Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Presented by the National Screen Institute in association with Telefilm Canada

Clockwise from top left: Lauren MacKinlay, James Fanizza, Kulbinder Saran Caldwell, Muna Deria, Andrew Dryden Mortimer, Gharrett Paon, Gemma Holdway, Nick Schelle

Our NSI Features First students recently wrapped training. As their last homework assignment, each student wrote a final report, so we pulled out a few snippets to share with you.

• • •

Muna Deria | Writer, Black Gold Muslimah

“Having a safe place to fail and learn is not always available within the industry but the NSI Features First development process provided an outlet to learn.”

Kulbinder Saran Caldwell | Producer, Black Gold Muslimah

“Participating in the NSI Features First program not only changed my career but also my life.”

James Fanizza | Writer, In Vein

“NSI Features First really brought my producer, Lauren, and I together as a team. By diving headfirst into this program, we were able to work together to overcome obstacles and celebrate wins – really understand what it means to be a writer-producer team.”

Lauren MacKinlay | Producer, In Vein

“I can’t honestly say I would be in the position to make [my] feature had I not gone through this program. Being given the time to ask questions, make mistakes and develop skills in a supportive environment not only allowed me to learn, but it gave me the confidence I needed to know I can do this.”

Gemma Holdway | Writer, Reminiscent

“I’m truly grateful that our project was selected for this program.”

Nick Schelle | Producer, Reminiscent

“I learned so much from the hands-on work and feedback we got making budget and financing plans, and I feel way more confident about putting those together and updating them for our project as it continues to evolve.”

Andrew Dryden Mortimer | Writer, The Undertow

“Here at the end of the program I am a more intentional, thoughtful and confident writer … No matter what happens next I have NSI to thank for it.”

Gharrett Patrick Paon | Producer, The Undertow

“This program has led to some incredible opportunities. I met some incredible filmmakers through these boot camp sessions who I now can look to for guidance and feedback.”

Al Magee | Program Advisor

“I feel lucky to serve the NSI Features First teams who come from across the country to support each other and to embrace the diversity of vision of each other’s films. Our community of industry professionals is exceedingly generous with their time, knowledge and care and I get to see firsthand the difference they make to each project. NSI – and the program’s sponsors – create an exceptional environment for professional development and have made it possible for these filmmakers to succeed.”

Shelly Quade | Program Manager

“I have a passion for seeing Canadian feature films get made and I’m so proud of what we accomplish through NSI Features First. It’s amazing to see this year’s participants learn and grow during their time in the course. I’m excited to see what their next moves will be.”

• • •

NSI Features First is taking a short hiatus while we retool the curriculum, explore our funding model and new partnerships, and make important upgrades.

NSI’s mission has always been to deliver training that is current, relevant and of the highest standard. In that spirit NSI Features First will undergo a re-design before we issue the next call for applications to ensure we continue to meet the needs of an evolving industry.

NSI Features First is funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors CBC Gem, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsor Creative BC through the Daryl Duke and William Vince Scholarship Fund; and Industry Supporters William F. White and Deluxe. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

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An interactive film in which the audience participates as part of a blind jury for an art academy whose decision could save the lives of 80 million people.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Peter Rowe
Narrator: Jennifer Dale

Filmmaker’s statement

This film is about art, and it’s also about much bigger issues than art, but to say more would spoil the conceit and mystery of it.

About Peter Rowe

Peter Rowe, as a writer, director and producer, has made over 190 films including eight features and many episodes of dramatic and documentary television, many chronicled in his memoir Adventures in Filmmaking.

He has just completed a new interactive short film, Art War, in which the audience participates as part of a blind jury for an art academy whose decision could save the lives of 80 million people.

He is currently working on a new feature film titled Biograph Girl with co-producers Jennifer Dale and Ari Lantos, a re-imagination of the life of the world’s first movie star, Canadian-born Florence Lawrence.

Peter’s features include Treasure Island starring Jack Palance and Kevin Zegers, Lost! starring Helen Shaver, Ken Welsh and Michael Hogan, and The Best Bad Thing starring George Takei. His 49-part series, Angry Planet, has been seen in over 60 countries around the world.

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A woman has another sleepless night. It sometimes feels like the night will never end.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Léa Rondot

Filmmaker’s statement

I wrote Awake because I was inspired to shoot something totally different from what I’d done at that point.

I’ve always loved psychological horror. This short film is steeped in strangeness and unsettling, queasy feelings. It’s bizarre and I wanted it to intrigue the viewer and leave them with something to wonder about. It’s a keyhole view of a much bigger picture.

It was terrific, as always, to work with DP Josh Usheroff and my co-editor Ben Goloff. Nick Lavigne composed this terrific and totally bonkers original score. The whole team was stellar. My heartfelt thanks to everyone involved.

About Léa Rondot

Originally from Montreal, Léa Rondot is an award-winning filmmaker and writer now based in Toronto.

She splits her time between writing, directing and producing short films and developing/pitching original TV series.

This year she was selected to the Netflix-Banff Diversity of Voices Pitch Program. Her latest series pilot was selected to the WIFT-T Digital Series Incubator.

Awake is her second short to be featured in the NSI Online Short Film Festival.

The post Awake appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

Tommy Rodgers, an eccentric man with a penchant for conspiracies, shares his personal experiences with loss, addiction and love.

Characterized by tales of learning to walk again, mythical beings and Pepsi, Tommy’s World is a humanitarian look at what connects us all.

Creative team

Director: Sam Harding
Producer: Brynn Rhude

Filmmaker’s statement

I believe that, as a society, if we do not make a conscious effort to better understand one another, we risk stagnation. By being open to ideas that break away from the mold that is our worldview, we are educating ourselves on what it means to be human.

None of us are around indefinitely and people are ultimately the most important thing we have, so how we communicate, treat and value each other determines our history going forward.

That was the goal of this student short film – to listen to someone else’s perception of the world and gain insight into a different set of views. How well that comes across, I don’t know.

I was grateful for the opportunity to work with a great crew and learn a ton about working in the documentary format. Everyone involved throughout this process was extremely generous and kind. I would also like to thank my professors for their terrific guidance, and Tommy for allowing us into his life.

There’s so much we have left to learn and I can’t wait to see where this path takes us.

About Sam Harding

Sam is a Toronto-based fourth year film student and aspiring screenwriter/director at Humber College in the bachelor of film and media production program.

He plans to continue directing documentary shorts after school and hopes to one day direct scripted features.

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