Halifax filmmaker transitions from shorts to features

Like many other local familiar film faces, Kevin Hartford found himself in the industry by chance.

He was dating someone within the industry and thought it seemed like a good idea to get involved. That was six years ago, and now the multi-hyphenate Hartford finds himself a double-selection at FIN: Atlantic International Film Festival once again in 2021.

“My partner was an actor and had actor friends. At the time I had finished journalism school and was doing grad school. I was writing for Dal News and The Coast because I didn't want my degree to go to waste,” said Hartford.

He got involved with the Atlantic Filmmakers' Cooperative (AFCOOP) through a friend and began doing courses. He finds it incredible that in just over half a decade, he is where he is.

“I've been a movie fan since I was a kid. I remember filmmaking seeming like this amazing thing and I didn't know normal people could do it,” he said.

“I thought it was for the wealthy, talented and very beautiful, and I'm none of those three things.”

He saw Tim Burton's 1989 take on the Caped Crusader, and it was the world Burton built with Batman and Gotham that made him want to be a filmmaker.

“I was fascinated by it and I never thought my short films would one day screen around the country, the world, and on TV,” he said. “By accidental networking, weird coincidences, and getting to know people, I've managed to do something I love.”

He also got involved with the Film 5 program through AFCOOP, meant to help new and emerging artists gain incredible new skills. He did his first, Charlie's P.O.C. with his partner Thom Payne in 2016.

Through his friendships with filmmakers and actors Taylor Olson and Koumbie, he was able to keep making his mark. He did Horizontal Concavity with Koumbie for the program the following year.

“It was funny, because in the middle we also made this great one I Love You More. I wanted to do something unofficial,” he said.

It's about a couple who go to extreme lengths to prove how much they care for each other. Olson, Koumbie and Hartford's close friend Lisa Rose Snow starred in the film, written and directed by Hartford.

“I wrote and directed that one in my living room. We put it together in six hours one night, and it was so special,” he said.

Hartford grew up in Ontario near Windsor and Niagara Falls, and lived in Vancouver and Calgary for a combined decade before his move to Halifax. He has found a home here and his niche in the film industry.

“Films have always just been a part of my life. So it's crazy that I've acted, directed, editing and written in the industry now,” he said.

“I absolutely love to write. It's where everything begins, and it's about making a world out of nothing. It's about pure creation and is only limited by your imagination. Once you have that foundation, everything else is in service of making that script come to life.”

Hartford did his most ambitious short last year with Disco Apocalypse, and was sad he couldn't see it in person.

“I just have so much respect for the people I work with. I have worked with Tim Mombourquette for years and wouldn't be where I am without him. He was the cinematographer on Disco, and I wish we saw it in theatres,” he said.

“Shelley Thompson starred (she also has her own directorial debut in FIN this year with Dawn, Her Dad & The Tractor) and I wrote it for her. She, Stephanie MacDonald and Kathryn McCormack were incredible in it. There was room for big emotion here in this short.”

Though his dreams of in-person audiences were dashed last year, as he heads into FIN this year, he's got both Breakout and The Dog Owner in the shorts categories.

“I'm thrilled to no end that I can go sit in the theatre, hear people laugh and get that thrill. When you edit your own stuff, you watch it over and over and it ceases to have meaning. I can't wait to see and hear others watch,” he said. He will re-team with Koumbie, Olson and Shelley Thompson on Breakout as well.

With six years of shorts he's completed, Hartford is now in the midst of filming and prepping his first two feature films, with funding from TELEFILM and the Canada Council.

“I'm making Lemon Squeezy and To The Moon. I can't even believe it. I had so many issues with funding, so I started making Lemon Squeezy because I didn't want to wait for someone's permission to make something. I wanted to prove to myself I could do a 90-minute story, and now both these projects have funding,” he said.

“To go from this DIY filmmaker shooting in my living room and backyard on no budget, to someone with funding is such official validation. This really has been quite a ride so far.”

Hartford's film Breakout screens on September 18 at 1 p.m., as well as on FIN Stream, and The Dog Owner is part of that same shorts program. The film festival runs September 16-23, 2021, and tickets and information can be found online.