VideoWinnipeg musicians and filmmakers raise funds for Cinematheque

Manitoba bands and independent filmmakers will duke it out once again to raise funds for Cinematheque.

In this unique event, called Bands vs Filmmakers II, musicians have been teamed up with a filmmaker to create a one-of-a-kind mashup. It all takes place on May 31at the West End Cultural Centre.

This year the bands include Cannon Bros., This Hisses, Nova, SitDown Tracy and The Magnificent 7s. The filmmakers are Danishka Esterhazy, Rhayne Vermette, Scott Fitzpatrick, Stéphane Oystryk and Curtis Wiebe.

SCENE wanted to choose one of the pairs and ask them how they would manage in a little role reversal.

We decided on Winnipeg bluegrass quintet Magnificent 7s and filmmaker, sculptor and puppeteer Curtis Wiebe, whose nine-foot statue stands in front of the Air Canada building.

Curtis, If you were stranded on a desert island, what is one essential album you would want to have with you?
We Shall Overcome: The complete Carnegie Hall Concert by Pete Seeger. Plenty of simple melodies to sing a long to and a whole audience to keep me company.

Mag 7s, what is your desert island essential movie you would want to have with you?
Ida: Wayne's World
Matt: Nausicaa
Tj: The Story of Ricky
Dave: Frankenstein
Andy: Dirty Debutantes #77

Curtis, if you could put together your dream band, who would you choose as lead singer?
My dream band changes every day.  Today it's Tom Waits (with the women from Mountain Man singing backup).

Mag 7s, if you could put together your dream movie, who would you cast as the lead?
Gary Busey & Nick Nolte as twins. We were going to pick Jean-Claude van Damme & Jean Claude Van Damme but that movie has already been made.

Curtis, what's one Manitoba band you would love to be in?
I heard that Al Simmons played a concert with a jazz band once.  That sounds like fun.

Mag 7s, If you could make a Manitoba film, what would it be about? What role would you play?
Louis Riel movie starring David's cats.

If you were a song writer, Curtis, what would you write about?
I was a songwriter before I was a filmmaker!  My songwriting subjects have included everything from robot romance to the algae in Lake Winnipeg.

Watch a movie by Curtis Wiebe: