Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

In this comedic look at the afterlife, Jack is visited by Death and must overcome hilarious obstacles to patch things up with his girlfriend before it’s too late.

Creative team

Writer/director: Matt Wright
Producers: Brad Gover, Christina Steele-Nash

About Matt Wright

Matt Wright is an actor, comedian, writer and director.

He has appeared at the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival and is a staff writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Regretful of their estrangement since high school, Fran arranges to meet Bart at their childhood playground.

Having not seen him since high school, Fran has each of them wear their outfit from prom. The only problem is Bart is now taller, pudgier and older.

Creative team

Writer: Andrea Bang
Director: Ian Macdonald
Producers: Ian Macdonald, Nicholas T. Shepard

Filmmaker’s statement

Playdate, written by the film’s star Andrea Bang, explores themes of regret and nostalgia as Fran revisits her childhood playground.

For me, the film is a reflection on how difficult it can be to move forward after a traumatic event and how the experiences we go through in life shape us forever, particularly those from when we were young.

Fittingly, after scouting virtually every playground in the area, we ended up filming at the high school Andrea and I grew up in which adds another sentimental layer for me.

It was a fun shoot with a great cast and crew, many of whom I still work with. The music was created by my longtime friend Mircea Tracke, which is always a treat, as he and I grew up playing in bands together.

I hope you enjoy it!

About Ian Macdonald

Ian’s journey into filmmaking was born when he began creating videos and animations to accompany his composition projects at music school. Realizing he could combine his love of music and visual art with a lifelong passion for storytelling, he began a new path behind the camera, one that he fervently continues today.

Since his school days, Ian has worked primarily as a director and editor of short films, music videos, commercials and corporate videos. Most recently his short film Playdate has featured in festivals across North America and won awards including peoples’ choice – international block at the Fire Reel Film Festival and best actress at Asians on Film Festival.

Ian is currently in post-production on his Canada Council-funded short film Lucy Dies which is set for release in 2017. He currently works as a freelance director and editor for commercial and creative content.

Ian holds a BA from Vancouver Community College for music composition. He lives in Vancouver.