Date: September 25, 2024 (9:00 PM – 10:00 PM)
Location: Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Avenue)
For information about attending this session please refer to the Reel Pride International Film Festival website here: https://www.reelpride.ca/home-2024
About the Panel:
Following an evening of queer short films, Film Training Manitoba will host a panel discussing the challenges and issues faced by emerging filmmakers.
About the Panellists:
Jonathan Lawrence is a queer, Winnipeg-based filmmaker who has produced several award-winning short and feature films, often while simultaneously filling roles of writer, director, and actor.
His most recent work is a 6-episode drama series for CBC Gem, titled Alter Boys for which he stood as creator/ writer and showrunner. The series, which garnered generous support from the ISO, Telefilm, and CBC is based on his short film of the same name. The short film won ACTRA MB’s inaugural Diversity Short Film Competition and the Golden Boy award for Best Film at the 2019 ACTRA MB Showcase. The project has since received the Audience Choice -Best Short award at the 2020 Reel Pride Film Festival, and Best Manitoba Film at the 2020 Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival.
As a professionally trained actor with an honours degree from the University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre & Film, Jonathan went on to produce his first project, a feature, titled When the World Was Flat, shortly after graduation. The film went on to garner several accolades, including Best First-Time Director at the Canada International Film Festival (Vancouver).
Through his selection for participation in programs like Telefilm’s Talent to Watch and the inaugural edition of the CFC/ Netflix Project Development Accelerator, Jonathan aims to develop several projects from conception through completion, reaching global audiences while representing Canada as an artist.
Jonathan aspires to create evocative and resonant work, exploring queerness, and his Indigenous (Cree) heritage through genre and emotion. At its best film becomes a catalyst for change, conversation, and visibility; a goal he endeavors to capture with every project.
With bold radical choices, hard work and witty charm Keishon Joseph burst onto the Manitoba film scene in 2020 and hasn’t looked back since! The 26 year old Winnipeger may only have four years of Film training, but that hasn’t stopped him from gaining a dozen film credits under his belt, such as: All Fun And Games, Alter Boys, Acting Good, Bad Romance: The Vicky White Story, Spencer Sisters, The Porter and more.
When Keishon isn’t on set, you can catch him nerding out over anime/manga such as One Piece and JJK. Or catch him indulging in various foods until his heart and stomach are content. But mostly, Keishon likes spending time with his lovely younger sisters and brothers, his ever-so-sweet grandmother or either one of his amazing parents on his time off.
Duncan Cox is an actor/musician who works predominantly in the worlds of theatre and music.
Over the past several years he has built a reputation for being one of Winnipeg’s most reliable and steadily working theatre performers, contributing to productions as an actor, musician, composer/lyricist, playwright, and producer in turn. He has taken on these various roles across the most prominent of the city’s numerous professional and independent companies.
This past season saw the launch of his two full-scale original musicals, Afterlight co-written with Sharon Bajer and End of the Line co-written with Ben Townsley.
Duncan loves the simple things and the little moments in life and loves plucking the beauty of the everyday and weaving it into his music.
Jordan Popowich is a sought after gay and biracial filmmaker from Winnipeg Manitoba. He is a graduate of the Digital Multimedia Design Program at Red River College Polytechnic and started his production company JP
Media Works Inc, in 2013.
Since then, he has worked with a wide array of creatives and companies across Canada, focusing on documentaries, commercials and independent film work. Most recently, he has served as Director of Photography on several award-winning documentaries and web series, including the documentary short film, Bumalik and the web series Querencia, currently streaming on APTN Lumi.
His goal is to make an impact with his work and create films with heart, humour and purpose.
About the Moderator:
Allison Bile graduated from the University of Winnipeg with a Bachelor of Art’s degree in Theatre and French.
Allison gained an interest in filmmaking through her involvement with the Winnipeg Film Group by attending workshops on experimental filmmaking and volunteering on short films in the costume department.
In 2009, Allison served as a board member and Secretary on the Winnipeg Film Group. She has also served as volunteer for Cancer Care Manitoba. In 2003, she completed an internship with FTM in the costume department and was a Permittee with IATSE 856 in costumes.
Allison joined FTM in 2006 and has been promoted to various positions within the organization. She has completed courses on Arts and Culture Management through the University of Winnipeg and is the process of obtaining a certificate on Human Resource Management through Red River College.
FTM is a non-for-profit charity and member of the Province of Manitoba’s Sector Council program funded through the Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources. FTM builds a highly skilled and adaptable film industry workforce to support the activities of Manitoba production companies. FTM collaborates and partners with members of the film industry to identify training needs to support workforce development.