EMERGING FILMMAKERS

FINALIST SHOWCASE - SUNDAY JUNE 9, 2024

FILM NEWCOMER COMPETITION: Short Films 10 minutes or less by local High-School Students

Awards were provided by the Rotary Club of Cobourg.

FILM FORWARD COMPETITION: Short Films 20 minutes or less for filmmakers & post-secondary students currently living, studying or working in Ontario.

Awards provided by Entertainment Partners and the Family of Bob Johnston.

The BOB JOHNSTON MEMORIAL AWARD provides a $1,000 cash bursary of a Filmmaker enrolled in the 2024/2025 academic year at an Ontario post secondary program in the departments of Film, Animation or Digital Media.

FILM FORWARD FINALISTS

  • How Do You Hold A Hot Dog? How Do You Hold A Hot Dog takes a comedic approach to looking at what brings individuals together. This is explored through the debate of how one holds their hot dog, and whether this is a conscious or unconscious decision.

  • Brent is recent graduate of Humber College's Film and Television Production program. With a focus on writing and directing, Brent tries to push limits and explore creative challenges in a wide variety of genres. This is highlighted by his documentary How Do You Hold A Hot Dog? (2020) and his short fictional films CUT (2019), Taste (2018) and jinx (2018).

  • Colin Carvey's Long Halloween When Colin Carvey (Taylor Beatty) is glued into his Halloween costume by a duo of Young Toughs (Chase & Eli Kloosterhof), his de”.

  • Katie Uhlmann is a Toronto-based actor, comedian and filmmaker most well-known for her role as Candy Kemper on NBC/Global's medical drama NURSES. She has previously directed the award-winning short film PYRAMID SCREAM, as well as two seasons of the webseries MY ROOMMATE'S AN ESCORT.

  • Surviving Silence SURVIVING SILENCE is a short film that explores the link between depression and movement. It finds the intersection of one's own painful hope---a journey into joyful thriving---and an invaluable tool of perseverance: dance.

  • Ian Simon is a Filipino, Toronto-based director and editor. His passion for curating films is visceral and visually poetic often rooted in meaningful intention. His playful and poised approach to directing tends to be highly art-directed, involving dynamic camera movements, strategic blocking, and choreography.

Surviving Silence

  • A-Okay Sex. Something that is part of human nature. Everyone does it and strives to have their happily ever after… Right? In a society where intimacy and romance are constantly everywhere, someone breaks from the mould after years of self-discovery. They send a letter to their past self full of their experiences and lessons learned, in the form of a short documentary. A-Okay brings attention to the hyper-sexualized and romanticized society we live in and how it’s expectations, stigmas, and stereotypes can be harmful to individuals on the aromantic and asexual spectrums.

  • No information is available at this time

  • Tina, When Will You Marry? The pressure to get married is one that affects Nigerian women across the globe from the age their bodies can reproduce through the rest of their lives. Historically, there are cultural reasons why marriage in Nigeria was considered to be extremely important, so much so that marriages are still considered a union of families, not individuals. Today, these reasons seem far less important or relevant, for individuals who have immigrated abroad to form new societies. This documentary touches on a much broader conversation about ‘Tradition vs. Modernity’ and will highlight the importance of one’s culture, as well as encourage the adaptation of culture to one’s individual desires.

  • Celestina Aleobua is an Actress, Writer, Director, and Producer based in Toronto, Canada. Born in Lesotho to Nigerian parents and raised in South Africa, Celestina has a passion for telling stories that preserve African culture and history. As a filmmaker, her narratives focus on cultural enlightenment through the creation of authentic black stories.

  • The Janitor A young custodian enters a large storage room in which he finds an old dusty piano. Sitting down to play, he is transported in his mind onto a stage, performing a beautiful melody he once composed. Completing the performance, he is faced with the life he has not the life he wishes.

  • Fikayo is a young up and coming actor, writer and director with a drive for telling stories through film and music. His films wouldn't be possible without the collaboration of his friend and talented DP, Roberto Lambraño, who shares his passion for filmmaking and storytelling.

  • Beyond The Reins Beyond The Reins tells the heartwarming story of a 16-year-old Lucy living with an intellectual disability. Cognitively functioning at the age of 9, Lucy’s world is small, and the lack of understanding and acceptance from our society makes it even smaller. However, her life takes a transformative turn when she's introduced to Jasmine, her new equine partner. Stepping into the world of horses provides Lucy with a sense of belonging and acceptance, allowing her to truly flourish! In her remarkable journey of navigating the complexities of riding she finds her sense of belonging in a heartwarming tale of courage, passion, and the unbreakable bond between a girl and her horse.

  • Magill Moyes, a third-year film student at Sheridan College, is a dynamic force specializing in both producing and directing roles. With a keen eye for storytelling, Magill has actively engaged in coursework that hones skills essential to the film industry. Magill has worked on numerous projects in various stages of development, but often specializes in overseeing and coordination roles. As an emerging talent, Magill is dedicated to developing and refining her distinctive approach within the world of filmmaking.

  • Never & Always June struggles to escape lingering memories of his past relationship. Wishing to rid his brain of all traces of "her," he questions if he will ever be able to truly move on.

  • Natalie Jaye Turcotte is a Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto, Ontario. She is currently studying at Toronto Metropolitan University's RTA School of Media and is set to graduate in 2025. Pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Production, Natalie has chosen a concentration in Screenwriting and a double minor in Film Studies and English Literature. Her goal is to continue to bring stories to life that not only belong to her as the writer, but belong just as much to everyone who watches her films.

  • Colin Carvey's Long Halloween When Colin Carvey (Taylor Beatty) is glued into his Halloween costume by a duo of Young Toughs (Chase & Eli Kloosterhof), his desperate search for help turns into a long night of mix-ups, murders, and mayhem! Colin Carvey's Long Halloween is a darkly comic, silent film slasher, inspired by Chaplin, Keaton, Melies, and Bugs Bunny. It features ketchup blood, playdough guts and several Port Hope, ON business owners maimed by a plastic sword.

  • Aaron Peacock Aaron Peacock is Co-Owner of Two Blue Shirts Productions with Aidan Kennedy, which has produced online video content for GTA-based businesses for the past 11 years. He has directed the short films The Growing Man, Bone Daddy!, as well as the web series Plague Time Puppet Theatre.

  • Amor Fati Amor Fati, translating to Love of Fate, follows the story of a mortal who is prophesied to bring about the end of the world. When Death is given the impossible task of ending his life, she finds herself torn between her duty and her growing feelings for him. As she gets to know the mortal, she discovers what makes him so special and begins to question her own purpose. The film explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the inevitable nature of fate. It is a tragic story that blurs the lines between mortals and gods, leaving the audience with a haunting portrayal of the human experience.

  • Ridaa Khan is a South Asian Canadian animator based in Toronto, Canada. Currently in her final year at Sheridan College, Ridaa is a master of experimentation, exploring various mediums and working with her hands to bring her visions to life. With a strong desire to tell unique stories, Ridaa hopes to pave the way for greater representation of BIPOC voices in the animation industry.

FILM NEWCOMER FINALISTS

  • Soul of Shanghai (5:27) The essence of Shanghai’s charm lies in a seamless blend of the nostalgic and the contemporary, a harmony that resonates in its heart.

  • Judy Huang

  • Road Kill (3:43) Road Kill is a brief student created short film, that follows the result of a seemingly remorseless crime committed by the protagonist Scott Evans. The audience will be thrown head-first into the interrogation chair to explore this intriguing action thriller with more than one twist. This documentary touches on a much broader conversation about ‘Tradition vs. Modernity’ and will highlight the importance of one’s culture, as well as encourage the adaptation of culture to one’s individual desires.

  • Spencer Brandon Andrews Spencer has dabbled in a little bit of everything, from co-teaching drama, creating and writing plays, movies, stories, and more. He has been doing content creation on YouTube for over 5 years, and spear-heading the creative/directive process of both managing a team and working on solo ventures with projects like game development that he has been self-learning for nearly 8 years.

  • A 14 year old boy named Barry Appleton whose younger sister named Lilli Appleton died 2 years ago but now he is back to pick up his younger sister's doll. Little does he know the doll is possessed by a demon named Lillith and now he has to survive a bunch of restless nights to kill this demon/doll. But will the demon/doll kill him first?

  • Billy John-Gordon Bullock Billy is a 14 year old student at St Mary's that has loved film since he was around 5 years old and now he is trying to make his dreams come true and become the best director, actor, and writer the world has ever seen.

  • The Dogfather Part II (8:11) Having been captured by a dangerous crime boss, a retired spy must use all of the skills at his disposal to break out and free his dog being held hostage.

  • Henry Shepherd

  • Contrast (6:09) Two highschool students, who couldn't be more different have only one thing in common; their struggle with something everyone seems to get but them.

  • Brayden Seguin

  • Tell My Parents I Love Them (10:00) When a friend spills a drink on his pants, Samuel must find a way to get to his exam on time and dry.

  • Henry Shepherd, Will Blakely, Samuel Saturno