These days we might take for granted the genius of a certain group of Newfoundland creatives who emerged in the 1970s to take Canada by storm. This NFB documentary is here to remind us not to. Smash & Grab: The Rebel Lens of Mike Jones goes back to the ‘70s to explore the life of CODCO’s secret weapon: filmmaker Mike Jones (brother to Andy and Cathy), who frequently captured their projects with his camera. Combining rare and unseen footage - some of which had been sitting in Mike’s basement for decades - the film probes the strange genius of these brilliant comic minds. Mike’s family and collaborators reveal his influence through their recollections: from stage shows to the first independent feature film ever produced in Newfoundland, The Adventure of Faustus Bidgood (also screening at AIFF this year), to, later, how CODCO went off like a bomb on Canadian TV. Directed by veteran filmmaker Justin Simms and co-written with fellow Newfoundlander Deanne Foley, Smash & Grab serves as both an eccentric history lesson and an inspiration to prospective young filmmakers. “We went from being the laughingstock of Canada to really making Canada laugh,” explains Andy as he goes through Mike’s immense collection of footage. “The whole thing started when Mike said, ‘Do you guys want to see what you look like on film?’”

A Q&A with director Justin Simms, producers Lynne Wilson and Jill Knox-Gosse, editor Andrew MacCormack, cinematographer Cody Westman, composer Ian Foster, and subjects Robert Joy, Cathy Jones and Andy Jones will follow the film.

We welcome you to join Docs from the Rock: Profiling Newfoundland's comedy and arts pioneers on Sept. 19th, 1:30pm - 2:30pm. This free panel will feature Captain Newfoundland directors, Jamie Miller and Mike Feehan, and Smash & Grab director Justin Simms as they discuss the making of their respective documentaries, capturing the uniqueness of Newfoundland comedy and culture.