A group that has been showing independent films each month finally has the opportunity to show a project by local filmmakers.

Oilfields High School graduates Zoe Slusar and Bailey Kerluke have been invited by the Dogtooth Mountain Film Group to show their newest project at the group's film night, Jan. 18 at The Stop.

The Dogtooth Mountain Film Group are screening Zoe Slusar and Bailey Kerluke’s first feature-length movie on Monday at The Stop in Black Diamond.

Slusar and Kerluke, who are both Oilfields High School graduates, wrote, starred, filmed and produced “Summer School” in 2009, completing the project earlier this winter. Their debut screening was held at The Plaza Theatre in Calgary last month, which was where Dogtooth Mountain Film Group organizer Larry Ashmore saw it. He invited the filmmakers to show it again, at home in Black Diamond.

Ashmore said he was impressed with Slusar and Kerluke’s ability to write a good script, their creativity and their acting.

“Summer School” follows four cliques at school, two arty students, two skater students, two preppy students and two foreign students — and Slusar and Kerluke play all of them.

“I was impressed with the production and the writing is funny and quirky,” said Ashmore. “It’s a lot of fun. A pair of characters speak Finnish and I thought it was gibberish, but they’re actually speaking Finnish.”

Ashmore said he respects Slusar and Kerluke’s drive to complete a feature-length production, which they juggled at the same time as working day jobs.

“You can get tied up for a week just doing five minutes of footage, so to do a feature length film is impressive,” said Ashmore.

It takes confidence and dedication to take an idea and follow it through to a completed project. Nevertheless, creating a motion picture project has become more accessible to more people in recent years, Ashmore said, with cameras and editing software becoming easier to use and more economical.

He is pleased to be showcasing a locally-made project at the monthly film group.

Ashmore, a Black Diamond area resident, started Dogtooth Mountain Film Group five years ago and has shown independent projects once per month between October and April ever since. However, this is the first time the group has been able to feature a locally made film.

“All along I knew this day would come at some point. Technology is simpler,” said Ashmore. “Film used to be out of reach, but now, with digital cameras and software new filmmakers are going online, sharing experience and information. And there are a lot of films online that can be downloaded for free.”

Ashmore would like to organize a short film festival that features projects by high school students and invites teachers to contact him to get the festival off the ground.

“High school students don’t really have a forum for showing their work. I think there might be a lot (of teen filmmakers) out there because they are using youtube.com already,” said Ashmore. “To me, this is how we tell our stories. In the past, it was oral. We were in small villages sharing stories with elders. In this day and age we do it with technology and the stories are shared with a much larger audience.”

Ashmore also welcomes filmmakers who have a completed project they’d like to show to contact him about screening their work at The Stop.

Larry Ashmore can be reached by email at dogtoothmtn@yahoo.ca

Dogtooth Mountain Film Group presents a showing of “Summer School” on Monday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at The Stop Coffee House and Gathering Place in Black Diamond.

Admission is by donation.

tneely@okotoks.greatwest.ca

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