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8th Annual
Future
of Film
Showcase
July 9 - 22, 2021
Visit fofs.ca
presented by
PUBLIC FUNDERS KEY SPONSOR INDUSTRY MEDIA PARTNERS FESTIVAL PARTNERS
HOSPITALITY PARTNER
Future of Film Showcase
Welcome,
It is my absolute pleasure to present the Future of Film Showcase 2021, returning with
Canadian short films screening exclusively on CBC Gem, with Industry events releasing digitally. Our
full programming schedule can be found at fofs.ca/2021-film-program, with our Industry Program at
fofs.ca/industry.
FOFS 2021 is a two-week Festival with 11 short films by some of Canada’s impressive emerging
Table of
filmmakers and an extended Industry Programme featuring our Opening Keynote Conversation with
Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express, Preacher, The Boys), moderated by Radheyan Simon-
pillai.
Our Industry programme sees the return of our Future of Equity in Film panel, moderated by
sisterhood media’s Samah Ali, and new programs like our Virtual Coffee Sessions sponsored by the
DGC Ontario, bringing filmmakers and creatives alike together with Industry professionals for one-
on-one virtual calls. Also new this year is our Canada Media Fund panel, where audiences can learn
more about the funding opportunities and programs that the CMF offers as well as In the Casting
Room, bringing upcoming BIPOC actors together for an exclusive opportunity to experience a one-
on-one audition session with some of Canada’s leading Casting Directors.
Contents
Due to the pandemic restraints in the province of Ontario, we cannot bring to you an experience
you’re used to receiving at FOFS. However, the films we are screening are of the utmost quality, and
reflect these feelings of longing and connection we have all been craving in these strange times.
Faraway, by Aziz Zoromba, dives into the complications of a mother-son relationship, torn by one’s
exploration of truth and identity, while Parlour Palm by Rebeccah Love, explores the depths of iso-
lation through a slow-burning, powerfully acted piece about mental ilness and one’s own manic epi-
sode.
Building a film festival during a pandemic has not been easy, especially one of this calibre, our
largest festival yet. In fact, it’s one of the most challenging endeavours I’ve ever sought out. That
being said, the success of this festival is a testament to the quality of our team. Over the past year
we’ve learned, more than ever, that connection is invaluable. The power a film has to completely im-
merse someone, and that conversation that follows after the screening, is indescribable. That being
said, the people it takes to bring these stories to life is something that has always amazed me.
It takes a village.
Future of Film Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
We are grateful to all of you, our audience members, partners, sponsors, filmmakers. This is for you!
A heartfelt thanks to our entire team for working remotely and often working together, having nev-
er met each other in-person. As the world navigates a slow, safe reopening, may we all recall these
Our Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
times and remind ourselves how powerful human connection is. And, how powerful that connection
can become when we’re brought together through film.
Board Members and Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
We cannot wait to be back in a theatre with you. Enjoy the Festival.
Official Selections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Industry Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Eric Bizzarri
Thank You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Creative Director
3
2
Future of Film Showcase Future of Film Showcase
Hello to all emerging filmmakers and audiences of Future of Film Showcase! Welcome to the Future of Film Showcase 2021!
I am pleased to present to you the fruits of our labour for this year’s festival. Our team has I am so incredibly excited to be presenting this year’s festival. This was our most ambitious year
worked hard to make what is our biggest year yet come to life. yet, and it has been amazing to see the results.
What started as a small local showcase of films has grown into a full fledged national two week FOFS began as a small 1-day festival for Toronto audiences. We’ve been lucky enough to be
virtual event. We strive to not only increase access to film for those looking to pursue their careers in able to take that and transform it into a national, two week virtual event, featuring numerous panels
the field, but champion diverse representation from a Canadian lens. Our expanded industry events and developmental workshops. Our aim is to build the careers of young and emerging filmmakers,
are new for this year and we can’t wait to have you experience them. and create a space for those who need it the most. I am so happy to be able to offer the range of
industry programs that we have this year and cannot wait for you to take advantage of them.
As the new Executive Director of Future of Film Showcase for 2021, it is my pleasure to be a
part of something that helps foster the arts community. Our vision for this year was to ensure a com- I newly onboarded FOFS as the Director of Operations this year, and it has been my absolute
pelling and accessible program, that challenges our audience to think critically about the future of pleasure to be able to work with a team so passionate about fostering the future of the industry. We
cinema. The stories being told should reflect the people who watch them. I hope that you find our have all worked incredibly hard to curate an accessible program that works to truly foster the future
carefully curated selection as special as we do! Short films are a key launching pad for the start of of Canadian filmmaking. Despite the challenges we faced as we moved through another year of an
many promising filmmaker’s careers. By supporting this festival, you allow self-funded and inde- unprecedented pandemic, we’ve been able to do more this year than we could have ever imagined.
pendently financed films to keep being made close to home.
To all our audience members, partners, sponsors, and filmmakers, thank you so much for being
We are so thankful to all our filmmakers, partners, viewers, volunteers, and sponsors for allow- here today, and for supporting this festival. None of this would be possible without your ongoing
ing all this to be possible. After what was such a challenging year for most, please take a moment to support. It has been quite a difficult year, but I firmly believe that connecting through art can help us
connect with our films, and let them touch your hearts. Together, we can all foster the future of film overcome anything. I am forever grateful to the whole team for making all of this happen and I can-
by supporting and creating the vision we want to see! not wait to see how we can work together to continue to foster the future of film.
Sincerely,
Shantel Sobaram
Zaarin Bushra
Executive Director
Director of Operations
4 5
Future of Film Showcase Future of Film Showcase
Good morning, good afternoon, and, to some, good evening, Message from the Executive Director, Telefilm Canada
It is a pleasure and a privilege to have you, across this wide country, join us in the honouring A celebration of artistry in film, festivals provide an important venue to showcase Canadian cre-
of a culture that, in its collective might, seeks a decentring. It is, in my humble, still learning, per- ativity across the country and beyond. That is why we are proud to support the Future of Film Show-
spective, one composed of many facets: lamentation, reflection, confrontation, resuscitation, and a case 2021!
potency obfuscated by entangled histories. For, the cinema, in Canada, has had a storied evolution.
Initially utilized as a weapon to seduce settlers, we now find its apparatus in the hands of young This past year more than ever, Canada has shown the many innovative and resourceful ways in
generations who seek themselves, their landscapes, curious for a futurity, and finding ways to render which we make our audiovisual sector thrive. We have given the world many reasons to take notice
the profundity of experience that words, simply, cannot articulate. The image is a language, and that of Canada and why we continue to be a Partner of Choice!
its faculties did not cease development once wielded by violence and imperialism, it is perhaps a
small kind of miracle. Our mission to foster and elevate authentic storytelling from Canadians of all backgrounds, es-
pecially those of underrepresented communities, is more pressing than ever before. At Telefilm, our
We have featured eleven films and eleven filmmakers in this year’s programme. This eleven, priority to create a more representative screen-based industry continues as our efforts across all our
it must be said, is a mere fraction of possibility. As a filmmaker myself, I understand and, daily, feel initiatives, including our funding programs, increase.
the pressure of screening publicly, of getting past the individuals whose tastes will ultimately define
an annual status quo. Short films are made all the time, all types of short films are made in constant Stronger together, I want to thank and congratulate the Future of Film Showcase 2021 for con-
flux. Eleven is a small number. I would not wish to call this a representation of what the country, tinuing its work of uplifting a diversity of voices through films and celebrating the brilliance of Cana-
across its over 9000km, from coast to coast, has to offer. We still have much work to be done in ac- dian content at home and around the world.
cessing films from communities we’ve yet to have been initiated with, we’ve still much work to be
done in order to shed ignorance. These eleven films, though, resonated with us, the programming As always, continue to watch Canadian films wherever they are available and tell others to do
committee, comprised generously of myself, Winnie Wang, and Bianca Linhares-Huang. The three the same!
of us, individuals and independent in our own right, brought forth our knowledge, sensibilities and
curiosity, in hopes of, together, assembling a collection of films that, at its core, struck us.
These works perform and encapsulate emotions and observations quite wholly idiosyncratic
and defiant. They wish not to be subsumed in a media culture where commodities come and go,
but breathe as artifacts of today. I hope that you, reader, viewer, can breathe in synchronicity, feeling
the work, the labour, the imaginations of these artists, all of whom we are proud to be platforming, Christa Dickenson
to be representing in our mission to seek voices that reverberate with a vivace that, invariably, will
be heard through the chorus. Executive Director, Telefilm Canada
Sincerely,
Zachary Goldkind
Senior Programmer
6 7
Our Mission
Future of Film Showcase
Welcome to the Future of Film Showcase.
Canada’s filmmakers have long established themselves for their innovative work and storytelling.
They allow us to better understand the many voices and communities in our vast, diverse country
and tell our stories to the world.
This digital showcase is an important way to give our promising young filmmakers a national plat-
form to show their talent. In addition to their films being shown on CBC Gem, this festival will also
feature a number of digital events across the country. Celebrations like this ensure that our arts and
culture industry remains strong. That is why our government is proud to support the Future of Film
Showcase.
As Minister of Canadian Heritage, I would like to thank everyone who lent their time and talent to
stage this year’s thrilling digital festival.
Bienvenue au Future of Film Showcase.
Les cinéastes canadiens se distinguent depuis longtemps par leurs œuvres et leurs récits originaux.
Ils nous aident à mieux comprendre les multiples voix et communautés de notre pays vaste et diver-
sifié, en plus de raconter nos histoires au reste du monde.
Grâce à cette vitrine numérique, les jeunes cinéastes d’ici disposent d’une plateforme nationale
pour faire valoir leur talent. En plus de diffuser leurs films sur CBC Gem, ce festival propose égale-
ment de nombreuses activités numériques partout au pays. Des célébrations comme celle-ci per-
mettent à notre industrie artistique et culturelle de rester forte. C’est pourquoi notre gouvernement
est fier d’appuyer Future of Film Showcase.
À titre de ministre du Patrimoine canadien, je remercie tous ceux et celles qui ont consacré temps et
passion à l’organisation du passionnant festival numérique de cette année.
Steven Guilbeault
The Honourable / L’honorable
8 9
Board Members and
Our Mission
Staff
The Future of Film Showcase (FOFS) is a Canadian not-for-profit media
arts organization presenting short films from Canadian Filmmakers aged 40
and younger. FOFS fosters the future of emerging Canadian filmmakers by
providing them with a platform that celebrates their art alongside an audi-
ence as unique as they are, and one that allows filmmakers to network, cul-
tivate, and share their talent through an annual film festival and professional
development events that are held throughout the year. Throughout its his-
tory, FOFS has featured programming from new Canadian filmmakers that
speak to audiences by including youth, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and franco-
phone representation.
FOFS enhances the awareness and promotion of Canadian talent by in-
creasing accessibility in the industry through our events and creating a na-
tionwide showcase for emerging filmmakers of all identities.
In 2016, FOFS partnered with Cineplex Entertainment and brought the
Festival to the Scotiabank Theatre, an iconic Toronto venue, facilitating an
audience of up to 500.
In 2019, FOFS partnered with TIFF Next Wave, the heartbeat of year-
round programming for young audiences at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. FOFS
and TIFF Next Wave co-programmed Open Screen and the 24-Hour Film
Challenge.
In 2020, FOFS partnered with CBC Gem, streaming the 2020 FOFS
Official Selection for free on a national broadcasting platform to audiences
across Canada adapting to a global pandemic. FOFS provided screening
fees to all selected filmmakers as well as partnered with the Canadian Me-
dia Producers Association (CMPA) and Fae Pictures to present “The Future
of Equity in Film,” a virtual FOFS Industry Panel. We reached a record audi-
ence of members who watched live and online as well as those able to par-
ticipate in a Q&A session. Our Panel included people like Steven Thibault
(BRON Studios), Lulu Wei (Director - There’s No Place Like This Place, Any-
place - premiered at Hot Docs 2020) and Maya Annik Bedward (Founder -
Third Culture Media), Sohrab Merchant (The Characters Talent Agency) and
Jesse Brossoit (CFMDC).
FOFS facilitates initiatives for young talent to jumpstart their careers
as filmmakers, and emphasizes access for priority groups in the arts. We
are committed to expanding these opportunities and making sure they re-
flect the demands of the evolving industry. We fully embody the mission of
the Arts and Culture stream because our Showcase enriches the local arts
sector with new Canadian voices and stories, while the range of events al-
low participants to improve their skills and grow as artists. One of our main
intended outcomes is advancing the careers of underrepresented artists
through film programming / artistic curation and industry equitability via our
professional development opportunities. Our organization hopes to inspire
the next generation of diverse talent to tell Canadian stories, as well as fos-
tering the future of Canadian film. We want to propel the careers of young
Canadian filmmakers, and with our growing reach we can offer invaluable
connections and a passionate audience.
10 11
Board Members and Staff PUBLIC FUNDERS
Future of Film Showcase 2021 MEDIA PARTNERS
Board Members and Staff
Staff Advisory Board
Eric Bizzarri Antonio Da Silva Jenn Kuzmyk
INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Co-Founder & Artistic Director Fesitval Coordinator Executive Director - Banff
World Media Festival
Shantel Sobaram Michele Kaye
Executive Director Copywriter Shant Joshi
President - Fae Pictures
Zac Goldkind Braedon Balko
Senior Programmer Sophy Romvari
Copy Editor
Filmmaker - Founder of Exqui-
Zaarin Bushra
Bianca Linhares-Huang site Shorts Projects
Director of Operations
Associate Programmer
Mirella Tersigni
Samah Ali
Industry Director Eric Metzloff Creative and Culture Officer -
Video Editor City of Vaughan
Karl Go
Julia Zolota
FESTIVAL PARTNERS
Sponsorship Manager
Video Editor
Carmelle Cachero
Director of Accessibility Frances Santiago
Email Marketing Manager
Zoe Statiris
Graphic Designer Jon Burke
Festival Intern
Ziana Pancham
Graphic Designer
Nicholaas Visscher
KEY SPONSORS HOSPITALITY PARTNER
Robyn Bacon Technical Operator
Social Media Coordinator
Júlia Batista
Web Developer
Winnie Wang
Associate Programmer
12 13
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Official
Selections
14 15
Official Selections Official Selections
Tulips are my father’s Sophie and Jacob
favorite flower by Max Shoham
by Nisha Platzer
Inspired by the true story of family, and finding home, no matter the
circumstance. Sometimes home cannot be a place, and becomes simply
This prosaic title serves as a jumping off point for the viewer to reflect on a memory, a mindset.
personal associations that arise from the abstract aesthetic of the work.
Tulips... is shot on 16mm, hand processed, contact printed, tinted, and
toned. Soundtrack by Apollo.
16 17
Official Selections Official Selections
Sunken Cave and a Kajanaqtuq
Migrating Bird by Ella Morton
by Qiuli Wu Inuk elder Naulaq LeDrew reflects on her home in Nunavut, Canada.
Between a dilapidated building and a zoo, humans and animals are trapped.
Out of boredom, two siblings decide to steal a fish from the artificial lake.
Wandering about, they gradually realize their surroundings seem to echo
mysteriously with the past of the land...
18 19Official Selections Official Selections
Aries Parlour Palm
by Elian Mikkola
by Rebeccah Love
A single window frame; a portal. As the circular nature of time begins to
reveal itself, a new decade begins.
An overworked lawyer attempts to care for his partner while she descends
into a climate-change-anxiety fuelled manic episode.
20 21Official Selections Official Selections
Faraway My Head Aches When I
by Aziz Zoromba Look too Long
by Callahan Bracken
After being estranged from his family for his homosexuality, we observe a
young Arab man over four seasons and from far away as he navigates his
solitude - all the while attempting to reconnect with his mother. Through a patchwork of digital and traditional animation techniques, My
Head Aches When I Look Too Long follows a teenage boy as he confronts
the implications of modern technology on his queerness.
22 23Official Selections Official Selections
Wash Day Flower Boy
by Kourtney Jackson by Anya Chirkova
As they get ready for the day, three young Black women discuss the public
perception of their Blackness in relation to their cultivation of a strong sense
of self. Wash Day is an intimate exploration into how private, domestic acts As August creeps in, Nav forms an intimate bond with an audacious painter
such as washing your hair or putting on makeup become a significant and a middle-aged laser tag owner. Just as he begins to find himself,
re-acquaintance with the body, before and after navigating the politics of summer inescapably comes to an end.
one’s outwardly appearance.
24 25Official Selections
This is a Period Piece
by Bruna Arbex
The short film tells the story of Riley, a 13 year old tomboy confronting her
fears of becoming a woman at the night she gets her period for the
first time.
26 27Industry
Industry Programming
Programming
In Conversation with Evan Goldberg: Co-
Presented by Reel Start and TIFF Next Wave:
July 9 • 8:00pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
A casual In Conversation Series discussion focusing on Evan Goldberg’s
journey as a producer/writer/director and his body of work. The talk will
touch on how to pursue a career in the industry and work on inspiring
young creatives to follow their passions within film.
Moderated by Radheyan Simonpillai (CTV’s Your Morning, NOW Magazine,
CBC Radio).
One on One Virtual Coffee Sessions:
Presented by DGC Ontario:
July 14 • 3:00pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
An intimate set of sessions allowing participants to register for time slots
with industry professionals in their areas of interest, in order to foster
possible mentorships and receive valuable insight from industry veterans.
Areas of interest: Directing, Producing, Cinematography, Art Department,
Picture Editing and Sound Editing and more. Registration info will be posted
on fofs.ca and FOFS social channels.
In the Casting Room Panel:
July 15 • 7:00pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
An open panel discussion consisting of Toronto’s leading casting directors
focusing on how actors can have a greater impact with their self tape and
auditions. Followed by a Q/A Session.
28 29Industry Programming
How To Get Funded: Presented by the
Canada Media Fund:
July 12 • 2:00pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
A panel led by the CMF focusing on the different programs offered
by the organization that can assist filmmakers in acquiring funding
for projects.
In the Casting Room-BIPOC Focused:
July 15 • 7:45pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
Thank You!
An opportunity for BIPOC actors to sign up for a time slot with leading
casting directors, and audition for them. Actors will receive feedback and
critique and have the ability to foster a relationship with their assigned
casting directors. Registration info will be posted on fofs.ca and FOFS Visit fofs.ca
for the full Programme
15
social channels.
and Industry schedule
Future of Equity Film Panel:
July 20 • 4:00pm (EST) • register at fofs.ca/industry
Moderated by sisterhood media’s Samah Ali, this panel centers on the
importance of equity within the film industry and what initiatives can be
started and continued to ensure equity. This annual panel discusses what
the future of equity looks like on a film set with key film production talent
sharing their stories and unpacking what they believe meaningful change
looks like in our industry today.
30 31You can also read
