17 pictures of people at a gala film screening

Local filmmaker Dan Nystedt had a lot to smile about Thursday evening at the Art Gallery of Algoma (AGA).

Representing several months of hard work, his first full-length documentary film Ken MacDougall: the enjoyment of form received a standing ovation at its gala screening in front of 120 friends, family members, and the who's who of the local art community.

"You can blame [Executive Producer] Anne O'Connor for all of this," said Nystedt as he introduced the film. "Or credit me for it, depending on whether you like it or not."

Shot, directed and edited by Nystedt, the film follows MacDougall as he prepares for his last exhibition, which shares the film's name, at the AGA.

With boundless love and respect for the area and a keen eye for detail, MacDougall's paintings of Lake Superior often draw comparisons to those of the Group of Seven.

However, as expressed by artists Ken Bradford, Michael Burtch and Edward Kosiba in the film, no one knows Superior better than MacDougall.

In addition to his breathtaking landscapes and figure drawings, he worked for years creating graphics for CJIC television, designed both Mr. Bon Soo and the Soo Greyhounds logo, and was instrumental in the creation of the Graphic Design program at Sault College.

After viewing the film for the fist time Thursday evening, MacDougall said, "It felt good. The whole thing was a surprise. I wanted to leave everything up to the people with the talent and they did an amazing job."

"Hearing people 'get' MacDougall's humour made it all worth while," said Nystedt following the screening. "It had nothing to with me. It was all up to the subject to entertain, and he did."

Nystedt worked diligently filming MacDougall in his studio and sketching on the shores of Superior, capturing a total of 28 hours of footage.

He then had to cut that down to 50 minutes.

"The director's cut would be about eight hours long," joked Nystedt.

Ken MacDougall: the enjoyment of form is scheduled for an encore screening at the AGA on Thursday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m.

For tickets and to place your order for a copy of the DVD, expected to be released December 15, please contact Anne O'Connor at (705) 759-3919.

Co-produced by Ian Roberts and Emily Colombo, the film includes an original score written and performed by Frank Deresti.

The exhibit, two years in the making, will feature almost 100 paintings and drawings embodying 60 years of MacDougall's work.

On display from November 6 through December 6, 2008, this unique exhibit will be housed in both galleries at the AGA.