Waiting Outside… producer/director/writer Joshua Jamieson on songwriting collab with Rozalind MacPhail for her new single Never Let Go + Music Video

It took several years to make Waiting Outside… with the project having started in 2016. The film appeared in and won awards at international film festivals throughout 2018 and 2019, saw theatrical release in Canada in 2019, and was broadcasted on CBC regionally, becoming available to stream nationally on CBC GEM for three years from January 2021.

Roz and I worked together closely for about a year and a half during the production phase as she developed a beautiful score for my LGBTQ short film. I fondly reflect on our initial conversations about instrumentation and the desired sonic profile the score could take on.

The score almost became a character in and of itself and I liked the texture of it so much I was excited to evolve it further into being a fully-fledged original song for the credits. In making the film I’d picked out about a dozen songs to play over credits, but they were expensive rights to access, and songwriting had always been on my bucket list. When I wrote and released my first book at 18, a collection of poetry called The Teenage Years… Mapped, many of the pieces were written as lyrics because of that bucket list goal. So, when Roz proposed that we collaborate and write our own song to conclude Waiting Outside… I was both honoured and thrilled.

Waiting Outside… was also inspired by a poem, one by Carmelita McGrath, and I reshaped it to focus on an inclusive modern queer family. I wanted to show that life throws challenge and hardship at every human, regardless of family composition. So it features an adopted daughter (Scout) who has two dads; one dad (Simon) receives a terminal diagnosis while the other dad (Felix) is still on a military deployment – another conscious creative decision to emphasize and normalize the idea of LGBTQ people serving their country.

While queer content is becoming more mainstream in film, television, and publication – it remains important that queer content continue to grow. We all want and need to see a part of ourselves reflected in media content.

It has been an honour to share this important story and message with audiences – that all of life’s moments are precious, that we are all human and share the desire to love and be loved, and that we are susceptible to the same hardships.

I am excited that the release of Never Let Go not only checks off a personal goal, but that it also breathes new life into Waiting Outside… and that it will hopefully bring new audiences to the piece. I am elated for Roz in that it also signals the beginning of her next creative chapter as a lead single for her new forthcoming album.

Check out the video below! And watch Waiting Outside… by clicking here: https://gem.cbc.ca/media/reel-east-coast/s06e03

Official Trailer for Waiting Outside… released as film is submitted to the Canadian Screen Awards

We are excited to finally able to share an official trailer with you all for this LGBTQ+ short film Waiting Outside… as it’s been submitted to the Canadian Screen Awards for nomination consideration in the Best Live Action Short Drama category!

Cross your fingers that we’ll get great news… This trailer also gives you a little listen to original song the film’s composer extraordinaire Rozalind MacPhail and Joshua Jamieson co-wrote… Never Let Go of Your Light!

Previous Screenings:
2018 Cannes Court Métrage (May), the 2018 Nickel Independent Film Festival (June), the 2018 FIN Atlantic International Film Festival (September) and the 2018 The Scottish Independent Film Festival (October) where it won Best Lead Actor. The film was also awarded Best Short Film at the Smith Sound Film Festival in October 2018, enjoyed two commercial screenings in Toronto and Bonavista, and screened at the inaugural Bonavista Film Festival in July 2019.

Double award-winning month for Newfoundland and Labrador filmmaker’s LGBTQ short film Waiting Outside…

October 29, 2018 (St. John’s, NL) – This weekend, Newfoundland and Labrador producer/director/writer Joshua Jamieson’s LGBTQ short film, Waiting Outside…, screened at The Scottish Independent Film Festival where it pulled out its second award win thanks to a stellar performance by one of its leads.

The short film is about a father named Simon (Clint Butler) who cares for his young daughter Scout (Kate Dobbin) while his husband Felix is deployed overseas. When Simon gets a serious diagnosis, his world is shaken and he must deal with it, and the future, alone. The cast also includes performances from the incomparable Amy House, as well as Kyle Snow and Lisa Rose Snow.

Following the screening in Edinburgh, Scotland, the film festival announced its 2018 award winners, and the Best Actor honours went to Clint Butler. Originally from Newfoundland and Labrador, Butler currently resides in Toronto, and was just recently cast as the swing actor for four roles in the Toronto production of the Tony award-winning Broadway and international smash, Come From Away.

Earlier this month, Waiting Outside… won Best Short Film at the 2nd Annual Smith Sound Film Festival on home turf, in Clarenville, NL.  Jamieson, whose family roots are in Swift Current, was on hand to accept the award.

The short film has also so far been an official selection at FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival (Halifax, NS), the Nickel Independent Film Festival (St. John’s, NL), and was available through the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner.  Waiting Outside… is also a selection in the Nickel Independent Film Festival’s touring Road Show.

The film’s score is an original composition by ECMA award winning musician Rozalind MacPhail, who also co-wrote lyrics to the closing credits song with Jamieson. The script is based on a poem by Carmelita McGrath from her book Escape Velocity (Goose Lane Editions), and the film was also produced by Ruth Lawrence and shot by cinematographer Brad Gover.

Waiting Outside… carries an endorsement from the Canadian Cancer Society-NL for its authenticity and realistic depiction. The film also won the NL Joy Award from the Linda Joy Media Arts Society for its outstanding script, which supported its three day shoot in August 2016 following Jamieson’s participation in the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation’s film business development mission to Los Angeles, CA that summer.

After seeing the short, a film festival reviewer wrote, “Waiting Outside… absolutely floored me. Director Joshua Jamieson pushes this perfectly-cast group of people and makes this film shine. With a gripping opening and a perfect, melancholy ending, it had me the whole way…”

We hope it furthers a conversation on quality of life while shining a light on the challenges faced by people in similar situations, and the impacts those challenges have on them.

Media Contact:
Joshua Jamieson
jjmoxy@gmail.com

Official Film Website: www.waitingoutside.ca
Official Film Facebook: www.facebook.com/waitingoutsidefilm
Artist Website: www.joshuajamieson.com
Twitter: @jjmoxy
Joshua Jamieson IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm7914221
Joshua Jamieson at FIN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p79AkKi-aZ0 (3 mins.)
Joshua Jamieson at the Nickel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cutQjyfCt-U (8 mins.)

Award for Best Actor from The Scottish Independent Film Festival for Clint Butler
Smith Sound Film Festival award for Best Short Film went to Waiting Outside…
Fellow filmmaker Martine Blue with Joshua Jamieson, producer/director/writer of Waiting Outside… which won Best Short Film at the Smith Sound Film Festival
Producer/Director Writer Joshua Jamieson on location filming Waiting Outside…
Production still from the making of Waiting Outside…

Newfoundland and Labrador filmmaker’s LGBTQ short film Waiting Outside… goes international, again!

October 3, 2018 (St. John’s, NL) – Fresh off its most recent screening as an official selection at FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival held in Halifax, Nova Scotia producer/director/writer Joshua Jamieson’s latest release – a short film called Waiting Outside… – will screen again internationally later this month.

Jamieson recently announced the news that Waiting Outside… is an official selection of the Scottish Independent Film Festival on social media through his Twitter profile (www.twitter.com/jjmoxy) and on the film’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/waitingoutsidefilm). The film will screen in Edinburgh on October 26, 2018, and more details regarding venue and screening time will be forthcoming once the festival releases its full schedule.

The film is about a father named Simon (Clint Butler) who cares for his young daughter Scout (Kate Dobbin) while his husband Felix is deployed overseas. When Simon gets a serious diagnosis, his world is shaken and he must deal with it, and the future, alone. The cast also includes performances from the incomparable Amy House, as well as Kyle Snow and Lisa Rose Snow.

The film’s score is an original composition by ECMA award winning musician Rozalind MacPhail, who also co-wrote lyrics to the closing credits song with Jamieson. The script is based on a poem by Carmelita McGrath from her book Escape Velocity (Goose Lane Editions), and the film was also produced by Ruth Lawrence and shot by cinematographer Brad Gover.

Waiting Outside… carries an endorsement from the Canadian Cancer Society-NL for its authenticity and realistic depiction. The film also won the NL Joy Award from the Linda Joy Media Arts Society for its outstanding script, which supported its three day shoot in August 2016 following Jamieson’s participation in the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation’s film business development mission to Los Angeles, CA that summer. Waiting Outside… was ultimately fully completed in January 2018, and began its film festival circuit with availability at the Cannes Film Festival, specifically within the Short Film Corner.

After seeing the short, a film festival reviewer wrote, “Waiting Outside… absolutely floored me. Director Joshua Jamieson pushes this perfectly-cast group of people and makes this film shine. With a gripping opening and a perfect, melancholy ending, it had me the whole way…”

Within Newfoundland and Labrador, the short film was an official selection at the Nickel Independent Film Festival, which has also chosen it to be a part of its eventual road show lineup. The next local screening of Waiting Outside… will be in Clarenville, NL where the short is an official selection at the 2nd Annual Smith Sound Film Festival taking place October 12, 2018. Tickets for that screening are $10 and they are available now through the Eastlink Events Centre (www.eastlinkeventscentre.com); all proceeds from this screening will be donated to the local regional food bank.

We hope it furthers a conversation on quality of life while shining a light on the challenges faced by people in similar situations, and the impacts those challenges have on them.

Media Contact:
Joshua Jamieson
jjmoxy@gmail.com

Official Film Website: www.waitingoutside.com
Official Film Facebook: www.facebook.com/waitingoutsidefilm
Artist Website: www.joshuajamieson.com
Joshua Jamieson IMDb: www.imdb.com/name/nm7914221
Joshua Jamieson at FIN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p79AkKi-aZ0 (3 mins.)
Joshua Jamieson at the Nickel: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cutQjyfCt-U (8 mins.)

– 30 –

Click Here to DOWNLOAD PDF Release with Biographies

Photos:

Producer/Director Writer Joshua Jamieson on location filming Waiting Outside…
The cast and crew of Waiting Outside… in Bowring Park, August 2016 after wrapping.
Production still from the making of Waiting Outside…
On the set of Waiting Outside…
Cinematographer Brad Gover on the set of Waiting Outside…
Simon (Clint Butler) and Scout (Kate Dobbin) in Waiting Outside…
Amy House in Waiting Outside…

Waiting Outside… at 2018 Cannes Short Film Corner + Selected for the 2018 Nickel Independent Film Festival

There’s some very exciting news to share about our short film!

Waiting Outside… is currently available at the Cannes Court Métrage Short Film Corner in France this May 2018!

The short film’s director and writer (as well as producer), Joshua Jamieson, recently sat down with a UK-based film digest called The New Current for an in-depth interview about making it to Cannes, how the project developed, and his artistic background.  Check out the interview by visiting their article here, or click on the image’s caption below to access a PDF version.

On the home front Waiting Outside… has been officially selected for the Nickel Independent Film Festival in June 2018! Stay tuned as other festival screenings are confirmed! We can’t wait to share our story!

the-New-Current-article clipping
Click here to read the full article!

Waiting Outside… cast announced!

We are pleased to announce the cast of Waiting Outside… a few days before heading into production on August 20 and 21, 2016! We couldn’t be more thrilled about the talented actors we have lined up for the short independent film.

Here is the cast list, and a little about each of them.

Simon Grigsby – Clint Butler (imdb.com profile)
Scout Grigsby – Kate Dobbin
Waiting Room Woman – Amy House (imdb.com profile)
Physician – Kyle Snow
Clinic Receptionist – Lisa Rose Snow (imdb.com profile)

Clint Butler is a classically-trained Canadian actor, born and raised on the beautifully rugged east coast island of Newfoundland (and Labrador). Trained initially for Musical Theatre, Clint began his performance career as a lead vocalist in the American cruise industry. Since then, he has performed on stages in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, London, Ottawa, Toronto, Halifax, and St. John’s, as well as other great Canadian towns. A member of Canadian Actors Equity and ACTRA, Clint’s career spans from workshopping and originating new Canadian stage roles to ducking bullets on TV; musical and comedic repertory theatre to independent dramatic shorts.

Notable credits: Guest Starring as Doug Randall in season five of Republic of Doyle (CBC); appearing as the grotesque and mysterious “Archivist” in season four of Lost Girl (Showcase/Syfy); and touring as “Bergeron” in Artistic Fraud’s critically acclaimed staging of Robert Chafe’s Oil and Water (Resource Centre for the Arts, Factory Theatre, Magnetic North, Neptune Theatre, The Grand Theatre, and Canada’s National Arts Centre), for which he has also been published as an original cast member.

Kate Dobbin can most recently be seen in the Shallaway Choir and Ennis Sisters video for Sing You Home, the commemorative song to written and recorded to mark the 100th anniversary of Newfoundland’s role at Beaumont Hamel. She also appears in tourism ads for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Amy House is a comedienne, writer, actor, and producer. For the past 13 years she has been the Artistic Animateur of the RCA Theatre Company at the LSPU Hall. Amy has created several one-woman shows which she performs and tours, as well as several two-handers with Berni Stapleton, including A Tidy Package, In Stitches, The Importance of Being Foolish and Berni and Amy Rises Up. Her past film and television credits include Sherry White’s feature Crackie, Justin Simms’ short Heartless Disappearance into Labrador Seas, and The Halifax Comedy Fest TV broadcast.

Kyle Snow just finished as a cast member in the Michelle Jackson award winning short Crocuses coming soon from Deanne Foley. He has also appeared in Ida Here and There, and as a background actor in the upcoming Netflix series Frontier. He additionally worked as a safety driver and stunt double on Braven, a new mini-series starring Jason Momoa.

Lisa Rose Snow is an award-winning filmmaker and performer originally from Nova Scotia, Canada. As a performer she is known for her comedic roles, but has also played leading roles in dramas and genre films, including spots on Haven, Trailer Park Boys and All the Wrong Reasons. Her short films have won awards around the world, including Best Canadian Short (Silver Wave Film Festival), Audience Choice (San José International Short Film Festival), and the National Screen Institute’s Drama Prize. In 2013 Snow created Organic Water Productions Inc with long time collaborator and friend Lora Campbell. OWP is an independent production company interested in female-driven stories and underrepresented voices. Snow received a 2013 Wave Award from Women in Film & Television Atlantic, the first time this award has ever been given to an emerging artist. Snow holds an Honours Degree in Acting from Dalhousie University and is a recent alumni of the Canadian Film Centre’s Cineplex Screenwriter’s Lab in Toronto.

Waiting Outside… calls for auditions

Waiting Outside is a Linda Joy Award winning short script written and directed by Joshua Jamieson and co-produced by Blue Pinion Films (Ruth Lawrence) and m0xY Productions. It will be shot over two days, August 20-21, 2016.   This low budget shoot is operating under the ACTRA AIP agreement.

Synopsis: Simon cares for his young daughter Scout while his husband Felix is deployed overseas.  When Simon gets a serious diagnosis, his world is shaken and he must deal with it, and the future, alone.

Auditions will be held Sunday August 7, 2016 from 10am to 1pm.

Scout – A smart and inquisitive young girl, Scout is around 7 or 8 years old. She has a few tomboyish traits and is fearless. Her two gay parents, Simon and Felix, have raised her to have an open mind, and encourage her to explore boundaries. She’s energetic and active, enjoying animals and being outdoors.

Waiting Room Woman – A middle-income style-savvy travel agent in her early 40s who is a little presumptive, and supporting someone in her life affected by cancer. She sometimes speaks or comes to conclusions quickly without thinking, but always has the best of intentions at heart.

Physician – An oncologist, new to his practice. He’s altruistic and deals directly but empathetically with his patients.

Clinic Receptionist (non-speaking) – A freshly graduated young woman in her early 20s who has earned her first job in the medical administration field, even if it wasn’t her ideal first gig and she’s overworked. She’s somewhat flippant about it at times as a result.

Please send photo & resume to:  jjmoxy@gmail.com. Those selected for an audition will be contacted with the time and location.

Silent Auction to support Waiting Outside…

We’re just a week and a half away from our fundraising event scheduled for May 16, 2016  at Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca. You can check out the Facebook event by clicking here.

We’ll also be running a silent auction in support of the short film production running up to our Piatto party. So here are the details on how that will work and a preview of items that will be up for grabs. Be sure to revisit this post for updates as lots are added. The auction is anticipated to start online on or before Thursday, May 5, 2016.

Let’s start with the good stuff…

What’s in the auction?

  • An original piece of artwork by Mike Gough created especially for our film’s auction
  • An original piece of artwork by Ally Baird called “Untitled” (11″ x 14″)
  • A Weekend Stay in a chalet at Kilmory Resort
  • 80s Music Premium Pack (a copy of Matthew Chojnacki‘s best selling LP art book Put the Needle on the Record which features 250 7-inch and 12-inch single sleeves, along with commentary from 125+ musicians and cover artists. PLUS a limited edition pink vinyl collector’s copy of the Go Go’s Beauty and the Beat album signed by ALL FIVE members)
  • Film Art Collector Pack (a copy of Matthew Chojnacki‘s best selling books Alternative Movie Posters volumes one and two PLUS a limited edition giclee Pee Wee Herman 11″ x 17″ framed print, numbered 25/35,  exclusively offered at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles signed by artist Steven Dressler)
  • Dinner and a Show Pack (a $50 certificate for Chinched Bistro plus two tickets to any upcoming White Rooster Theatre Co. show)
  • A Milestones $100 certificate
  • An initial session with registered health nutritionist Erin Chafe, (RHN, RNCP) at Healthy Blossoms
  • A copy of the brand new release from Breakwater Books, One Man Grand Band: The Lyrical Life of Ron Hynes by Harvey Sawler (this book is visual and stunning!)
  • A copy of the new release from Breakwater Books, Racket: New Writing Made in Newfoundland edited by Lisa Moore plus a Racket tee (size Medium)
  • A copy of the recent 2015 BMO Winterset finalist from Breakwater Books, Ledger in the Open Hand by Leslie Vryenhoek
  • Book ‘n Booze Pack (1 dozen of Quidi Vidi beer + Rock Recipes Volume 1 by Barry Parsons, published by Breakwater Books)
  • Book ‘n Booze Pack (1 dozen of Quidi Vidi beer + Rock Recipes Volume 2 by Barry Parsons, published by Breakwater Books)
  • 5 Brothers Cheese Pack
  • The ‘Just Beer’ Pack
  • Haircut and Style Services (Hair Connection Salon & Spa, with Melissa Miller)
  • Bennett Foods Pack
  • Winterholme Spa Services
  • Photography Session with Crystal Clear Images

How will it work?

The auction will run on the ‘DISCUSSION’ tab of our Facebook event page (here).

Images of the items and/or donor’s logo will be posted there with descriptions of the product or service up for bid.

Place your bid by typing the your bid amount in as a comment on the relative photo.

It’s that easy!

How will payment work?

We’re Square equipped! So you can pay for your film production supporting purchase with any major credit card. We’ll also accept email money transfers or cash.

All the other details…

Bidding is open to anyone in Canada or the United States of America. Certain lots will be auctioned online only, other select lots will continue their silent auction process at the Piatto event, and bidding on those particular lots will close at the conclusion of the event.

If you are an active bidder on an auction lot that will close at the event on May 16 but you cannot attend, you will have the ability to submit your maximum bid amount privately by email for a proxy bidder to apply on your behalf at the event.

All lots that are online only will close bidding at the same specified date and time, which will be indicated in the item/photo description.

The last bid entered with a time stamp associated with the Facebook comment that is before the advertised closing date and time for bids will be the winner of the lot. If that is you, you will be responsible for paying the pledged amount.

If your geographic location would require an item to be shipped should you be the successful bidder, please refer to the item/photo description to ensure the particular item you’re interested in can be shipped.

Other questions? Or have something you’d like to toss into our auction? Contact us!

 

Joshua Jamieson, Waiting Outside Co-Producer and Director/Writer, L.A. bound

We have some exciting news that we’re finally able to share with everyone! The co-producer and director/writer behind the upcoming short film Waiting Outside… (whose script won the 2015 NL Joy Award) has been selected as one of ten emerging and mid-level career producers to partake in a film business development mission to Los Angeles, CA.

Jamieson-Directing-Just-Himself-2011
Jamieson directing Just Himself: the story of Don Jamieson on location in Ottawa, ON with cameraman Brad Gover in 2011.

The delegation includes Jamieson and nine other film producers from Newfoundland and Labrador, and will be led by staff from the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation. Working in concert with L.A. based consultant Peter Wetherell (President, Magus Entertainment Inc.) and script consultant/story editor Ruth Atkinson, strategic meetings will be scheduled with various individuals and organizations between June 6 and 10, 2016.

Jamieson will also be a delegate at the ‘Produced By 2016‘ conference presented by the Producers Guild of America, which takes place on the Sony Picture Studios lot June 4 and 5, 2016. That conference features a number of professional development opportunities, panels, and roundtable discussions with confirmed presenters and panelists including Elizabeth Banks (Partner, Brownstone Productions; Pitch Perfect 1 & 2, The Hunger Games), Steve McQueen (12 Years a Slave), Russell Simmons (All Def Digital), and Morgan Freeman (President & Co-Founder, Revelations Entertainment; Invictus, Madam Secretary), plus many, many more!

Sessions at the conference will feature discussions around the challenges and opportunities facing independent film producers, the current state surrounding film financing, social media marketing integration for film productions, and an opportunity to meet buyers from streaming broadcasters like Amazon, Hulu, and YouTube, among others.

Jamieson is very much looking forward to soaking up as many case studies and experiences, and as much mentorship, as possible from the well-versed professionals on the mission. He’s exceptionally grateful for the opportunity, and is anxious to discover what opportunities exist for Waiting Outside… and the m0xY Productions in-development documentary Winter’s Second Chance.

 

Find a little Joy for Waiting Outside… in this week’s Herald!

We were so surprised and thrilled when the latest issue of the Newfoundland Herald rolled off the press and into shops this Monday past! On page six of the January 10 to 16, 2016 issue featuring the Royal family on the cover, there’s a lovely little piece about our short film’s big success!

Jamieson-Joy-Herald

Pop out and pick up a copy before they’ve left stands, or click on the image in this post to see a PDF of just the article itself. Many thanks to the Herald and its staff for including our news about winning the NL Joy Award from the Linda Joy Media Arts Society!