

Email: mlhpro (at) hotmail (dot) com 

UPDATE Aug 14th: Our First Bit of Press!  in the BURLINGTON GAZETTE 
UPDATE Aug 25th: Our Second Bit of Press! in The Hamilton Spectator & Flamborough Review. 

Launch of The Frozen Goose - Part 1

As some of you know, I've been involved with filmmaking over the past few decades ...

I am delighted to announce a new project, The Frozen Goose. Releasing in the Fall of 2016.
Please 'like' and 'follow' our production over on Facebook.

Exhibit 18 - 'Art in the Workplace', McMaster Innovation Park, Hamilton

'Dory', acrylic on canvas - by mlholton - 2015

'Art in the Workplace' 

 Exhibition Opening 

Date: Thursday, August 6th, Time: 7-9 pm. 

Place: McMaster Innovation Park, Atrium

Live music, free horsey d-overs, 

cash bar - and of course, LOTS of fabulous art!* 

EXHIBIT RUNS FOR THE SUMMER.

Don't Miss It!

'SAIL PAST' by mlholton -  2015

* Note. The painting that I will have in this above show is 'Woodland Deer'. I've posted that around the 'web' a couple of times, so rather then 'repeat', I'm posting two newer works. If interested in either, please contact the artist for sizes & prices. nb: 'Dory' has NOT been stretched or framed yet.

McMaster Innovation Park

Address: 175 Longwood Road South, Hamilton, ON

Phone:(905) 667-5500

UPDATE:  Great Opening. Lots of Fabulous Work. Here are a few shots of what caught my eye (sorry, didn't take note of artists on route. Plus one shot of yours truly beside my work - eyes closed - NATURALLY. Ha!) 

MIP August to November, 2015 

 

Atrium of MIP - MLH with her piece, 'Woodland Deer'

 

MIP artworks  - with crowd shot of those in attendence

Winona Escarpment View

Winona Escarpment View by mlholton - Acrylic on Canvas 

Thank you for your on-going support and interest in my work! 
Copies of TRILLIUM will be shipped out in the first week of December.
To return to the fall 2018 mailer - link here.

WORLDS SMALLEST FILM FESTIVAL at NIFF, June 18th-21st

The 'Worlds Smallest Film Festival' challenge was to shoot an ultra short film ( less then 3 minutes) using a smart-phone or tablet. My ultra short 'stop motion' film, (52 seconds) was shot on an iPod in the spring of 2015. - The 'theme challenge' this year was WATER. So, guess what I did??

***PLEASE***

WATCH & 'LIKE' - my light-hearted mini film - 

 > SUGARING OFF!<

Sugaring Off -Video Still  by M.L.Holton

NIFF FESTIVAL DATES: : June 18-21, 2015. 
Expect a unique culinary & film adventure with exquisite food, phenomenal films, and stellar wines all in the heart of Niagara. The Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF) is an unforgettable adventure in great food and phenomenal film taking place at all the top wineries in breathtaking Niagara Region.

Consider one of the four event 'packages': -

GALA - Experience a Hollywood premiere-style affair. The Opening Night Gala will take place at Peller Estates with a seasonally designed plated dinner and delightfully paired wines to kick off your NIFF experience. Fri-Sun night Galas will take place at Jackson-Triggs Winery with spectacular chef-attended food stations spanning the property. We'll have red carpets and talent to introduce the films and provide an interactive audience Q&A. Finish the night off at the complimentary after-party with a glass of wine!

FILMALICIOUS - It's dinner and a movie at its finest! Hosted at some of the most splendid wineries across Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley, during this sensory experience guests will enjoy a sumptuous dinner paired with award-winning Niagara wines selected specially by the winemaker.

FILM FEAST - Film Feast shines the spotlight on the very best of food, film, and wine -- all combined to create a unique afternoon in the vineyards. Leave the tour behind and take a guided bus tour to some of Niagara's remarkable wineries. At each winery, guests sample a flight of vintages accompanied by exquisitely prepared hors d'oeuvres. What makes Film Feast unlike anything else is that at each winery you will enjoy the amazing short films selected from Canada's Not Short on Talent, a program imported express from the Cannes Film Festival.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES - Spotlight Series takes place at the Pen Centre in St Catharines and at the historic Seneca Queen Theatre in downtown Niagara Falls. The Spotlight Series Weekend Pass is your best bet to see as many films as you can from Thursday to Sunday for one low price!
 

For TICKETS & MORE INFO - 

Phone 289-438-1695
http://www.niagarafilmfest.com/

Learn more about NIFF: 
Bill Marshall (Founder & Chair Emeritus of TIFF) & Sar Ruda (Producer at Corsair Entertainment Corp) head up the Founders & Board of Directors -  https://niagarafilmfest.com/about-us/#founders

Individual Tickets - Schedule of Galas & Special Events - https://niagarafilmfest.com/buy-tickets/

Line up of the Main Festival 2015 FILMS - https://niagarafilmfest.com/2015-films/