w w w . o a kv ill eb ea ve r.c o m O A KV IL LE B EA V ER Fr id ay , Se pt em be r 1 0, 2 01 0 2 6 Artscene By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF They may not have travelled from Hollywood, but theyre film- makers just the same. Independent filmmakers Morgan Muscat, from Mississauga, and fellow Ryan M. Andrews, from Toronto, were in Oakville more than a week ago to shoot a hor- ror/noir short film. The filming of The Devil Walks Among You took place in two locations over the course of two days: the first at the Fifties Diner on Speers Road and the other at the Dueling Pianos on Trafalgar Road. Its a very strange little film. Its a film noir mixed with horror. You dont see much of that. Its an interesting hybrid, said Muscat, the films producer. The film is about the devil com- ing to earth looking to claim a per- sons body to replace his aged one and to steal more souls. The story is told by a woman in a bar (Dueling Pianos) while the actual action of the story takes place at a diner (Fifties Diner). Muscat graduated from Oakvilles Sheridan College two years ago from its media arts pro- gram. He has been a filmmaker for the past five years shooting films around Mississauga including shooting portions of his recent films Title Match and Severance in Oakville. His production company is called Moonlit Road Entertainment. Im actually known more in Mississauga as a filmmaker who films all his stuff in Mississauga. This is the first time Ive filmed something entirely in Oakville, he said. For this project he partnered with Andrews, who wrote and is directing the project. Andrews is also in the midst of forming his own production company. Muscat said both locations were perfect for what the company needed to tell its story. Muscat was able to find both locations because of his knowledge of the Oakville area. I guess theres a part of me thats still there (in Oakville), he said. I got to know Oakville very well while I was there and I shot some films there before. I remember seeing this diner a few years ago and I thought it might be great to go over and see if its still there. Surely enough it was and I went over and talked to the manager and it was perfect. The film stars GTA actors Robert Nolan (as the devil), Sandra da Costa (as Lily, the storyteller) and Katie Uhlmann (as Sara). The film features an original soundtrack. Muscat said the 10-minute film will be sent to various film festi- vals, both local and abroad. For more information on the production company, visit www.morganmuscat.com. Indie film company shoots in Oakville SPEAK OF THE DEVIL: Sandra da Costa, who plays the character Lily Mastema in The Devil Walks Among You, poses for a photo at Dueling Pianos during the filming of a short film featuring a spoken word performer telling the story of the devil coming to earth. The film was shot at Dueling Pianos and Fifties Diner in Oakville last month. The independ- ent short film is written and directed by Ryan Andrews and produced by Morgan Muscat. MICHELLE SIU / OAKVILLE BEAVER Im actually known more in Mississauga as a filmmaker who films all his stuff in Mississauga. This is the first time Ive filmed something entirely in Oakville. Morgan Muscat, film producer A two-day event taking place in Oakville will educate participants on the history of Oakville and Halton Region as well as provide some musical entertainment. The Roots of Freedom Festival will take place on Oct. 22-23 (Friday and Saturday). Fridays event will feature a musical per- formance by Nathaniel Dett Chorale and Joe Sealy, while on Saturday, people will be able to go on tours to learn the towns histo- ry, including its black history. The festival is presented by the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton (CCAH) and the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate. The festival is designed to give people a better understanding of the roles Oakville and the region played in the historical transition away from slavery to freedom. The first day, taking place at the Meeting House Theatre, 2700 Bristol Circle, begins at 7 p.m. It will feature an opening reception with an Oakville Museum mobile art exhibit of the towns early Black History. The main attraction of the evening, however will feature per- formances by the Chorale, Canadas first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music, and Juno Award-winning musician Sealy. Also performing will be the Muthadi African Drummers and the CCAH Steel Band. The event will be hosted by John Campbell. The second day of the festival, taking place at Oakville Museum, 5 Navy St., will include walking tours at six sites: the museum, the Pier, the Custom House, Captain Robert Wilsons House, The Canadian Hotel, the Granary, the Harbour, Georges Square and the Turner African Methodist Episcopal Church. There will also be the museums Black History exhibit with the curator, and the interac- tive multi-media attraction The Underground Railroad: Next Stop Freedom! There will be presenta- tions from local officials and per- formances by local artists, too. A two-day pass is $15 for gener- al admission, or $10 for seniors and students. There is a 235 person seating limit for the Friday per- formance. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.ccah.ca. History and entertainment on one ticket at festival See what Oakville did in transition from slavery to freedom, listen to musical entertainment at various locations