Film: The Empress

Film Title: The Empress

Award Designation: Love Unlimited Film Festival & Art Exhibition Award Winner.

Director: Lyle Pisio

Cast: Chantal Vitalis (Voice), Peter Moller (Voice)

Country: Canada

Category: Animated Film

Short Synopsis: Loneliness, Desire, Love, Hesitation, Miscommunication, Fear, and Loss with a touch of alcoholism for comic relief.

Detailed Synopsis: Loneliness, Desire, Love, Hesitation, Miscommunication, Fear, and Loss with a touch of alcoholism for comic relief. Trevor and Martha see each other across a dingy bar and fall in love. The couples shyness is only overcome in a mutual dream where their shadows dance together. Inspired by the song 'The Empress' by the Montreal band BRIGA, the film is about the first hesitant motions of meeting and the fragility of falling.

More Information:
Resumes:
Lyle Pisio: Agent, Animator, Art Director, Camera Operator, Choreographer, Cinematographer/DP, Costume Designer, Costumer, Digital Effects, Director, Editor, Executive Producer, Hairstylist, Manager, Print Return, Print Shipper, Production Designer, Publicist, Set Decorator, Sound Editor, Sound Mixer, Stunt Coordinator, Submission Contact, Video Operator

Lyle Pisio started out as a musician playing Alto Sax in the early 1980's, he was a founding member of the Calgary based band "Street of Crocodiles", which got its name from the animated film by the Brothers Quay. Adding the Double bass and Bass Clarinet to his repertoire, Lyle has always played mostly free-improvisational music, and has always thought of it as narrative in quality. In the 1990's he was also a founding member of the bands "Tomato Tomato," "tokyosexwhale," and "Book Lily Dead Posie".
In mid 2000 he bought his first digital camera and started making very short stop motion animation films using objects found on the highway on long bicycle trips, using different techniques like creating films using computer programs that he wrote. In 2002 he released his first film "Corpse" which was created using a computer program that he wrote. In 2004 he released "TV" and "The Unholy" shot on miniDV and edited on the computer. 2006 saw "Another Lost Soul" a time-lapse film shot with a still camera attached to a reflective ball. In early 2007 he quit his job as an instrument repair technician to pursue his dream of being an artist. He lives with his wife and 2 cats in Calgary, where he has been all his life (mostly in the basement).

Brigitte Dajczer: Original Music/Composer
Born in Montreal, and raised in Calgary, Alberta before she moved back to Montreal, Brigitte Dajczer is the daughter of a Polish immigrant and a Quebecoise mother. A Classically trained violinist through the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music, Brigitte discovered the art of improvisation by playing blues bars at the age of 15. Thus began her long time musical journey through popular and folkloric forms of music of many different cultures. After being picked by the Balkan Cult gypsy band "Les Gitans de Sarajevo" in 2004, Brigitte was baptized "Briga" by her fellow band mates, all refugees of the Bosnian war in the mid-90s. "Briga", meaning sorrow or burden, can be used as an endearing term for loved ones. Back in touch with her Eastern European roots, Briga continues to play with Les Gitans de Sarajevo, and has now started her own solo project as well, where she brings eastern European folk violin to the forefront and into a realm of New World Influences. As well as being a composer and arranger, continues to work with musicians in Montreal's Rrom (Gypsy) community and has played with many Canadian singer songwriters (Geoff Berner, Amanda Mabro, Kris Demeanor). An avid member of the world music scene in Montreal, Brigitte plays with Montreal's diverse community of musicians, as well as abroad. Artists she has worked with are Hassan Hakmoun (New York/Morroco), Jorge Martinez (Argentina/Quebec), Geoff Berner (Klezmer/Canada), Les Conques Claquent (Québec), Juan Carranza (Costa Rica/Québec), Carmen Piculeata (Romania/Québec) , Nazir et le groupe Salaam (Morroco/Québec), and many more…She has also shared the stage with kindred souls like Michel Donato (Oscar Peterson), the group Chumbawamba and Montreal based drummer Alain Bergé (Youssou N'Dour, Yann Perault).

This Fall, BRIGA is releasing her debut solo album called Diaspora. In it, we hear her violin and vocals transport us to a colorful, energetic, gripping and sensual world all the while encouraging excellent musicianship and improvisation. Briga brings us through divers musical landscapes such as world/urban/funk/jazz/groove, and songwriting/narrative, and always remaining true to its eastern European roots.

Official Website
Click the link to open an official Website for this project that is sanctioned by the filmmakers.
http://www.lilyposie.ca


This website, www.LoveUnlimitedAwardWinners.org, is dedicated to highlighting and announcing the film, art and script award winners of the most recent Love Unlimited Film Festival & Art Exhibition, an annual international event promoting film, arts and scripts. To visit the official website of the Love Unlimited Film Festival and Art Exhibition please visit here: www.LoveAndDiversity.org