Reached by phone at his Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»home, filmmaker Soren Johnstone is preparing to depart for California, where his skateboarding documentary Hicks on Sticks will make its debut at the Newport Beach Film Festival on April 29. As Johnstone will tell you, the premiere has been a long time coming.
The filming was done in 1999, recalls Johnston of the experience that saw him tag along on an 11-day DIY tour featuring four skateboarders hauling a mobile skatepark around to small British Columbia communities. Then, I just kind of stuck with the project on-and-off for 12 years... he says of the protracted process that finally saw the film locked last year. Its been a big project for me.
Given that, its perhaps understandable that Johnstone is currently busying himself with smaller undertakings, such as the promotional video for the highly anticipated Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Craft Beer Week (May 18-26). Devised by Johnstone and VCBWs marketing director Chris Bjerrisgaard, the tongue-in-cheek video finds several independent brewers being interviewed by Terry David Mulligan. One ill-advised question from TDM and they suddenly devolve into foul-mouthed, ill-tempered rock stars.
They all knew what we were trying to do: something cheesy but not forced. Just a Spinal Tap rip-off, says Johnstone, who identifies Red Trucks Dave Varga as the unexpected comedy star of the shoot.
Johnstone also laughs when hes reminded that Hicks on Sticks synopsis states that the tours goal was to teach small town kids that there is more out there than 4x4ing and drinking beer. In turn, his involvement with VCBW has taught him that theres more to beer than the lacklustre likes of Kokanee and Canadian. Chris has really educated me on beer, he admits. Coming from a small town, we started drinking cheap, crappy beer. Moving to Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»three-and-a-half years ago has definitely broadened my horizons.
Watch the video at . Learn more about the documentary at .
