Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Counting on a New Crop

Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:47 AM PDT

Best friends, 66-year-old farmer Jim and 23-year-old electrician Jon, struggle to keep Edencrest Farm alive.

Creative team

Writer: Brina Romanek
Producer: Felicity Justrabo

Filmmaker’s statement

Having been raised in rural Ontario, I have always felt lucky to know the farmers who grew my food.

As I got older and moved to a metropolitan area I began to notice how few of us take the time to think about where our food comes from, the love and care put into creating it, and the importance of supporting our local farmers along the way.

When I set out to make this film, that was the story I intended to tell. However, halfway through filming, the story evolved. It became about so much more. To me this is a story shared by so many Canadians. It is a story of loss when having to let go of the family farm but, more importantly, it is a glimmer of hope.

Jon and Jim’s relationship offers a heartwarming look at what can be achieved when we rely on one another and dare to dream.

About Brina Romanek

Brina Romanek is a documentary filmmaker and storyteller. At 24, she has directed and produced for Rogers TV and True Calling Media.

Brina is a graduate of George Brown’s prestigious theatre program and has a passion for podcasts and documentary theatre as well as film. When she isn’t sharing stories, you can find Brina playing water polo or rock climbing.

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Carrots

Posted: 23 Oct 2019 11:43 AM PDT

Zoe searches for her mother after she abandons the family to become an internet health guru.

Creative team

Writer/director: Molly Shears
Producers: Sanchita Mitra, Molly Shears

Filmmaker’s statement

I decided to make this film to explore the strange, consumerist and almost comedic ways health is marketed to us in the internet age.

It is an ode to my confusion from all the advice I received from strangers with millions of followers on YouTube and Instagram: eat more vegetables, drink less, run more, run less, eat only plants, eat only beef, drink only water, don’t take vitamins, the American diet is a lie and more.

When such extreme rules are taken to heart, it’s hard to focus on anything else and it becomes hard to define your own identity.

About Molly Shears

Born and raised in Toronto, Molly graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design in 2016 where she received the Sir Edmund Walker scholarship to study her MA abroad.

She moved to London in 2017 to pursue her MA degree in filmmaking at London Film School. She’s currently in post-production on her graduation film Middle of Nowhere.

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