Two creative forces have united to produce the perfect storm of still and moving pictures in Newfoundland and Labrador.

They are Roger Maunder and David Howells. One is a born-and-raised Newfoundlander who has cemented his role as an accomplished and prolific filmmaker; the other’s a globe-trotting Wales native who has photographed some of the most famous faces on earth.

But don’t take our word for it—check out their work online (upskydownfilms.com and davidhowellsphoto.com). Be sure to pour yourself a cuppa first, because you could be there for a while. First, there’s a lot of content. Second, it’s going to grab your attention.

If you’ve seen still portraits of business, political and opinion leaders—local to international—you’ve no doubt seen Howells’ distinctive style. Maunder’s work is all over TV and the Internet, for clients like Alan Doyle, 2025 Canada Games, Stella’s Circle and hundreds more. If you’ve watched the moving and important Forgotten Warriors documentary, you’ve seen their guiding influence. If you were dazzled by the sheer fabulousness of St. John’s Fashion Week, they were behind much of that, too. If your jaw has ever dropped at the startling still and video imagery released by Opera on the Avalon, that’s also their work.

Always loved film

It’s a pair of long and winding career paths that led to this creative union. Born and raised in St. John’s, Maunder has been drawn to movies for as long as he can remember, largely through the influence of his mother, also a film buff. She stayed up to date with home video technology, utilizing whatever was in vogue at the time, from laser discs to VHS tapes, while also making frequent excursions to local movie theatres.

“I used to skip school, pretending I was sick, knowing she would be going to the movies that day,” Maunder said. “And then, I would just end up at the mall and she would let me watch movies with her. So I was able to see all these crazy films.”

When old enough to leave home, Maunder struck out in 1993 for Hollywood to work as an actor, armed with nothing but his own ambition and a handsome face—he had no agent, credits or even a mug shot.

“Yeah, I almost starved,” Maunder laughs. He eventually returned to St. John’s to regroup, before setting off for the Toronto scene to try again. This time, he landed a role in a Molson ‘I am Canadian’ beer commercial, where he came off a plane and hugged his waiting girlfriend.

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