Filmmaker of the Week – Christopher Logan

Episode 44 of Filmmaker of the Week featuring Christopher Logan!

Give us a brief introduction of yourself, where you’re from originally and where you are now if different

I was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and been living and working in the film industry in Vancouver BC Canada for the past 20 years.

What is it that first got you into the world of filmmaking?

I studied acting at The Stella Adler Academy in North Hollywood and became a character actor in Vancouver. I got a bit tired of playing the ‘interesting guy who dies dramatically’ in the opening sequence of every new show, and started producing. I first produced a series of books on diversity and inclusion, and then started into filmmaking with my first short film ‘Moonboy’ which although quirky, was autobiographical and what I was going through and needed at the time: a little spark of light to help me bounce back into brighter times. I followed up with two more shorts that won awards in festivals ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ and ‘Never.’ and then received a $100,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and wrote and produced ‘Kiri and The Girl’, which is head to Apple TV this Spring.

Share a little bit about your specialty in the film world

I seem to be able to pull true weighted industry pros into passion projects. The team I’m able to create is drafted from the best folks working today and a group that rarely steps into the smaller budget indie world: I’m a good connector, as it were. I worked hard for several years to push my writing out of the ‘just for me and my tastes’ zone and into the broader more accessible, easy to read and attach to… which truly helps when pitching professional filmmakers out of my current league. I have two features we’re starting to raise funding for and a great team in place for each, with award winning dept heads and even an Oscar winner on board early on.

 What has been your most challenging project to date?

The most challenging project to date is jumping to the next level, where the money becomes bigger and making those things happens and those connections. I’m currently brewing two financial packages for my features and taking a long slow approach to break through not only for these projects for to set the stage for future films as well.

Tell us a bit about your latest project.

Currently, I’m running the Sunday Shorts Film Festival, which will take place at Vancouver’s historic The Park Theatre. We began with a short film showcase in 2019, and seem to have created something filmmakers love to come to and be part of. Some fests are truly parties, others all business… we seem to have bridged the gap between the two by throwing a light-hearted Sunday afternoon vibe of a showcase.

What is one moment you’ve had in any part of the filmmaking process where you learned a really valuable lesson?

Early on I tried to wear too many hats, something a lot of indie filmmakers do. I learned that it’s better to do what you know, and bring in the right fit for the things you do not. I made a list of the things I always find lacking in indie films: sound, music, lighting and the cast. A lot on indie filmmakers are so stoked about the project that they simply through their actor friends into the mix. A casting director is paramount for bringing things up a level, even on a small budget project.

What are some of the 5-year goals for you as a filmmaker/creative?

I’m looking to grow Sunday Short Film Festival from the smaller showcase-type fest it is, to a more interactive and far-reaching tool for filmmakers to connect with distribution. We already have a licensing deal as prize for one category, and am hoping to keep pushing into that direction to help filmmakers make those connections early on, if only to learn how to craft something with the end goal of where it could land in mind.

If you could work with one idol of yours, who would it be?

I really don’t think that way. Maybe it’s because I went to a great acting school in the heart of Hollywood, worked as an actor and met a lot of well-known actors. I always want to find the project first and then the right fit for each piece. I don’t have a thought of ‘she’d be amazing to work with’, unless I’m considering her for a specific part or department. To be, it’s always story-based and what serves the story and project-first.

Name three films that have inspired you most in your journey.

Deceived with Goldie Hawn, a very under-the-radar film but one that was shot so beautifully that it’s a true reminder that film is a visual medium. For someone who’s very story-based, I always make sure to remind myself we are telling a cinematic story because of it. Enchanted April was a great lesson is mixing genres effectively and paying attention to the smallest moments. The big moments plays out, but the heart of the film lives in the tiniest human moments. The Shipment by Bobby Bala w Aleks Paunovic I should mention. It was a short film I wanted to see and couldn’t find early on, and it sparked the idea for Sunday Shorts and even became our headlining film for the first showcase.

Where can folks find out more about you online?

I’m at www.christopherloganproductions.com and on social media on Twitter @SundayShortVan and Facebook/Instagram @SundayShortVancouver

Any last thoughts or pieces of advice to filmmakers out there?

Make the film you want to make, but hire the people who have been at it longer than you. Making a film with your friends is fun, but if you’re the least of the team, you not only double-check everything out of respect, you have a high caliber team in place in every department and may not only end up proud of the experience, but the resulting film as well.

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