INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS
The ATVF PROGRAM has no geographical limitations. Whether to their home countries or to foreign territory to capture the rare and unique experience of filmmaking abroad, students, through their own determination can have an experience like no other.
“THE POOR MADE BY GOD” (China, 2002), documentary 48 minutes,
“TRAINING GROUND” (Brazil, 2002), documentary 17 minutes
“CHAKRA” (India, 2004), documentary 22 minutes
“LAND OF BROKEN LIVES” (Turkey, 2005) documentary 20 minutes
“UNTYING THE KNOT” (India, 2007) documentary 20 minutes
ALUMNI AWARDS & SUCCESS
GENIE NOMINATIONS
“AMAL” written and directed by Richie Mehta, is a multi-layered portrait of contemporary India that follows an auto-rickshaw driver in New Delhi (Amal), who is content with his small but vital role in life. One day he drives an eccentric billionaire who, disguised as a vagabond, is searching the streets for the last morsel of humanity and someone he can leave all his money to. Amal's life may change forever. AMAL is a modern day fable that asks what success means to the individual and ultimately reveals that the poorest of men are sometimes the richest “AMAL”
Six Genie Nominations 2009 including Achievement in Direction (Richie Mehta), Best Adapted Screenplay (Richie Mehta & Shaun Mehta), Best Motion Picture (Steven Bray & David Miller)
“Up the Yangzte” In China, it is simply known as "The River." But the Yangtze has undergone a truly astonishing transformation wrought by the largest hydroelectric project in history, the Three Gorges Dam. Canadian documentary filmmaker Yung Chang returns to the gorgeous, now-disappearing landscape of his grandfather's youth to trace the surreal life of a "farewell cruise" that traverses the gargantuan waterway.
Genie Nomination for Best Documentary, Produced by John Christou, Yung Chang, Mila Aung-Thwin, Germaine Ying-Gee Wong
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION
ATVF Alumna Ms. Erin Young, Producer (ATVF 2000-01) was nominated for an Academy Award (producer) in the Best Documentary Short Film Category for “HARDWOOD”, a personal journey by director Hubert Davis, the son of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, who explores how his father’s decisions affected his life.
This was Sheridan ATVF’s first Academy Award Nomination and the School of Animation, Arts and Design’s third nomination (with 2 prior wins).
TORONTO
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
ATVF Alumnus Richie Mehta’s (Director) (2002-03) feature film “AMAL” premiered in 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. In 2006 he won the 2006 TIFF Pitch Contest with a ten thousand dollar prize.
ATVF Alumnus John Christou’s (Producer) (2001-02) short film “THE COLONY” premiered in the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was presented in the Short Cuts competition for best Canadian short film.
AMERICAN CINEMA EDITORS STUDENT AWARD 2004
(ACE AWARD) Student Thomas Berger (ATVF 2003 – 04) is awarded the Student Editing Competition, 2003, the first non-American winner in the competition’s thirty-five year history.
FESTIVALS
“BOY GENIUS & BOBBY FISHER”, John Christou, Producer (ATVF 2001-02) awarded first prize category CTV Canadian Documart - $60,000 in Development Funding at the Banff Television Festival 2007- (First Prize)
“THE PUTTING EDGE”, written by Ted Bezaire (ATVF 2003-04), a live-action comedy centering on the excitement of a mini-golf tournament. For office worker, Ronson, the stakes have never been higher – his reputation and the girl of his dreams.
Winner – Corus Entertainment Young Filmmaker’s Initiative to further develop and produce the film.
“CONCOCTIONS” a team of Sheridan alumni, led by director Charles Wahl (ATVF 2002-03) qualified for the international festival NYCMMF (New York City Midnight Madness Festival). Awarded third place of the twelve finalists and over 150 entries with the final product "THE TAO OF BOO". The short film "LAST LOOK" qualified the team (ATVF 2002-03) to compete. Direction by Charles Wahl, Cinematography by David F. Mewa, Picture editing by Muzafar Malik and Sound design by Allan Pynn.
STUDENT FILM PROJECTS
“BREAD & KISSES”, ATVF student film from 2010 recently screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Directed by Katherine Fitzgerald.
“ABRA CADAVER”, also produced in 2010 won Best Student Horror Short award at the International Horror and Sci-Fi Film festival in Arizona. Also screened in the YoungCuts Film Festival in Montreal.
“BREAKING THE TIES THAT BIND”, documentary 22 minutes. Simon Chang (Writer-Producer) and Neha Gandhi (Director) (ATVF 2006-07)were honoured with a prestigious award from the U.S. International Film and Video Festival, one of the largest film events in the world. “BREAKING THE TIES THAT BIND” is about terrorist organization Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK). The film focuses on an Iranian family’s attempt to rescue their daughter from a MEK camp in Iraq. Almost a decade ago, Somayeh Mohammady left Toronto to go to Iraq to learn about her family history. Instead, she was forced to stay at Camp Ashraf, a terrorist camp. She remains there, brainwashed.
“PAPER HEART” short narrative. ATVF Graduate Wins Spot in Imagine Cup Challenge 2006. Meg Majewski, (ATVF 2005-06) and her team defeated tens of thousands of students, representing countries worldwide, in two rounds of competition for the right to advance to the final stage of the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2006 Challenge in Delhi, India. Meg's short film "Paper Heart", a playfully dark fairytale that tells a story of perseverance and imagination, won her the spot.
Robert McCallum, (ATVF 2004-05-06) is the recipient of the Moondance Columbine Award for his short film "THE MAGIC SCARF", in the Kids Short Film Section at the Moondance International Film Festival, Colorado. In addition to playing at the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC in July 2005, "The Magic Scarf" also showed at the West Chester International Film Festival. Robert wrote and directed his 3 minute short as a class project in the Directing Workshop course in April, 2005.
“LEFT HANDED” - Narrative Short - 10 minutes
Xsiao (Shi-a) Dong is a young boy born left-handed in 1979 China, where penmanship is right-handed, so both his father and teacher agree that the boy needs to be "corrected". A short narrative dealing with the issue of youth and conformity. Directed by Baoqi (Bao-chi) Ye. Produced by Alison Humphrey and Baoqi Ye (ATVF 2001-02)
Winner, Best Film or Video by an Emerging Director – Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (2004)
Winner, Best Student Film - Salt Lake City Film Festival (August 2002)
Winner, Best Super Short Student Film - Anchorage Film Festival (December 2002)
Sheridan College’s official submission for Academy Awards, Los Angeles 2003.
Jeff Maher, Cinematographer for Left Handed received Sheridan’s first “Best Student Cinematography Award” at the Canadian Society of Cinematographers(CSC) 2003 Awards ceremony.
“TWO” 10 minute short, comedy. Directed and produced by Eva Gaspar (ATVF 2002), Semi-finalist 2002 Angelus Awards, August 2002. Also accepted into: Ajijic Festival Internacional de Cine, Mexico, Calgary International Film Festival, Coney Island Short Film Festival
"THE POOR MADE BY GOD", a 48 minute documentary, produced and directed by Meg Qian (ATVF 2001-02) takes you on a journey to northern China to visit the Roman Catholic villagers of Shan Bei, who, despite centuries of poverty and persecution, remain loyal to their religious faith. Yu Qian (Meg), was one of three Directors assigned a 52-part series for Hong Kong Phoenix TV documenting Chinatowns around the world. The Directors and their teams (producer, cameraperson and editor) were assigned different regions with Meg's team focusing on North and South America.
"SECOND HAND" - Short Comedy, 10 minutes. One man's music is another man's migraine, written, directed and produced by Michel Poirier, (ATVF 2001). WINNER in the Best Director category, and runner up in the Best Comedy category at The Aspirations Film Festival - Waterloo, Ontario September 2002. The film toured Canada with the Toronto International Film Festival Short Film Circuit
“TWILIGHT CLAIRE”, written by alumnus Ron Toufar, (2002) is a family feature about a high-spirited girl growing up in the deep south. Winner – Platinum Star for Best Screenplay in the Family/Children category at Worldfest 2002 in Houston, Texas
“CORPORATE LOCKDOWN”, 25 minutes– Documentary on HDTV. Directed/Produced by student Sarah Zammit (ATVF 2000-01). Investigates the United States private prison management industry and its expansion into Canada with the private prison in Penetanguishene. Winner – Gold Star Award in Social/Economic issues Category at Worldfest 2002 in Houston, Texas.
PRODUCTION-IN-RESIDENCE INITIATIVE
“POPCORN WITH MAPLE SYRUP: FILM IN CANADA FROM EH TO ZED”, produced by Peter Rowe and filmed by Professor Richard Leiterman, was aired on CBC Open Television on November 18, 2004. Seven students participated in this first ATVF “Production in Residence” initiative.
IMAX – Large Screen Production
"ONE NIGHT IN MY DREAMS" - First student film in Canada ever shot in IMAX (large format) was completed in summer 2002 by Kalpesh Patel and Richie Mehta (ATVF 2002) with assistance from fellow graduates and mentored by ATVF instructors Richard Leiterman, Cinematographer, and Gord Harris, who has a long history with the development of IMAX technology. The film premiered at Ontario Place on Friday, October 4th, 2002 as part of the GSTA 2002 Conference and Trade Show (Giant Screen Theatre Association), an international association celebrating 25 years of giant screen development. Kalpesh and Richie attended the conference in Toronto under a scholarship awarded by the industry association in recognition of their work in the field of large format development.
“A SONG TO SING-O”, 52 minute documentary
A Sheridan Production in Residence Initiative 2006-07, produced by Barbara Alinson and directed by Don Shebib. Broadcast Bravo 2007.