Date: September 20, 2025 (2:15 PM – 3:00 PM)
Location: Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Ave.)
Fee: $10.00
For information about attending this session please refer to the Reel Pride International Film Festival website here: https://www.reelpride.ca/home
About the Panel:
Go behind the scenes of Cruising in Gomorrah with director Coby Friesen and actor Benjamin Krawchuk as they share the ups, downs, and lessons from bringing the film to life.
About the Panelists:
Coby Friesen is an emerging writer and filmmaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He’s been into film for as long as he can remember but it wasn’t until he left theatre school and began writing his own scripts that he realized he wanted to create his own films. After years of helping friends on short films in various capacities, participating in the 48 Hour Film Festival several times, and working on union film sets, Coby finally applied to Gimli International Film Festival’s RBC Pitch Competition for the first time in the summer of 2022. He did not win but gained valuable experience, and the loss spurred him to make his debut short film Hook Up, which screened at the 2023 Vancouver Queer Film Festival and won the “Top Emerging Director” award at the Reel Pride Film Festival in Winnipeg. In 2024, he competed again (and won) at the RBC Pitch Competition with the idea for the erotic horror Cruising in Gomorrah, which recently had its world premier at the 25th annual Gimli International Film Festival
Ben Krawchuck is an emerging theatre and film artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated with a B.A. in theatre from the University of Manitoba and recently began exploring the world of film. Cruising in Gomorrah was a thrilling undertaking that brought him out of his comfort zone, which he feels is the best way to strengthen oneself as an artist.
About the Moderator:
Alan Wong is an award-winning, multi-disciplinary performing artist, filmmaker, and cultural connector of Chinese heritage, born in Canada. He is the President of FascinAsian Film Festival, an organization that champions pan-Asian stories in Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton. Alan is the former Executive Director of the Gimli International Film Festival, Manitoba’s premier festival of film and media arts and is the Past-President of ACTRA Manitoba, the local branch of the union for film and television performers. An ally of the LGBTQ2S+ community, Alan is an advocate for diversity, equity, and the inclusion of marginalized perspectives in media, and believes that films have the power to improve cultural understanding and empathy.
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.