"Bushwhack," a film by Tina Schliessler and Heather Haley

"Bushwhack."

"Bushwhack" is a film that was adapted from the provocative book and unique collaboration by visual artist Tina Schliessler and poet Heather Susan Haley. "Bushwhack" compels the viewer to see—and hear—the forest in an entirely new way. The film was screened at the International Literary Film Festival in NYC, November 2011.

Tina Schliessler.

Tina Schliessler was born and grew up in Baden-Baden, Germany. At 17, she immigrated to Canada with her family. Her grandfather was a sculptor, her grandmother a painter, and her parents documentary filmmakers. Early on Tina developed a passion for the arts and film. She attended Emily Carr, University of Art and Design, concentrating on film animation and photography.

Tina trained under Czechoslovakian animators Stania and Pavel Prochazka, and her first student film landed her an animation series for German TV. From then on she worked in several disciplines in the film business.

Tina developed a photographic series on trees, looking at the iconography found in nature. In collaboration with writer/poet Heather Haley, they produced a short film, "Bushwhack," using these images. In 2011, it was selected for the Vancouver Women in Film Festival and the International Literary Film Festival.

She also developed a series of photo/painting portraits. Black and white photographs that are oil painted and are brought to life by using animation film/video techniques.

In the last couple of years, Tina has worked on documentary films with her partner, director Charles Wilkinson. They together produced the award winning short film "Down Here" and award winning feature documentary http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2016259/Peace Out.

www.Tina-Schliessler.com

Heather Haley.

The Siren of Howe Sound, poet, author, musician and media artist Heather Haley pushes boundaries by creatively integrating disciplines, genres and media. "Dying for the Pleasure", Haley’s first videopoem—which she defines as wedding of word and image—premiered in 2003, screening at many festivals including the International ArtExpo in Milan, the National Centre for Contemporary Arts in Kalingrad, and the Gene Siskal Film Centre/Chicago Art Institute.

2010' s "How To Remain" was an official selection at the 5th Zebra Poetry Film Festival in Berlin.

2006’s "Purple Lipstick" still garners kudos internationally, was an official selection at VideoBardo in Buenos Aires, the 3rd Zebra Poetry Film Festival, and Women in Film in Vancouver, where she was a guest speaker on a panel discussing the hybrid genre. "Purple Lipstick" also screened at Commfest, Wildsound, Female Eye in Toronto, Northwest Projections and Reel to Real in Seattle, the Vibgyor Short and Documentary Film Festival in Kerala, India, New Filmmakers in New York City, FemFest in Zagreb, Pause & Play International Film Festival in the United Arab Emirates, Electric Rats Dream Video Dreams in Celje, Slovenia, the NoBudget Film & Video Festival in Heilbronn, Germany, Festival Miden, Kelemata, Greece and the European Media Arts Festival in Osnabrück, Germany out of 2000 entries.

Haley is the host and curator of the Visible Verse Festival at Pacific Cinematheque in Vancouver, North America's sustaining venue for artistically significant poetry video and film.

www.HeatherHaley.com
www.vimeo.com/MediaPoet
www.youtube.com/MediaPoet
www.facebook.com/HeatherSusanHaley
www.twitter.com/HeatherHaley