The CFC is currently accepting applications for the next CBC Actors Conservatory, the only full-time comprehensive professional on-camera acting program in Canada. In the weeks leading up to the application deadline (March 30, 2018), we have been highlighting Actors Conservatory alumni through featured Q&As discussing their craft and their development since their time at the CFC.

Our final 2018 CBC Actors Conservatory Spotlight focuses on Jade Hassouné, 2012 Actors alumnus and star of supernatural teen drama Shadowhunters. In addition to playing Meliorn on that much-loved Freeform series (airing on Netflix Canada weekly in Canada), he is also a producer and actor on That’s My DJ, a webseries created by Cineplex Entertainment Film Program alumna D.W. Waterson and also starring fellow Actors Conservatory alumna Emily Piggford.

What were your biggest takeaways from your time in the Actors Conservatory?

There are two things that remained with me [after the Actors Conservatory].

First, it gave me an inner knowing, a confidence that I was ready for this business. That what I dreamed, I was already accomplishing. It was a launching pad for my belief that this IS my career.

The second thing [that remained with me] was the people and connections. I met friends and colleagues that I will know my whole life, who are all extremely talented and proactive in creating their own content and who want to manifest projects into reality.

Jade on the set of Shadowhunters Season 3. 

How have you applied what you learned in the Conservatory to your work on beloved series like Shadowhunters and That’s My DJ?

For Shadowhunters, it was more of an auditioning/preparation/on set process and practice. I used tactics that would enhance my experience in preparation, as well as execution of my scenes (mixed with what I've always done).

For That's My DJ, there were no auditions. I was given a role that we workshopped through table reads and scene study like [what we had done] at the CFC. It was collaborating with writers and the director to focus the vision into a cohesive map of the project. Then there was the raising of the money online, which allowed me to discover more of a producer approach to a project.

What’s next for you? Any plans to collaborate with more CFC alumni?

There will always be collaborations with CFC alumni, mostly because they are everywhere! [Laughs]

But yes I do have plans to continue reaching out to my talented friends/alumni, as we all have amazing resources available to us. We are very fortunate to have each other.

WANT TO APPLY FOR THE 2018 CBC ACTORS CONSERVATORY? HERE’S HOW.

PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS ARE DUE BY MARCH 30, 2018. 

CFC alumni took home five of the nine awards that were handed out at last night’s WGC Screenwriting Awards gala:

CHILDREN’S

• Mysticons, Season 1 “Sisters in Arms”, written by Sean Jara

'Entanglement'

FEATURE FILM

• Entanglement, written by Jason Filiatrault

'Alias Grace,' courtesy of CBC/Netflix

MOW AND MINISERIES

• Alias Grace “Part 5,” written by Sarah Polley

SHORTS AND WEBSERIES

• Spiral, Episode 101 “The Girl in the Dream,” written by Karen McClellan

TV DRAMA

• Cardinal, Season 1 “John Cardinal,” written by Aubrey Nealon

CFC alumni also received three of the WGC special awards that were presented at the gala: Michael MacLennan received the Showrunner Award; Sherry White was awarded the Alex Barris Mentorship Award; and Sarah Dodd was presented with the Sondra Kelly Award.

Congratulations to our alumni and all of this year’s winners. See the full list of award winners HERE.

The nominees for the 2018 Leo Awards have been announced, celebrating onscreen and behind-the-camera excellence in British Columbia’s film and television industry. We are pleased to share that several CFC alumni/residents and alumni projects have been nominated, including an incredible 10 nominations overall for CFC Features and Motion 58 comedy ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL. See below for the list of alumni nominees:

'Adventures in Public School'

Best Motion Picture

• ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (produced by Josh Epstein)
• Dead Shack (produced by resident Amber Ripley)
• Meditation Park (produced by Mina Shum, Raymond Massey and Stephen Hegyes)
• Never Steady, Never Still (executive produced by Lori Lozinski)
• Kayak to Klemtu (produced by Daniel Bekerman)
• Indian Horse (produced by Trish Dolman, Paula Devonshire, Tex Antonucci)

Best Direction, Motion Picture

• Kyle Rideout – ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL
• Mina Shum – Meditation Park
• Kathleen Hepburn – Never Steady, Never Still

Best Screenwriting, Motion Picture

• Josh Epstein, Kyle Rideout – ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL
• Arran Shearing – Forgotten Man
• Michael Sparaga (co-writer) – Kayak To Klemtu

Best Picture Editing, Motion Picture

• Gareth Scales – Entanglement
• Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux – The Cannon

Best Production Design, Motion Picture

• Liz Cairns – Never Steady, Never Still

Best Casting, Motion Picture

• Sage Brocklebank – The Cannon

Best Television Movie

• Story of a Girl– Liz Levine, Adrian Salpeter (producers)

Best Short Drama

• Rupture– Yassmina Karaja (producer)
• Mental – Liz Levine (producer)

Best Direction, Short Drama

• Yassmina Karajah – Rupture

Best Screenwriting, Short Drama

• Yassmina Karajah – Rupture

Best Picture Editing, Short Drama

• Yassmina Karaja (co-editor) – Rupture

Best Dramatic Series

• Cardinal: Blackfly (Jennifer Kawaja, Sarah Dodd – producers)

Best Screenwriting, Dramatic Series

• Sarah Dodd – Cardinal: Blackfly, “Red”Best Feature Length Documentary

Best Feature Length Documentary

• The Road Forward (produced by Shirley Vercruysse)

Best Short Documentary

• Holy Angels (produced by Shirley Vercruysse)

Best Direction Documentary Series

• 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas Before Columbus - Origins – Lisa Jackson

Best Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series

• Letterkenny– Mark Montefiore (producer)

Best Performance, Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series

• Sonja Bennett – Android Employed, “The Family Unit”

Best Performance, By a Male – Web

• Sage Brocklebank – Inconceivable, “The Elephant in the Womb”

Best Animation Program or Series

• The Mountain of SGaana (produced by Shirley Vercruysse)

CLICK HERE to see the full list of nominees.

CFC alumni are continually making waves in the Canadian and international screen-based entertainment industries – from awards to festivals, industry recognition, “it lists” and more. Here’s the latest round of updates and success stories for CFC alumni and residents from April 2018.

NOMINATIONS & AWARDS

'Alias Grace,' winner of the 2018 WGC Screenwriting Award for MOW and Miniseries 

2018 WGC Screenwriting Awards

CFC alumni took home five awards and three special awards at the 2018 WGC Screenwriting Awards gala. See the list of winners HERE.

Alumni Jane MacRae and Kye Meechan were nominated for a CCE Award for Best Editing in a Feature Film for their work on CFC Features film 22 CHASER

2018 CCE Awards Nominations

Twelve CFC alumni have made the Canadian Cinema Editors’ (CCE) final cut this year, earning 2018 CCE Awards nominations. See the full list of CFC alumni nominees HERE.

CFC Features and Motion 58 comedy ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL received 10 Leo Awards nominations

2018 Leo Awards Nominations

The 2018 Leo Awards nominees have been announced, and we are pleased to share that several CFC alumni/residents and alumni projects have been nominated, including an incredible 10 nominations for ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, produced by CFC Features and Motion 58. See the full list of alumni nominees HERE.

2018 WIFT-T Showcase Winners

CFC alumni won big at the 9th annual WIFT-T Showcase held on April 17 in Toronto. CFC alumna Reem Morsi and fellow alumnus Kaveh Mohebbi won the award for Best Screenplay for CFC short film THE DOOR. THE DOOR (directed by Morsi and produced by alumna Heidi Tan) was also awarded the Audience Choice Award. Read more HERE.

FESTIVAL WATCH

Alumni film 'Loretta's Flowers' set to screen at Cannes 2018

Cannes Film Festival

Alumni short Loretta’s Flowers, from alumni Brendan Prost (writer/director), James Tracey (editor), Neil Haverty (music), and starring Harveen Sandhu and Matthew Gouveia (actors), will screen in the 2018 Cannes Short Film Corner. The film tells the story of a young queer woman who cycles between increasingly intimate encounters with three diverse individuals, but remains trapped in a pattern of insatiable longing on a long summer day in Toronto. Learn more HERE.

Additionally, Telefilm Canada spotlighted six Canadian producers who are registered to attend Cannes, including CFC alumnae Lauren Grant, Jessica Adams and Lori Lozinski, as well as current Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange resident Amber Ripley. Read more HERE.

'The Breadwinner' to play the Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Annecy International Animation Film Festival

Academy Award-nominated alumni film The Breadwinner (co-written by alumna Anita Doron, produced by alumni Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen) is one of two Canadian features selected for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival, which runs from June 11 to 16, 2018 in Annecy, France. Read more HERE.

Inside Out Film Financing Forum

Six Canadian projects have been selected for Inside Out Film Festival’s second annual Finance Forum, including the following alumni works: How Black Mothers Say I Love You, from Clement Virgo, produced by Damon D’Oliveira; Honor Thy Mother, written and co-directed by Kathleen Hepburn, co-directed and produced by Charlie Hidalgo; Docking, produced by Alyson Richards; You Can Live Forever, produced by John Christou; and Queen Tut from Reem Morsi. More info HERE.

INDUSTRY UPDATES

'Frankie Drake Mysteries' has been renewed for Season 2

• CBC Actors Conservatory alumna Humberly Gonzalez will star in the upcoming horror feature Stranded, which follows six friends who head out on a snowboarding trip and become lost in their SUV. Read more HERE.

• CFC alumnus Jeff Barnaby (director of RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS) is set to begin production on his upcoming feature Blood Quantum, which follows a tribal sheriff fighting against a zombie plague on an isolated Mi'gmaq reserve. Learn more HERE.

• Frankie Drake Mysteries, co-created by alumna Michelle Ricci, has been renewed for a second season. Season 1 of the hit prohibition era detective drama was CBC’s second-most-watched drama after (another alumni production) Murdoch Mysteries. More info HERE.

• Burden of Truth has also been renewed for Season 2. Season 1 featured the work of alumni Jordan Canning (director); Kyle Irving (executive producer); Lynn Coady (consulting producer and writer); Roslyn Kalloo (editor); and Shannon Masters, Eric Putzer and Laura Good (writers). Learn more HERE.

• CBC has renewed dark comedy Little Dog for a second season. The series was created by CFC alumnus Joel Thomas Hynes, who also serves as star and an executive producer on the series alongside fellow alumni Sherry White (showrunner and executive producer), and Amy Cameron and Tassie Cameron of Cameron Pictures (producers). Production on Season 2 is set for this summer with the series expected to return to CBC’s winter 2019 lineup. More info HERE.

• Good news, Grey’s Anatomy fans! The hit series, which features actor alumnus Giacomo Gianniotti as Dr. Andrew DeLuca, has been renewed for Season 15 – making it ABC’s longest-running primetime scripted series. Read more HERE.

• Super Channel has commissioned a second season of Mennonite drug drama Pure, which sees alumnus Ken Girotti as series director and executive producer, and stars alumni Alex Paxton-Beesley and Cory Bowles. The second season is scheduled to begin production in Nova Scotia later this spring and anticipated to premiere on Super Channel in early 2019. More details HERE.

• U.S. streamer Hulu has commissioned a live-action TV series based on the Holly Hobbie brand that will be produced by alumni Anthony Leo and Andrew Rosen’s production company Aircraft Pictures and alumna Sarah Glinski will serve as showrunner and executive producer. The scripted series is to premiere in fall 2018 on Hulu, and will later be available on Family Channel in Canada. Learn more HERE.

• Netflix greenlit werewolf drama The Order, created, written and executive produced by alumni Dennis Heaton and Shelley Eriksen, which follows a college freshman who joins a secret society where he uncovers dark family secrets and a magical underworld. Read more HERE.

• Alumni Steven Hoban and Vincenzo Natali are set to executive produce the upcoming adaptation of The Peripheral, with Natali also set to direct the drama. More info HERE.

• Netflix has ordered sci-fi drama series Another Life, created by alumnus Aaron Martin (Slasher), who will also serve as showrunner. Read more HERE.

• Alumnae Rebeka Herron and Heidi Tan collaborated to launch new Toronto-based boutique distribution company Parallel Universe Pictures. Their first acquisition was Nobody Famous, from current Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange residentsSarah Rotella (director), Adrianna DiLonardo (writer), and Rebecca Swift (producer). Tan is another producer on the film, which is edited by alumna Maureen Grant and features music by Slaight Music Residency alumnus Spencer Creaghan. Nobody Famous and will have its theatrical premiere on May 25 at Cineplex Yonge and Dundas in Toronto before launching on VOD on May 29. More info HERE.

• Former CFC participant Stella Meghie is at work directing an episode of the third season of HBO’s hit series Insecure. See more HERE.

• Alumnus Anthony Del Col’s graphic novel Son of Hitler is set for a May release. The graphic novel, based on one of history’s most intriguing rumours, follows the never-before-told story of Adolf Hitler’s secret child and how this son was the key to ending World War II.

• Northern Banner has acquired Canadian rights to alumnus Cory Bowles’ political satire Black Cop. More info HERE.

Have some alumni news to add/share? Get in touch at alumni@cfccreates.com.

The CFC is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. To commemorate this milestone, we are introducing a “30 things” series on our website – four stories that share 30 facts, memories, insights and/or pieces of information about the CFC, inspired by occurrences in our 30-year history. In the first piece to kick off the series, learn about some of the groundbreaking, award-winning and flat out awesome film, television, interactive and VR productions that CFC has had a hand in making in its 30 years.

Since our inception, the CFC has continually generated world-class content for the global marketplace. We’ve helped develop, finance and/or produce several productions that have enriched Canada and the world’s cultural and entertainment landscapes. Here’s a look at some of those productions and the programs that they were developed through.

THROUGH CFC FEATURES

One of the CFC’s oldest and longest-running programs, CFC Features has executive produced 23 films and supported the development of more than 50 films. Subsequently, it has also helped launch the careers of several CFC alumni, such as prolific film and television creators Holly Dale, Steve Hoban, Damon D’Oliveira, Clement Virgo, Charles Officer and Vincenzo Natali. Here are just a few of the features CFC has helped develop through this program:

1. ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (2017)

This hit comedy, hailed “the Canadian Lady Bird,” has been lauded by audiences and critics alike, earning an award for Best Comedy Feature Film and an Audience Award, as well as receiving rave reviews. It follows a socially inept, home-schooled dropout (Daniel Doheny) who enrols in public school to chase after a one-legged dream-girl (Siobhan Williams), and his mom/best friend (Judy Greer), who teaches him his teenage rebellion while learning to let him go. From writers and CFC alumni Kyle Rideout (director) and Josh Epstein (producer), ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL is a unique film in CFC’s history because it came to the CFC through our Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, where it received instrumental support in the script’s development, and then it went on to be developed and produced through CFC Features.

Learn more HERE.

2. RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS (2013)

This critically acclaimed feature provides a gritty, hard look at the residential school system in Canada through the story of a 15-year-old girl who lives on the fictional Red Crow Mi'gMaq reservation in the year 1976. The film was developed and financed through CFC Features and was written/directed by alumnus Jeff Barnaby, produced by alumni John Christou and Aisling Chin-Yee, and stars Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs, who would later become a resident in our CBC Actors Conservatory. The film premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and went on to be selected as one of Canada’s Top Ten features of 2013.

Learn more HERE.

3. CUBE (1997)

CUBE came to life in CFC Features with alumni Vincenzo Natali (writer/director), André Bijelic and Graeme Manson (writers), and Mehra Meh and Betty Orr (producers). This low-budget psychological thriller follows a group of strangers who wake to find they are trapped in an enigmatic and deadly cube and they have to solve the puzzle of the cube’s maze in order to survive. The film was so popular that it developed a cult following, spawned two sequels (Cube 2: Hypercube in 2002 and Cube Zero in 2004), and is said to have inspired other one-room thrillers like Saw.

Learn more HERE.

4. RUDE (1995)

RUDE was created through CFC Features and alumni Clement Virgo (writer/director), and Damon D’Oliveira and Karen A. King (producers). This groundbreaking drama is a pioneering look at race, masculinity, sexuality, love and loss in a Black community living in the inner city and was the first Black-written, -directed and -produced feature film in Canada. RUDE premiered to great acclaim at Cannes in 1995 as an Official Selection of the Un Certain Regard Programme. It also helped solidify the ongoing collaboration between D’Oliveira and Virgo, whose production company, Conquering Lion Pictures, has created a compelling body of high-impact work.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT FILM PROGRAM

The Cineplex Entertainment Film Program is CFC’s signature and longest-running program. It champions original voices, entrepreneurism and collaboration and helps residents develop and package original content for the global entertainment market. This is evidenced in the number of films that have been developed through this program – see some examples below:

5. UN TRADUCTOR (2018)

Un Traductor, the feature directorial debut of alumnus Sebastián Barriuso (co-director/producer) and written and produced by fellow alumna Lindsay Gossling, saw its World Premiere in competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The film was developed at the CFC in 2013, when Barriuso and Gossling were residents in the Cineplex Entertainment Film Program Producers’ Lab and Writers’ Lab, respectively. The film, which was shot on location in Havana, Cuba, is based on the true story of Sebastián and Rodrigo Barriuso's father, a Russian Literature professor at the University of Havana (played by Rodrigo Santoro), who is ordered to work as a translator for child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster when they’re sent to Cuba for medical treatment.

Learn more HERE.

6. NEVER STEADY, NEVER STILL (2017)

This feature directorial debut from alumna Kathleen Hepburn, adapted from the short film of the same name, was also developed through the program’s Writers’ Lab. In addition, it features the work of alumni Evan Crowe (associate producer), Lori Lozinski (executive producer), Simone Smith (editor), Ben Fox (music) and Liz Cairns (production designer). Never Steady, Never Still is a tender and heartbreaking story of a mother with physical disabilities and her discontented son – each alienated from their world and struggling to manage in the face of grief, guilt and chronic disease. The film was praised by audiences and critics (including a NNNN rating from NOW Magazine), and picked up 10 awards over the course of its festival run.

Learn more HERE.

7. MARY GOES ROUND (2017)

The debut feature from writer/director Molly McGlynn was developed in the 2015 Writers’ Lab (and was later recommended by the CFC for the Telefilm Canada Talent to Watch Program). McGlynn collaborated with several other alumni on the film: Matt Code (producer), Aeschylus Poulos (executive producer), Christine Armstrong and Bryan Atkinson (editors), Dillon Baldassero and Casey Manierka-Quaile (music), and Bruce Novakowski (actor). Mary Goes Round follows a substance abuse counsellor who gets arrested for a DUI and returns to her hometown of Niagara Falls to learn that her estranged father is dying of cancer. It was one of the most buzzed about homegrown films at TIFF '17 and received critical acclaim (including a NNNN rating from NOW Magazine) and earned McGlynn a spot in Playback’s 2017 5 2 Watch.

Learn more HERE.

8. CLOSET MONSTER (2015)

The script for alumnus Stephen Dunn’s debut feature, Closet Monster, was revised throughout his residency in the Directors’ Lab in 2012. The film went on to become a huge hit at TIFF '15, winning the award for Best Canadian Feature Film, and was hailed by critics, including The Hollywood Reporter, which named it “an accomplished, courageously strange debut;” Variety, which called it “an original spin on the teenage coming-out dramedy;” and the National Post, which dubbed it “a truly unique coming out story, not to mention a highly original Canadian film." The film also features the work of alumni Todor Kobakov (music) and Bryan Atkinson (editing).

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE TELEFILM CANADA FEATURE COMEDY EXCHANGE

Since the launch of our Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange, the CFC has really upped the ante on Canadian comedy. To date, this program has accelerated 10 features and launched them into the global marketplace, including ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL (as mentioned above), as well as these hit comedies:

9. THE NEW ROMANTIC (2018)

The latest feature developed through the exchange, The New Romantic saw its World Premiere in the Narrative Feature Competition at SXSW 2018, where it received special recognition for first feature. The film is from CFC alumni Carly Stone (writer/director), Kyle Mann (writer/producer), Christine Armstrong (editor) and also features music by the Slaight Family Music Lab alumnus Matthew O'Halloran. It has received rave reviews and significant attention for its bold female characters and for spotlighting a certain type of female protagonist. The pic centres on Blake, a young woman who, frustrated with a lack of chivalry among guys her own age, turns to life as a "sugar baby" – dating an older man and receiving gifts in return.

Learn more HERE.

10. DON’T TALK TO IRENE (2017)

Don’t Talk to Irene, from CFC alumni Pat Mills (writer/director), Alyson Richards and Michael MacMillan (producers), is the story of an overweight teenage girl who follows her passion for cheerleading and signs up for a talent-search reality show in order to prove that "physical perfection" isn’t everything. It made its World Premiere at TIFF '17 before continuing on a successful festival run, winning the 2017 Comedy Vanguard Feature award and the Audience Award from the Austin Film Festival.

Learn more HERE. 

11. BIG NEWS FROM GRAND ROCK (2014)

This crowd-pleasing screwball comedy, the first feature from alumnus Daniel Perlmutter (writer/director), with alumni Michael McNamara and Judy Holm as producers, follows small-town journalist Leonard Crane who starts making up stories to save his job, but gets in trouble when one of his fabricated news pieces turns out to be true. The film was wildly popular with audiences, playing packed theatres across Canada with additional screenings being added.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE SHORT DRAMATIC FILM PROGRAM

While this program is currently on hiatus as its being redesigned, it’s known for launching exciting and original voices and concepts into the global marketplace and producing high-quality short films – 173 to date! Here are some of the titles that have come out of this program:

12. STILL (2014)

This affecting short is from alumni team Slater Jewell-Kemker (co-writer/director), Kaveh Mohebbi (co-writer), Courtenay Bainbridge (producer), Maureen Grant (editor), Matthew O’Halloran (music) and stars Actors Conservatory alumni Emily Piggford and Giacomo Gianniotti. In STILL, Sadie (Piggford) is lost in an isolated forest with her abusive boyfriend Jake (Gianniotti). After he falls through the ice of a river and drowns, Sadie discovers duplicates of both herself and Jake, giving her a chance to change their fate and get the love she’s always wanted. The film premiered at TIFF ’14 and went on to be included in Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival. STILL also earned Jewell-Kemker a spot on CBC News’ list of young Canadian filmmakers to watch at TIFF 2014, and on The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen Canada list, which highlighted the 15 hottest talents under 35.

Learn more HERE.

13. FROST (2012)

This CFC short, from CFC alumni Jeremy Ball (writer/director), Lauren Grant (producer) and Richard Mandin (editor), tells the story of a young arctic hunter’s search for food beyond the perimeter of her ancestral hunting grounds as she longs for her father's recognition as a capable disciple. FROST was the first CFC short to be shot in HD. It was done entirely on a studio soundstage with a green screen and snow blankets for all snowscapes, using 80 visual effects completed by five different companies. The film saw its World Premiere at TIFF ‘12 and went on to win the Grand Jury Award for Best Canadian Short (Dramatic) at the 2012 Edmonton International Film Festival.

Learn more HERE.

14. SHORT HYMN, SILENT WAR (2002)

This acclaimed CFC short, from alumni Charles Officer (director), Tamai Kobayashi (writer), Kate Kung and Sandy Reimer (producers), and Ian Gardner (editor), weaves together the thoughts and memories of four African-Canadian women after gun violence claims the lives of two young men, and is often referenced for its contributions to Black Canadian filmmaking in the 21^st century. Officer (and his films like SHORT HYMN, SILENT WAR) is referenced in the Encyclopedia of the African Diaspora [3 volumes]: Origins, Experiences, and Culture as being a filmmaker who “ … continue[s] to challenge mainstream Canadian cinema through their wilful rearticulations of African Canadian identities within the changing landscape of contemporary Canadian Culture.” SHORT HYMN, SILENT WAR was also included in TIFF’s Black Star Retrospective in November/December 2017, which celebrated Black excellence on screen.

Learn more HERE.

15. EVELYN THE CUTEST EVIL DEAD GIRL (2002)

Long before he went on to collaborate with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on films like San Andreas and Rampage, alumnus Brad Peyton wrote and directed this darkly twisted comedy about a lonely dead girl who tries to bring herself back to life in order to make new friends (produced by alumnus Jim Mauro, edited by alumna Kathy Weinkauf and starring alumna Nadia Litz).

Learn more HERE.

16. ELEVATED (1996)

Before Natali brought us one-room horror flick CUBE, he co-wrote and directed the CFC short film ELEVATED. Co-written by alumna Karen Walton and produced by alumni Steve Hoban and Vanessa C. Laufer, this horror-thriller tells the story of a routine elevator ride that becomes a living hell for its three trapped passengers.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE TELEFILM CANADA TALENT TO WATCH PROGRAM

Formerly the Telefilm Canada Micro-Budget Production Program, CFC is an affiliate member of this initiative, and recommends and supports one low-budget feature project from CFC alumni annually to Telefilm Canada for production. Some of the productions it has supported and helped develop through this initiative include:

17. THE LOCKPICKER (2016)

This feature directorial debut from alumnus Randall Okita (produced by alumni Chris Agoston and Robert Fisher, edited by alumni Jonathan Eagan and Mike Reisacher, with music by alumni Joseph Murray and Lodewijk Vos of Menalon) follows the story of a teen thief who fantasizes about getting out of town after the death of a friend. It won the 2017 John Dunning Discovery Award (Canadian Screen Award), presented for the best micro-budget film of the year.

Learn more HERE.

18. WHAT WE HAVE (2014)

This debut feature from alumnus Maxime Desmons was lauded for its narrative of self-acceptance and portrayal of gay relationships, specifically the complexities of having them in a small town. What We Have tells the tale of Maurice, a prisoner of his past who is unable to connect with the people in his new Northern Canadian small town, a community that is only too ready to welcome this European misfit into their arms. The film, which was also written/produced by and stars Desmons, features the work of alumni Sally Karam (producer), Damon D’Oliveira (executive producer), Kye Meechan (editing), Nicole Hilliard-Forde (casting), and Jean-Michel Le Gal (star). It won Best Canadian Feature at the 2015 Inside Out Film Festival.

Learn more HERE.

19. CAST NO SHADOW (2014)

This debut feature from alumnus and director Christian Sparkes tells the story of Jude Traynor, a 13-year-old boy who tries to navigate a delinquent life in a rough and rugged seaside town. Cast No Shadow also features the work of CFC alumni Joel Thomas Hynes (writer and star), Chris Agoston and Allison White (producers), and Jonathan Eagan (editor). It took home six awards at the 2014 Atlantic Film Festival (including Best Direction and Best Screenplay) and received four 2015 Canadian Screen Award nominations (including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay).

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE NFB/CFC CREATIVE DOC LAB

The doc lab is a creative development process for documentary creators that enables program participants to generate and deliver materials to help catalyze interest in their projects/ideas in the global marketplace. And that’s exactly what it has done for many documentaries, including:

20. THE MESSENGER (2015)

Development of The Messenger, written/directed by alumna Su Rynard, was supported by the CFC through the second edition of the documentary program in 2011. The film explores human’s deep-seated connection to birds and warns that the uncertain fate of songbirds might mirror our own. It provides an important look at unsettling ecological changes in our environment and offers viewers an informative journey about various songbird-related issues that have worsened because of human activity. The film was named a Top Ten Audience Favourite at Hot Docs 2015.

Learn more HERE.

21. STORIES WE TELL (2012)

This critically acclaimed and multiple-award-winning feature documentary, written/directed by alumna Sarah Polley and produced by alumna Anita Lee, was developed through the CFC NFB Documentary Program (as it was formerly called). Through a series of revealing interviews and a mix of pastiche Super 8 footage and faux home movies with genuine archive material, Polley investigates the truth about her family history. It was a wildly successful film, winning numerous awards (including the 2013 Canadian Screen Award for Best Feature Length Documentary, the 2013 Directors Guild of Canada Allan King Award For Excellence in Documentary and 2014 Writers Guild of America award for Best Documentary Screenplay, to name a few) and receiving much critical praise (four stars from Roger Ebert, five stars from The Guardian). It was also named one of “Canada’s Documentary Essentials” by Point of View Magazine.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH TRIBECA ALL-ACCESS

CFC was an international partner of the former Tribeca All Access program, whereby it would select and support one Canadian project and team from statistically underrepresented communities in the industry to participate in the initiative. The below hit features are examples of productions that came out of this initiative:

22. JEAN OF THE JONESES (2016)

Before CFC alumna Stella Meghie went on to direct blockbuster feature Everything, Everything, which earned her an NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture, she wrote, directed and produced her feature directorial debut Jean of the Joneses through Tribeca All-Access. In the film, chaos ensues after the estranged patriarch of the Jones family dies on their doorstep. When the paramedic who answers their 911 call tries to win over acerbic Jean Jones, his attempts are disrupted by old conflicts that come to a boil at the funeral. Jean of the Joneses, which was produced by CFC alumnus Amos Adetuyi, made its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.

Learn more HERE.

23. EMPIRE OF DIRT (2013)

Photo courtesy of Mongrel Media

This powerful and affecting drama tells the story of three generations of Canadian Cree woman who struggle to deal with the demons of their past. It comes from CFC alumni team Peter Stebbings (director), Shannon Masters (writer), Jennifer Podemski (producer) and Jorge Weisz (editor), and is praised for a script that centres on Indigenous women and for addressing important topics, including the damaging legacy of the residential school system in Canada. Empire of Dirt was nominated for five Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Picture.

Learn more HERE.

24. HOME AGAIN (2012)

Home Again is a dramatic feature film by CFC alumni and husband and wife duo Sudz Sutherland (writer/director) and Jennifer Holness (writer/producer). It tells the story of three Jamaicans (played by Tatyana Ali, CCH Pounder and Lyric Bent), who are deported from the U.S., Canada, and England, and must make their way in a land that they are not familiar with where every day is a fight for survival in which family support, friendships and shelter are elusive. It premiered at TIFF ’12 and won the prestigious PAFF‐BAFTA Festival Choice Award in Los Angeles.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH THE BELL MEDIA PRIME TIME TV PROGRAM

The Bell Media Prime Time TV Program has become the go-to source for the North American broadcast industry to scout professional series writers, emerging TV creators and exciting original series content. It’s also known for incubating some serious TV hits, like:

25. MARY KILLS PEOPLE (2017-PRESENT)

Photo courtesy of Corus Entertainment

Mary Kills People, which follows Dr. Mary Harris (Caroline Dhavernas), a medical professional who moonlights as a physician-assisted death practitioner for the terminally ill, was created by CFC alumna Tara Armstrong based on a pilot script she entered the Bell Media Prime Time TV Program with in 2014. During the program, Armstrong created a teaser for this pilot, and within a year, had a six-episode series order from Global Television. The series was brought to life with the help of alumnae Tassie Cameron andAmy Cameron (Cameron Pictures Inc.). Additional CFC alumni who have been brought on to work on the show include Holly Dale (director), Roslyn Kalloo (editor), and writers Sherry White, Michael Goldbach and Marsha Greene.

Learn more HERE and HERE.

26. TRAVELERS (2016-PRESENT)

Photo courtesy of Corus Entertainment

This hit time travelling drama began its development during the 2014 Prime Time TV Program when Brad Wright was Executive Producer in Residence. Wright worked with the nine residents of that year’s program on the series for ten weeks and developed nine episodes, eight of which ended up in Season 1. In this series, technology has developed a means of sending people back in time to the 21st century to help save humanity from a grim future. Travelers was renewed for Season 3 in March 2018.

Learn more HERE.

27. ORPHAN BLACK (2013-2017)

Photo courtesy of Bell Media

This critically acclaimed, groundbreaking conspiracy drama, which captured audiences in more than 170 countries and was hailed as one of television's most compelling genre series, got its start at the CFC. Yes, that’s right – the genesis of Orphan Black can be traced back to the CFC’s 2008 Bell Media Prime Time TV Program when Graeme Manson (series co-creator) was the Showrunner-in-Residence. Manson and John Fawcett (fellow alumnus and series co-creator) collaborated with the eight residents in the 2008 program to help bring their idea for the series to life. During its five-season run, it garnered numerous awards and nominations, including a Peabody Award and 20 Canadian Screen Awards, including Best Dramatic Series, Best Actress, Best Director and Best Writing.

Learn more HERE.

THROUGH CFC MEDIA LAB

CFC Media Lab is not only an internationally acclaimed digital media think tank, but also an award-winning production environment for interactive and immersive media experiences, including:

28. SMALL WONDERS: THE VR EXPERIENCE (2016)

A groundbreaking virtual reality (VR) collaboration between CFC Media Lab, Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation and the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Small Wonders: The VR Experience enables viewers to step inside the stunningly intricate details of a 500-year-old European prayer bead. The original bead, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, depicts a complex scene of heaven and hell with elegance and precision. The VR experience adapts one of the AGO’s micro-computed topography (micro-CT) scans, enabling viewers to explore the intricate carvings of the prayer bead from various angles and in detail otherwise inaccessible to the human eye. This incredible VR experience screened in exhibition at the AGO, the Met Cloisters and at Hot Docs 2018 in the DocX series.

Learn more HERE.

29. BODY/MIND/CHANGE (2013)

The innovative and award-winning multimedia production Body/Mind/Change, the digital extension of TIFF’s exhibition David Cronenberg: Evolution, was co-produced by TIFF and CFC Media Lab. Starring David Cronenberg, Body/Mind/Change immerses audiences in a “Cronenbergian” world brought to life online and in the real world. It was the first web interactive experience that generated a 3D-printed object based on data collected from the player. This production won several awards, including two MUSE Awards (Jim Blackaby Ingenuity Award; Honorable Mention in the category of Games and Augmented Reality) and the Ontario Museum Association (OMA) Award for Excellence in Special Projects.

Learn more HERE.

30. LATE FRAGMENT (2007)

Late Fragment was North America's First Interactive Feature Film, produced by CFC Media Lab in co-production with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB). This groundbreaking production follows three strangers who have all experienced violence in their lives. Viewers are then able to change the direction of the story, marry multiple storylines, and explore 139 different scenes, three different endings and 380 components such as rabbit-holes and loops all with a simple click. Thirteen different digital tools were created and implemented in the making of this production.

Learn more HERE.

To browse through more CFC Productions, CLICK HERE.

With a Master’s in Materials Chemistry, Robert Kori Golding was on track to be a scientist. Instead, he dove into interactive digital media at the Canadian Film Centre Media Lab (CFC Media Lab), at the TELUS Interactive Art and Entertainment Program in 2004. Nearly a decade later in 2013, he returned to the CFC with his company, Albedo Informatics Inc. and their toolkit, LARGE (Location-based Augmented Reality Gaming Engine), when they were selected for Cohort 3 of the CFC’s IDEABOOST Accelerator.

This Saturday, May 5, LARGE will power an augmented reality (AR) experience of Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, as part of Jane’s Walk, an annual global festival of free walking tours and events inspired by renowned urbanist, Jane Jacobs. Learn more about Golding’s location-based AR work, the value of CFC networks, and why sometimes the best ideas arise when you’re not looking for them.

How did you first get interested in designing games?

I’ve been designing technology-related games for about 12 years, but really, since I was a kid. It’s something in which I was always interested, to see how things will work when you give a game a set of rules and parameters. Everyone probably has a game that was unique to them and their friends from when they were young. Like when you turned the playground gravel into lava that you can’t step on, or what you played in your living room. When you’re young, your imagination runs wild. The rules will develop and form because people want there to be a sense of fairness. The thing people forget as they get older is that everyone is a game designer when they’re young.

Did you make that love of creating games into a career?

In a sense, yes. Though I wouldn’t say my career is game design, even though that’s more or less what I do. For me, it’s more about designing experiences. Experiences can run the gamut from writing stories to making music. My educational background isn’t related to games, either. My undergraduate degree is in economics and then I did a Master’s in materials chemistry. I started a PhD in biomedical engineering, but quit when my mom got diagnosed with terminal cancer. Then I reassessed what I wanted to do and decided to go to the CFC. That was my first foray into interactive digital media.

What have been some of your career highlights?

I haven’t been entirely commercially focused, so I’ve had a lot of opportunities to make experimental technology. I’ve been working on location-based games for about 12 years now, and my focus has always been on using technology to bring people together, to interact with the world, and to reconnect with their surroundings, as opposed to just escapist fantasy.

The first location-based game I designed was called Echelon, for the Blackberry Curve. This game brought people together in public places, so I looked at it as a digital icebreaker, as just a way to connect random people in a physical space, which the device and software facilitated. The project I’m working on now, LARGE, is a direct descendent. They all keep leading to each other.

Echelon was ambitious, but the technology just wasn’t there yet. So it evolved into the next project I worked on, Mytoshi, a location-based virtual pet. In Japanese, toshi means “mirror reflection.” It was supposed to be a virtual pet that reflected people’s real-world behaviour through check-ins. If, for example, you wanted to exercise your pet, then you’d check in to a gym. If you wanted to feed it, then you’d check into restaurants or grocery stores. It would be connected to a pedometer, so you could walk and exercise it. That was the basic idea, that its behaviour and evolution would reflect your real-world behaviour. The problem was that we based it on a system of check-ins, and check-ins were really hot for about a year, but by the time we were ready to go into production, the bottom had fallen out of companies like Foursquare. Still, in the process of building it, we made this robust back-end system, because we envisioned it as the first step in a much larger game. The back end was designed for the rapid iteration and prototyping of location-based games. This happened in 2012, and over the next year, I started getting more into the idea of augmented reality.

That’s how LARGE evolved, which stands for “Location-based Augmented Reality Gaming Engine.” The idea was basically to make an engine, so that people could make location-based augmented reality games. When we first started developing it, people thought the idea was crazy. No one had any idea what a location-based augmented reality game was. People’s eyes would glaze over when I talked to them about it. Yet we were totally validated when Pokémon Go became such a huge success, because that was a location-based augmented reality game. After that, people knew what it meant.

In the last year, things have really escalated. I’m surprised by the rate and pace things at which things in the AR space are developing. It’s really grown exponentially, the number of people working in the space.

You’ve got a high-level science background as well as this creative design side. How does your scientific background shape what you do now?

My scientific background has definitely helped me approach problems and systematically break them down. I was more of an experimental chemist than a theoretical one, so I would devise experiments to prove my hypothesis. I often treat Albedo Informatics Inc. as a research lab, where I’m an academic professor working outside of academia. Much of the work on LARGE could have constituted several master’s and doctoral theses.

Tell us about your time at the CFC. What did you take away from it?

I had the benefit of going through two CFC programs in one decade. The first in 2004 was the Habitat program [a component of the TELUS Interactive Art and Entertainment Program]. After intense training, we formed a company with different people in our cohort. I was working on a product called Echo Live, which was basically a software system for the rapid production of DVDs after events, like concerts or conferences. Then more recently, I went through the IDEABOOST Accelerator with LARGE [in 2013]. That was a totally different experience. It was interesting to see how things changed, how startup culture has evolved, and how the programs at the CFC manage to keep evolving with the times.

One of the best parts of the CFC is the network. I’ve met a ton of really great people through the CFC whom I’m still friends with and work with to this day. The network I was introduced to has been very valuable, so I’m also eternally grateful for the support the CFC has provided me and my various projects.

Can you tell us a little more about LARGE’s role in Jane’s Walk?

Jane’s Walk aligns perfectly with our goals for LARGE. We think AR is going to be a massive space, and we want LARGE to have a community-oriented bent. We’re making a white-label version of the app for the Jane’s Walk experience to test it out as a case study. That is, we haven’t officially released the app yet, but will in the next month or so. LARGE allows people to mark up the world using AR, so anyone who’s interested can use the app to make tours or walks like this one. We’ve also been talking to a number of cultural and historical organizations to put a lot of content out there for users.

What are you working on now?

We’re about to launch the LARGE augmented reality messenger, and are currently also in production on a game called SIGIL, a location-based augmented reality role-playing game. Pokémon Go validated the genre, which was great, but I personally didn’t love it. I find a lot of mobile games are not even games; they’re a set of addictive mechanisms designed to get people hooked to spend money. We’re trying to make a game that is easily monetizable, but with more to it than most mobile games. Really, we’re embracing a lot of aspects of AR. We created a set of design pillars governing the production, which may be another place where my scientific background comes in to play. We’ve been working on SIGIL for a couple of years, designing it, and now we’re going into production with support from the Canada Media Fund. It should be ready for beta next spring.

What do you like most about your work? On the flipside, what are the challenges?

I really like what I do very much. The only things I don’t like are the day-to-day admin tasks. Aside from that, I like almost every aspect. It’s always fun when you come up with a new idea, or when you’re in that zone where everything seems to be working. It’s also satisfying when your predictions come to pass. Every day is a new set of challenges. Sometimes it’s easy to get burnt out, because when you’re an entrepreneur you have no set hours. You’re always working, or you're thinking about work. I need to learn how to disconnect more. That’s often when you come up with your best ideas, when you’re not looking for them. You could be out for a walk or bike ride and see something that triggers a chain of thoughts that leads to something very interesting.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

The rise of emerging technologies – artificial intelligence, machine learning, wearables, virtual and augmented reality – is shifting design. We’re moving away from making objects to generating whole “experiences of becoming.” These experiences need not take place in person or online but in overlapping worlds. While some panic at this dissolving boundary, others see new opportunities. To paraphrase Idea Couture CEO and cofounder Idris Mootee, what’s changed when designers no longer focus on designing a car, but instead, the driver’s whole experience of the car?

These questions were front and centre at Digifest, an annual tech conference and startup event celebrating digital creativity. The Canadian Film Centre Media Lab’s (CFC Media Lab) IDEABOOST community has participated in past versions of its pitch competition, such as our IDEABOOST Accelerator alumni Think Dirty and Albedo Informatics. This year, Network Connect company, Impossible Things, brought a sampler of their popular Art Gallery of Ontario show, ReBlink (featured in this recent story). Three key takeaways emerged from this year’s talks, revealing how design is generating these “experiences of becoming” in practice.

I. The “information economy” has splintered into multiple, often overlapping worlds.

Digifest revealed how much we now inhabit overlapping, plural economies defined by how we encounter information. The idea of a singular economy organized around industry or information, for example, has dispersed.

L-R: Moderator Matt Humphreys (Chief Experience Officer, Diff) guides a discussion between Adriana Ieraci (Founder, Get Your Bot On!), artist and curator Nina Czegledy, Sujeevan Ratnasingham (Founder, Life Scanner) and Jonathan Moneta (Creative Director, MakeLab).

When one panel’s participants were asked to describe their view of the predominant economy we now inhabit, their lack of consensus alone was revealing:

• Jonathan Moneta called it the “maker economy,” with 3D printing enabling de-industrialization and a rise in micro-factories, as individuals gain the means of production for themselves.
• Sujeevan Ratnasingham emphasized our “social economy,” in which the saturation of experiences online lead to more personalized, targeted, in-person experiences – which in turn feed back into stories and experiences on social media.
• Nina Czegledy focused on how much we are now living in a “data-based economy,” in which data-capture, measurement, analysis and stats irreducibly shape our experiences, albeit behind the scenes.

II. Machine learning may not lead to a Westworld dystopia, but rather, to more personalized encounters.

Speaker Adriana Ieraci echoed a theme in tracking how people are “panicking” over how we’re heading into an “automation economy,” one of too many too-human-looking robots. Yet this panic may conceal other more positive, ethically grounded effects that robotics could as easily generate:

• More time and space for creative work, with rote tasks left to automation
• More interpersonal facetime in situations that machine learning can’t go
• More rejections, rather than enhancements, of human likeness, to keep the boundary distinct
• More fun and playful brand interactions

The Telescope Collective captured Digifest participants’ hopes and fears about automation at work.

In other words, robotics research may, and should, honour and explore its own effects on human experiences more as a component of its research.

III. Experiences are neither digital nor analog alone anymore, but dynamically both.

Keynote speaker Linda Volkers, marketing manager of the Netherlands’ Rijksmuseum and manager of #Rijkstudio.

Keynote speaker Linda Volkers, marketing manager of the Netherlands’ Rijksmuseum and manager of its innovative open-source digital wing, #Rijkstudio, explored how digital engagement and in-person experiences feed each other. Here, an experience of the museum isn’t simply about getting people in the door or online. It’s always a mix of both.

Since 2010, the Rijksmuseum has been digitizing its entire collection of 350,000 pieces, with an anticipated end in 2019. The collection has continued to be available in high-res form online for anyone online to visit, peruse, download, curate and use in their own art/commercial practice, all for free.

As a result, “visiting” the museum has transformed. People can access the collection at the popular #Rijksstudio website and app; indeed, the app’s playful experiential tagline, “Put the Rijksmuseum in your pocket,” alludes to the museum’s successful mobile-first strategy. Digital engagement has soared, not surprisingly, but so has in-person attendance, with more people entering the museum to both view and draw art more, and more international entrants over four years of the popular Rijkstudio design award competition.

Overall, as these three takeaways suggest, Digifest fostered rich connections and insights. It inspired us to rethink how digital tools and technology might be shaping our own “experiences of becoming” closer to home. Congratulations to the organizers, the Digital Media & Gaming Incubator at George Brown College, on a successful event, and to all of the companies in the IT’S A START pitch competition, especially this year’s winners: Grand Prize, InStage; Second Prize, Cool Cat Innovations; Third Prize, Phyxable; and People’s Choice, Communihelp.

One of the content moderators at work in 'The Cleaners.'

In 2017, CFC alumnus Charles Officer won Best Canadian Feature Documentary Award at the documentary film festival, Hot Docs, for his film, Unarmed Verses, a moving portrait of a marginalized community facing imposed relocation. Officer returned to Hot Docs this year in its Big Steps series, a partnership with Samsung Canada that commissioned six short films for the festival’s 25th anniversary. His film, Little Trumpet Boy, celebrates talented Toronto trumpeter, William Leathers, and visualizes Leathers’ synaethesia, a neurological trait that merges the senses.

Officer’s work and several other CFC projects at Hot Docs 2018 inspired us to attend this year’s festival, which took place from April 26 to May 6 in Toronto. Below are five films on entertainment, performance and digital media we enjoyed, from the ethics of artificial intelligence and social media censorship to the creative process for television writers, musicians and fans.

The Cleaners (Dir. Hans Block, Moritz Riesewieck; Germany and Brazil)

The “cleaners” here are people hired by shadowy corporations in the Philippines to work as “content moderators,” checking global social media accounts and YouTube uploads 24/7, removing material considered objectionable by the corporation’s guidelines,

Much of the film’s soundtrack is a riveting refrain of the words, “ignore, delete.” Like a noir technothriller, The Cleaners delivers a morally gray portrait of execs at Google and Facebook; censored artists and activists; threatened journalists; and the content moderators themselves. What could have been a simplistic condemnation of internet censorship shifts when moderators describe the violence and abuse they routinely see. One has seen hundreds of beheadings; another, horrific child abuse. The Cleaners empathizes with these “digital janitors,” ordinary people fleeing poverty and tasked with hard judgment calls that leave them, like us, pawns of a heavily data-managed global economic order.

Don’t Be Nice (Dir. Max Powers; U.S.)

A must-see for any writer or creative person,Don’t Be Nice chronicles five slam poets from the Bowery, New York who, over the Summer of 2016, prepare for the upcoming national poetry slam competition. What could’ve been a standard competition doc morphs into a sensitive, urgent study of these five talented poet-performers and their team.

Don’t Be Nice’s heart rests in coach Lauren’s refusal to let the poets play safe. She challenges them to write with vulnerability and “find the story behind the poem – and then the story behind that story.” The result is a moving meditation on what it means to be creative while channeling, or being undone by, racism, homophobia and violence – and always making hard choices on the page and in the moment.

More Human Than Human (Dir. Tommy Pallotta, Femke Wolting; Netherlands, U.S., Belgium)

More Human Than Human takes an in-depth look at artificial intelligence (AI) from the mid-twentieth century-on, speculating on the future coming up fast. Who will win, AI that positively enhances or negatively eclipses our experience as humans?

Like The Cleaners, More Human Than Human rejects a clear for-or-against stance in these ethical debates. It shows how much all of us are already engaging with AI: as tools for combatting loneliness in the elderly, grieving and autistic; as fun and zany onscreen games and entertainment; as search tools on our phones; or as potentially dangerous job-replacements and terrifying war technologies. We also see filmmaker Pallotta collaborating with a team of robotics engineers across the film, building a robotic arm-camera to interview him at the film’s conclusion – a result definitely worth seeing and reflecting on after.

Mr. SOUL! (Dir. Max Powers; U.S.)

The United States in 1968. Major political figures, assassinated. The Civil Rights movement, splintering under urban riots. The country, divided in its opposition to/support for the Vietnam War. President Nixon, elected by a questionable “silent majority.” Into this contentious landscape stepped a humble visionary, Ellis Haizlip. A Black gay producer in New York City, he produced, and after just four episodes hosted, a television program called SOUL! on New York’s public television station, WNET.

Until SOUL!’s defunding in 1973 (which Nixon demanded), Haizlip did extraordinary work. He hosted pivotal figures of African and African-American music, poetry, dance, art and politics: musicians like Ashford and Simpson, Stevie Wonder and Patti Labelle; poets like Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez and James Baldwin; political figures like Kathleen Cleaver and Betty Shabazz. Thoroughly researched, the film’s archival footage reveals how groundbreaking this program was and still is. Mr. SOUL! also shapes an archive for disappearing Black voices, a treasure trove of performers and historical reflections that inspires us to see what public broadcasting can do – build extraordinary television, even against all odds.

United We Fan (Dir. Michael Sparaga; Canada)

As a medium, television has created a more interactive, intimate relationship between its creators and audiences than film, with its comparatively more finished, finite products. As early as 1954, I Love Lucy’s producers glimpsed the power of TV fans when stations around the U.S. were flooded with complaints by the State of the Union presidential address pre-empting Lucy!

Closer to home, CFC alumnus and Canadian filmmaker Michael Sparaga has made a smart and witty film that chronicles grassroots TV fans’ campaigns to save their beloved programs like Cagney and Lacey or St. Elsewhere. TV fandoms are often portrayed as dangerously over-identified; United We Fan takes a more measured, even lighthearted tone. It recognizes and celebrates fan investment, and their ingenious campaigns that helped reroute cancellations and character arcs. The film suggests that contemporary TV fandoms are a force to be reckoned with; they should be actively listened to by writers and producers seeking to build this engagement, during, if not before, the story even starts.

Congratulations to all CFC alumni participating in this year’s festival, including alumna Samara Grace Chadwick, who directed 1999; CFC alumni, Laura Perlmutter (executive producer) and Casey Manierka-Quaile (composer), for the film that won this year’s Best Canadian Short Documentary, Prince’s Tale; and CFC Media Lab’s two VR experiences, Small Wonders and Made This Way: Redefining Masculinity, which screened in the DOCX series.

On April 25, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited Bayview Yards, Ottawa’s Innovation Hub and home to many Canadian startup headquarters – including IDEABOOST Cohort 6 company and 2017 Cultural Start-up Award Winner, MasterpieceVR.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau engaging in a demo with Jonathan Gagne, founder and CEO of MasterpieceVR.

The sole company selected to demo for Prime Minister Trudeau, MasterpieceVR showcased their collaborative VR platform that simplifies 3D sculpting and painting. They surprised Prime Minister Trudeau with a full body sculpt of him as Han Solo, created in less than two hours, as well as a 3D print of this model, printed that same morning.

The fun, engaging demo with Jonathan Gagne, MasterpieceVR’s founder and CEO, illustrated how quickly and accessibly MasterpieceVR generates high quality 3D content, even by artists new to VR/3D.

During his visit, the Prime Minister also met with other entrepreneurs at Bayview Yards, whose programs, services and space itself seek to catalyze startup growth, commercial success and economic impact in a growing Ottawa tech industry – of which MasterpieceVR is a key player. In the past six months, they’ve won a Best Ottawa Business Award for #NextBigThing, were nominated for best Creative App of 2018 by UploadVR, and have recently been nominated for an Auggie Award for Best Creator and Authoring Tool.

Prime Minister Trudeau smiles at his 3D-printed action figure, himself as Han Solo!

In 2017, MasterpieceVR’s parent company, Brinx, participated in the Canadian Film Centre Media Lab’s (CFC Media Lab) IDEABOOST Accelerator as part of Cohort 6. At the Enterprising Culture Forum, MasterpieceVR was the Canadian recipient of the Cultural Start-up Award. This juried competition awards key commercialization opportunities to two companies, one Canadian and one French, for intensive immersion and commercialization activities at, respectively, La Gaîté Lyrique in France, and CFC Media Lab in Canada.

Finally, at the demo, MasterpieceVR also shared their work with Prime Minister Trudeau about an exciting current partnership with Microsoft. The Sustainable City Contest aims to inspire artists around the world to imagine and create a model, by using MasterpieceVR, of an environmentally sustainable city. Deadlines for submissions take place in two phases this month (on May 15 and May 29), so there’s still time to get busy envisioning!

Congratulations to the MasterpieceVR team for their recent awards, partnerships, and ongoing high-quality work in innovative 3D solutions – visit them here to learn more.

I’ve rejected a lot of great ideas.

I’ve been on both sides of rejection. I’ve worked as a writer (rejectee), editor (rejector) and most recently, a partnership manager for publishing and tech companies, where I can reject and be rejected in the same day. I’ve been pitched countless products, services and collaborations.

Partnerships are not one-time transactions, so the vetting process is more intense and much more personal than regular transactions. Personality and cultural fit matter. I’ve seen demos of some fantastically innovative products and services that might have won my company’s business, if not for some missteps early in the relationship.

I want to share a few common mistakes I’ve seen startups and early stage companies make during the all-important first impression of their pitch. 

Your pitch is too generic

Don’t be boring. I’m not referring to the idea itself — sometimes the best solution is a boring one! — but don’t make your presentation overly complicated. Skip the buzzwords and jargon and meaningless charts, and have a normal conversation. It’s essential to research the roles and responsibilities of your audience and tailor your pitch to them.

If you’re meeting with engineers, have a technical resource in hand. Take breaks to check in with your audience, ask discovery questions to figure out what they care about. Listen to questions and feedback, look for where the audience gets excited or loses interest, and change the tone or topic accordingly. I’ve endured many demos where the presenter barrels on through an idea that’s already been rejected by attendees. 

Your team is boorish

The pitch (and associated cold calling / followups etc.) are a great way to uncover crappy personalities before any contracts are signed. Try not to let that commission desperation show: don’t be too obnoxious or overbearing in securing a meeting or an intro. It’s off putting and annoying and I’ll be less likely to want to go to bat for you to get internal buyin. If you have a team member (or leader) who is prone to longwindedness, interrupting or talking over people, keep them in check during meetings.

And this may sound obvious but in my experience it’s not: treat everyone you encounter like an equal. People notice when you treat the executive assistant poorly. Oh, and don’t assume your audience has zero knowledge on whatever expertise you hold. Mansplaining is condescending and distracts from your value prop.

Your pitch is too long

Respect my team’s time. I usually only give phone pitches a half hour. If you have a deck (ugh), keep it super short. Focus on highlighting the key issues you can solve for the company. Show off your most whiz-bang, competitive features but skim through the more standard stuff. Don’t try to cram every bell and whistle in. And keep your eye on the clock. It’s infinitely better to severe an entire segment of your presentation in order to leave time for questions and next steps, or you’ll just be ushered out the door without feedback. Brevity keeps people engaged but also serves a practical purpose: the most senior executives will only pop in for a few minutes (if you’re lucky). You may be suddenly asked to cut through the preamble and get to the point. 

You were betrayed by technology

It’s an ancient truth that every meeting has at least 5-10 minutes of disaster built in — the phone line is dropping people, the screenshare software requires a download, so-and-so can’t find the conference room. These may not be your fault but how you keep your cool under stress matters (I’ve seen executives yell at their teams. Don’t do that). Sometimes your own platform will glitch — or your engineers decided to update your platform at the exact wrong moment — which is especially painful.

For in-person presentations, bring every conceivable dongle connection and find out the guest WiFi code in advance. I usually bring a tablet preloaded with screenshots I can pass around while talking, which has saved me many times. But you should be able to talk about the value of a partnership without a prop. In other words, be prepared to wing your presentation entirely when technology fails you.

You were disingenuous 

Don’t be afraid to address your faults and previous mistakes. Talk about how you addressed issues raised by clients after a disastrous feature launch. Talk about what you learned from a failed business or strategy. I want to know you’re honest, but also that you’re not so stuck to an idea that you won’t listen to feedback.

The best way to make a great first impression is to not lose sight of the individuals you’re trying to win over. Respect their time and expertise and intelligence. While no one item on this list may trigger a rejection, each one chips away at your reputation. And then it doesn’t matter how great your idea is. 

This list will be updated as additional premiere dates are announced.

While it’s not technically summer yet, we’re looking ahead to some hot new and returning TV series airing this May, June, July and August. Check out these hit shows, which feature alumni working in key roles in front of and behind the camera, for those times when you’re looking to stay cool as the temperatures rise. Stay tuned for announcements of additional series.

Carter

CBC Actors Conservatory alumnus Varun Saranga plays Vijay Gill on Bravo’s upcoming cheeky mystery-crime drama Carter, alongside Jerry O’Connell, who plays lead Harley Carter. Carter debuts Tuesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.

'Private Eyes'

Private Eyes

The second nine episodes of Private Eyes Season 2 will begin airing on Sunday, May 27 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Global, kicking off their summer schedule. The series was created by alumna Shelley Eriksen, is executive produced by alumna Tassie Cameron and the second half of Season 2 features an episode directed by alumnus Charles Officer, an episode written by Ruth Madoc-Jones, and an episode edited by alumnus Kye Meechan.

CFC alumna Supinder Wraich on 'Crawford'

Crawford

Crawford, an unconventional family comedy is set to premiere on CBC on Thursday, June 14 at 9/9:30 NT (and is currently available to stream online at cbc.ca/watch). Season 1 features CBC Actors Conservatory alumna Supinder Wraich in the role of Rita.

Wynonna Earp

Wynonna Earp season 4 returns to Space Channel this summer on Friday, July 20 at 9 p.m. ET. Previous seasons have featured the work of alumni Brett Sullivan and Peter Stebbings (directors), and Varun Saranga, Natalie Krill and Alex Paxton-Beesley (actors).

'Killjoys'

Killjoys

Killjoys is also part of Space Channel’s summer lineup, premiering directly after Wynonna Earpon Friday, July 20 at 10 p.m. ET. This hit show is created by Bell Media Prime Time TV Program alumna Michelle Lovretta, who also writes for the series. Several CFC alumni have been involved in previous seasons as directors, writers, producers and actors, and we look forward to seeing more alumni contributions this upcoming season. 

Have an alumni series to add? Email us at alumni@cfccreates.com.

Margot Kidder with Norman Jewison in 1989. 

The CFC is saddened to learn that Canadian actress Margot Kidder, known for her roles in films such as the original Superman film series and Black Christmas, has passed away at the age of 69.

In addition to her acting career, Margot was also a resident of the CFC, completing the Cineplex Entertainment Film Program (Directors’ Lab) and Short Dramatic Film Program in 1989 and 1990, respectively. Although she would later call America home, she was born in Yellowknife, NWT, in 1948, and would live in various Canadian cities throughout her youth.

Margot began acting in the ‘60s, landing her first major feature film role in Gaily, Gaily, directed by CFC Founder and Chair Emeritus Norman Jewison. Throughout the ‘70s, she was cast in genre films such as Brian De Palma’s Sisters and Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, winning a Canadian Film Award for her performance in the latter film.

In 1978, Kidder landed the biggest role of her career, playing Lois Lane opposite Christopher Reeve’s Clark Kent in Superman: The Movie. She would reprise the character in three sequels, and go on to star in the original Amityville Horror film.

In recent years, Margot appeared on TV series such as Smallville, Robson Arms, The L Word, Brothers & Sisters, and R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour.

Whether she was working on Canadian films and series, or gracing marquees across the globe, Margot was an undeniably charismatic creator and performer. She will truly be missed. 

Can Museums Gain New Audiences with Immersive Media?

By Dana Lacey and Margaret DeRosia

Histovery (Winner of the 2017 French Cultural Start-up Award) created this product, Histopad, seen here in use at the Palais des Papes. An augmented reality product, it was designed for cultural institutions specifically to enhance museumgoers' experiences.

In early March 2018, a guerrilla art collective called MoMAR launched an unsanctioned augmented reality (AR) installation inside the New York City Museum of Modern Art. The installation lets viewers interact with animations crawling across Jackson Pollock’s famous splatters. In January 2018, Google’s Arts & Culture app rocketed to the top of iOS and Android download charts. Its feature? Users take a selfie, which then matches their pic to a series of similarly-featured portraits in galleries around the world. 

These projects represent novel ways of people embracing art during a time when museum and gallery attendance is declining. They offer Instagram-friendly experiences that create their own engagement with art. Immersive media technologies like augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) can enter the museum and gallery space to help generate new and enthusiastic attendees. Yet projects like MoMAR’s can ignite familiar debates. What qualifies as art? Whose stories get told? Who decides how people should or should not experience art?

Some cultural institutions are beginning to embrace AR and VR as a component of the exhibition experience. These projects may enhance or extend a new understanding of art works by immersing visitors in a piece of history they normally could not see or touch. AR can add whimsy to walking through a curated space, personalizing what can be seen and felt – something the recent French Cultural Start-up Award-winning company Histovery understands well with their "augmented visit" solutions.

Tech companies and media foundations, eager to reach a wider demographic and evolve VR and AR as immersive media technologies, can help offset the financial investment these new technologies require. Cultural institutions are taking a risk on the unknown, investing in expensive new technologies, but these cost barriers also provide an opportunity; most people lack the means of viewing AR or VR at home, so their presence at an exhibition may drive people to attend. These institutions can pioneer new technologies, with AR and VR enabling curators to dream up new ways to tell stories, attract visitors, and expand their own curatorial practices. 

Read on for a sampler of recent immersive media technologies at work in galleries and museums.

Reimagining the Audio Tour

Museums and galleries are beginning to employ AR to reimagine the traditional audio tour of their exhibitions and collections. A Royal Ontario Museum app uses AR to bring its most popular dinosaurs to life, enabling the experience on iPad stations within the museum, or by having viewers download the app and use it on their own mobile devices. In July 2017, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) launched ReBlink. Here, Toronto-based digital artist Alex Mayhew adopted AR so that viewers could see a range of paintings in the AGO’s collection come alive in unexpected ways. 

In 2017 in the U.S., the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) premiered, Lumin, a new mobile tour that incorporates AR and 3D animations to help engage and educate its visitors; the app was created through a partnership between the DIA, Google and GuidGo. The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) built a beta-stage AR app for the exhibition, Felice Grodin: Invasive Species, which includes multimedia explainer videos and an interactive map. Both the DIA and PAMM projects were funded by The Knight Foundation, as part of a $1.87 million fund to help 12 art museums leverage technology to connect people with art.

Expanding the Exhibition Experience 

While the above examples incorporate primarily AR, VR took centre stage at the AGO in December 2016, and then at the Met Cloisters in 2017, when the Canadian Film Centre’s Media Lab (CFC Media Lab), Seneca’s School of Creative Arts and Animation and the AGO screened their groundbreaking collaboration, Small Wonders: The VR Experience. 

Visitors to the exhibition, Small Wonders: Gothic Boxwood Miniatures, were able to do much more than observe the 50 miniature boxwood prayer beads, most small enough to hold in the palm of a hand. By donning a VR headset and exploring a 3D rendering of one of these miniatures, viewers could see the tiny bead with a level of detail otherwise unavailable to the human eye. This VR experience also marked a significant first for the AGO – the first integrated use of VR to enhance the exhibition experience.

Extending the Life of An Exhibition

The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) partnered with Los Angeles-based startup VR’t Ventures to create a VR experience of MOCA’s exhibition, MASTRY, a retrospective honouring Kerry James Marshall’s work on the marginalization of African-Americans in American art. The exhibition, which ran at MOCA from March through July 2017, as well as at the Met Breuer in New York, was both popular and well-reviewed. VR’t Ventures created an immersive VR experience (which required a headset) as well as a more accessible desktop version that enables users to select paintings to learn more. While the physical exhibit was only on display for a year, the virtual version continues on, and can be experienced by more people globally – extending the exhibition’s duration and access considerably.

Transporting People to the Past

From March to June 2017, the Canadian Museum of Nature hosted screenings of the short film, First Life, a VR experience produced by Alchemy VR and narrated by British broadcaster and naturalist, David Attenborough. Its use of Samsung Gear VR technology enabled visitors to enjoy 360-degree interaction with extinct marine creatures that were brought vividly to life. Other museums have hosted similar VR-focussed exhibits that immerse visitors directly in historic events, such as the British Museum’s grim exploration of life in the Bronze Age, a “virtual reality weekend” at the Museum, created in partnership with Samsung in August 2015.

Breaking Down Walls, Reimagining Engagement

Art collector Gorge Kremer, having spent more than 20 years acquiring the paintings of seventeenth-century Dutch masters, recently collaborated with his engineer son, Joël Kremer, to launch a museum based entirely in virtual reality. The collection was recreated digitally through a process called photogrammetry, which required photographing each piece thousands of times to create high-res 3D images. They hired Johan van Lierop, an architect who’d built brick-and-mortar museums, to imagine a space without the physical limits, building code requirements, real estate scouting and astronomical costs of traditional construction. Holographic guides impart art lessons as users wander past paintings lit by the exact right conditions. Visitors can stick their noses right up to the surface to examine the brushstrokes, which would likely get them booted from a physical museum! Even better: users can visit this museum from anywhere in the world. 

As these examples indicate, the uses of AR and VR in galleries, museums and other cultural institutions are rich, varied, dynamic – and continuing to evolve and transform. They have drawn new viewers, enabled greater access and broadened our understanding of what constitutes “art,” leading us to wonder, where will AR and VR in these spaces take us next? And how will we, the viewers and attendees, perhaps start to see art anew?

Enjoying 'Small Wonders: The VR Experience' at the Art Gallery of Ontario in November 2016. Alex Bruce Photography.

How does one go from being a comedian and performance artist to digital services manager at one of the world’s largest global consulting firms? For Conor Holler, it made perfect sense.

As a young comedian in Vancouver a decade ago, Holler and his colleagues began merging digital media into their performances. Before he knew it, he was creating groundbreaking web series, including With Friends Like These (2007) and Mental Beast (2009). His interest in digital production led Holler to the Canadian Film Centre Media Lab’s (CFC Media Lab) TELUS Interactive Art and Entertainment Program (IAEP) in 2010, which led to several successful digital projects and eventually, the Master’s Program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU). When PwC was looking for a creative yet business-minded digital strategist in 2015, Holler fit the bill.

We recently caught up with Holler to learn more about his unconventional career path, his perfectly timed experience at CFC Media Lab, and why he has the name “Brad Decker” tattooed on his bicep.

Your career has taken some interesting turns, from your early days as a comedian to your current role in the corporate world. Can you describe your career path?

I started in my 20s as a comedian: live comedy, sketch comedy, and “performance art” sorts of things. Because we all grew up with computers, [the people I performed with and I] ended up using more and more technology in our stage shows. That was the first introduction of tech in the creative world, in the early to mid-2000s. A lot of technology was becoming widely available then— we had access to Final Cut, cameras — so we could legitimately do an entire DIY operation. We started making web series that we’d screen at our live shows in Vancouver and playing with multiformat storytelling. Our shows had both video and audio components, and social media wove its way in. This all sparked my interest in exploring how interactivity could play a role in the fun and funny stories we tell?

That’s what opened the door to my time at the CFC. I had just finished a show set at a radio station that had a video and radio component and a live album. I thought, “Wow, I want to do more projects like that.” I came to Toronto in 2010 and I did the CFC’s IAEP, which exposed me to a more business-oriented way of thinking through the startup community and innovation space. I had no exposure to that way of thinking prior to the CFC.

After, I developed an original idea called Deebo, essentially a gamification application for managing diabetes. At the same time, I was working with Xenophile Media as an associate producer on a project called Time Tremors, an early augmented reality (AR) geo-locational game that tied into a TV series at CBC. I spent several years on that, as well as other transmedia or interactive entertainment projects.

The latest chapter has been the transition from digital media projects to management consulting and digital strategy. I went back to OCADU, which helped me reframe my skills into a more marketable perspective for business consulting. Now I’m at PwC as a manager in their digital service group. I do digital strategy for large organizations, including public sector clients, for whom we help make interactions more enjoyable and painless.

How do you see creativity and the corporate world fitting together?

That’s a good question. They do fit and there’s certainly an appetite in the corporate world for more creative thinking. They are still figuring out how to weave in the creative, outside of “Can you come and spice up this brainstorm?” or “Sprinkle your magic dust on this messaging.” I like the challenge. If years ago, somebody had asked me, “Would you ever be working at a place like PwC?” I would have said, “What are you talking about? They wouldn’t even have me.” But here I am, three years later and enjoying it.

What are some of your fondest memories of your career?

I have a lot of fond memories of my 20s, when there was nothing at stake and I went on stage every week and could try these crazy things. Once, we moved our show to a venue in Vancouver called the Biltmore, which was far bigger than any we’d been in before. For our opening night, we thought, “Okay, we’ve got to do something really cool, since this will be a big event with a great big audience.” We held this raffle where all the audience members put their names into a big bowl. At the end of the show, we drew a name out of the hat and the winner was this guy named Brad Decker, whom we invited onstage. He came up and was nervous; he seemed like a straight-laced kind of guy. We asked him if he had any tattoos and he did not. He started to sweat, thinking we were going to make him get a tattoo. Then we pulled aside a curtain and revealed the other half of the stage, with a tattoo artist. I held Brad’s hand while Air Supply played in the background and I got his name, Brad Decker, tattooed on my bicep!

Describe your time at the CFC. What did you take away from it?

It was perfectly timed. I was 27 years old and had just figured out my artistic voice. It was performance, language and communication with video and interactivity. Being at the CFC was perfect, since that’s exactly what they do. This revolving door of experts in all these interactive story-driven disciplines like art, theatre, film and gaming was great. It introduced me to design thinking, which is foundational to work I do now, so I was really grateful for that.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I’m working to establish a strategic foresight competency within the digital services group at PwC. That’s very exciting, because it’s about looking into the future and storytelling about what the future could look like, based on data coming from people with expertise in different industries. PwC has deep expertise in retail, public sector, financial services, construction. So I can say, “You bring the data, you’re the experts in your fields,” and then I can help them weave that into a cohesive story about what our future could look like, and then create strategies, products or services. What really gets me going is thinking about a future like that, and designing in that space.

I still am in the creative world, and produced a show last summer at Bad Dog Theatre, which I plan to remount. It brings experts from different disciplines. Last year, we had a neuroscience researcher, workplace culture expert, and built environment expert, and through a moderated conversation, they describe what the future could look like in 2030, 2040 and 2050. Then I have improvisers create these future-world scenarios. You get to see these weird science fiction shows that have this seed of rational thinking from the expert.

How do you define success?

It’s important to be happy. That’s central for me. This doesn’t mean working yourself to death. There’s an element of balance needed, which admittedly, I’m not always great at, but I strive for it. I want to be doing new things and break new ground in a feasible way, so it’s providing value to the audience and investors. And I want to have fun while I’m doing it.

I’ve rejected a lot of great ideas.

I’ve been on both sides of rejection. I’ve worked as a writer (rejectee), editor (rejector) and most recently, a partnership manager for publishing and tech companies, where I can reject and be rejected in the same day. I’ve been pitched countless products, services and collaborations.

Partnerships are not one-time transactions, so the vetting process is more intense and much more personal than regular transactions. Personality and cultural fit matter. I’ve seen demos of some fantastically innovative products and services that might have won my company’s business, if not for some missteps early in the relationship.

I want to share a few common mistakes I’ve seen startups and early stage companies make during the all-important first impression of their pitch. 

Your pitch is too generic

Don’t be boring. I’m not referring to the idea itself — sometimes the best solution is a boring one! — but don’t make your presentation overly complicated. Skip the buzzwords and jargon and meaningless charts, and have a normal conversation. It’s essential to research the roles and responsibilities of your audience and tailor your pitch to them.

If you’re meeting with engineers, have a technical resource in hand. Take breaks to check in with your audience, ask discovery questions to figure out what they care about. Listen to questions and feedback, look for where the audience gets excited or loses interest, and change the tone or topic accordingly. I’ve endured many demos where the presenter barrels on through an idea that’s already been rejected by attendees. 

Your team is boorish

The pitch (and associated cold calling / followups etc.) are a great way to uncover crappy personalities before any contracts are signed. Try not to let that commission desperation show: don’t be too obnoxious or overbearing in securing a meeting or an intro. It’s off putting and annoying and I’ll be less likely to want to go to bat for you to get internal buyin. If you have a team member (or leader) who is prone to longwindedness, interrupting or talking over people, keep them in check during meetings.

And this may sound obvious but in my experience it’s not: treat everyone you encounter like an equal. People notice when you treat the executive assistant poorly. Oh, and don’t assume your audience has zero knowledge on whatever expertise you hold. Mansplaining is condescending and distracts from your value prop.

Your pitch is too long

Respect my team’s time. I usually only give phone pitches a half hour. If you have a deck (ugh), keep it super short. Focus on highlighting the key issues you can solve for the company. Show off your most whiz-bang, competitive features but skim through the more standard stuff. Don’t try to cram every bell and whistle in. And keep your eye on the clock. It’s infinitely better to severe an entire segment of your presentation in order to leave time for questions and next steps, or you’ll just be ushered out the door without feedback. Brevity keeps people engaged but also serves a practical purpose: the most senior executives will only pop in for a few minutes (if you’re lucky). You may be suddenly asked to cut through the preamble and get to the point. 

You were betrayed by technology

It’s an ancient truth that every meeting has at least 5-10 minutes of disaster built in — the phone line is dropping people, the screenshare software requires a download, so-and-so can’t find the conference room. These may not be your fault but how you keep your cool under stress matters (I’ve seen executives yell at their teams. Don’t do that). Sometimes your own platform will glitch — or your engineers decided to update your platform at the exact wrong moment — which is especially painful.

For in-person presentations, bring every conceivable dongle connection and find out the guest WiFi code in advance. I usually bring a tablet preloaded with screenshots I can pass around while talking, which has saved me many times. But you should be able to talk about the value of a partnership without a prop. In other words, be prepared to wing your presentation entirely when technology fails you.

You were disingenuous 

Don’t be afraid to address your faults and previous mistakes. Talk about how you addressed issues raised by clients after a disastrous feature launch. Talk about what you learned from a failed business or strategy. I want to know you’re honest, but also that you’re not so stuck to an idea that you won’t listen to feedback.

The best way to make a great first impression is to not lose sight of the individuals you’re trying to win over. Respect their time and expertise and intelligence. While no one item on this list may trigger a rejection, each one chips away at your reputation. And then it doesn’t matter how great your idea is.

Written by CFC staff Dena Razapoor and Rachel Baitz, Programs Coordinator and Assistant, respectively.

'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs'

CFC and DHX recently teamed up to host a bootcamp for 25 CFC alumni on writing for animation, where participants learned from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs series creators Mark Evestaff and Alex Galatis as they deconstructed their creative process on this Saturn Award-nominated series.

Evestaff and Galatis shared inspiring and practical insights on writing for an animated comedy series learned throughout their years of experience. Here are a few of the great takeaways from the bootcamp that are especially helpful for creators looking to break into the animated comedy world:

1. Writers who want to work in animated comedies need to love animated comedies. This means watching animated series that they love, and also those they … love less.
2. Animated comedies are often required to create episodes that have some serious genre tropes, such as a Christmas special, a Halloween episode, and the all-too-familiar birthday episode. Get inspired in your own writing by watching how other series approach these specials without falling into clichés – which requires a creative approach to the characters and their flaws, personalities and desires.
3. A premise is a simple idea, which lays out a beginning, middle, and end. The intention behind a premise is to sell the story, while being short, simple and communicative. The premise should match the characters and the format of the show, but should also be unique and imaginative.
4. The strongest animated comedy series are funny and entertaining because they marry clever dialogue with visual onscreen gags in new and creative ways.
5. Several animated series, including CloudyWith a Chance of Meatballs, have 11-minute episodes, which require shorter scripts that ultimately result in a cleaner story plot and structure, as they do not require a B plot. However, writers should be careful not to fall into the mindset that a shorter script means they have to choose a theme and try to find a story to fit that theme – i.e. don’t try to write a friendship plot because this is the friendship episode. Instead, writers should focus on finding the funny nugget, and turn that into a friendship story – the resulting episode will be full of heart and stay true to the show.
6. Over time, 11-minute episodes have evolved from ‘premise, gag, gag, gag, oops-we-ran-out-of-time’ to the now-familiar comedy rhythm of ‘premise, gag, gag, twist, gag, gag, end.’ Twists can be anything from a secondary character introducing a new concept or a change in perspective from the protagonist.
7. Do not force unoriginal ideas, lines or physical gags that do not propel the story forward, or are otherwise out-of-character – comedy needs to be consistent and familiar to the show and its audience.
8. Evestaff and Galatis swear by “the funny nugget,” which boils down to something so funny – an idea so hilarious – that you can easily riff a hundred ideas off of the one nugget. However, the nugget cannot just be generally funny, it must tie into the characters’ emotions and desires, staying true to the show and the audience.
9. A strong story with comedic elements is better than a weak story with an excess of gags and parodies. The best comedy is a result of story and character; from there, insert layers of problems and challenges to create tension, add a surprising twist to an otherwise classic idea, or juxtapose opposing personalities.
10. In comedy, characters should be defined by their negative qualities because it makes for interesting and funny television, whereas perfect characters are boring to watch. When establishing the characters’ positive qualities, frame them within their negative qualities, so that the characters succeed despite their problems. As a result, the audience cares about the character and roots for them, even though they are flawed.
11. Animated series are a collaboration between the writers and artists. However, the artists aren’t privy to the writers’ conversations – so, if the writers are introducing a new world, character, or item, they should remember not to imagine something that would be very difficult to put into art.

Thank you to DHX – especially Stephanie Betts, Vice President, Development, DHX Kids; Hila Sharif, Development Manager, DHX Media; Carly Denure, Script Coordinator, DHX Media; and, of course, to Mark and Alex for this informative and insightful bootcamp. 

CFC alumni are continually making waves in the Canadian and international screen-based entertainment industries – from awards to festivals, industry recognition, “it lists” and more. Here’s the latest round of updates and success stories for CFC residents and alumni from May 2018.

NOMINATIONS & AWARDS

2018 CCE Awards

Congratulations to alumni Baun Mah and Seth Poulin on their CCE Award for Best Editing in Reality/Competition/Lifestyle for their work on MasterChef Canada: All Stars (“Lock It Up! IT’s the Finale!”). Read more HERE.

Mark Montefiore

Banff World Media Festival Innovative Producer Award

Alumni company New Metric Media (alumnus Mark Montefiore, Co-President & Executive Producer) will be awarded the Innovative Producer Award at this year’s Rockie Awards Gala Ceremony as part of the annual Banff World Media Festival (BANFF), which will take place on Tuesday, June 12 at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The Innovative Producer Award recognizes the entrepreneurial excellence and achievements of an independent producer in TV/digital media. Learn more HERE.

Lisa Rose Snow and Michael Hanley

Telefilm Canada New Voices Award

CFC alumni Lisa Rose Snow and Michael Hanley are two of the five recipients of the 2018 of the Telefilm Canada New Voices Award, which includes a pass to the Toronto Screenwriting Conference and a meeting with representatives from Telefilm Canada. Read more HERE.

'Black Cop'

Screen Nova Scotia Awards

CFC alumnus Cory Bowles’ debut feature Black Cop picked up the award for Best Feature Film at the Screen Nova Scotia Awards Gala on May 16, while alumna Shelley Thompson won Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Female Role for her role the horror film The Child Remains. More info HERE.

'Prince's Tale'

Hot Docs 2018 Awards

CFC alumni Laura Perlmutter (executive producer) and Casey Manierka-Quaile (music) worked on Prince’s Tale, which won the Best Canadian Short Documentary Award at Hot Docs 2018. See the full list of award winners HERE.

Karen Walton

2018 Nell Shipman Award

CFC alumna and celebrated writer/producer/mentor Karen Walton was presented with the 2018 Nell Shipman Award from the Toronto ACTRA Women’s Committee on Friday, May 25. The award honours “a female-identifying producer, writer, showrunner, mentor or programmer who has advanced gender equity in the Canadian film and television industry in front of and behind the camera.” Read more HERE.

'How to Buy a Baby'

2018 T.O. WebFest Awards

Alumnus Jeremy Schaulin-Rioux took home the award for Best Editing for his work on alumni webseries How to Buy a Baby (produced by Matt Code, executive produced by Lauren Corber, with music by Aimee Bessada). See the full list of winners HERE.

FESTIVAL WATCH

'The Things You Think I'm Thinking'

The 2018 Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival

A number of alumni films will screen/screened at the 28^th annual Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival, which runs from May 24 to June 3 in Toronto, including:

• Octavio is Dead (Spotlight on Canada lineup), featuring alumna Marni Van Dyk
• We Forgot to Break Up (Shorts: Local Heroes lineup), directed by Chandler Levack, produced by Nicole Hilliard-Forde, line produced by Charlie Hidalgo, edited by Bryan Atkinson, featuring Grace Glowicki
• Bathroom Rules (Shorts: 10 Things I Love About You lineup), co-written/produced/directed by Charlie Hidalgo, co-written by Kathleen Hepburn, edited by Maureen Grant, with music by Aimee Bessada and Chris Reineck
• The Things You Think I’m Thinking (Shorts: He’s Just Not That Into You – Dating in 2018: An Investigation lineup), directed by Sherren Lee, written by and starring Jesse LaVercombe, produced by Charlie Hidalgo, edited by Simone Smith, with music by Casey Manierka-Quaile
• Pearls (Shorts: Thrive lineup), written/co-produced/directed by Shelley Thompson

See the full lineup HERE.

2018 Open Roof Festival

Catch CBC Actors Conservatory alumnus Nabil Rajo in Boost, screening on July 4, 2018 at the Open Roof Festival, preceded by a performance by The Heavyweight Brass Band. More info and tickets HERE.

2018 Breakthroughs Film Festival

Alumna Sherren Lee’s short The Things You Think I'm Thinking will screen at the 7^th annual Breakthroughs Film Festival, devoted exclusively to short films directed by emerging women directors, on Saturday, June 16. Learn more HERE.

2018 AFI DOCS Film Festival

United We Fan, written and directed by alumnus Michael Sparaga, is the only Canadian feature invited to screen at AFI DOCS, which runs from June 13 to 17. Learn more HERE.

INDUSTRY UPDATES

Dennis Heaton

• CFC alumnus Dennis Heaton has been named the new president of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). His term will run from May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2020. Additionally, alumni Marsha Greene and Alex Levine are two members of the Guild’s new council. Read more HERE.
• Alumna Sarah Glinski (Degrassi: The Next Class) will lead the TSC 2018 WGC Writing Room Intensive, where successful applicants will have the opportunity to join her in a mock writers room intensive on Friday, June 22. Learn more HERE.

• Alumnus Vincenzo Natali is set to direct the upcoming Netflix film based on Stephen King’s novella In The Tall Grass. Natali also wrote the script, and fellow alumnus Steve Hoban will be a producer on the project. The film will begin production this summer in Toronto. More info HERE.

• Actors Conservatory alumna Sabryn Rock stars in Shaftesbury’s new webseries CLAIREvoyant (executive produced by alumna Christina Jennings), which was released on their YouTube Channel KindaTV on May 16. Read more HERE.

• Alumnus Jeremy LaLonde (co-writer/director) is working on his fifth feature, sci-fi comedy James Vs His Future Self, with fellow alumnus Jordan Walker involved as a producer. Learn more HERE. The Movie Network has already acquired Canadian TV rights to this film. More info on that HERE.

• Alumnus Peter Raymont (President, White Pine Pictures) will be a producer on a new limited series based on the novel Clara Callan. More info HERE.

• Production is underway on alumna Ingrid Veninger’s seventh feature film, Before We Think, with post-production set to start in September in Toronto. Learn more HERE.

• CFC alumnae Gloria Kim and Susan Alexander have been elected to the 2018-2019 WIFT-T Board of Directors. Read more HERE.

• The Orchard acquired U.S. rights to alumna Carly Stone (writer/director) and Kyle Mann’s (writer/producer) The New Romantic, which was developed through the Telefilm Canada Feature Comedy Exchange and won the Best First Feature jury award at SXSW 2018. More info HERE.

• Mongrel Media picked up the Canadian rights to Kayak to Klemtu, produced by alumnus Daniel Bekerman. Read more HERE.

• The CBC revealed its 2018/19 programming slate, which features a number of alumni works, including new series Diggstown, set to premiere in late winter, executive produced by alumnus Amos Adetuyi; as well as returning series with alumni involvement, including Anne with an E, Burden of Truth, Murdoch Mysteries, Frankie Drake Mysteries, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Little Dog, Schitt’s Creek, and Workin’ Moms. Learn more HERE.

• Alumni series Big Blood, executive produced by alumnus Mark Montefiore, is returning for Season 2 this fall and will feature two episodes directed by alumna Molly McGlynn. More info HERE.

• Production is underway on the fifth season of paranormal docuseries The Other Side, produced by alumna Jennifer Podemski. Learn more HERE.

• Alumnae Laura Good and Elize Morgan are two of the five recipients of this year’s Corus Writer’s Apprentice Program, who will be invited to Banff World Media Festival and will participate in a two-week internship opportunity in the writer’s room of a current Canadian series. More info HERE.

• Unarmed Verses, from CFC alumni team Charles Officer (writer/director) and Lea Marin (producer) will screen as part of the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show on Thursday, August 16, 2018 and will be paired with CFC short film CLEO, written and directed by alumna Sanja Zivkovic, edited by alumnus Chris Mutton and featuring music by The Slaight Family Music Lab alumni Armen Bazarian and Casey Manierka-Quaile. Learn more HERE.

Have some alumni news to add/share? Get in touch at alumni@cfccreates.com.

Congratulations to the CFC alumni who took home 2018 Leo Awards, including three awards for alumna Yassmina Karajah for her short drama Rupture (Best Short Drama, Best Direction and Best Screenwriting). CFC Features and Motion 58 comedy ADVENTURES IN PUBLIC SCHOOL also received awards in two categories – Best Lead Performance by a Male, Motion Picture for Daniel Doheny, and Best Musical Score, Motion Picture for Matthew Rogers. See the list of CFC alumni awards below:

'Rupture'

Best Short Drama

• Rupture– Yassmina Karaja  (producer)

Best Direction, Short Drama

• Yassmina Karajah – Rupture

Best Screenwriting, Short Drama

• Yassmina Karajah – Rupture

Best Dramatic Series

• Cardinal: Blackfly (Jennifer Kawaja, Sarah Dodd – producers)

Best Screenwriting, Dramatic Series

• Sarah Dodd – Cardinal: Blackfly, “Red”

Best Feature Length Documentary

• The Road Forward (produced by Shirley Vercruysse)

See the full list of award winners HERE.

This year, we’ve been holding a new series of events in Toronto for our Network Connect companies. These “knowledge exchanges” bring our community of startups, founders, mentors and partners together for curated conversations on our startups’ most pressing needs.

At our first gatherings, on February 28 at the Centre for Social Innovation and last month on May 8 at Startwell, our startups tackled B2B sales strategies. These founders understand the consumer market place and how to reach their target users. Yet enterprise sales can be daunting, especially for founders who haven’t worked inside large companies before. Bureaucracy, procurement hurdles, buying cycles, adoption – these can be alien concepts to founders who make quick decisions on nimble teams. We wanted to share three insights our startups gleaned from these recent conversations.

1. If someone can’t sign a cheque, find the ones who will.

For many startups, large enterprises can operate with long decision cycles. Promising conversations can last months but end nowhere. It can feel like progress to get a meeting with anyone at a target company. Once in the door, try to quickly understand two things: not only who feels the pain your product solves, but also who cuts cheques the fastest. Both are key to closing the deal. Spend time convincing the right people you’ll solve their problem. If you’re not talking to them, you’re wasting your time. 

2. There’s a reason sales is a profession.

Once you’re talking to the right person, set an honest metric for the likelihood of conversion. Great conversations that don’t close aren’t helpful. Convincing someone with no budget won’t get you the paid pilot to prove your market fit. Not only are sales professionals relentless, but they are brutally honest about the likelihood of conversion. That’s how they know where to put their energy. Whether you manage your pipeline with a tool like Pipedrive or an old-fashioned spreadsheet, get professional. Because until you hire a full-time sales team, you’re it. You’re the sales professional.

3. Buyers and users aren’t always the same person.

Enterprise sales has become a critical component of our IDEABOOST Accelerator programming. Our Network Connect and IDEABOOST Accelerator companies are racing to prove product/market fit on investment timelines, not corporate ones. So these insights aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re instrumental to survival and success. 

Enterprise sales has become a critical component of our IDEABOOST Accelerator programming. Our Network Connect and IDEABOOST Accelerator companies are racing to prove product/market fit on investment timelines, not corporate ones. So these insights aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re instrumental to survival and success. 

IDEABOOST mentors and startup founders at our Network Connect Knowledge Exchange.
Photo Credit: Ramona Diaconescu.

Deepa Mehta's groundbreaking 1992 film, 'Fire'.

June marks the start of Pride in Toronto and many other places worldwide. Here, the month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited (LGBTQ2) lives, politics, art and culture culminates in a massive parade attended by two million. Yet this year’s celebrations may be more muted. Sobering reminders of homophobia persist, like a documented increase in hate crimes and a serial killer who targeted gay men, especially immigrants of colour. Angry, fearful and grieving, many seek community-driven solutions like the recently launched #UntilWereSafe campaign, and a dedicated moment of silence during this year’s parade.

Equal parts mourning, protest and joy, Pride celebrations echo a longer history seen onscreen in Canadian films. To honour this history, we’re digging into the vault for an admittedly partial look back. These nine queer films forged new worlds and lives via documentary, fiction, social critique and aesthetic experimentation. Together, they reframe desire from a queer lens that enriches our wider Canadian cinema.

1. Outrageous (Richard Benner, 1977)

Set in a gritty Toronto, Outrageous was way ahead of its time. It starred Craig Russell as a drag queen performing and supporting a childhood friend escaping psychiatric institutionalization. Made in the shadow of New York’s 1969 Stonewall rebellion (widely seen as the start of Pride), Outrageous challenged staying in the closet; be true to yourself, not blend in, was its motto. A powerhouse as Peggy Lee or Barbra Streisand, Russell made the film better known than most cult classics; the film not only played at the Toronto International Film Festival (then called the Festival of Festivals) and the Berlin Film Festival, but at Berlin, won Russell the Silver Bear for Best Actor. 

2. I’ve Hear the Mermaids Singing (Patricia Rozema, 1987)

Patricia Rozema’s feature directorial debut showed an aspiring photographer, Polly (Sheila McCarthy), crushed out on her curator-boss, Gabrielle (Paule Baillargeon). It won Rozema the Prix de la Jeunesse, Best First Feature Award at Cannes, and 10 Genie Award nominations. A watershed, it was one of the first Canadian-based, international arthouse hits, and one of the first openly lesbian stories onscreen, with Polly’s complex inner life appealing to crossover audiences. For all its soaring fantasy sequences, though, Mermaids rejected Hollywood endings for winsome, grounded, Canadian charm.

3. RSVP (Laurie Lynd, 1991)

Decades before his heartwarming Breakfast with Scott, CFC alumnus Laurie Lynd made the short film, RSVP, which B. Ruby Rich included in her famous “new queer cinema” essay – a cinema favouring edgier aesthetics that challenged assimilation and heterosexual indifference to AIDS. RSVP opens with Sid (Daniel MacIvor) after the death of his partner, Andrew, of AIDS. He turns on CBC’s classical music radio program, “RSVP,” for his request of Jessye Norman singing Berlioz’s "Le Spectre de la rose." Sid then calls family members. As each listens to the program in their time zone, they flashback to Andrew’s life. An eloquent study in grief with minimal dialogue, RSVP so moved Norman that she joined Lynd at its Toronto International Film Festival premiere – and held his hand through the screening.

4. Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (Lynn Fernie and Aerlyn Weissman, 1992)

Picture pulp fiction paperbacks’ salacious covers of good girls gone bad. The documentary Forbidden Love uses them as a point of departure for interviews both hilarious and heartbreaking with butch-femme lesbians of the mid-twentieth century. A vibrant lesbian subculture emerges in the film, amid an underground bar scene that offered respite – and threat, given frequent police raids. Produced by the National Film Board’s Studio D (the Women’s Studio), it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and helped galvanize a growing circuit of international queer film festivals.

5. Rude (Clement Virgo, 1995)

In 2017, CFC Features’ 1995 feature RUDE had its 4K restoration at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by CFC alumnus Clement Virgo and produced by fellow CFC alumni Damon D’Oliveira and Karen King, it was the first Black-written, directed and produced feature film in Canada, and auspiciously debuted at Cannes. RUDE portrayed a surreal triptych of three urban characters struggling for redemption one Easter weekend. Among the three was Jordan (Richard Chevolleau), a promising but gay-questioning boxer who participates in a gay-bashing. Intriguingly, Virgo’s later 2007 screenplay for Poor Boy’s Game tracked another gay boxer, also sparring with himself.

6. Fire (Deepa Mehta, 1996)

Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta’s Fire was the first of her acclaimed Elements Trilogy. The film was set in India about two sister-in-laws, the older and more melancholy Radha (Shabana Azmi) and Sita (Nandita Das), who fall in love. Fire ignited a controversy in India as the first mainstream film shown there that explored lesbianism. In one tender scene, Sita says to Radha, “There is no word in our language that can describe what we are, how we feel about each other.” The film answers that heartbreaking moment, not simply with a single word, but rather, a whole narrative of female independence.

7. Set Me Free (Léa Pool, 1999)

Léa Pool’s Set Me Free subtly depicts a girl’s coming of age, which Pool suggests was semi-autobiographical. Teenage Hanna (Karine Vanasse) lives in 1960s Montreal with her father and depressed mother. At high school, she’s crushing out on her best friend and a female teacher. She also loves watching and mimicking Anna Karina in Godard’s classic, Vivre Sa Vie, a motif that sketches how onscreen characters help us make sense of ourselves. Poignant and bittersweet, it won the Special Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 49th Berlin International Film Festival, and the Best Canadian First Feature Film at the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival.

8. C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2005)

Long before Big Little Lies, Wild and Dallas Buyers Club, Jean-Marc Vallée leapt into Canadian hearts with this French-language drama with a killer soundtrack; 10 per cent of the budget, including Vallée’s forefeited salary, went to the rights. 

Set in Quebec also in the 1960s, the film explores the nascent sexuality of teenage Zac (Marc-André Grondin), and his rifts with older brothers and father, whom he admires. Like Hanna in Set Me Free, C.R.A.Z.Y. shows that coming out is both liberating and lonely, achieved at the cost of family. One of 2005’s highest-grossing films in Quebec, it was nominated for 45 awards and won 38. In 2015, the Toronto International Film Festival Critics ranked it one of the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time.

9. Closet Monster (Stephen Dunn, 2015)

CFC alumnus Stephen Dunn wrote and directed this award-winning debut, developed through CFC’s Cineplex Entertainment Film Program and featuring CFC alumni Todor Kobakov’s music and Bryan Atkinson’s editing. By 2015, the queer coming-of-age film was familiar, but Dunn puts a new spin on it via magical realism. Oscar (Connor Jessup) dons and envisions creative makeup, a practice he hopes will lead him to New York to study special effects makeup for the movies. Haunted by a horrific gay-bashing that he witnessed as a child, Oscar moves tentatively toward his desires – and a confrontation with his father. Closet Monster won Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, and then ran as part of TIFF’s Canada's Top Ten.

Also note: This Wednesday, June 13 marks the launch of the first LGBTQ2 “Heritage Minute” on pioneering gay activist Jim Egan, an episode that Dunn directed!

Bonus Tip: CFC alumna Ingrid Veniger’s recent Porcupine Lake is set in Ontario’s cottage country, about the shifting friendship of two preteen girls, but you can also catch Veniger’s experimental live soundtrack film, He Hated Pigeons, at Toronto Harbourfront’s newest festival, Brave: The Festival of Risk and Failure, in July. And while you’re there, meet one of the queer cinematic icons of all time, John Waters, in the flesh.

Happy Pride, everyone!