best technical achievement nominees
sponsored by java post productions
hard reset
editing
When a global crisis threatens the world an experimental AI tool is deployed in order to predict patient's susceptibility rates in hopes of stopping the virus from spreading further.
scott johnson
Scott Johnson is a Canadian video artist and filmmaker from Regina,
Saskatchewan. He graduated from the University of Regina with a BFA in film
and video production, with a concentration on time-based media. His video work
has been exhibited in a number of venues, including micro cinemas and local film
festivals such as the Regina International Film Festival and Awards (RIFFA) and
the Yorkton Film Festival (YFF), to name a few. His work has been shown
internationally, notably at the Vegas Movie Awards (VMA), Atlanta Film Festival,
Das Filmfest, and Antimatter [Media Art]. He now serves on the board of
directors and as the production committee chairman for the Saskachewan
Filmpool cooperative.
ready to be brave
production design
“Ready To Be Brave” is a narrative driven music video that tells the story of a farmer’s son, Michael, and his journey searching for love and acceptance.
hannah crease-maclean
Hannah Crease-MacLean is a prairie based photographer with a passion for interior design and fashion. Although photography is her main focus, Hannah has also explored styling and set decoration on various video projects with Versa Films. She loves the thought and imagination that goes into creating a fully curated project, and enjoys using styling and set design as a means of storytelling.
sled week
cinematography
A father and son reunite on a snowmobiling trip despite mental health concerns and the challenge of living far apart.
Mike Maekelburger
Mike Maekelburger is a 32-year-old Canadian filmmaker based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Heavily influenced by his upbringing in Calgary and its surrounding mountains and lakes, Mike’s passion lies in the intersection of outdoor adventure, nature, and cinematography.
His journey began at a young age, when in elementary school, Mike would sneak away with his parent’s Hi-8 camcorder and film his friends riding skateboards down the stairs of a nearby church, or down a sketchy hill. Edited tape-to-tape on VHS, the home movies evolved as access to equipment increased and technology advanced, and Mike followed up that passion with post-secondary education. After attaining a BFA in Film and Video Production from the University of Regina, Mike and two colleagues formed Play Creative, a commercial production company in Regina. Play Creative just turned ten, and Mike has solidified his position a prominent cinematographer in Saskatchewan, giving voice and a visual flavour to a myriad of projects.
For Mike, the commercials are a means to build the infrastructure behind his short films. On passion projects such as Distant Horizons, Mike puts the director hat back on, disappears into the wilderness with a camera, and hones in on the original passion of outdoor adventure filmmaking.
lift, spur
cinematography
Three young men choose a culture and a tradition that increasingly seems out of place in the contemporary world. They come from a place that few know about, but their story connects them to the long traditions of the West. With rodeo in their blood, these brothers and best friends from rural Saskatchewan spend their summer on the competitive circuit, supporting each other through success and failure. But life will soon change as their group’s leader leaves for college. Lift, Spur explores the meaning of friendship in times of transition, and the sometimes excruciating process of growing up and into oneself in a changing world.
kristin catherwood
Kristin Catherwood is a folklorist, writer, and filmmaker from Treaty Four Territory in rural southern Saskatchewan. Her work focuses on the cultural landscape of the prairies and explorations of western identity. She is the director of the short films, Ride and In the Garden on the Farm, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, and Lift, Spur, which she completed with funding from Canada Council for the Arts.