As Kate Campbell prepares to shoot her short film Boundless this summer the writer/director is coming to her hometown of Haliburton to launch her fundraising campaign.
On Monday June 3 Campbell is hosting an evening of music with award-winning jazz vibraphonist Nick Mancini at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion. The gala will include a red carpet complete with a step and repeat banner photographer and special VIP tickets for those who want to continue to a party after the show.
Money raised will help Campbell take Boundless to new heights after spending years on research writing and creating a short teaser for the project: historical fiction about women pilots in the Second World War.
“I shot a teaser last summer for the piece which was just a fantastic experience” Campbell said in an interview with the Echo last week. “We shot it in Los Angeles and some of it in Canada and some of it in Wisconsin at Oshkosh [which] has one of the largest aviation conventions in the world. That was one of my first tastes of directing.”
Campbell is a woman of many talents; while she’s the writer and director on Boundless she’s also an actor and singer. She recently appeared in films Gone Girl and Badsville and released the EP i am that girl in 2016 as well as a collaboration with the Martini Kings called Smile.
Photo: Nick Mancini will be performing with Kate Campbell during the fundraising concert in Haliburton on Monday June 3. Mancini is an award-winning jazz vibraphonist. /Photo courtesy of Kate Campbell
She’ll be combining her talents on June 3 which will include music a conversation about her time in L.A. and work on Boundless as well as a screening of the teaser.
“The journey [has been] almost 10 years of research a lot of commitment a lot of different paths it’s been on” she said.
Campbell is eager to show the audience her progress so far and also wants to introduce them to the pilots who stepped into traditionally male roles during wartime. The lead character is a Canadian and the film is set in the U.S. While it’s historical fiction inspiration came from Campbell’s grandmother who was a pilot though not in the war.
“It’s time to celebrate these women but also other women … still today only six per cent of all pilots are women. It’s an important time” she said.
The film is about an older woman looking back at her life and the moments that defined her. Campbell said the theme is about liberation: how do you liberate yourself?
“Whether it’s flying whether it’s following your heart or your passion or speaking the truth or how it gets you into trouble sometimes you know? … I think it’s something we really have to give to ourselves especially as women. It’s not something we’re meant to do alone.”
Photo: Haliburton's Kate Campbell at back on right directed and performed in a teaser for her new short film Boundless which will be screened in Haliburton on June 3. The gala concert event is raising money to produce a short film with shooting happening this summer. /Photo courtesy of Kate Campbell
Buck Productions is producing the project which Campbell said could eventually become a mini-series or feature film.
The Haliburton concert will kick off a larger online fundraising campaign to fund this summer’s shoot. Campbell said she has a goal of $50000 which would be used to fund equipment pilots and proper crew.
Carrying such an ambitious project to fruition feels both natural and intimidating she said.
“I think it’s important to keep challenging ourselves and having just shot with the planes with the actors with all of the technical elements that we’re working with even in that two minutes [of the teaser] that we created gave me a lot of confidence to understand what needs to happen and then it’s not as scary as I think it will be” she said.
Campbell’s interest in acting developed while growing up in Haliburton where she performed in Love Affair with Hollywood Grease and after attending Sheridan College she returned for The Sound of Music.
A portion of the proceeds from the concert will be donated to the Haliburton YWCA for the rural safe space for women and children. The charity will have a booth set up in the lobby with more information.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for guests to have fun on the red carpet and have their photo taken. The show starts at 7:30.
Campbell advises people to wear whatever they’d like. “I was hesitant to describe what people should wear. I want to leave it up to them. Coming from L.A. people literally wear anything. I will be dressed up. It’s a fun excuse to get dressed up on a Monday night. There’s no pressure. It’s going to be a fun vibe; it’s not going to be stuffy by any means.”
You can find tickets online by going to www.katecampbellfilmmaker.com or at Transat Travel in Haliburton (705-457-3290) Sassy Digs in Minden or Boshkung Social in Minden. Tickets range in price from $30 (section 3) to $100 (VIP).