A documentary profiling the 2009 Squamish Equinox Rock Festival (SERF) has earned its local filmmakers an Award of Merit from The Accolade, an international, non-traditional, virtual venue.
"Awards go to those filmmakers who produce fresh, standout entertainment, animation and compelling documentaries," states the contest website. "The Accolade is a showcase for cinematic gems and unique voices."
The trio behind Sound and Soul Studios edited more than 50 hours of raw video footage of the 2009 Squamish Equinox Rock Festival (SERF) to produce a 30-minute award-winning documentary.
Production manager Donovan Walton said he submitted the film to the Accolade Competition on a whim after a bit of encouragement from friends.
"It was $50 to enter so I said what the heck and put it in the mail and forgot about it. Then I just came home a couple of days ago and there was an envelope saying I had won an award," said the long time musician.
"At first I thought 'Well maybe they hand these awards out like lollipops like they do at the dentists office,' who knows?"
Walton said numerous people were involved in the making of SERF: the documentary, which was a collaborative effort between Walton and Sound and Soul Studios owners Nino Celella and Eddie Celella.
"I don't know what to say because I feel kind of silly accepting the award and the way it's been drawn out because all the guys here that put their effort into it to make it what it is."
Nino Celella said he was shocked to find they had won.
"We pretty much put together a no-budget film, so it's always great to hear some recognition. We probably could have done a lot better had we had a lot more resource behind us but that said, it probably carries more weight that we didn't."
For Walton, the recognition is incredibly rewarding because he admits, he's no video editing guru.
"I've never done anything like this before. I've got a minimal amount of video editing under my belt," he said. "I really enjoy video editing. I find it relaxing, like some people like to read a book, I like to do video editing."
The documentary explores how the September festival first started, how it's run and showcases the talent on the stage during the 2009 show.
The trio spent the entire day at the festival with three video cameras and a 24-channel mixing board - they hit record and the rest was to hours of editing.
"You got to watch everything, make notes on everything, find highlights, find dead time," Walton said. "And just go for it."
Both Walton and Celella agreed they're happy to have won, but doubt they'll fork over the $300 for an official trophy.
"We'll just keep looking forward to making the next one," said Walton.
SERF: the documentary will be screened at Brennan Park Recreation Centre and the Adventure Centre during the Olympic Game, however dates and show times have yet to be finalized.
