CANADIAN SPOTLIGHT: First Films

Canada1999-20102hEnglish

Film culture loves a genius. Auteurs anointed by the cinematic gods with a touch of movie magic make for good film lore. And there may be a few geniuses among us—however, most filmmakers languish from one film to the next, carrying hard-earned lessons forward in the hopes of another big swing.

In our inaugural First Films event, award-winning Asian Canadian filmmakers show the first films they’ve ever made. They will reveal their origin stories—that time they caught the movie bug; the place their creative voices first started cracking.

Here, we salute the earnest creation, irrational confidence, and the miracle of early- (or pre-)career filmmaking. What filmmakers call their “first film” is often arbitrary. They usually cite the first film that “did well”—as in played film festivals, sold to distributors, or won awards. But we’ve convinced three successful filmmakers to show their actual first short films.

In some cases, these films have never been seen publicly until now. Join us as these brave filmmakers celebrate, commiserate, and cringe through their first films.

– Aram Siu Wai Collier

This presentation is in a cabaret-style format, with each filmmaker taking turns presenting their work and then joining the others for a short roundtable of good-natured critique. There will be a cash bar and free snacks and the audience is encouraged to partake before the event, during the roundtable portions, and after the event.

Directors Bio