A Fee Fi Fo Finale

And, finally, to Adrian’s great dismay and huge humiliation, Fee Fi Fo Films is proud furious to present our last documentary (before we enter temporary hiatus), “Adrian Lee Learns How To Ride A Bike“. Without a doubt, this is our most humiliating entry yet, and I can only hope that I still have people that respect me after you see this. Directed, edited and produced by Michael Fraiman; “starring” Adrian Lee.

We will likely be holding a screening of the three films that we’ve made over the past seven months soon at the University of King’s College, and we hope you can join us–but if you can’t, know that we appreciate your support, and that when Fraiman returns from South Korea in the summer of 2012, we hope that you will continue to support our projects. The films have been a joy to make, and they’re a reminder of the kind of journalism we want to do–telling intimate, moving stories well.

Thanks, and we hope this is a treat,

Adrian & Fraiman

Big Shoes: The Release!

A lot has happened in the last few months for us–most significantly, Fraiman moving to Korea to teach English. We also had our inaugural screening of our half-hour feature debut, Big Shoes, the story of Cape Breton clown Dale Rancourt. Thanks to everyone who came out, and in particular, we want to thank the venue, the Bus Stop Theatre, as well as the Coast, CBC Radio’s Main Street program, and the Chronicle Herald, who gave us generous press about the screening (much to our surprise).

Unfortunately, we also found out last week that Big Shoes was not accepted to be a part of this year’s Atlantic Film Festival. And since Fee Fi Fo Films will be taking a year-long hiatus on any new projects–due to Fraiman’s travelling and some ongoing naming conflicts–we’ve decided to release Big Shoes for free.

Or, at least close to free. In exchange, we ask only that you pass the movie on to at least one other person, and you keep your eyes open for the release of the short documentary “Adrian Lee Learns To Ride A Bike”, which will be premiering in September as part of a city-funded pop-up gallery curated by the incredible Kat Shubaly.

As for Big Shoes, the electronic press kit can be found here–and the movie is below! Please leave a comment, or five, and tell us what you think!

We’d like to thank you all for your support in our nascent filmmaking career. It has meant a great deal.

Adrian Lee & Mike Fraiman

Big Shoes – new trailer!

When Dale Rancourt puts on his yellow hat and becomes Klutzy the Klown, he is a Cape Breton icon. He can’t drive five minutes without hearing cheerful honks from other drivers, or waving back to children whose faces have lit up. But in the last ten years, it’s Dale who’s won a lottery payout—after a psychic predicted he would—who left his grocery job after 15 years to become a full-time clown, and whose dream is to give away a million dollars in fundraising. And it’s been Dale who has split up from two ex-wives, who has worked through family commitments and his stepmother’s deathbed in Ontario, and who muses about leaving his home to return to his family.

Fee Fi Fo Films is proud to present BIG SHOES, a short documentary that isn’t about a clown, but about a man who had it all the entire time.

Post-production begins on untitled Klutzy film

Returned from Cape Breton today, after spending 72 straight hours (only 10 of which were spent sleeping) with Klutzy the Klown. Expect a trailer by the end of the week — and in the meantime, enjoy a few photos from the trip.

Weather thwarts bike film & a clown teaser

So because the weather has simply not allowed for a decent bike riding session, we’re putting “Adrian Lee Learns how to Ride a Bike” on hiatus until the sun comes out. YOU HEAR ME, SUN?!

In other news, we’re shooting “The Clown Who Won the Lottery” next weekend — and we need your help! Because rental costs are high and AFCOOP is moving, we’re looking for anyone interested in helping us out by lending one of the following items next weekend:

- A tripod

- A camera backpack

- A Canon-friendly IS USM prime lens

- A Canon-friendly IS USM zoom lens (preferably up to 300, but hey, we’re not picky)

- A shotgun mic

- A wireless mic set

We realize the last two are probably less commonly found than the first two. But whatever. We’re putting it out there, y’know? We’ll repay you with beer and affection! And your name in the end credits! You can be “gaffer 1″ or “snacks table operator” or “executive producer”.

Curious as to what we need all this stuff for? The man we’re going to spend next weekend with is Klutzy the Clown, whose decade of clowning has made him a staple of Cape Breton life. Check out his website, or the Facebook page “WHERE THE FUCK DID KLUTZY THE CLOWN GO?“, which is a question our doc hopes to answer.

Stay tuned,

Fraiman & Adrian

NEW FILM ANNOUNCED: “Adrian Lee Learns How To Ride a Bike”

Quick update for anyone who checks this site and realizes it looks the same all the time:

Fee Fi Fo has announced our second film, “Adrian Lee Learns How To Ride a Bike”, to be shot this May and completed by June. It will a) give us an excuse to film more stuff; b) teach Adrian a life skill he really ought to know already; and c) amuse anyone who watches, because if YouTube has taught us anything, it’s that people falling over is funny.

Note: Not Adrian Lee

Running time will probably be around five minutes. I expect the filmic influences will draw heavily upon contemporary grit-realism, the cinema vérité works the Maysles brothers and Allan King’s actuality dramas “Dying at Grace” and “Silence of the North”.

We’ll also be using this space to deliver a short blog about the process, “It’s As Easy As Something”, mostly because Adrian doesn’t think that he’s going to learn nearly as quickly as Fraiman thinks he will. And because words about falling over is also funny.

With love,

Fraiman & Adrian

Welcome.

Fee fi fo fum!
I smell the blood of an Englishman!
Be he ‘live or be he dead,
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.

Now, we’ll say right off the bat that we don’t want to do anything of those things. Instead, we’re a Halifax-based production house dedicated to telling true stories that don’t get much play in mainstream media. We’re interested in finding the lyrical moments that define not life in general but some of life in specific, and committing them to film.

Our website will present to you our works, both past and future, and whatever screenings and festivals we’ll be coming to.

Thanks for taking the time,
Michael Fraiman and Adrian Lee