Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Player Zero

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:27 AM PDT

Richard Amardi has a chance to play for the Raptors farm team – a step away from the NBA. But to make it happen, he’ll have to learn to control a wicked temper that’s hobbled his basketball career.

Creative team

Director: Sherien Barsoum
Producers: Sherien Barsoum, Byron Kent Wong

Filmmaker’s statement

Over a decade ago, when I was a youth worker in east Toronto, I met a memorable character: Richard Amardi. Only 13 years old, he strode into my after-school program standing six feet tall. His personality was larger-than-life too, making everyone laugh while keeping me on my toes. He quickly became one of my favorite kids from the block.

His friends talked constantly about basketball and played for hours on end. The community centre was their training ground for perfect dunks, fostering their friendships and launching hoop dreams. Pro ball players were part of the small pool of successful role models where Richard and his friends saw themselves represented.

As Richard grew taller, his game improved exponentially. But another force was growing too: a disruptive temper that exploded with increasing frequency. A few times we discussed it, drafting a list of tactics to rein it in and pinpoint its origin. It was a complex problem: instability at home, racial discrimination in his school and on the streets, and a series of poor decisions fueled by typical teenage angst.

Despite these setbacks, Richard caught the attention of prestigious American college scouts. He went on to play in the NCAA with the Oregon Ducks and later signed to the National Basketball League of Canada with the Brampton A’s and the Niagara River Lions. He was recognized as a talented force with an upward trajectory towards the big leagues.

Every now and then Richard would reach out to ask for advice. His career had been rocky, as his temper had shown up more than a handful of times. He was kicked off almost every team he played for. Knowing next to nothing about professional basketball, I offered the same words I had received from mentors when I sought direction: stay focused, believe in yourself and work on your character.

Early last summer, Richard called. His voice had a different, urgent tone. He was going to turn things around, he told me. He embarked on a personal rebranding campaign, showing up to gyms in elementary schools and talking to kids about the reality of trying to go pro and honestly facing his demons. He met regularly with a therapist and doubled down on his training. By summer’s end, he had made it to the Canadian Senior Men’s National team and competed in Argentina for the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.

I saw a new level of determination, self-awareness and profound maturity in Richard. When the opportunity came up for him to try out for the G League, the NBA’s farm league, Richard asked if I was interested in filming it. I followed him for four months. His transformation was real; it stood the test of challenges that arose.

I’m incredibly proud of the person he’s become, honoured to have been part of his journey and excited about the next chapter in his life, regardless of whether or not it includes basketball.

About Sherien Barsoum

Sherien is a Toronto-based filmmaker motivated to tell social issue stories.

Sherien recently produced the much-anticipated feature House of Z (Tribeca 2017), which follows celebrity designer Zac Posen. She was the story consultant on the Oscar-shortlisted Frame 394 (HotDocs 2016), a provocative look at the police shooting death of Walter Scott.

Her first feature, Colour Me (2011), was a bold exploration of black identity narratives.

Most recently, Sherien produced Babe, I Hate to Go (Sheffield Doc/Fest, DOC NYC, HotDocs 2017), a CBC short documentary which follows the life and death of Jamaican migrant worker.

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

Solitude by Black Sabbath

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:21 AM PDT

A millennial works two jobs to help support the daughter and troubled wife of his late brother while struggling to deal with his own inadequacies.

Creative team

Writer/director: AJ Vaage
Producer: Ian Fisher

Filmmaker’s statement

I wrote this film for the lead actor, Tim Walker. I had previously worked with Tim and was inspired by his mastery of his craft. I am continuously in awe of Tim’s ability to internalize and condense complex thoughts and emotions while still delivering simple, nuanced work.

Solitude by Black Sabbath follows Tim, a man working at a Toronto brewery. Set in Toronto’s West End, Solitude captures the complexities of a seemingly mundane life.

Solitude highlights Canadian artistry. It stars Toronto-based Tim Walker (Play the Film, The Neddeaus of Duqesne Island), Caitlin Driscoll (Soulpepper Theatre, Play the Film), Dalmar Abuzeid (Anne with an E, Crawford), and Sharjil Rasool (Second City Mainstage). Musical interludes are performed by Edmonton-based band Scenic Route to Alaska. All locations generously donated by Toronto businesses.

About AJ Vaage

AJ Vaage is an Edmonton-born improviser, actor, writer and all-around athlete. He began performing with the internationally renowned Rapid Fire Theatre. This led to AJ being cast in the Gemini-nominated YTV sketch-comedy show That’s So Weird, for which he won a Canadian Comedy Award.

AJ has written and directed commercials, films and web series. He has produced projects with such notable artists as Amber Nash (FX’s Archer), Michael Trevino (Vampire Diaries, Roswell, New Mexico), Jeremy Holm (House of Cards, Mr. Robot) and Brett Kissel, with several videos garnering well over 1 million views online. His most recent music video, for Jake Robertz, has been featured in festivals all over the world including London, Prague and Stockholm.

AJ is the co-creator of the popular long-form web series The Party Show and produced three short films in 2018. Along with his writing partner, Ian Fisher, AJ has written a feature film with production slated for spring 2019. AJ was also in a gum commercial that surely surpasses any success he has had or ever will. From this, he has retained an almost ‘cult-like following’ (see: Manson).

Although never taking any formal training from The Second City, he has been credited as being a Second City alumni several times by The Second City. AJ is a staple of the Toronto comedy community, consistently selling out his monthly flagship show, Lite Fun.

AJ has performed in multiple festivals around North America, including Improvaganza, Big City Improv Festival and Die-Nasty’s Soap-A-Thon, and has appeared on networks such as ABC, CBC, CW, Syfy, CMT and W.

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Experience Machine

Posted: 28 Mar 2019 09:13 AM PDT

A young mechanic and his family lead comfortable lives in a sleek underground bunker. His life of futuristic luxury begins to deteriorate when the medical device strapped to his wrist is corrupted, revealing the reality of their true dystopian world.

Creative team

Writer: Dylan Liedtke
Director: Ivana Bittnerova
Producer: Peter Durst

Filmmaker’s statement

Experience Machine is a sci-fi thriller with touches of horror. These genres simply underline the message of the film. People in today’s world are blinded by what the media is saying that they don’t realize what around them is real. Everyone is glued to screens and consume the information that is fed through commercials, newscasts and social media.

Many people live in the ‘happy’ world of Instagram and Facebook, following blindly like sheep. Only when they unplug, do they see how the reality truly is. We are being coaxed by big companies as well as government to follow their every step in their perfect world as they plan it out.

The visual style of the film reflects the coldness and discomfort in blues and sterile whites throughout the luxurious, fake world. The vision was to make the audience see the pretty world, but yet feel the uncomfortable reality creeping in. Once the reality hits, the colour palette changes to a dirty green and yellow with hints of red. These have been chosen to bring the real world closer to the ground, to make the world heavier yet true. All the details are captured in medium shots and close ups, as the two worlds are differentiated by stationary and hand-held cameras. All of the choices were made to help the audience feel what Luke is going through.

The film is based on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and its purpose is to wake people up, to help them take off their blindfolds and let them decide what and how they want to live before it is too late.

About Ivana Bittnerova

Ivana was born and raised in Slovak Republic and only after arriving in Canada did she discover her true passion for performing arts. Gaining knowledge, strength and courage with help from Humber College has helped her pursuit of becoming an actor.

After a few years acting in theatre, short film and TV, Ivana took on the role of assistant stage manager for Sampradaya Dance Academy productions and Sawitri Theatre Group productions. She then worked as the stage manager for Sawitri Theatre Group productions, Big Time Murder Productions and stage managed a production at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

This journey brought her back to school and she’s now studying film and television production at Humber College. She is in her second year and has produced the short films Freedom and Smile, and the documentary One More Light, which she also co-directed.

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