2006 forum
The first trade forum held by the VSFF in 2006 featured a panel of five industry speakers. Just a few of the topics discussed included how to transition from school into the industry, working with and paying for your crew, choosing a format, and grant applications.
Mark Sawers has accumulated an impressive list of credits and awards after writing and directing films for fifteen years. He recently wrapped up the half-hour comedy/sci-fi television series, "Alienated," which he created for Chum Television. His film, Shoes Off!, won a Best Short Film prize at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. "Lonesome Joe" was nominated for a Genie Award for Best Live Action Short Film - his fourth Genie nomination. Other directing credits include the independent feature, Best Wishes, Mason Chadwick, as well as episodes of several television series, including "The Kids in the Hall." Sawers has numerous film and television projects in development through his company, Driftwood Productions, including the feature film, Condemned.
Nancy Welsh has co-produced several short films for the Crazy 8s film festival, including "Flush," "Man Feel Pain," (2004) and "Fool's Gold" in 2006. She has also produced several feature films and currently works as a production manager on TV series and features.
Christopher Petry graduated from Vancouver Film School. He wrote and directed the short film "When Jesse Was Born," which won the Action/Cut Grand Prize Film Award and Alberta Centennial Award for Best New Alberta Short Film in 2005. He is a Directors Guild of Canada member and works with James Marshall, producer, director, and Creative Executive Producer for "Smallville."
Janine Bizzocchi coordinates applications to British Columbia Film’s direct funding programs, including the Project Development Fund, Professional Internship Program, Passport to Markets Program and the Scholarship Program. She graduated from the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Film Studies. Her film experience includes cinematographer and editor on the short films "Life with Roberto" and "The Eccleston's." She is a past executive for the Board of Women in Film & Video Vancouver.
Nathaniel Geary is a graduate of Concordia University. After five years of working at the Portland Hotel, a government-funded housing project for disturbed drug addicts, his films have focused on life on the streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. He has received numerous awards for his films and direction at several international film festivals, which have been broadcasted on CBC, WTN and the IFC, among other avenues. His first feature-length film, On the Corner, won the Western Canada Feature Film Award at the VIFF in 2003. He is currently developing short and feature screenplays in conjunction with Telefilm, Movie Central and BC Film.
