About
Philtre Films is me, Kara Blake. In 2005, I decided to give my creative efforts an official name and thus was born Philtre Films: a production company specializing in directing, editing and motion design for a wide spectrum of film, video and installation projects.
Philtre Films has distinguished itself with unique independent productions, and close collaborations with fellow artists and organizations such as the Ensemble contemporain de Montreal, Peaches, The Besnard Lakes, the National Film Board, Moment Factory and the CBC. Personal projects have been screened internationally at festivals and venues including Centre Pompidou, MoMA New York, Telluride Festival and CPH:DOX, garnering accolades and awards.
The Delian Mode, an experimental documentary about electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, had the distinction of winning both a Genie Award, and HotDocs Award for Best Short Documentary in 2009 and Next of Kin was the National Winner of the 2011 RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition hosted by TIFF.
Recent projects include the multi-channel works Lasciare Suonare for Place des Arts in Montreal and The Offerings which was part of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal’s touring exhibition Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything, 2017-2021.
About Me
I was born in a small Ontario town at the height of Pong and Easy-Bake oven popularity. Easily impressed by flashing lights, I gravitated towards the dazzling skyline of Toronto in the 90’s.
After completing a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in film production at Ryerson University, I worked as a digital effects artist, creating visuals for film and television, while at the same time cultivating my own filmmaking practice.
One day I emerged from the darkroom with the bright idea of moving to Montreal to pursue a Master of Fine Arts degree at Concordia University. Here, I furthered my experiments in fusing fact with fiction, and let my affinity towards sound and music guide my artistic endeavours.
I continue to call Montreal home while exploring worlds near and far through audiovisual means. I love being involved in projects sparked by interesting ideas and fuelled by artistic integrity. Want to light a fire with me?