Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Bliss examines a series of moments between a dysfunctional couple. At first they appear infatuated, but certain words and gestures suggest troubles beneath the surface.

The film is a study in contrasts – between sound and image, light and dark, expectation and reality.

Creative team

Writer/director/producer: Amanda Sage
Cinematographer: Miles Finlayson
Editor: Matt West
Composer: Ben Wilson

Filmmaker’s statement

Bliss could have turned out several different ways. The story was always about a dysfunctional couple, and the idea was always to explore contrast, technically and thematically. But I first planned to shoot it in the tropics. Then I rewrote it with Sandbanks Provincial Park in mind. I even considered shooting indoors with a swimming pool standing in for an open body of water – a metaphor for the characters’ turbulent relationship.

Eventually it became clear that frozen water was the way to go, both logistically and metaphorically. So the exteriors for Bliss were shot in deep snow somewhere in the countryside.

In that way, and others, Bliss isn’t exactly what I initially envisioned. But a lot of the differences between the original script and the final cut made the film better than what I first sat down to write. I’m grateful I was able to realize it, in whatever form it needed to take.

Bliss came together through the kindness and talents of a wonderful cast and crew. They gave so much to help me get the movie off the ground. From the cinematographer to the actors to the editor and composer, to the families who let us film on their property, the generosity of everyone involved is what made the production possible. Thank you.

About Amanda Sage

Amanda studied film and psychology at Queen’s University. Her previous short films premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival (The Tea Party) and the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival (Sight Lines).

Amanda is also a professional freelance writer, photographer and founder/writer of Kickass Canadians, a website featuring inspiring Canadians. She has written and published several children’s books through her shingle, Wonderpress. For more on her work, please visit Amanda Sage.

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A young woman’s perception of beauty is challenged when she discovers her Tinder date lied in his profile.

Creative team

Writers/producers: John Mavro, Lewis Spring, Benny Morgentler
Director: Phil Moniz

Filmmaker’s statement

As someone who has always physically looked ‘outside of the norm,’ it often interests me to think about people’s conceptions of beauty.

With dating apps and online networks being the number one way young people find dates today, the question of expectation versus reality is a common one. People present their ideal selves online – a version of them which obscures flaws, and often the truth. When these expectations are found to be wrong upon first meeting someone in person … well, suffice to say, there is much awkwardness and comedy there.

Bait and Switch aims to take this to the extreme. Through an absurdist lens, the film seeks to shed light on this sort of hilarious phenomenon, and ultimately make an irreverent comment about the disposable nature of modern dating and companionship.

About Phil Moniz

Phil is a writer/director whose short-form drama and comedy work has been featured at festivals throughout Canada. Most recently he’s been developing several short-format animated pilot projects including The Line (2016) and Witches (2017).

Phil has worked on short and feature-length projects since graduating from the cinema studies program at the University of Toronto and is the co-owner/founder of the largest and fastest growing online comedy platform operating out of Canada, Thunder Dungeon.

The post Bait and Switch appeared first on National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI).