+About Us
Synopsis
Fotdella follows Ryan Baer, a Canadian street musician - influenced by San Francisco one-man-band legend Jesse Fuller - as he constructs instruments from salvaged junk and performs in markets, ragtag parades, beach towns and underground spaces. As it drifts from Lake Huron to Berlin, the film captures the solitudes and celebrations of nostalgic touring bands who recycle 20th century blues, jazz and folk cultures. Fotdella tinkers with intimate and surreal performances to present a world of hacksaws, tubas, washboards and song staged between a transnational present and an imagined past. The tactile mechanics of DIY music making are accentuated through raw performances by Frog and Henry, Jesse Fuller, Ryan Baer, Dave Neigh and Ever-Lovin' Jug Band.
Featuring rare archival footage of Jesse Fuller's last public concert.
Funding Support: Ontario Arts Council and Filmmaker's Assistance Program (National Film Board of Canada)
For screening inquiries, contact Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre (CFMDC).
Awards: Best Canadian Documentary Short - Regina International Film Festival
Jesse Fuller (1970) - Still from "Portrait: Jesse Fuller"
Courtesy of Bay Area Television Archive
Documentary
20 minutes
HD + Super 8mm
Completion Date: June 1, 2018
No Cable Productions
Credits:
director
saroja ponnambalam
story consultant
heather frise
director of photography
jake chirico
sound edit + design
ben mccarthy
original score
ben mccarthy
saroja ponnambalam
assistant editing + titles
jonathan carroll
additional cinematography
saroja ponnambalam
alejandro muñoz
ken ogasawara
michael fisher
colourist
jenny jay
sound recordists
jake chirico
saroja ponnambalam
production assistants
aliyyah fazil
spencer clerk
main musical performers
ryan baer
dave neigh
(a.k.a frog and henry)
additional performers - sewer show
ever-lovin' jug band
julia narveson
bill howard
amy williams
tyler stoddart
archival researcher
ramiya pushparajah
archival footage of jesse fuller
Bay Area Television Archive
licensed from Kron TV
poster + illustration
julia narveson
special thanks
jessica palmer
chris hilbrecht
tiffany beaudin
canmanie ponnambalam
ildemaro ponnambalam
kumary ponnambalam
mama
appa
alex cherian
beth thomas
funded by
Ontario Arts Council
National Film Board of Canada-
Filmmakers Assistance Program
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Regina International Film Festival
Upcoming Screenings
Past Screenings
Winner of Best Canadian Documentary Short
Regina International Film Festival 2021
Sept 24, 2021
Location: 404 Dutton Dr. (K-W Wing), Waterloo, ON
Time: Arrive at 7:30pm to secure a seat
Screenings start at 7:45pm
October 15 - 24, 2021
Ontario, Canada
October 22 - 24
Prince Edward Island, Canada
Irsina, Italy
Worldwide - Virtual
Winner - Best Shot of a Concert
Miami, USA
