Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

NSI grads nominated for 2019 AMPIA Rosie Awards

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 02:56 PM PDT

Congratulations to the NSI grads nominated for 2019 Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) Rosie awards.

The annual Rosie awards celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in Alberta’s screen industries.

Best dramatic feature

Best children’s program or series

Best musical, comedy or variety program

Best web series, fiction

Best web series, non-fiction

Best digital or interactive project

Best immersive experience

Best non-fiction short

Best production reflecting cultural diversity

Best director (drama over 30 minutes)

Best director (non-fiction under 30 minutes)

Best screenwriter (drama under 30 minutes)

Best screenwriter (non-fiction under 30 minutes)

Winners are announced on April 27 during a gala event at the Edmonton Convention Centre.

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Inevitable

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 12:59 PM PDT

The biggest fear after high school is “what’s next?” but for this young adult “what’s next?” has a darker meaning.

Creative team

Writer: Nolan Desrochers
Director: Daniel Bear
Producers: Nolan Desrochers, Rae Swan

Filmmaker’s statement

To me this film means more than what’s on the surface. When Nolan Desrochers approached me with the script, I read something so personal yet so universally felt. I couldn’t not take up the task.

In order to tell the story of a young man who not only fears losing his friends but also himself, I needed a stellar cast and crew. Without Nolan and without the absolutely fantastic crew, the film would not be what it is.

When you have a film about the dark childhood fears every human has/had, it’s good to know you have a team that can relate to it and work hard to show the world just a hint of what today’s youth fear.

About Daniel Bear

Daniel Bear is a young Indigenous writer and director in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He has worked on such shows as Burden of Truth, I Survived, I Hostage, CBC Short Doc Fourth Period Burnout and more.

Daniel continues his work as a freelance writer/director and currently works at Eagle Vision as a production intern. He is a graduate of CBC New Indigenous Voices, presented by the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI).

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Finding Fukue

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 12:51 PM PDT

They were best friends and then pen pals until, one day, the letters stopped coming. Almost 30 years later, Jessica Stuart returns to Japan to try and solve the mystery of her long-lost friend, Fukue.

Creative team

Directors: Daniel Roher, Edmund Stenson
Producer: Felicity Justrabo

Filmmaker’s statement

Having lived in Japan, I know how important privacy is and, consequently, how difficult it can be to find those who have gone missing or that you’ve lost contact with.

Following Jess on her adventure was nerve-wracking, both because we desperately wanted to see her succeed, and also because we wanted to create a satisfying drama that would engage our audience.

As we get older, friendships drift, memories coalesce … we hope that in watching this modest film the audience, too, can reconnect to the dreams of a childhood long forgotten. Because we are never too old. – Edmund Stenson

About Daniel Roher

At Loud Roar Productions, Daniel Roher strives to create socially significant content that entertains audiences around the world.

He has made two documentaries with CBC Short Docs: Dilveen (2018) and Sourtoe: The Story of the Sorry Cannibal (2016). In 2017, his feature Ghosts of Our Forest, which chronicles the struggle of a displaced Indigenous tribe in Uganda, premiered at the 2017 Hot Docs Film Festival.

The film follows premieres of his previous documentaries including Survivors Rowe (Hot Docs 2015), a film that was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, screened on Parliament Hill in Ottawa and had its broadcast debut on TVO.

About Edmund Stenson

Edmund Stenson’s work as director, producer and editor spans both documentary and fiction, and focuses on human rights and social issues.

In 2018, he directed Finding Fukue, a short documentary for CBC, and Other Desires, an experimental short which premiered at the Bristol Independent Film Festival in 2018. His 2015 edited documentary, The Roots Remain, won awards at RIDM, Victoria International Film Festival, and Wales Documentary Festival.

He has edited Canadian documentary television – in 2016 Le messager, and the 2017 miniseries, Ma vie Made in Canada – and numerous short fiction films such as A Yakuza’s Melody (LA Film Awards), She Fell Away (London Short Film Festival) and The Guest (Summer Shorts).

He has also cut documentary features such as Ghosts of Our Forest (Hot Docs 2017) and numerous short docs including the award-winning Sourtoe: The Story of the Sorry Cannibal, BravoFACTUAL short Sexual Being and Hot Docs 2017 film The Long Way Home.

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In the Kitchen

Posted: 20 Mar 2019 12:42 PM PDT

Rakhee reluctantly attempts to help her aunts clean the kitchen after a dinner party.

Creative team

Writer: Rakhee Morzaria
Director: Jana Stackhouse
Producers: Rakhee Morzaria, Shelly Hong

Filmmaker’s statement

I was fortunate enough to direct 10 of 13 episodes of Rakhee Morzaria’s Note To Self. When I read the scripts for season one, I knew I had to be a part of the series.

Rakhee has a real gift for addressing potentially uncomfortable themes of identity and belonging with such humour and lightheartedness. We had incredible actors involved and the crew was a joy to collaborate with.

It was a wonderful experience to work with such talent and we’re grateful to CBC Comedy for providing a platform for series like ours.

About Jana Stackhouse

Jana Stackhouse is an award-winning director whose films have screened at various festivals internationally including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), The Atlantic International Film Festival and Hollywood North Film Festival.

While earning a BFA in film at Ryerson University, Jana received numerous awards including the Norman Jewison Award and the Harvey Hart Director’s Award. Jana wrote and directed Away Home which was selected for TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival and won the Best Female Director Award at Hollywood North Film Festival.

Jana’s latest project is directing the web series Note To Self for CBC which received over one million views and a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Web Program or Series – Fiction.

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