NEWS

We recently got back from Vermont and Montreal, where we shot expert interview footage for Shannon's experimental documentary, MKA Buy Buy Love, Buy Buy Happiness, a feature-length documentary which looks at marketing to tween girls. Check out the ongoing blog that chronicles research on the film.

Of course, we also managed to fit some leisure time into our shooting schedule. While we weren't able to stop by the Ben and Jerry's creamery and fill up on ice cream, we did take the scenic route to our first shooting destination in Burlington, Vermont, opting out of driving on the semi-filled interstates and instead, driving on the two lane roads winding through cow-dotted pastures, small towns and lakes. After our shoot in Burlington, we headed downtown, ate at "Vermont's first certified green restaurant," and caught a food and crafts fair in the town square.

(maple syrup bottles in Burlington, VT)

Then, we headed up to Montreal, QC, Canada - just a short jaunt up the road (ok, 150 miles, but we're from Texas, where it takes two days to get across the state). The interstate system was insane and all the signs were in French, but the people were very nice.

(Andre and Shannon in front of Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal QC)

In other news, Andre recently completed his animated mini-epic, Ichthyopolis and * finally * received his MFA from the University of Iowa after 4 years of working on the film. This "psychedelic technomation" will start making it's rounds on the festival circuit in the Fall of 08. Stay tuned for details!

The Silvas, Andre and Shannon, just finished their second year teaching at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Aside from teaching summer school and continuing work on their films, Andre and Shannon will screen short films and help with programming for the 14th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival. Last year, the fest received over 900 entries, so the Silvas should be watching several films again, this summer. They will also continue to be involved in the festival as it approaches, in November.

Shannon teaches an Intro to Experimental, Intro to Documentary, and a Senior Seminar Documentary/Experimental course. This past Spring, Shannon was involved in the co-creation of the Reel Girls project, a joint filmmaking project between the UNCW Film Studies and Women's Studies programs in which college girls teach middle schools girls about making their own films, assessing media with a critical eye and telling their own stories.

Andre is teaching Intro to Editing, Intro to Film Production, Modes of Animation Production: 2D Animation and an experimental film course, 6X1: Variations on the one-minute film.