John Walker in Winnipeg, February 6

DOC Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Film Group are presenting a master class with celebrated Canadian documentarian John Walker on Friday, February 6 at Winnipeg's Cinematheque. Walker's latest film Passage will then screen at 7:00 pm, following an introduction by the director.

Passage (2009) is a documentary about British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men who perished in the Arctic ice during an ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest Passage. View a trailer at http://tinyurl.com/yef86tw.

During his master class, Walker will discuss the process of making Passage from its original proposal, to the aesthetic choices that resulted in casting actors, to present historical facts in a documentary feature, and his unique twist on those facts. Participants will gain insight on his creative development and look at ways of transforming documentary practices into innovative and hybrid works of art.

The master class runs from 12 - 3 pm on Saturday, February 6. The fee is $25 for members and $40 for non-members (you can pay at the door). The Winnipeg Cinematheque is located at 100 Arthur Street, in the Exchange District. Visit www.winnipegfilmgroup.com for details and to register online.

John Walker was interviewed about his filmmaking career in the Winter 2008 issue of Point of View magazine which you can read online at www.povmagazine.com/view-article/285.