NEWS RELEASE
BARRIE FILM FESTIVAL
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On Oct. 21, 2023 at the Galaxy Cinemas the Barrie Film Festival will welcome director Rob Freeman and the film’s subject, Eugene Tam, to a post-screening Q&A.
Drop the Needle
In August 1990, a record store opened on Yonge Street that quickly began serving the needs of college radio and DJs who spun new sounds far from the mainstream. Through the contagious work ethic and guidance of founder Eugene Tam, organically, Play De Record became the hub for ‘dance’ music and the genres which emerged from under that umbrella, fuelling and fostering hip-hop and electronic culture. Today its impact on Toronto and by extension Canada is without question. From director Rob Freeman and producers Rob Freeman and Neil Acharya, Drop the Needle will explore the origin story of Play De Record.
Drop the Needle and CommUNITY will be shown as part of the 26th Barrie Film Festival on Saturday, Oct. 21, 4 p.m. at Galaxy Cinemas, 72 Commerce Park Dr., Barrie. Tickets are $10.
The 26th Barrie Film Festival started Oct. 13 and runs through to Oct. 22, 2023. For information: www.barriefilmfestival.ca.
Rob Freeman has had a lifelong passion for cinema and has always endeavoured to work in the film industry. During his career, he has taken on the role of producer, production manager, and editor of several independent releases. Following the Toronto Raptors’ NBA title victory in 2019, Freeman embarked on a passion project to document the franchise’s first championship run utilizing existing media. The result was Northern Uprising, which has been viewed over 750,000 times since its release.
Neil Acharya is a freelance journalist based in Toronto (senior writer at CBC Sports). His voice/print work has appeared in a variety of outlets internationally, domestically, and locally. Acharya’s first documentary (short), Endless Winter (2003), was accepted into the 23rd Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, N.S. Neil majored in film studies at Queen’s University and holds a bachelor of journalism from the University of King’s College.
The School Em Crew is a collective of seven like-minded members of the Barrie hip-hop community. All are active individually as solo artists and as members of other groups, collectives, and community organizations. This is a diverse group with a mix of seasoned accomplished veterans and budding up-and-coming artists. The School Em Crew consists of producer/DJ Jordi LaForty (Crate Bugz), MCs Legitimate (Babylon Warchild), LiftiD (Temple of Hip Hop), Mike D, Kirk Steele, Spenny, and Sam Spice. The music video CommUNITY also features additional vocals from Chuck Tee, JTG, Oliver Joseph, Ty the Poetess (2022-26 Barrie poet laureate), Plex (nominated in three categories including Rap Album of the Year at the 2023 SSIMA). DJ Jordi LaForty starts things off with a scratch intro, which serves as a call to unify.
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