Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Oakville Festivals of Film & Art (OFFA) is accepting film submissions for the 2018 Willson Oakville Film Festival.

The fest showcases and promotes films in all genres (drama, comedies, documentaries, shorts, animation) by Canadian and international filmmakers. The festival takes place in Oakville, Ontario from June 22 to 24, 2018.

Submission deadline is April 6.

Read more about the festival and submit your film.

The post Submit your film to Oakville Festivals of Film & Arts appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

Arthur Biyarslanov’s family sacrificed everything to give him a better life in Canada. Now his focus is to repay them by standing on the Olympic podium.

Creative team

Writers: Alexandre Gougeon, Tanner Sawatzky
Director: Alexandre Gougeon
Producers: Patrick Holmes, Nicole Siddles

Filmmaker’s statement

With the luck of meeting Arthur Biyarslanov through my producer Patrick Holmes, I immediately felt connected to his story of dedication.

Arthur’s journey to qualify for the Olympics inspired the team and I to translate an incredible story of perseverance to film, so much so that I became obsessed. I wanted to take risks and give a true cinematic experience about the amazing people in Arthur’s life, his turbulent past, and the struggle of achieving greatness.

My own journey making this film was fueled by his passion, and I am excited to show the world.

About Alexandre Gougeon

A recent film school graduate, Alexandre Gougeon has directed two documentaries, Survivors and I Am the Wolf.

I Am the Wolf has screened at festivals both in Canada and internationally, recently winning best documentary at the 2017 Vaughan International Film Festival.

The post I Am the Wolf appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

An experimental film in five parts that challenges expectation in form, utilizing visual economy to interact with critical concepts.

To exploit beauty and grimness.
To mend conflicts in growth and decay.
To objectify pathos, laugh with it, and love it dearly.

Creative team

Writer/director/co-producer: Courtney Verwold
Co-producer: Kyle Vollstaedt

Filmmaker’s statement

Of Tides / To Distill is a debut film for me. The film’s content was influenced by personal and societal frustrations, and intends to address these issues by focusing on visual economy and interaction with the spectator.

Historical homages are attributed to symbolic visual metaphors throughout. By choosing to make a non-narrative, silent film in five isolated acts, we hope the audience feels free to make their own associations with what they see and hear!

About Courtney Verwold

Courtney Verwold is a Vancouver-based filmmaker and BFA graduate. With a background in production and costume design, visual arts and film studies, she takes keen interest in loaded visual impact.

Her big plans include saving the bees whilst maintaining her ocean-side English garden/ animal sanctuary/ bitters and ice cream shop.

The post Of Tides / To Distill appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).

Darlene Hicks, a doctor working in a medical clinic, reaches out to Errol Cloutier, a professional photographer who visits her clinic, to validate her as an artist.

Once Errol tactlessly dismisses her artwork, Darlene exercises a long-term revenge that escalates into an all-out war.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Christopher Beaubien
Producers: Matt Seeley, Justin MacGregor, James Ryan

Filmmaker’s statement

I am very passionate about creating genuinely dark and thought-provoking movies. It is a worthwhile challenge to make troubling subject matter perversely enjoyable while preserving its disturbing vibe.

The artistic process is often supplanted with positive traits, however, I think the worst aspects of human nature like anger and sadism are just as integral and instinctual sources for inspiration. I believe a truly transgressive work of art can shake people out of their complacency and make them really think about how we treat one another.

The best horror movies act as cathartic vessels to channel our deepest fears and exorcise our inner demons.

One of my favourite contradictions about Socket is that the tone and narrative appears nihilistic, yet all its characters are relatable in their less admirable moments. It takes a great deal of compassion and insight to depict strong characters who succumb to their weakness and loss without making them ‘learn a lesson.’

This deeply unsettling movie would be best described as a comedy of manners. My aim is to subvert how the audience relates to the characters to make them engage with their own dark nature. It is my hope that Socket will rock people to their core.

About Christopher Beaubien

Christopher’s knowledge of movies has made him a walking encyclopedia of all things cinematic.

Before entering the School of Motion Picture Arts (MOPA), he successfully completed the IDEA (Illustrated/Design: Elements and Application) program. It solidified his background in graphic design and led to many interesting projects such as illustrating a children’s book, and designing props, namely a poster for Back to the Future’s Lea Thompson to look at.

His review site, CINELATION, is a labour of love. Essays on various films garnered the attention of fellow reviewers as well as the producers of Synchedoche, New York (2008) and led to an invitation to participate in a critics’ round table discussion of the film in New York City. This was included in the DVD’s special features section.

He is currently in his fourth year studying filmmaking.

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