Gillian McKercher

The official trailer for LUCKY STAR is here! When reformed gambler Lucky falls victim to a tax scam, he returns to playing poker to recover his losses while his family struggles to make ends meet. Featuring performances by @terrykelichen , @thatoliviacheng , @connimiu , and @andrewphung , this ensemble family drama comes to select Canadian theatres in May, followed by a North American VOD release. Coming off a festival run at @viffest , @officialsbiff , @reelasian , and @ciffcalgary (where it won an Audience Award), LUCKY STAR “pioneers a salt-of-the-earth drama...about [the] Chinese Canadian diaspora” (@asianmoviepulse ) and is “sure to engross all who watch it” (@filmthreat ). written + directed by @gmckercher production companies @kinosum + Notable Content produced by Guillaume Carlier, @notable.amanda , @mattdrakesound , @nico_wa exec produced by @terrykelichen , @thatoliviacheng , @sidneychiu01 distributed by @gametheoryfilms funded in part by @telefilm_canada #luckystarfilm

Past year and a half in my life

Calgary filmmaker Gillian McKercher has built a creative world that’s entirely her own. As one of the co-founders of the film production company @kinosum , she tells stories rooted in place, memory, and the everyday moments that make this city feel like home. In our brand new Living a Creative Life episode, @statuesse dives into Gillian’s early influences, and see how she and Kino Sum creates a space in Western Canada for thoughtful, innovative and collaborative filmmaking. We also hear from CIFF and CSIF, whose insight shows just how supported, and how alive Calgary’s film community really is. 🎥Hit the link in bio to hear Gillian’s journey and what’s next for Kino Sum’s audacious storytelling. Living a Creative Life isn’t just a series, it’s a love letter to the thousands of Calgarians turning everyday life into art. Each episode pulls you inside the minds and studios of creators whose work will leave you rethinking what’s possible. A film by @sansfuccs

Lucky Star is now on @cravecanada ! Sharing the news with the 🔥 alt poster designed by Jessamine Fok of @_nohardfeels #luckystarfilm

Lucky Star drops on @cravecanada this Friday, October 3! Huge thanks to everyone who came out to one of our festival or theatrical shows across Canada and the USA. For anyone who would like to watch Lucky Star at home, we’re available across North American VOD. #luckystarfilm

🌱 From the springs to the winters, we witnessed seeds being planted and slowly coming to fruition 🍅 each tomato carrying the hard work and devotion of families. This is not just farming, it’s family union and community effort. Grateful to my collaborators @scottaruderman @yiqianzhang_28 @gmckercher who braved everything from –40° to +50° inside the greenhouses and outside the snowy land, between the heat, the cold, the ups and downs. Thank you for walking this journey with me. Thank you to @ciffcalgary for bringing me back home to celebrate a story of love, family, and the beauty of locally grown food. And thank you to @telusoriginals for entrusting me with this project 💙💙💙

Pretty choked up remembering the enormous efforts of the cast and crew of LUCKY STAR. Thank you to everyone who pushed this baby into the world. LUCKY STAR begins streaming on @cravecanada soon and is now available on VOD. #luckystarfilm

LUCKY STAR, the final original score in the New Western Cinema Album Trilogy, is now on Bandcamp. Watch the film now on VOD and on @cravecanada soon. Follow @spiritgravity and click link in bio to listen to the albums. “The final project in this trilogy of scores, Lucky Star, serves as the louder and more dissonant sister to the jazz-inflected, guitar-led acoustic ensemble performance heard on Circle of Steel. Not only was this score co-composed with Juno-award-winning Vancouver violinist Meredith Bates @meredith_bates_music , we also co-directed, coordinated, and produced the entire work in close dialogue and studio collaboration. The goal of these pieces was to reflect and amplify the intense psychological tension portrayed by the many flawed but well-meaning characters in the film, with special attention given to their heart wrenching family dynamics. After trading ideas and charting remotely with me for several weeks through the summer of 2023, Meredith assembled a killer band consisting of Paul Rigby @paul.rigby003 on electric and acoustic guitars, James Meger on double and electric basses, and Alanna Pearce @alanna__pearce on drums. Meredith played violin and pedals, and we both attempted to keep careful notes. The score was recorded by engineer Dave Sikula @davidsikula in one intense day of extremely impressive musicianship at @demitone_studio in East Vancouver. I added a few final electric Epiphone touches in the weeks to follow. What you hear is a moody, evocative score representative of my richly productive collaborative relationship with Meredith, and of the Vancouver art scene’s prolifically cross-pollinating musical culture.” – rebecca bruton

You can now listen to Rebecca Bruton and Kurt Newman’s original score for ORPHANED, released by @spiritgravity , at the link in bio! “The unique challenge posed by the Orphaned soundtrack was to create an ‘atmospheric’ score – a series of pieces ever-present at low volume beneath the documentary dialogue. Where the Circle of Steel score was intended to function as an additional character in the film, Gillian @gmckercher asked for music that could sit polyphonically within the acoustics of the Alberta landscapes she was investigating. For this score I chose experimental Toronto guitarist Kurt Newman @kurtnewman1903 of the ‘Nashville Minimalism Unit’ as my co-creator. Kurt’s musical approaches have included years of free jazz study, an extensive pedal steel practice involving multiple huge pedal boards, as well as a deep commitment to idiomatic country and bluegrass guitar stylings. I felt he would understand my goal to ‘disunify’ the subjective line of each musical work, while remaining tethered to folk and country roots. We both performed the score for Orphaned, me on electric and acoustic guitars and fiddle, and Kurt on dobro, pedal steel, and acoustic guitar with layers of pedal processing. We recorded in separate locations before having the tracks mixed by @6musicandsound here in Calgary. We hope you enjoy this minimalist, landscape-inspired series of pieces!” – rebecca bruton

The original score for CIRCLE OF STEEL by Rebecca Bruton and Katie Streibel is now available on Bandcamp! Follow @spiritgravity and click link in bio. “When Gillian approached me in 2017 about creating the score for Circle of Steel, I had been working professionally for several years as a chamber music composer, after having earlier completed a degree in jazz violin. I grew up closely connected to Alberta’s folk and roots music scenes through exposure to the Calgary and Canmore folk festivals, the Nickelodeon Folk Club, CKUA Radio, and the Bow Valley Fiddlers community. Scoring an acoustic, guitar-based soundtrack was an opportunity to explore those origins, which are deeply embedded within my musical heart. Right away I knew I wanted to work closely with a skilled roots guitar player, so I reached out to Vancouver-based, primitive-style guitarist Katie Streibel @lornarowe_ about co-composing with me. We quickly discovered an intense creative chemistry as we traded draft sketches and demo recordings, and the pieces came together quickly in early 2018. The band you’ll hear is Katie Streibel on guitar, voice, and dobro, my brother Alex Bruton on vibraphone, Laura Reid @lololunes on violin, Patrick Staples @staplesbows on double bass, and me playing fiddle and singing. We recorded the entire score live at the @banffcentre in three hours and then sent it off for mixing by Ontario’s @wildlifesanctuarysound (Lisa Conway & Andrew Collins). We’re thrilled to share this remarkable recording with you now in album form!” - rebecca bruton

Grace can’t be a “hostel yoga hottie”, she’s gotta start looking for work. LUCKY STAR wraps up Asian Heritage Month with a screening at Vancouver’s @riotheatre on May 28 and an announcement of additional theatrical dates for June. May 28 - Vancouver - 6:30 PM, Rio Theatre Q+A w/ @terrykelichen , @thatoliviacheng + @gmckercher moderated by Natasha Jung of @coldteacollective June 9 + 11 - Edmonton - Metro Cinema **newly added** June 27-29 - Winnipeg - Dave Barber Cinematheque **newly added** #luckystarfilm

When Grace asks Lucky if he’s gambling, she already knows the answer. Watch the full scene in LUCKY STAR, available on North American VOD and screening in select Canadian theatres. May 23 - Winnipeg - 7 PM, WAG-Qaumajuq @fascinasianfilmfestival Q+A w/ @gmckercher May 25 - Saskatoon - 7:30 PM, Roxy Theatre @summer_ly10 + @gmckercher in attendance May 28 - Vancouver - 6:30 PM, Rio Theatre Q+A w/ @terrykelichen , @thatoliviacheng + @gmckercher #luckystarfilm