Ottawa International Film Festival Music Video Challenge @ Barrymore’s

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Thursday night marked the 5th anniversary of the Ottawa International Film Festival Music Video Challenge.

The evening was hosted by Brian Cauley and DJ’d by Atherton, and was hosted at Ottawa’s long lost gem – Barrymore’s (I will leave getting into that for another time). The Ottawa International Film Festival Music Video Challenge was a celebration of the top 10 music video submissions as selected by “a panel of esteemed judges.” The finalists included some great Ottawa submissions, including two in the top five, and six overall.

Below you will find the videos from 10th place to 1st including my attempt at a one-line summary of the video.


10) C-Note – “Feel Me on This” (Ottawa) Typical rap video, minus the objectification of women which was nice. Walking, rhyming and smoking a joint.

9) Fiona Noakes Band – “My Apologies” (Ottawa) Gloomy shot video where lead singer goes around whispering in the ears of patrons giving them hope or helping them change their ways.

8) Gold & Marrow – “Striking Gold” (Ottawa) Lead singer’s ghostly overexposed skin, singing and dancing with an ever-changing background which occasionally overlaps onto her.

peptides video

7) The Peptides – “Love Me Forever” (Ottawa) Unfortunately the video isn’t released yet, but it is a very long erotic scene on a smoking oven with many wardrobe changes.

6) Wasted Potential – “Two Pumps and a Quiver” (London, ON) Touring Punk rock pizza party visiting a brewery, skateshop, record shop, front porch to shotgun beers and Call The Office.

5) Pony Girl – “Golden Children” (Ottawa) Very interestingly shot video featuring a mouth singing into a peculiar orifice surrounded by dancing lights.

4) FEVERS – “Dance Cry Dance” (Ottawa) Strobe light jam session with occasional dance breakouts.

3) Owen Davies – “Medicine Man” (Toronto, ON) Sadly only the audio is online, but you can kind of get the picture from the lyrics. The video is Owen preparing to go out to slow dance with himself in drag, while much wine is consumed.

2) Jeremy Fisher – “The Bride is Dead” (Hamilton, ON) Another one that only has audio online. Picture Jeremy Fisher in a suit playing piano with a pink backdrop as puppets act out the lyrics and provide back up vocals.

1) Mabaleka Brothers – “Crashed Upon the Waves” (Halifax, NS) Walks away crying as a woman chases him down the driveway, then sings while driving in his VW with his brother through a snow-filled suburb, then randomly parks and runs away as his brother chases, finally collapsing in the middle of the street for dramatic effect.