Writer and Filmmaker
Hello. How are you? (Click Email to let me know).
I’m a writer and filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. On my filmmaker side I make narrative films and music videos. On my writing side I’ve published short stories, essays, and book reviews. I’ve also written novels, feature screenplays, and film theory that are just sitting on my computer as of now but I’d like to publish them too one day. That would be so cool. I love writing.
I’m currently researching and developing a feature film with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
You can read essays I’m writing as part of my research here.
I graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2018 with a BFA in Film Production and a Minor in Literature. Since then, I’ve been in VIFF’s Catalyst Program and had my work shown in festivals across the country and my writing published in magazines distributed all over North America. I’m now pursuing my MA in Cinema Studies at UBC.
This is really fun for me and I like doing it. I’m going to keep doing it. Thanks for reading. (Click Email to say you’re welcome).
Watch the Movie
We went on a road trip to shoot this movie; 5 hours east of Vancouver to Oliver. We camped there and headed over a hill the next morning and it felt like we were dead centre in the middle of the desert. I think if you spin around in the middle of your set and see your imagination surrounding you in 360 degrees you’re bound to make what you set out to make. We shot this movie in sequence over the course of 10 hours from sunrise to sunset. At the time, I was really interested in a cinematic denial of catharsis, the way Michael Haneke or Gus Van Sant do it. How they present a violent promise and fulfil it off-screen. They freeze you in this void of trauma, suspending the cruelty and charging the viewer with the act of manifesting an image of the violence themselves. They trust that there is an inherent violent drive present in everyone.
I thought that idea was really cool and wanted to test it out myself. I think it was also to confront why I was so pulled in by dark media with pessimistic world views. I wanted to see whether those directors are right and we’re all kind of twisted at heart. Now, I don’t think that’s entirely true but if you want to make a movie to find out something about yourself and about cinema I defintiely think that’s a wonderful reason to do it.
This movie stars David Vatousios who is one of the most committed and exciting actors I’ve ever met. He moved to Australia a few years ago but I wish I could work with him again and again. When I have a budget that’ll allow it I’d love to fly him out.
Evan Luchkow and Anna Chiyeko Shannon also starred in the movie. I don’t think either had acted before and I asked them to because we only had so much room to carpool people and they were also on the crew. I think they put in some incredible performances. It was so rewarding to see the trust and pathos they committed to these characters.
This was my second ever filmed thing and my second time working with Sam Barringer. Sam was the cinematographer on this and several other of my projects since and I trust him completely. Making a movie is a wildly stressful activity but his confidence and passion are so assuring. He knows cameras so intimately.
Dide Su Bilgin was the 1st Assistant Director and she is someone whom I would happily trust with my life. I hope that doesn’t stress her out. She’s the most natural leader I’ve ever seen.
Evan Luchkow and Anna Chiyeko Shannon also starred in the movie. I don’t think either had acted before and I asked them to because we only had so much room to carpool people and they were also on the crew. I think they put in some incredible performances. It was so rewarding to see the trust and pathos they committed to these characters.
This was my second ever filmed thing and my second time working with Sam Barringer. Sam was the cinematographer on this and several other of my projects since and I trust him completely. Making a movie is a wildly stressful activity but his confidence and passion are so assuring. He knows cameras so intimately.
Dide Su Bilgin was the 1st Assistant Director and she is someone whom I would happily trust with my life. I hope that doesn’t stress her out. She’s the most natural leader I’ve ever seen.