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Mentor on the Main

The Mentor on the Main River – Whitewater Canoeing. Keith Payne is among the first generation of whitewater canoe instructors in the province. After a broken shoulder and a long recovery, Keith jumped at a chance to introduce a group of former students to his beloved Main River. On what Keith believes may be his last descent of this challenging river, the group struggles with two different approaches to running rivers. Is there anything left for Keith to teach the next generation of paddlers?

  • Richard Alexander
    Director
    Rising Waters, Eight Five
  • Richard Alexander
    Writer
    Rising Waters, Eight-Five
  • Richard Alexander
    Producer
    Rising Waters, Eighty-Five
  • Keith Payne
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    16 minutes 6 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 31, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Waterwalker Film Festival
    Calgary
    Canada
    January 1, 2023
    Winner - Best Documentary
Director Biography - Richard Alexander

Richard’s first adventure film, Paddling with the Past, won its category in the 2002 Waterwalker film festival. Since then he has made 18 videos of his expeditions. His recent projects are designed for a wider audience.
An accomplished adventurer, Richard's latest project is called Paddle East. It is a five part series of short films featuring canoe and kayak adventures in Canada's eastern most province - Newfoundland and Labrador.

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Director Statement

Paddle East – Our Adventure Film Series

There are many great places to paddle in the world, but we are unabashedly proud of what Newfoundland and Labrador offers. Living so far out into the North Atlantic has blessed us with a world-class playground of coastlines, rivers and adventures to last a lifetime.

But it’s not just our playground that makes this place amazing; it is the people who paddle here. Our population may be small, but our paddling community, spanning generations, is tight, colourful and vibrant.

We hope you enjoy this glimpse into what it is like to paddle in the place that is Newfoundland and Labrador.