Leslie Supnet is young, Canadian visual artist who is fascinated with creating animation that expresses the inward emotions felt by everyone on a daily basis. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which is where she currently resides. Leslie's artwork concentrates on the small tragedies faced by everyday people on a day-to-day basis. Her animation touch upon common experiences and issues, such as identity, isolation, longing and despair--but with a touch of surrealism.

Some of Leslie's previous work includes Pale Shelter, which are drawings that express poetic eloquence, imagery and the feeling of disappointment. Much of her work invokes a specific emotion by focusing on a set theme. With her unique talent, Leslie had won the Winnipeg Film Group's 3rd Annual 48 Hour Film Contest for her animation Moving.

This year's Reel Asian will feature three of Leslie's shorts films: Fair Trade, A Small Misunderstanding and The Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot.

Do you have a signature or style to your work that makes it distinguishable from others'?

I use vintage papers and muted colors to create my animations and drawings. My characters are usually pretty generic--the everyday woman or man--however, they are all set in surreal and bizarre situations.

How and when did you know you wanted to go into film?

After seeing the work of Amy Lockhart and Helen Hill, I realized that animation would be a great vehicle to tell my stories.

Do you have a muse or source of inspiration? e.g. Music, reading, walks on the beach, playing sports, people around you or in the media...etc

Everyday experiences influence me the most. I love observing people in various situations and looking for subtleties in their emotional responses to their environment. I try to replicate these experiences in my work.

Can you give us a quick synopsis of your featured performance for this year's Reel Asian?

I have three shorts playing at Reel Asian this year - Fair Trade, A Small Misunderstanding and The Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot.

Fair Trade is a psychedelic animation about a young girl who purges herself from the hypnotic demons of her past.

A Small Misunderstanding is about a hungry bird that mistakes a piece of yarn for a worm entangled in the hair of a young man. This leads to a terrible accident in this humorous animation.

The Heavy Metal Parking Lot features hilarious hand-drawn animated characters who debate about punk and metal. It is a charming tribute to the underground cult classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot by Krulik and Heyn.

What were your goal(s) in making this film? What kind of message(s) do you want to send to your viewers?

Most of my animations are introspective. With my work, I hope to give the viewer an alternative take on common life experiences.

What style do you take more to through the process of making this film? Are you more analytical and methodical (i.e. plan every stage and have it executed as such)? Or are you a more fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of artist?

I pretty much have things planned right down to the second and this helps me keep track of the shoot. All of my characters and puppets are made before I shoot.

Was the process of filmmaking always smooth-running? If not, what happened and how did you deal with it?

For me, the process is always labour intensive and stressful. Especially when my cat jumps onto my animation stand at night and moves things around. Plus, my animation stand is more homemade (duct taped) which adds to the stress. The only way I cope with it all is knowing that the end product will be worth-while.

If there was anything you could do differently on your next film, what would it be?

I would most definitely love to make a feature the next time around. However, I would have to get a better animation stand and maybe a new cat.

Through shooting this film, have you encountered any surprises along the way? Ones in which have helped you grow as an artist? as an individual?

I remember nervously sending a link of the completed Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot to John Heyn and Jeff Krulik - the directors of the original Heavy Metal Parking Lot - not really knowing what to expect. They were super supportive! I really admire their do-it-yourself and low-budget approach to filmmaking, so it was great to get that kind of a response from them.

REEL ASIAN SCREENINGS:

Fair Trade
Thursday November 12, 2009, 1:00 PM at NFB Cinema

Animated Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Saturday November 14, 2009, 10:00 PM at Innis Town Hall

A Small Misunderstanding
Friday November 13, 2009, 6:15 PM at Innis Town Hall

This filmmaker profiles was written in partnership with the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival