Norwood could make it to Sundance Festival screen

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Bill Freeman

EMC Lifestyles -Norwood -Some of the 300 volunteers and youth who helped built the McNeil-Metcalfe Playground could make it to the screens at the Sundance Film Festival. There's a good chance that the Let Them Be Kids Foundation's documentary featuring Asphodel-Norwood's 2011 playground build will get a showing at Robert Redford's famous indie film fest in Park City, Utah.

The documentary could appear at a number of festivals as well.

What we can tell you is that the documentary will get one of five Canadian premieres on June 15 in the Millennium Room of the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre, a perfect way to celebrate the first anniversary of "build day."

The documentary showcases the Foundation's top five builds and Norwood is getting full film treatment along with Alder Flats, Alberta, Pincher Creek, Alberta, East Vancouver and Twillingate, Newfoundland. A trailer from the documentary is already getting significant hits on You Tube.

Every school board in Canada along with municipal governments across the country will receive copies of the DVD which will also be available as a free download.

The Campbellford-Seymour Foundation is providing funding to help cover the cost of producing 10,000 DVDs, says Stacey Gerow, recording secretary to council and a key member of the "Create a Community that Can" parks and playground committee.

"That's kind of neat that our neighbours are covering that," she said at last week's council meeting.

"The documentary is part of a four-prong strategy to inspire grassroots community improvement in 250 communities by December 2013," Ian Hill of the LTBK Foundation says. "The film will tell the powerful story of our success in an authentic, engaging and, most important, an inspiring way to as many people as we possibly can."

Hill was in Norwood to film the June 25 build day and has hundreds of hours of footage to work with from all five communities, says Gerow.

There will be different dates for the documentaries across the country with Hill and his wife Gina and their family driving a caravan from coast to coast stopping in each of the five featured communities. An arena in east Vancouver has already sold out for its premiere, says Gerow.

The documentary is "telling the story of those communities that take action by giving them a way to share their success with those across the country," says Hill.

"The trailer starts with two kids from Norwood on our playground and you recognize people," Gerow said. "I really think kids will appreciate seeing themselves on the big screen."

The Town Hall was the initial venue but Deputy-mayor Joe Crowley thought the Millennium Room would be "a perfect fit.

"It's close to the park, it has parking."

"This is awesome," said Councillor Mary Hay. "I do agree that the Millennium Room is a better venue."

Gerow says invitations will be sent out by e-mail to registered volunteers and individuals-businesses that made donations. She expects around 100 people to attend the premiere.