Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Filmmaker and Weengushk Film Institute executive and artistic director Shirley Cheechoo (NSI Storytellers, Telefilm Spark Plug Program) will be named to the Order of Canada.

Announced at the end of December, Shirley is one of 103 new appointments to the Order of Canada, which recognizes individuals who have helped shape Canada through their achievements.

The award-winning filmmaker, actor and visual artist will receive the distinction for “her multi-dimensional contributions to Canadian film and her support for emerging Indigenous artists,” according to the announcement.

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A professional cuddler must reevaluate her profession when a new client challenges her preconceived notions about the job and the people who take comfort in seeing her.

What unfolds is an exploration on the nature of intimacy and the healing that can be found in a simple touch.

Creative team

Writer: Desmond Sargeant
Director: Neil Huber
Producers: Ali Mashayehki, Al Magee, Neil Huber

About Neil Huber

A native of Waterloo, Canada, Neil attended the Media Arts program at Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning where he earned multiple award nominations (best documentary for Behind the Sausage, best director for Dogstar and best editing for Motel Poets) and accepted the most outstanding graduating student award in his final year.

After graduating, Neil worked as the producer of web and special projects at Magee TV, a television production company founded by Al Magee, where he helped in the production, post-production and design aspects of such projects as The Smart Woman Survival Guide, Everyday Exotic, Superstar Hair Challenge, The Men and Night Chef (winner – 2011 Banff International Pilots Competition – Entertainment Programs).

While working at Magee TV, Neil also began focusing on a career as a director and editor, becoming one of the joint partners of Gorilla Milkshake Productions with Desmond Sargeant. Started as a means to continue their creative and collaborative style of work, Gorilla Milkshake has produced the award-winning short films Patient and Guys Night, the web series Andy and the Upside (15th Annual Webby Award official honoree) and the comedy/horror I Kill Monsters, as well as the occasional commercial and music video for artists like Vinyl Heart.

In 2016, Neil started the digital distribution company Without a Flock Distribution with film producer Ali Mashayekhi and executive producer Al Magee with a focus on creating independent, character-driven features.

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The rise of movie theatre attacks scare a young man obsessed with film into unintentionally killing an innocent patron and becoming the thing he fears.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Aris Tyros

Filmmaker’s statement

I was in a theatre in late 2012 and the Dark Knight shooting had happened a couple months ago in Aurora. There were some kids just tossing shit back and forth across the theatre. Running in and out, whipping candy at their friends.

Even though I knew it was harmless play, in the darkness, distracted by the bright screen, I was scared. And I sat there contemplating what I would do if an attack like the one in Colorado happened. This movie is an answer to that question, kind of.

About Aris Tyros

Aris Tyros is an award-winning filmmaker and actor from Montreal.

His debut short film How I Became a Movie Theatre Murderer has been selected to 17 festivals around the world, winning prizes in Switzerland, Egypt and the United States including best director. In Switzerland he met collaborators for his next project Little Death, a virtual reality series currently in post-production.

As an actor his theatre credits include: the American tour of Jabber (Geordie Theatre), Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys & Girls (Roseneath Theatre) and playing the titular role in Harry the King (Repercussion Theatre).

His film credits include Torching the Dusties, Magic Mushrooms and the upcoming feature Bleed With Me. He has lent his voice to TV ads, radio commercials, audio books and video games including Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. He is a graduate of the Dawson College Professional Theatre Program.

He’s currently in pre-production on his next short.

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A young girl with OCD slowly realizes her single mother is having a rough day.

Creative team

Writer: America Michele Palacios
Director: Diane Carol Harder
Producer: Sarah Senior

Filmmaker’s statement

During spring 2017, Sarah Senior and I decided that I needed a new short film under my belt as a director (my previous film, e.e., was shot in 2009 while I was still in grad school, so it had been a while). Going a step further, I also decided I wanted to direct something I hadn’t written, so I solicited all my friends for any short film scripts they had lying dormant in their portfolios.

Originally titled Peter Foster and starring a boy in the lead role, the script is actually a scene from a full-length stage play that my friend America Michele Palacios wrote. America’s a very good writer and director herself: she got her MFA at Northwestern University with me, then went on to be a crew member at the Sundance Labs, an Austin Film Festival screenwriting competition finalist, and a quarter finalist in the Nicholl competition, so we immediately liked what we read – we just asked for one change, for the lead to be a girl. We thought it would make it more interesting to have this type of conflict between a young girl and her single mom, instead of a boy (we felt like we’d seen that before).

Since Sarah and I were also tight on cash, we tried to make the film for no money, so we were lucky to find our director of photography, Jordan Kennington, who is not only excellent at his craft, but also owns his own RED Scarlet camera, which meant we were able to shoot in 4K on a shoestring budget and still have it look amazing.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t give credit to my amazing cast, especially our 10-year-old star Elisa Campanella who, although this is her narrative debut, has been acting in commercials since she was an infant and loves doing it more than you can imagine (she’s also auditioned for some very big blockbusters, so it won’t be long before she becomes the huge deal that she deserves to be!)

About Diane Carol Harder

Diane got her BA in film studies and literature/writing from Columbia University, and her MFA in writing for the screen and stage from Northwestern University.

While at Northwestern, she taught intro to screenwriting to undergraduate students, and spent part of her summer shadowing Richard J. Lewis while he directed an episode of C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation.

She has worked for festivals including Hot Docs and the Toronto International Film Festival, and has worked as a production assistant on TV shows Rookie Blue and Good Witch. She even worked briefly as Darren Lynn Bousman’s director’s assistant while he was in post-production on Saw IV.

She has read scripts for Focus Features, Darren Aronofsky’s Protozoa Pictures, Little Magic Films, In Cahoots Entertainment, Intruder Films and Coverfly.

She taught screenwriting and directing at Wilfrid Laurier University for the fall 2017 term, and is now working as a franchise assets coordinator for Green Harvest (CBS).

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