A SURREAL LIFE EXPERIENCE FOR THIS UP-AND-COMING PRODUCER
Story by Hali Hamilton
Photo provided by Erika Lobko
Erika Lobko and I have had a strangely intertwined history. We both began our film degrees at Queen’s University, before Erika wised up and got the hell outta dodge (and relocated to Ryerson). Since then she’s been honing her craft as a film producer-cum-jack-of-all-trades, continually working on stellar shorts and music videos. When her name came across my desk this summer during the lead up to the Toronto International Film Festival, I was unsurprised that it was as a producer of one of the Festival’s short films. Lie Down and Die (d. Kyle Sanderson) was featured in this year’s Short Cuts Canada programme, and Erika took some time to speak with me about how it all went down.
Still being in university, and relatively new on the film scene, how did it feel to have your film chosen for TIFF?
It was definitely surreal. We submitted Lie Down and Die on a whim, thinking – why not? Then, part way through the summer, I got a voicemail from one of programmers of the Short Cuts Canada programme, Magali Simard. I thought it was a collections agency or something telling me to pay my phone bill. It was incredibly fulfilling to be able to call Kyle Sanderson, the director of our short, and tell him the good news. It’s like telling someone they’ve won the lottery. It was a huge honor to have Lie Down and Die selected for TIFF and I couldn’t have asked for a better cast and crew to share the experience with.
What was your favourite moment of the festival? Worst moment?
One of our actors came to the premiere from out of town with his entire family in a limo. He’s about 13 and his grandfather apparently treated him and his family to the ride. I just thought that was great. My favourite moments were meeting and getting to know some of the other filmmakers in the Short Cuts program. Many were young and just out of school like us. I think Kyle and I really felt an immediate connection with some of them and hope to work with many of them in the future.
As far as difficult moments, the entire festival is essentially an open bar so I’d say the mornings where I had to be up to go work at my day job were probably the worst moments for me.
How has participating in the festival shaped your next steps as a producer?
I think it’s given me a bit more confidence in my own abilities than I had before. The festival has also inspired me to learn a lot more. Film school is a great experience but it does not prepare you for the ‘real world’ in some ways. There isn’t a huge focus on creating producers out of the film program and maybe that’s because a lot of producers actually have business degrees. I’m interested in applying to the Canadian Film Centre Producer’s Lab eventually.
Did you see any films at the festival? Favourite?
I saw a handful of films but not nearly as many as I would have liked. I saw Werner Herzog’s incredibly intense documentary Into the Abyss, about capital punishment and men on death row in the United States. He is such a creative and productive man so it was a dream to hear him talk in person. It’s worth seeing Herzog just for the way he pronounces the word “squirrel.” I also saw the first feature by a team of Sheridan grads, Yonah Lewis and Calvin Thomas, called Amy George. It was shot in Riverdale, the neighborhood in Toronto where I grew up, so that was neat. By far my favourite film was Lars von Trier’s Melancholia. This film needs to be seen in theatres. For me, it was one of those films that can change your life a little bit. It was very inspiring, but also made me think I should just quit now because I could never live up to it.
How do you feel (based on your experiences at TIFF and otherwise) Canadian cinema is progressing? Have you noticed any competition based on the extremely interconnectedness of the Canadian film industry?
It’s hard for me to say because I’m not sure I look at my self as being part of the professional film industry yet. What I’ve noticed is that Canadian filmmakers are incredibly resourceful and creative and that we also have some of the most talented actors and comedians in the world. Everyone seems keen to support one another, at least in the low-budget indie world. And it seems genuine for the most part. Of course watching the films of your peers should always inspire you to work harder and do more challenging material.
