thegecko
Oct 25, 2007 01:40PM

The Gutter Diaries update – The largest public broadcasting station in the U.S., located in NY is going to be broadcasting a series of independent films on television starting at 11:00pm and we’re in the pile. This is great exposure for the film.

And, we're in the process of signing a contract that will supply The Gutter Diaries to the following services:

Netflix
Cinema Now
Amazon
Xbox Live
Joost
Movielink (Blockbuster)
HP (Wal Mart, Transworld)


None of this would be possible if it wasn't for Linda Nelson and her fight for independent film exposure.

thegecko
Jul 27, 2007 04:53PM

I'm very excited to announce The Gutter Diaries is the Official Selection of the 2007 Calgary Fringe Festival in Alberta Canada.

This particular festival means a lot tome as it's the first time the film will be shown on my home Canadian soil.

Visit www.calgaryfringe.com for tickets.

thegecko
Jul 10, 2007 12:05PM

There's been a gap between festivals but I'm really excited to announce The Gutter Diaries was the Official Selection of the 2007 Indie Gathering in Cleveland, OH.

Our film WON 2nd place in the Best Experimental Film category.

Thank you to all the staff, volunteers, and festival organizers for your support of independent film.

Josh Whittall
Writer, Director, Producer
Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.

thegecko
Apr 06, 2007 12:54PM

Jason J. Gullickson of Reviews Brothers Goes Deeper Into The Darkness

The Gutter Diaries

The Gutter Diaries Written & Directed by Josh Whittall Featuring John Dadey, Jody Vaillant, Cheryl Denay and Rachel Eaves

The opening scene of "The Gutter Diaries" does a fantastic job of setting the tone for the rest of the film. Like the overture of an opera, this scene establishes the dark, melancholy stage onto which the films stories will play out.The films unrelenting darkness invokes the smoky hopelessness of "Requiem for a Dream" while it's multifaceted, non-linear plot echo an homage to "Pulp Fiction" as well as the science fiction of William Gibson's sprawl trilogy.

As the film progresses we meet several characters in turn whose paths eventually intertwine in sometimes direct and at other times only indirect ways. Surprisingly the film is able to spend a lot of time developing character (surprising only because there are many of them) and unlike similar films each character is unique enough that it is unlikely that the audience will mix them up.

Of the characters my favorites are "Dallas" (Nathan Dashwood) and "Jiggy Ray Vaughn" (Reese Alexander), and I can't pick one over the other. In fact I would be willing to watch a sequel to this film based solely on these two characters. Additional performances that deserve mention are Vern played by Chris (Fagin) Woodcock as well as the victim of the films first scene played by Jane Purcell. The films darkness is unrelenting, and audiences who enjoy a film devoid of a hero (or even anti-hero) will get something out of watching "The Gutter Diaries". The storytelling is direct, and those who enjoy a story uncluttered with refinements and detail will enjoy the straightforwardness of the plot which does not suffer from the confusing nature that is sometimes present in films told in a non-chronological way.

The technical qualities of the film are raw and it has an unsteady, always-moving documentary style that will appeal to fans of the unpolished "indie-look"."The Gutter Diaries" subject matter will interest those who enjoy films about drug culture, small-time street crime, soul-sucking despair and ironic tragedy. There is also a semi-artistic bent to some of the characters that will appeal to fans of juvenile poetry readings and pop-prose. While there are brief moments of comedy, just when you think the ride is about to emerge from a tunnel it takes a turn, only to dip deeper into the darkness.

Jason J. Gullickson

reviewsbrothers.blogspot.com

thegecko
Mar 23, 2007 01:22PM

BEST DIRECTOR win at the 2007 Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai India

I'm really excited and honoured to have won best director.

In the independent film industry, as most of you know, the highs are high and the lows are low. An award always brings energy and right now I really needed it. Thank you to all the organizers at the festival, I'm sorry I could not attend but will get to Mumbai one day. India will always have a special place in my heart.

Josh Whittall

thegecko
Mar 22, 2007 01:00PM

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

A North Shore couple’s labour of love has paid off big time

W. Van filmmakers nab award at NY film fest

Erin McPhee

emcphee@nsnews.com

A North Shore couple's labour of love has paid off big time. These days Shauna and Josh Whittall, both 27, are attracting a lot of industry attention. The Whittalls are graduates of West Vancouver secondary who went on to study film at Capilano College and then started their own film production company, Wandering Gecko Entertainment in 2001.

Their new film, The Gutter Diaries, won Josh best director for a feature film at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in November 2006. The film was also screened twice, including on opening night at the 2007 Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai, India — on March 14 and 17 — where it was nominated for best feature film. The Gutter Diaries will also be featured at a second Mumbai fi lm festival, the 2007 Enoma International Film Festival, in December.

"It's been very exciting," says Shauna. "It's really great to be able to see something that you've been with from the very beginning, go off and actually see it on the big screen and the fact that it has been so well received has been incredible for us."

Both Shauna and Josh were able to go to the New York fi lm festival, which Josh says was an honour just to be accepted by. "It was an amazing experience," says Shauna. The festivals really provide a great opportunity to network and meet a lot of people from all over the world, says Josh, and their film's appearance has opened a lot of doors already.

"A lot of industry professionals called me up and I was able to get a literary agent," he says. The film industry was something that attracted both Shauna and Josh early on. "Getting the opportunity to be involved in the other side of it as well and being able to put a project together from the beginning and see it through was something that I was very interested in," says Shauna. "Once I got a chance to be more involved in stuff like that through Capilano College, it was wonderful. It was just a very exciting thing.

You can spend 18 hours on set and not feel like you've been doing a job. It's just been a very fun type of career." The idea for The Gutter Diaries came to Josh near the end of the couple's time at Capilano College. They took a few years to develop the script and started filming approximately two-and-a-half years ago. They did a short shoot, then went into a year of post-production and ended up finishing the film this past July.

"It's defi nitely been a labour of love and a long time to put it together," says Shauna. The Gutter Diaries is a story of addiction. It follows four different main characters, each of them struggling with a different form of addiction and how their lives intertwine. "It follows four lost souls searching for answers in all the wrong places," says Josh. The types of addictions vary, including drugs, sex, being the object of addiction and lifestyle addiction.

Two of the actors in the film, Nathan Dashwood, who plays Dallas, and Rachel Eaves, who plays Karen, are from the North Shore. In the film, Josh was able to pay homage to one of his biggest influences, David Cronenberg, and says The Gutter Diaries was molded from the acclaimed filmmaker's dark film Crash.

"I'm a product of the Quentin Tarantino era, that's another one," he says, referring to his inspiration overall, as well as the late Sam Peckinpah. The couple credits the help they received during the early stages of their career and what it means to have great opportunities early on that set them on the road to success, so they work hard to give back. They can speak from personal experience that dreams can come true and are happy to work with newcomers to the industry to help set them on paths to success.

"If you have the dream of what you want to do, it takes a lot of hard work, but if you're able to make the right connections and work towards it, you can see it happen and it's very exciting when it does," says Shauna.

Wandering Gecko brings young filmmakers on board and Josh has recently become a member of Capilano College's film advisory board. The board is intended to get feedback from people working in the industry and serve as a means of bringing them together and allowing them to voice their opinions and talk about the fi lm business and what the college can do to make their programs better, he says.

"Cap College has been a huge supporter of me," says Josh. "I love this industry and I see it's got a lot of growth in it and anything I can do to help the students there (I'll do it)," he adds.

Josh also credits the help of rental houses and says his film wouldn't have been made if it wasn't for their support of "the little guy."

"I read a lot of stories about Canadian filmmakers and other Vancouverites and people who are doing it and the one thing that I see a lot of people don't seem to mention is the rental houses," he says.

"From the equipment rentals to props to everything, they really bent over backwards to help us out," he adds. Shauna and Josh are continuing to work hard to move their company forward.

"We are really excited about being able to produce some more films and being able to work with some of the other production companies that are out there in Vancouver and having the opportunities to really network with people out there," says Shauna.

"Ultimately, our goals would be to get some films in the theatres in Vancouver and it would be wonderful to see our films on the shelves at the video store but right now we just really want to make some good fi lms that will be of interest to people, especially people from Western Canada."

They're working hard on a new project, a feature film called Impulse that is currently in pre-production with a shoot scheduled for late April, says Josh. As well, he has just written a feature script on the Bobby Fuller story. Fuller was a rock musician killed in Hollywood under mysterious circumstances in 1966.

"I contacted his brother Randy and I got exclusive rights to tell the story of his brother," says Josh. Josh says he wantsWandering Gecko to play a role in changing the way Canada makes movies. He says he hopes Canada can begin to stand on its own more in terms of film production, rather than leaning on the United States.

"It would be great to have a lot more independent financiers that are Canadian oriented," he says, explaining that a lot of filmmakers have to go south of the border to get their films made. "Of course, when you do that, it's a lot of American jobs that are coming up to Canada," says Josh.

The couple is extremely happy about where their career is headed. "I'm very excited about the amount of attention that we've been getting and I'm hoping that will translate into us being able to have more projects that we'll be able to complete," says Shauna. "It's an exciting time right now because we can see a lot of opportunities happening for the future."

The North Shore News, Sunday March 18t, 2007

thegecko
Mar 15, 2007 10:53AM

"The Gutter Diaries" closes the 2007 Pumelo International Film Festival:

I'm really excited and proud to announce we've been given the honour of closing the 2007 Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai India.

This is another step forward for the little independent that has a big message.

Thank you India, from all the cast and crew.

thegecko
Mar 15, 2007 10:48AM

The following was posted on the Capilano College alumni website on;

Monday, February 19, 2007

Capilano College Success Story


Josh and Shauna Whittall: Lights, camera, action
by Nina Velasquez

After graduating from West Vancouver Secondary in 1998, Josh Whittall enrolled in the Retail Marketing certificate program at Capilano College. One of his instructors, Jan Nablo, also a Motion Picture Production instructor at the College, learned of Josh's interest in film and invited him to an information meeting for the Capilano College Film Centre programs.

Josh and his then-girlfriend, Shauna, decided to attend the meeting together. What they learned that night changed the direction of their lives forever.

"We were awh struck with the program and we enrolled right away," says Josh, 27. "It was an incredible experience and we learned a broad range of skills that enabled us to get industry jobs right out of the program. Shauna got a job on the independent film Come Together and, later, so did I."

Josh was quickly promoted to third assistant director on the film.

"Without that experience I don't believe I would have been hired as training assistant director on Mindstorm [a multi-million dollar independent action film]," he says.

With the experience she had gained while working on Come Together, Shauna landed the position of assistant production co-ordinator on Bruce Sweeney's critically acclaimed Last Wedding and, later, on The Unprofessionals. She also decided to pursue film accounting and since 2002 has been working towards a CGA designation

With industry experience under their belts, the couple turned to two major projects: a new company, and marriage!

"We started Wandering Gecko Entertainment in 2001, the year we got married, and it has already grown so much," says Shauna, 26. "It's so exciting to build this project together and put our education into practice."

In 2003, Josh's dream of becoming a writer-director was realized, thanks to funding that allowed him to devote himself to writing about the sordid and lesser-known underworld of Vancouver, British Columbia. The finished product was his feature length script The Gutter Diaries.

Shauna co-ordinated and produced the film while Josh scouted locations and worked through the exhaustive process of casting and rehearsing. He often drew upon Capilano College Film Centre students to assist.

All their efforts paid off when Josh won Best Director for a feature film at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in November 2006.

"It felt amazing," recalls Josh. "I remember when X-Files filmed its last episode in Vancouver. I thought it [working in film] was the coolest job, but assumed you had to go to L.A. to find employment."

Josh and Shauna are currently working on four feature films, all written and to be directed by Josh, who is also a member of the Capilano College film advisory board.

"It was an honour to be asked to help the College that's given me so much in return," he says, "and it truly is an incredible facility to learn the craft of motion picture production."

The Capilano College Film Centre is the largest publicly-funded film program in Western Canada, offering a wide range of certificate and diploma options, including the unique Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking program.

"Students are taught by instructors who have all worked extensively in the industry," says Film Centre manager, Bill Thumm. "We have a very hands-on approach and students form a close network ��� a talent pool if you will ��� from which they are able to draw later in their career."

JasonGullickson
Mar 08, 2007 09:20AM

We would love to review your film!

Please visit http://reviewsbrothers.blogspot.com/2007/03/i-cant-turn-you-loose.html for the details about us and why we think we are the best choice for indie film reviews.

We look forward to hearing from you!
reviewsbrothers@google.com

thegecko
Dec 05, 2006 04:14PM

By Melissa Fryer
The News Bulletin
Dec 05 2006


A Nanaimo filmmaker was chosen as best director at one of the world’s largest film festivals.

Josh Whittall’s independent film, The Gutter Diaries, won him a best director nod for a feature film from the New York International Independent Film Festival in November. Nanaimo actress Cheryl Denay and Ladysmith actor Nathan Dashwood were part of the cast.

Whittall was on a bus from Victoria, returning from a flight to Seattle for a new project, when his wife, Shauna, called his cell with the good news.

“I don’t know how to describe it,” Whittall said. “It’s so nice to be appreciated that way.”

The premiere independent film festival in North America screens more than 200 feature films, short films and documentaries.

Whittall sat in the audience while his film opened the festival. Some of the actors flew in for the screening, as did Whittall’s parents.

“It was nerve-wracking,” Whittall said. “I got a lot of great feedback afterwards.”

Whittall now has a distribution agreement with ITN and will go to the Cannes Film Market, the American Film Market and the National Association of Television Programming Executives. He’s also in talks with Blockbuster and the Victoria film festival.

Whittall shot the film over several days in Vancouver and Nanaimo on a shoestring budget. He wrote, directed, scouted locations and even catered the food for the actors.

It was up to him to shop the film around and enter it into festivals. After being turned down by Toronto and Vancouver, Shauna sent it to New York, where it was accepted.

“She’s a big contributing factor to me winning the award, getting into the festival and the film being where it is,” Whittall said.

With the success of The Gutter Diaries in New York, funding should be easier to secure for Whittall’s next projects.

He recently met with Randy Fuller, brother of Bobby Fuller and member of the Bobby Fuller Four, about a bio film on Bobby, who was murdered in Holly wood in the 1960s.

“It’s one of Hollywood’s unsolved mysteries,” Whittall said. “I can’t believe no one’s touched it.”

He’s also writing a script for an actor he met while in New York, about a dancer who has a partial spinal cord injury. The dancer meets a waitress, who is also an artist, and she helps him walk again.

New York is the land of opportunity for many people, and Whittall came back inspired from the festival.

As he looked out the window of his hotel room, he saw the lights of Times Square for the first time, and the sounds of a sax player drifted up from the street below.

“It’s all around you – dreams,” Whittall said.

He visited Ground Zero and saw a taping of The Late Show with David Letterman. He sat front row and immediately focussed on the guest chair beside Letterman’s desk.

“I want to be in that chair,” Whittall said.

For more information on the film, visit www.myspace.com/joshwhittall.

arts@nanaimobulletin.com

thegecko
Dec 04, 2006 02:41PM

The Gutter Diaries WINS an award at 2006 NYIIFVF

Canadian Writer, Director, Producer Josh Whittall won Best Director for a Feature Film, for his "The Gutter Diaries" at the 2006 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.

thegecko
Dec 04, 2006 02:36PM

The Gutter Diaries signs distribution with ITN.

Wandering Gecko Entertainment and Sol Vision Productions are proud to announce ITN Film Distribution will be representing The Gutter Diaries at NATPE 2007, American Film Market 2007, and the Cannes Festival 2007.

We will also be on IMC (Independent Movie Channel) VOD (Video On Demand) which streams online.

Also, we'll be advertised in IFQ (Independent Film Quarterly) magazine for 2007 as well as the AFM International Bumper issue of Independent Film Quarterly Magazine 2007. And last – IFQ Magazine Cannes Film Festival Issue 2007.

Blockbuster Video has requested a screener copy of The Gutter Diaries as well.

In short, we did it.

This has been the best year of my life – I'm happy I could share it with each and every one of you.

Sky's the limit….

Josh Whittal

Writer, Director, Producer

Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.

"The Gutter Diaries"

thegecko
Dec 04, 2006 02:34PM

Hello Everybody,

Here's a quick low down of how thing's went in beautiful NY for the world premier of The Gutter Diaries at the NY International Independent Film and Video Festival;

The whole trip was dry, warm, and I was there for ten days.

The first night was big gala/trade show where filmmakers setup booths displaying their project at the city's top nightclub Crobar. It was a blast. I met filmmakers from Egypt, Australia, Russia, Argentina, Greece, and various parts of the States and Canada. It was incredible. Shauna and I received major compliments from Press affiliates, actors, fellow filmmakers, art lovers, distributors, and festival organizers for having one of the best looking booths that consisted of 100 copies of the soundtrack which we gave out to those who stopped by, along with a great press-kit, (2) computers playing our trailer, poster cards and business cards. Actors, Jody Vaillant(Bryan), Nathan Dashwood(Dallas), and Caroline Chojnacki(Emma) worked the room like no tomorrow networking and bringing people to our booth while Shauna and I sold them on why they should come to our screening opening night of the festival.

It was a great night.

The following night was the official first screenings.

We did really well. We received amazing feedback and word travelled quick that the film was killer and people were asking for a second showing that missed the first. Unfortunately, as it goes, you only show once unless you sell out in advance before the festival program gets distributed. But luckily, Shauna and I came prepared with copies of the film on dvd and managed to get copies to distributors, festival staff and judges who issue the awards.

Every night there was a party held at one of New York's top nightclubs accompanied by free Vodka for the filmmakers.

We saw lots of great shorts and documentaries, and one or two features but to tell you the truth there weren't that many features. Because of this, we received a lot of respect from other producers, filmmakers, and festival organizers as they were really impressed with what we accomplished.

The festival provided seminars on Promotion, Producing, and Distributing, and both Shauna and I learned a lot and met some great contacts and interested parties who want to talk distribution with us, as well as producers interested in developing some of my current scripts.

The group that came from Vancouver provided a love and energy that I can't explain. It meant a lot to have you there and I'm so proud to have been able to share the film with you in New York City.

We're still waiting for Victoria to make it's decision on if we're in or out for their festival – once we know I'll fill you all in on a local Vancouver screening.

Some highlights –

- Ground Zero, words can't explain it.

- Drinking with Caroline, Nathan, Jody, and Shauna back in the wee hours of the morning in our hotel room overlooking Time Square.

- Meeting Keanu Reeves in Soho, shaking his hand and he wished us all luck with our film in the festival. I have to say a big thanks to Caroline who has no issue approaching anybody.

- Getting front row tickets to the Late Show, I think telling the film student why we were in NY was a good thing as she went full out to give us a great time.

- Strawberry Fields.

- The Dakota Building where Lennon was shot.

And much more but I won't bore you.

God Bless the U.S.A I tell you, dreams do come true there and I see why they say it's the land of opportunity.

Thank you all who helped sacrifice time and countless hours so we could achieve this milestone. We'll know in a few weeks if we win any awards(touch wood) and the Wandering Gecko and Sol Vision team need to have a sit down to discuss distribution and our next moves.

Cheers,

Josh & Shauna

Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.

thegecko
Oct 09, 2006 02:46PM

MEDIA RELEASE

For Additional Information Contact:
Josh Whittall
Writer, Director, Producer
Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.
E-mail: josh_whittall@telus.net
www.myspace.com/joshwhittall

October 1, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadian Filmmaker Launches Low Budget First Film – and Doesn’t Disappoint

(Vancouver, BC, Canada) – A Canadian independent filmmaker has written, directed, and produced his first feature film and proves he has what it takes to play with the big boys. Filming on a shoe-string budget, “The Gutter Diaries” has flavours of Sam Peckinpah, Larry Clark, Jack Hill, and Quentin Tarantino all rolled up into an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride where you never know what’s going to happen next.

The 101min dark drama premiers November 10th @ 10:05pm, at the Village East Cinema – Screen 3 as part of the 2006 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival, Nov. 9th – 16th, www.nyfilmvideo.com, and the buzz has already begun.

“I really wanted to make a film that was feasible within our budget constraints and at the same time entertain the audience in a way that would really keep them guessing until the very end,” commented Josh Whittall who’ll be at the festival in NY with some of the cast and his wife, Shauna, who was one of the producers of the film.

Structured as four stories, the film follows four individuals trying to find their way through the vagaries of life. It’s a bumpy road with conflict, subterfuge and addictions lurking around every corner. As each tale unfolds, we learn how directly and indirectly each person affects the others.

TK is a lost soul addicted to drugs and unable to remember anything about himself, including his own name. Lost in his mind and trying to decipher what’s reality and what’s not, TK is sent on a quest to find himself after he’s chased by a man who shouts the name “Tom” posing the question, who is TK?

BRYAN, a grade 11 school teacher, is infatuated with Karen, one of his students. Struggling with a sex addiction, he tries everything to satisfy his urges, aware of the ramifications of seducing a student. But after all his plans fail, chance brings the two together. Will he cross the line?

ALICE, a prostitute with a young child, is addicted to drugs and going nowhere fast. With no apparent chance to escape and tired of her life, it seems there’s only one course of action left. Alice underscores the struggles of the many working girls mostly forgotten by society.

KAREN, a high school student, is beautiful, smart, and struggling with always being an object of desire, when all she wants is to disappear. After inadvertently being set up on a date, things turn sour fast when she’s involved in a street race accident. She turns to the one person she can trust, her teacher. Will he see this as an opportunity to take advantage of her fragile emotional state?

Even though many of these scenarios have been played out elsewhere before, there is something unique and riveting about Whittall’s film. As you watch scenes of violence and emptiness unfold on the screen, you feel an urge to go beyond the obvious, and this film does that incredibly well. You will be caught up in the surprise of what is being revealed. There is a unique redemptive quality in this film that will entice and surprise you. Things are not always as they seem be!

An intriguing film by a new young writer and film maker. You’ll be touched and left looking forward to Whittall’s next creation.
NOTE: For Press Passes, please contact us, as above, or contact the NYIIFVF directly and mention The Gutter Diaries to obtain Press Passes.

trufilmplaya
Sep 18, 2006 10:21AM

word up, playa! congrats!

check out my boys film site: http://audience.withoutabox.com/films/visionsofviolence

thegecko
Aug 24, 2006 10:52AM

The Following was posted in the Nanaimo News Bulletin AUg 24th, 2006

Small film big break

By Melissa Fryer
The News Bulletin
Aug 24 2006

Cheryl Denay was told she’d never walk again.
She was the passenger in a roll-over accident that crushed her neck. But just a few years later, she was starring in an indepedent movie – one that’s being premiered at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival.
Nanaimo director Josh Whittall wrote, directed and produced The Gutter Diaries, four stories that follow individuals going through rough times.
Whittall held two castings, in Nanaimo and Vancouver, and within weeks settled on Denay to play the lead role of Alice, a drug-addicted prostitute.
When she auditioned for Whittall’s film she didn’t expect to get the lead role.
“I thought I might a part in the background,” Denay said.
But Whittall saw something in Denay’s eyes that he recognized in his character.
“I took one look in her eyes and I knew this girl had a story and was a survivor,” Whittall said. “I didn’t know anything about the accident.”
Prior to her accident she ran a treatment centre for teens with behaviour problems.
“I was running a successful business and I didn’t think I’d be doing anything else,” Denay said.
After the accident, she had problems with dizziness, memory loss and balance. Her self-esteem and confidence was shot.
“To help me with my memory skills and my self esteem I took an evening acting course,” Denay said.
That was with Spotlight Academy and Jacqui Kaese, who encouraged her to audition for the part and remains her acting coach.
“I felt like I fit, like I belonged somewhere,” Denay said.
Whittall wrote the screenplay after reading the online diary of a prostitute from San Francisco.
The original story was too horrific to be used in a film, as at one point the woman was doused in gasoline, lit on fire and thrown out the window of a building.
Although not as graphic, the subject matter could still turn off some people. The Gutter Diaries also follows the stories of TK, drug-addicted and unable to remember his past, Bryan, a Grade 11 teacher infatuated with one of his students, and Karen, the object of Bryan’s affection, who becomes involved in a street racing accident.
“It was tough doing a film like this because the subject matter is very dark,” Whittall said.
Thirty cast members and 15 crew worked on the film for 11 days in September 2004 in Vancouver, and one re-shoot day in downtown Nanaimo.
Independent film means small budget, and not only did Whittall write, direct and produce, he also moved equipment and brought food to the set, making for 20 hour days.
“It was all worth it,” Whittall said.
Despite his hard work, the film was rejected for the Vancouver and Toronto film festivals. But while he was working as assistant director on the CBC series Making the Cut, his wife sent an application to the New York film festival – and it was accepted.
“Things have already started to change,” Whittall said. “Agents are calling me now.”
Whittall and Denay will be heading to New York for the screening in November.
While Whittall writes new scripts for television and film, Denay’s focus is on school and completing her master’s degree in arts leadership from Royal Roads University.
She still suffers the after effects of the accident and must choose carefully the projects she works on.
But now that she’s got one role under her belt, there’s no limit to what she can do.
“I was told I’d never work again – I didn’t believe that,” Denay said.
For more information on the film, please visit www.myspace.com/joshwhittall.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com

thegecko
Aug 20, 2006 11:25AM

PRODUCTION NOTES / OTHER INFO FOR THE GUTTER DIARIES:

While filming TGD I went through some rough times personally that I guess in the end worked to my benifit in that I was able to redirect that sadness into the film.

I lost my grandmother (my Dad's mother) who was killed by a driver that ran a red light. Though I was not close to this grandmother, watching my father go through the pain of it all was awful beyond words.

Shortly after I lost my Grandfather (my Mother's dad) 92 to cancer. He was an incredible man. A POW in WW2, a member of the RAF, a father of three and married when he passed. This was a tough one for me in many ways. While filming TGD I would stay with my grandfather and mother over on the mainland as I live in a small town over on Vancouver Island called Nanaimo.

Growing up I stayed with my grandparents a lot. But I realized I didn't really know my grandfather until I started making this movie and spendning a lot of time with him. At this point the cancer was really taking hold, however he would wait up for me when I came home and really found the whole movie making process amazing.

We would stay up late and talk, and he began to talk about his time in the war, as a gunner in the back of the plane, the POW camp and what life was like in there, and his expierence when he escaped from the German's by jumping off a moving train while attached to another RAF hero.

It was an experience like no other. I watched as this cancer spread through him like blood. It was in every inch of his body and though he must have been scared, he never showed it. He passed the way he wanted to, in his own bed.

Shortly after my wife and I were returning from visiting friends in Edmonton when we were caught in a heavy rainstorm. As we were exiting the tunnel my Jeep skid in the water into oncoming traffic. At this point in time a semi fuel truck just happened to be coming right at us. Feet from a major disaster, I pulled a hard right. We just missed the semi as we made it out of the tunnel and flipped the Jeep 4 times. Thank God nobody was injured. My wife and I walked away from the accident with a few cuts and scrapes and the small town of Revelstoke sure took care of us.

Those are the major events that happened around me while we made this film.

Cheers,

Josh Whittall
Writer / Director / Producer
Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.
"The Gutter Diaries"
www.myspace.com/joshwhittall

thegecko
Aug 18, 2006 10:02AM

Aug 18th, 2006

HI ALL!

Well yesterday one of the stars from the Gutter Diaries, Cheryl Denay, and myself, got interviewed by the Nanaimo Bulletin. It's a great local paper here on Vancouver Island. I have to thank them from the bottom of my heart for supporting our film and independent film in general.

We also submitted to the Whistler Film Festival, so we'll keep our fingers crossed as Whistler is now a major festival on the West Coast.

And if you haven't already, check out www.myspace.com/joshwhittall to find out more on the film, me, and what the cast and crew are up to.

Until next time...

Josh Whittall
Writer /Director / Producer
Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.
"The Gutter Diaries"

ssfilm
Aug 16, 2006 01:55PM

Congratulations to all, what a great job and a great beginning.

Sandi

quadrophonic
Aug 16, 2006 12:04AM

Well, working with my dear friends, Josh and Shauna Whittall; one word - Profesional.
Nice follow through buddy, NEW fricken YORK! we've come a long way since the Elvis costume and the Punkin' suit on Dark Angel.
this project is the culmination of artists helping artists, I can't wait to see what the future holds.
Jody Vaillant

Carolinehoyknowsit
Aug 13, 2006 12:28PM

Hello



ITs so amazing how such great things happen once things get created. I love the poster ...it makes me feel, curious, sad and angrey.

NY will be an amazing place to screen and the contacts from there will be a great way to expand... Im so happy for Gutter Diaries.

Lots of love

Caroline Chojnacki (hoy-nat-ski)

thegecko
Aug 12, 2006 01:04PM

Aug 12th, 2006

Hello Everybody,

We're in the process of getting a teaser and trailer put up on the site for the Gutter Diaries so keep tuning in. Please post your thoughts on anything from what you think of the poster, working with me if you were on the cast or crew, or really anything you wish. I'll be checking frequently to respond and try and give updates as fast as I can.

We're so excited to be going to NY for the International Independent Film Festival Nov 9th - 14th, it's going to be a blast. What a dream come true.

NY has a special place in my heart and a link to the Gutter Diaries as I used the feelings I had in the aftermath of Sept 11th to finish the script.

Cheers ALL,

Josh Whittall
Writer / Director / Producer
Wandering Gecko Entertainment Inc.
"The Gutter Diaries"