C anada ’s P re m ie r I nt e r na t i o n a l D i gital Series Festival
E V E NT PR O G R A M 2017 DISCOVER
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Proud sponsor of the 2017 Vancouver Web Fest
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Looking back at the past years of our festival, it’s with great pride that I can say that it’s been an incredible experience. When I made the decision to bring a web festival to Canada in 2013, my vision was to focus on how I can bring to you, the creators and your teams, a festival that will honour your hard work and dedication and give back to you what you all deserve. I am very proud to say that Vancouver Web Fest is growing at an extremely rapid pace and it gets better and better every year thanks to all past and present attendees and those supporters who couldn’t make it in person but are here in spirit. I am certain that VWF2017 is going to be even bigger, better & more amazing and I’m looking forward to sharing it with all of you.
WE LC O ME T O VAN C OU V ER W EB F E S T
This past year has come and gone so fast and the astounding support and reviews we received from around the world after our 2016’s 3-day event was heartwarming and has made me extremely proud and honoured of our festival. Vancouver Web Fest – Canada’s Premier International Digital Series Festival - has proven to be one of the top International Web Festivals worldwide and I, along with my amazing and wonderful team, will continue to strive for excellence. We will be presenting several workshops specifically addressing some of the challenges of digital production, and the best practices for taking advantage of the latest advancements in technology. There will also be screenings, panels, keynote speakers, parties and awards ceremony & gala. This year is an exceptional year for our awards show. I am honoured to share with you that our VWF2017 trophies are a sparkling custom-designed lead crystal, a beautiful object to recognize the hard work that went into creating these series, and the people who make them possible. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible hard working and dedicated Vancouver Web Fest 2017 team. Thank you for being so supportive. Thank you to our volunteer Board of Directors, our generous sponsors, our local and international community partners, our festival CREW, the series creators and their teams, our amazing volunteers and each and every one of you for supporting and believing in Vancouver Web Fest, I couldn’t have done this without you. Enjoy the fantastic screenings, popcorn, cotton candy, massages, interviews, panels, workshops, keynotes, Awards Ceremony & Gala, but most of all, have fun! Yours Truly, Suzette Laqua Executive Director/Founder suzette@vancouverwebfest.com Vancouver Web Fest is a Not-For-Profit Organization # S-0062167
www.vancouverwebfest.com www.facebook.com/VancouverWebFest www.twitter.com/VanWebFest
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome Letter from Suzette Laqua. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Our Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Vancouver Economic Commission Speed Dating. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Panelists & Special Guests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Workshops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Judges. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Sponsors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
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OUR TEAM
Vancouver Web Fest 2017
Suzette Laqua Executive Director/Founder
Shiva Kashi Program Director
Myles Liversidge Director of IT
Alessandro Di Francesco Director of International Relations
Ashleigh Withall Director of Operations
Lori Watt Community Sponsor Coordinator
Tony Di Giovanni Event / Volunteer Coordinator
Cleo Yeh Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
Gordon Au Box Office Manager
Kristin Jackson Graphic Designer
Erika Thompson PR/Media Coordinator
Susie Lee VWF Correspondent
Liam Callander Program Assistant
Amar Mirchandani Stephanie Michelle Scott Program Coordinator Media Director
MEDIA TEAM
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Vancouver Economic Commission
SPEED DATING
Nancy Mott - MC
Chris Harris
Zach Feldberg
Michael Lolato
Eric Y. Lapointe
Jeff Young
Manager, Entertainment/ Interactive Vancouver Economic Commission
Executive Producer, Digital – Scripted CBC Digital
Executive in Charge of Production, Digital Originals CBC Digital
SVP, International Distribution GRB Entertainment
Senior Director, International Sales & Digital Development Just for Laughs
Entertainment and Media Attorney Altman & Company
Briean Kenward
Joely Collins
Andrew Williamson
Nicky Forsman
Development Executive Lark Productions
Founder, President Million Faces Productions
Producer & Director OFF ISLAND
Head of Creative OUTtv
Brett-Patrick Jenkins Head of Development Propagate Content
Rod Perth Founder / President RHP Media Consulting
Allan Harmon
Cynde Harmon
George Reese
Brandon Bauman
Rich Murray
Lucas Kappaz
Principal, Filmmaker Really Real Films
Principal, Filmmaker Really Real Films
Co-founder and VP of Programming Seeka TV
Senior Council & Director Machinima
Partner / Supervising Producer & Director Pink Buffalo Films
Co-Founder / CRO VRAmericas
John Dippong
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National Project Lead, Western Region + Ontario Telefilm Canada
Dominique Marie Mongeau Development Producer Force Four Entertainment
Elizabeth Schofield Manager of Drama Development Omnifilm Entertainment
MCs, Panelists & Special Guests Brett-Patrick Jenkins
Mike Cavers Actor, Writer, Producer
Head of Development
SUNDAY NIGHT AWARDS CEREMONY HOST
Propagate Content KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Mackenzie Gray Actor / Writer Director MC
Yvette Lu Filmmaker / Writer Actor / Musician MC
Kris McRonney Actor / Producer MC
Winson Won Actor / Director MC
Caterina Scrivano IndustryWorks Pictures, Inc Moderator: Distribution Panel
Brandon Bauman Machinima Distribution Panel
Michael Lolato GRB Entertainment Distribution Panel
George Reese Seeka TV Distribution Panel
Eric Y. Lapointe Just for Laughs
Matthew Clarke Filmmaker / Writer Actor / Musician CBC Comedy Panel
Zach Feldberg CBC CBC Comedy Panel
Chris Harris CBC CBC Comedy Panel
Moderator: CBC Comedy Panelist: Distribution
Rod Perth RHP Media Consulting VWF Special Guest
David Milchard Actor / Producer CBC Comedy Panel
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Workshops
David Feuillatre
Lucas Kappaz
James Kingstone
Sean Ronan
Bronwyn Lewis
Founder and CEO
Co-Founder & CRO
Producer/Partner
Production Manager
Zebra VR VR Workshop
VR Americas VR Workshop
Producer/Director/ Partner
Hammer & Tong VR Workshop
Adobe Adobe Workshop
Dave Fracchia
Kevin Harwood
Jeff Young
Joely Collins
Moyra Rodger
Executive Producer
Creative Director
Entertainment & Media Attorney
President
CEO
Million Faces Productions Build Your Audience Online In Five Easy Steps
Magnify Digital Build Your Audience Online In Five Easy Steps
The Station Alternate Reality Marketing
The Station Alternate Reality Marketing
Hammer & Tong VR Workshop
Altman & Company Legal Issues in a Digital Age
Take advantage of our massage chairs, RELAX and enjoy yourself at VWF2017!
GET A MASSAGE AT OUR
NETWORKING LOUNGE courtesy of
Langara RMT! 10am - 3pm / Saturday & Sunday 7
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The new online distribution platform by ďŹ lmmakers, for ďŹ lmmakers www.seeka.tv
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Proud sponsor of the 2017 Vancouver Web Fest
JUDGES Anita Adams Founder First Weekend Club Vancouver, Canada
Jesper Kjolsrud Visual Effects Supervisor London UK
Maike Buckmakowski Social Media Consultant Berlin, Germany
Sylvia Kocman Director of Business Development, The Format People Inc. Montreal, Canada
Marc Checkley Founder / Creative Director, IO Creative Singapore, Singapore Sarah Coursey Americas at Zee TV USA Inc New York CIty, USA Marie-Charlotte Derne FX TD - Weta Digital Wellington, New Zealand Delia Dobritoiu International TV Producer London, UK Lindsay Elizabeth Donovan Consultant and Director of Sales, Technicolor Canada, Inc. Vancouver, Canada Tom de Grunwald Director of Media, Blurrt Ltd London, UK Lisa Gray Executive Producer / Content Consultant, Interactive Television - Development London, UK Robert Guastini Dialogue Editor, Sony Pictures Los Angeles, USA Pola Hempowicz Channel Executive, Comedy Central Poland Warsaw, Poland David C. Jones Writer / Director Vancouver, Canada
Eric Y. Lapointe Senior Director, International Sales & Digital Development, Just for Laughs Montreal, Canada Sandra Lehner Head of Content, TMWA\ Switzerland Zurich, Switzerland Lissa Lloyd Talent Agent, Lloyd Talent Vancouver, Canada Michael Lolato Senior Vice President, International Distribution, GRB Entertainment Los Angeles, USA Tyler Massey Vice President, International Distribution and Co-Productions, IM Global TV Los Angeles, USA Edith Sierra Montaño Consultant and Producer, Interactive & Transmedia Content London, UK Omri Marcus CEO, The Comic Genome Project Tel Aviv, Israel Sean Patrick O’Reilly CEO and founder, Arcana Studio Vancouver, Canada Michele Partridge Owner/Head Instructor, The Drama Class White Rock, Canada Doug Paterson Sound Designer and Founder Big World Sound Vancouver, Canada
Matthias Puschmann Co-Founder and Managing Director VAST MEDIA Berlin, Germany Thomas Rogel Writer, N2O Comedy Recklinghausen, Germany Syatirah Safran Chief Content, CMC WiseMe Media Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Kent Speakman CEO, Producer - KNEKT.TV Los Angeles, USA Simon Staffans CEO, Founder, ReThink Vasa, Finland J. Martin Taylor Co-Owner, The Mix Room Vancouver, Canada Brian Topp Composer, Programmer, Performer and Sound Artist Vancouver, Canada Claudia Rodríguez Valencia CEO, Preciosa Media Bogotá, Colombia Satoru Watanabe Senior Producer , NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Tokyo, Japan John T. Wells VP of Business Development Frequency Networks Los Angeles, USA David Wilkinson Senior Colourist, Technicolor Vancouver, Canada Nathalie Wogue Entertainment format Expert & Associate Director, Ascendo TV Paris, France
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SERIES All About The Britos Brazil / Comedy Rafael Brito is a guy with trouble leaving his youth. Brito has no job, no girlfriend, no ambitions and no perspective. He has only two things in life: Chelo and Rico, his eccentric neighbors and friends. A big change in his life happens when he discovers that Kelly, a former girlfriend he had not seen for 15 years, has a 15 year old daughter. With him. Forced to straighten up and relate to this “news” called Rachel, Rafael is his worst nightmare: the need to grow up.
Ana Argentina / Action-Adventure A man try to rescue his girlfriend from human traffickers and sexual abuse, but the viewer of the web serie is the one who choose among 8 endings.
Bertrand France / Comedy On a ‘break’ with his girlfriend, Bertrand moves in with their upstairs neighbour who happens to be hacking every webcam of the building.
Brutal France / Action-Adventure Axel Chen, ex-special forces officer, is a bouncer in a nightclub. One night, he is brutally attacked by a group of customers, and is wrongfully accused of having killed one of his aggressors.Thus begins a wild escape that will take him all the way to Bangkok, where he will have to fight to prove his innocence and manage to make a living.
Conversations From The Afterlife USA / Science Fiction ‘Conversations From the Afterlife’ is the story of Clayton Gibb and Isabel Markovski. Throughout the series we follow Gibb on his challenging path which includes conversations with moronic first-lifers, a bet with the Devil (aka Jerry) for possession of his eternal soul and the jarring process of being re-incarnated all in the name of a second chance at life. “One of the great things about being a director as a life choice is that it can never be mastered. Every story is its own kind of expedition, with its own set of challenges.” Ron Howard 11
Actor
Craigslist Therapist USA / Comedy CRAIGSLIST THERAPIST is a comedic digital series about Steven Wellish as he toils to fill the emotional, physical and financial void left after his wife, psychiatrist Dr. Rory Wellish, moves out. With the help of his cousin Gordon, Steven overcomes his issues by pretending to be his wife and practicing therapy out of his home.
Cumbia Nena Argentina / Musical Juli and Milu are two young musicians facing the challenge of making a living with their passion. The show narrates their day to day and their past: how they met, how they started the band, how to start making music through self-management, social networks and crowdfunding.
Discocalypse Germany / Horror Wake up with the young, stuttering Zecke on a club toilet in Germany, in the middle of a bad hangover. The last days‘ memories lead to a hell of a night and a journey through a disco infected with zombie-like monsters!
Divine Shadow USA / Action-Adventure A teen girl mysteriously develops super strength while protecting her sister and suddenly finds herself imperiled in a secret battle of good versus evil.
Don’t Do It USA / Horror A series of would-be horror shorts.
Dropping The Soap USA / Comedy Shit’s about to get real for the cast and crew of the long-running (awful) soap-opera “Collided Lives” when new Executive Producer Olivia Vanderstein (Jane Lynch) shows up to shake things up.
Fluffy Marky Canada / Family Mark and his Trio of Terror have perfected a reign of terror at school until the day he wakes up to find himself transformed into a puppet. Now harmless and suffering from the shock of his transformation, he must confront his former victims who want revenge, as well as the members of the Trio of Terror, who want to take his place. From now on, Mark must learn to survive as Fluffy Marky.
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Fools For Hire Canada / Comedy FOOLS FOR HIRE is a comedy webseries about two guys, doing whatever it takes to survive the often humiliating world of corporate entertainment.
Ghost Cam Italy / Horror The ‘Ghost cam’ is an application that allows the smarthphone’s cam to shoot the ‘Soon to die’. They are spirits of people in danger, very close to death, who leave their body to seek help.
Gold Mountain USA / Mystery Two Asian American police detectives investigate a series of grisly murders as a looming war between an old Chinese “family” and the Russian mafia threatens to tear apart San Francisco’s Chinatown.
Growing Up Guide Pup USA / Family Growing Up Guide Pup is brought to you by Amie and Matt Chapman who dedicate their mission to help their fellow humans who have disabilities and life challenges. During the webisodes they endure much drama in order to train their pups for proper development to become a service dog.
Hidden Italy / Thriller Five strangers are gathered on an abandoned island by a mysterious landlord. They are all guilty of terrible crimes and for those they must die..
INVANCITY Canada / Documentary A web series that celebrates the city of Vancouver by highlighting it’s artists, entrepreneurs, interesting people and phenomenons that make it such a special city.
“I do believe in the power of story. I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings, that they can stimulate, amaze and inspire.”
Hayao Miyazaki
“People have forgotten how to tell a story. Stories don’t have a middle or an end any more. They usually have a beginning that never stops beginning.” 13
Steven Spielberg
IWF OFFICIAL SELECTION NOMINATION
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SEMI-FINALIST
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CineFest
2017
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JLT’s The Other Love Story United Kingdom / Drama This series is the story of two young girls who develop romantic feelings for each other set in the 90’s of Bangalore – a love story in the era of love letters and land line phones, bellbottom jeans and roadside tea.
JourneyQuest, Season 3 USA / Fantasy Stuck in the wilderness for five years on a quest that he never asked for, comedically inept wizard Perf finally has a chance to sleep in a real bed. In a real town. In something approximating civilization. But first, he’ll have to evade his keen-eared companion, the elf Nara, who is driven to achieve her destiny at any costs. Meanwhile, the Pale Lady weaves a web of doom around our heroes in pursuit of her plans for the undead priest Carrow, Rilk and his orcs pursue the psychotic orcslayer Glorion, and two competing bards battle for ownership of the world’s most important epic.
Julie France / Science Fiction This is the story of Julie (24), who goes to a party, sees young Vincent get bit up in the street, and decides to help him out. While she takes care of the attackers, Vincent runs away. His cellphone falls on the floor, so she grabs it. The object holds a very dangerous program that pirates her computer. Julie ends up in the middle of a conflict between two opposite camps. On one side is a company that will stop at nothing to get the program back. On the other side is Vincent, the hacker she helped, and his mysterious ally who acts like a robot.
Kill Skills France / Thriller Two professional killers, who hate each other, have to work together however, commissioned by the same entrepreneur. They know how to kill, they just don’t know how to live.
Late Bloomer USA / Reality “Late Bloomer” is an urban garden reality show hosted by Kaye Kittrell. Learn helpful tips on how to grow your own food while following Kaye’s adventures as a food grower in her Los Angeles front yard.. The series includes entertaining interviews with other food growers, and takes a close look at garden insects like the Monarch butterfly and bees. Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls.” Ingmar Bergman 15
Director
Life Sucks! But At Least I’ve Got Elbows Estonia / Animation A precocious 9 year old girl pesters her philosophical father about life’s big questions - Love, Death, Religion, etc. The dad gives an admirable stab at satisfying her curiosity between his son’s irreverent interjections and traumatic memories of his ex-wife (who never appears on screen but this doesn’t prevent us from learning all about her, ummm, generous sexual lifestyle…) as we are reminded by a bizarre squawking bird: ‘Life Sucks!’.
Madame Hollywood France / Thriller Two top models are held hostages in their own New York loft by a psychopath appearing on their TV screen. The torture begins.
Meet The Ladybugs USA / Animation A cross between South Park and School House Rock, this award-winning animated comedy created by singer/songwriter Dorothy Wallace uses comedy and music to raise awareness about serious issues affecting kids and to help educate kids about difficult topics.
Mimosas With #Millie USA / Comedy “MIMOSAS WITH MILLIE” is a comedic slice of life satirizing conversations over mimosas between Millie, an entitled and highly opinionated Millennial, and her best friend Becky. For 24 years MILLIE has been living in a warm cocoon of privilege. Armed with lofty goals and even more inflated expectations Millie and her friend BECKY spend their final days poolside before venturing outside her Father’s security gates and into the real world.
Mina Murray’s Journal United Kingdom / Fantasy A modernised, webseries vlog adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with Mina as the hero.
Mom And Me (And Everyone Online) Canada / Drama Having moved home after a break up, Rachel’s Mum encourages her to try online dating. Rachel agrees but only if her single mother tries it as well and so the series begins. Not your average mother-daughter relationship, Rachel and her Mum aren’t just family their friends, get to know them and hear their opinions on men, dating, sex and life.
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Nasty Habits USA / Drama Nasty Habits is a collection of vignettes featuring characters partaking in their own addictive habits.
No Strings Attached Australia / Documentary “No Strings Attached” features true Grindr, Tinder, Happn, RSVP and Snapchat stories re-enacted by a cast of puppets. Innovative and off-beat, this series features real-life voice recordings of people relaying their tales of dating triumph and woe in 5-7 minute vignettes which are then lip-synced and re-enacted by puppets who dramatise these dates; from the ordinary to the extraordinary, heartwarming to the heart-breaking.
ONYROS Italy / Thriller Onyros is an organization that under the cover of a broadcasting company, presents a secret structure with one purpose only: to feed on the vital energy produced by people’s dreams.
Or So the Story Goes USA / Horror You’re either internet famous or you’re not. Teen vlogger, Gretel Martin has one goal- get as many views on her web show, “Sweet Truth” as possible. Armed with cameras Gretel an her tech savvy best friend, Hansel chase a story into the local woods that they soon grow to regret.
Petrol Canada / Mystery PETROL is a high-octane action/thriller series that follows five reckless drivers from all walks of life who work for a mysterious employer. It’s Sons of Anarchy with the thrust of Fast & Furious. Dealing with themes of redemption, abandonment, and racial tensions, Petrol delivers a compelling and unpredictable story arc.
Roo-ining Christmas USA / Musical Musical millennial Roo McGoo prepares for his first ever live holiday spectaculoo, except can he confirm an appearance by Santa amidst interruptions from his Aunt Marigold and Jesus himself?
Scout
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Australia / Drama A low-paid security guard finds himself in grave danger when his out of hours surveillance obsession uncovers police corruption and murder in his regional Australian town. 6 days, 6 key players ... events once buried reemerge, as evidence is uncovered in this thrilling series.
Seasonal Life Canada / Documentary Every year, thousands of latin-american migrant workers will participate in the harvest packaging of vegetables, transforming the traditional image of rural Québec. The webdocumentary “Seasonal Life” provides an immersion into the daily lives of these men’s unknown reality.
Single & Dating in Vancouver Canada / Comedy Five singles in pursuit of their perfect mate, may have finally met their match.
Soldiers of Earth Canada / Science Fiction In a dystopian future, five individuals are brought together by Earth herself to be activated with an elemental charge in order to rectify an urgent unbalance threatening humanity.
Starting From Now Australia / Drama Starting From Now (SFN) explores the lives of four inner-Sydney lesbians as they struggle to work out who they are, find a place where they belong, and maybe even find someone to love along the way.
Stay At Home Mom USA / Family Leah, now at the end of her pregnancy, thinks she’s adjusted to the stay at home mom world, until she learns that one of her fellow mom friends is now working with her husband, and her new hot OB may be more than she can handle. Just when she thinks she has a hold on her pregnant life and marital challenges, new and sudden circumstances make her question if the parent/marriage life will ever get easier.
Sublets USA / Comedy Will and Tess are stuck in post-collegiate purgatory. This co-dependent duo is struggling to pay bills, stay focused, and find fulfillment while navigating life in New York City. On top of this, their lives get even more complicated when their longtime roommate deserts them unexpectedly. With no other choices available, they must find a sublet to fill the empty room, and quick. Rent is due! Every time each new potential tenant arrives, they bring out the flaws of this neurotic but lovable pair.
“Nobody will ever notice that. Filmmaking is not about the tiny details. It’s about the big picture.” Ed Wood
Actor / Writer / Director/ Producer
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Surf Therapy France / Action-Adventure To escape from neighbourhood drug dealers, Scott, a rebellious teenager, is forced to spend the summer with his godfather who he’s never met, at his place in a small coastal town in Morocco. Immersed in an unknown environment where surfing is the only playground, Scott gets in everyone’s way, comes up against his own prejudices, and gradually finds himself.
Tea Time France / Mystery At the earliest twentieth century, five women of the bourgeoisie like to meet each other at tea time for discussing murder news. But these discussions to pass the time will not be enough for ever and the idea that they could be able to commit a crime themselves begins to grow. Until one of them actually cross the line...
Teenagers Canada / Drama Unhindered by politics or network censorship, “Teenagers” aims to be a fresh, gritty and educational series that authentically illustrates the world of millennial youth, written and created by filmmakers who have experienced it first-hand. A mirror to Canada’s multicultural society, “Teenagers” and its eclectic teen characters serve up endless drama, tackling diverse, relatable and socially relevant themes and issues.
Telegraph Cove Canada / Mystery “TELEGRAPH COVE” is the story of Anna, co-owner and operator of a seasonal wildlife tour company whose husband, Dave, mysteriously goes missing during a private, end-ofthe-season film charter. When the coast guard call off the search with no leads or logical explanation for their disappearance, Anna takes matters into her own hands to discover the truth.
That’s My DJ Canada / Drama Each Season of That’s My DJ follows a different character within the electronic music scene in Toronto. From heartbeat to heartbreak, chasing dreams and chasing highs, it’s an unapologetic look at music, cliques and artists all trying to find their place within the new order of rave.
The Adventures of Broken Heart Argentina / Animation If the heart could talk, this would be its first television show. With the special appearances of Rabid Penis, Drunk Liver and Operated Kidney.
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The Forgotten Salmon Canada / Documentary The story of the lost Atlantic Salmon of Lake Ontario, how we lost them, and a restoration effort to bring them back to the great inland sea.
THE LEAGUE OF S.T.E.A.M. USA / Science Fiction A Steampunk Musical! In 1888, on a mission to save the world, The League of S.T.E.A.M. (a team of steampunk monster-hunters) take a roller coaster down into Hell to face off with The Devil.
The Partitioned USA / Science Fiction Sara Holden, a telepath who narrowly escaped the Turn, has lived out in seclusion, but now a group looks to her as their leader and it seems as if she may be their only hope of slowing their extinction.
The Plateaus Canada / Musical Just as their musical star begins to rise, The Plateaus, unexpectedly lose their lead singer to a tragic accident during a band practice. Morgan, Tryke, and Davian – the remaining band members – are left to their own clueless devices to carry on without him. The result isa hilarious parody of an independent band trying to climb the ladder of success...and failing at every turn.
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The Room Actors: Where Are They Now? USA / Comedy “The Room Actors: Where Are They Now” is a mockumentary-style web series that takes a fictionalized, tongue-in-cheek look at what happened to the actors in the 2003 cult film, “The Room” after appearing in what The Guardian and Entertainment Weekly called “the Citizen Kane of bad movies.” Combining “talking heads” with docu-style footage, the series follows seven of the original actors as they comically struggle with either embracing or shaking “The Room’s” “worst movie ever made” stigma.
The Spell Tutor Canada / Fantasy Award-winning web series inspired by the works of J.K.Rowling. In episodes 3 - 5, the death of Emma’s mother leads to some unexpected revelations.
The Wizards of Aus Australia / Fantasy Fed up with the magical realm’s obsession with large-scale fantasy warfare, Jack the wizard decides to migrate to the sanest place he can think of: Melbourne’s western suburbs. After accidentally causing Flinders Street Station to turn ever so slightly into a giant fish monster, his existence (and that of his fellow magical immigrants) is revealed to the Australian public. Fearing a backlash against himself and his kind, Jack swears off using magic in a bid to better assimilate into human life. But of course, fitting in was never going to be easy when people tend to get a bit ‘explode-y’ whenever you sneeze...
Theater So Good Italy / Documentary A group of five Italians and a Mozambican ask themselves “And what if we found a group of actors in north Mozambique? Could we work with them and create a theatre performance with health information that they could act out in their villages?” while they are travelling round the forests in Northern Mozambique, searching for five actors to take back to Italy and produce a show on health information
This Is That Canada / Comedy A collection of six satirical news stories from the hit CBC Radio satirical current affairs program “This Is That”.
Thornbrook USA / Mystery In this award winning mystery, a young 19th Century woman must search for her missing lover in a town plagued by gruesome murders. Told in the style of a Penny Dreadful (a Victorian pulp/suspense novel), this pettycoat thriller with a dash of steampunk delivers monsters, mad doctors, and mysterious plots.
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To Believe or Not Argentina / Action-Adventure Franco and his friend Coto try to find a woman who apparently died two years ago. They’ll receive guidance from a mysterious parapsychologist in their quest. The three of them will begin a twisty journey where paranormal phenomenon and irrational methods for some, but magical for others, merge in a single objective.
Untourage Netherlands / Reality What can we learn from a scientist giving an art tour or a science experiment explained by an artist? A webseries of videos of tours guided by artists/designers or scientists/ technologists, depending on the tour location. The guide is challenged to explain something outside their expertise in a playful way to a savvy public.
Verde Noir USA / Reality “VERDE NOIR” combines narrative improvisation, documentary interviews, and stop action animation to tell the story of two Washington State cannabis cultivators who attempt to make the transition from black market to the regulated I-502 market.
“I was always a filmmaker before I was anything else. If I was always anything, I was a storyteller, and it never really made much of a difference to me what medium I worked in.” Nicholas Meyer
Screenwriter / Director/ Producer Includes Internet 150
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SCHEDULE FRIDAY / March 17 PRE-WORKSHOP 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
COFFEE, DONUTS & NETWORKING Come get some and do some...
WORKSHOP 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
VIRTUAL REALITY Local VR innovators producing content discuss topics on: VIRTUAL REALITY - Journey from Cinema to VR. This presentation will retrace the evolution of film as a medium from Thomas Edison to James Cameron, through the invention of computer graphics, the internet, and the mobile revolution and now through the cognitive concepts behind VR. Proposing a unique perspective on what Virtual Reality truly can be.
HISTORY OF VR - Development of virtual reality over the last 50 years.
Deconstructing 2016 as the “year of VR�. Exploring the current limitations on growth and providing some future forecasts including entertainment, travel, education and ethics.
MAKING VR TODAY - My first days directing a VR experience. Analyzing how
VR wedges itself in between film and theatre from a production standpoint. Comparing live action VR to its counterpart - and the bridging of the gap between video games and cinema. Also exploring the realization that indeed the user is the true director in VR.
ETHICAL SELF BRAIN HACKING - Reality is built inside the brain. We will show how some of our work will allow people to unlock its own brain, build new neuro-patterns to learn easier and faster, or to reconstruct harmed neuropatterns to a faster recovery from illness. Using brain code and patterns are a powerful tool to engage your own brain for higher levels of learning, training, and medical recovery. The analytics obtained through the process create a positive feedback chain to make wiser and more informed decisions. This is the perfect storm for the interaction among software, hardware, and computer vision applications. James Kingstone - Partner at Hammer & Tong - Vancouver, Canada Sean Ronan - Partner at Hammer & Tong - Vancouver, Canada David Feuillatre - Founder & CEO of Zebra VR - Vancouver, Canada Lucas Kappaz - Co-Founder & CRO of VR Americas - Los Angeles, USA 27
WORKSHOP 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Alternate Reality Marketing Discussions around the strategies behind and insights into marketing VR Storytelling. Leading up to the launch of the game, “The Station”, the narrative has been extended into an Alternate-Reality Website - you can watch the story unfold live at www.ExploreAxiom.com. From the moment the alien exo-planet world is discovered, the universe of The Station will be shared through this storycentric website and become the central pillar of our marketing campaign.
Dave Fracchia - Executive Producer for ‘The Station Game’ Kevin Harwood - Creative Director for ‘The Station Game’ Vancouver Canada
WORKSHOP 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
ADOBE FASTER, BETTER, STRONGER- ACHIEVING HIGH PRODUCTION VALUE ON LOW PRODUCTION BUDGET Learn tips on creating great looking content using Adobe Creative Cloud tools. Shortcuts, hidden features and new innovations in the Adobe Digital Video and Audio tools can make your content look and sound great. Get an overview and some great tips and tricks as well as resources for additional ways to get the most out of your work.
Bronwyn Lewis - Production Manager at ADOBE Seattle, United States
WORKSHOP 2:15 PM - 3:45 PM
LEGAL ISSUES IN THE DIGITAL AGE Altman and Company Entertainment & Media Attorney Jeff Young discusses some of the pitfalls and benefits of the digital age. Subjects include Music Rights, Rights of Publicity, Rights of Privacy, Defamation, The Public Domain, Copyright, Trademarks, Parody and Satire, Images and footage, Errors and Omissions, Protecting your rights and property. Bring your questions for this comprehensive legal workshop!
Jeff Young - Entertainment & Media Attorney Altman and Company - Seattle, United States 28
WORKSHOP 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
BUILD YOUR AUDIENCE ONLINE IN FIVE EASY STEPS! Join Magnify Digital CEO, Moyra Rodger, for a fast paced presentation revealing the five essential steps of every successful online audience building strategy. This session is a must see for content creators and distributors looking to crack the discoverability code. Moyra Rodger - CEO, Magnify Digital Vancouver, Canada
Joely Collins - President, Million Faces Productions Vancouver, Canada
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
VANCOUVER ECONOMIC COMMISSION 2017 INDUSTRY SPEED DATING Sponsored by the Vancouver Economic Commission, VWF’s Speed Dating Event brings together content creators with companies and individuals looking for content, partnerships and creative new relationships. Participants get 3 minutes to pitch their projects and themselves, exchange cards and to make an impression. Once the 3 minutes is up, move on to the next person and do it again! Practice your pitching skills and forge new relationships in a fun and fast paced environment. The speed dating will be followed by a cocktail reception aimed to solidify new relationships in a more casual setting. Distribution Companies Attending: Altman & Company Jeff Young
Lark Productions Briean Kenward
Pink Buffalo Films Rich Murray
CBC Digital Chris Harris
Machinima Brandon Bauman
Propagate Content Brett-Patrick Jenkins
CBC Digital Zach Feldberg
Million Faces Productions Joely Collins
Really Real Films Allan and Cynde Harmon
Force Four Entertainment Dominique Marie Mongeau GRB Entertainment Michael Lolato Just For Laughs Eric Y. Lapointe
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OFF ISLAND Andrew Williamson Omnifilm Entertainment Elizabeth Schofield OUTtv Nicky Forsman
RHP Media Consulting Rod Perth Seeka TV George Reese Telefilm Canada John Dippong VRAmericas Lucas Kappaz
7:00 PM - 1:00 AM
LAUNCH PARTY Hosted by Mackenzie Gray Start the evening with a cocktail hour of networking and mingling over drinks. Watch an exclusive viewing of the trailers for the “Best of BC” nominees. Transition into a fantastic evening of fun with the
VWF2017 Launch Party. Sponsored by: Directors Guild of Canada, BC Chapter
Music, Networking, Partying! Come and spend a great evening with us in a St. Paddy’s Day Theme. Have a Jameson Whiskey Welcome - on us! Wear Green - Win Prizes!
SATURDAY / MARCH 18 SCREENINGS Block 1 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM MC: Yvette Lu ALL ABOUT THE BRITOS
Comedy
São Paulo,Brazil
CUMBIA NENA
Musical
Buenos Aires, Argentina
GROWING UP GUIDE PUP
Family
Hayward, United States
TELEGRAPH COVE
Mystery
Vancouver, Canada
TEENAGERS
Drama
Mississauga, Canada
Free coffee and donuts at morning screenings. 30
Block 2 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM MC: Yvette Lu LATE BLOOMER
Reality
Pacific Palisades, USA
GHOST CAM
Horror
Viterbo, Italy
THE WIZARDS OF AUS
Fantasy
Collingwood, Australia
THE PLATEAUS
Musical
Toronto, Canada
LIFE SUCKS! BUT AT Animation LEAST I’VE GOT ELBOWS MOM AND ME (AND EVERYONE ONLINE)
Drama
MIMOSAS WITH #MILLIE
Comedy
Tallinn, Estonia Vancouver, Canada California, USA
PANEL 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
DISTRIBUTION So you made a web series, what’s next? Join our Panel of Experts and find out everything you need to know about selling your series and landing that elusive distribution deal to show it to the world.
Moderator: Caterina Scrivano - IndustryWorks Pictures, Inc - Vancouver, Canada Caterina is the VP Sales & Marketing, Television & Feature Film Content.
Panelists: Brandon Bauman - Machinima - Los Angeles, USA Brandon is Senior Counsel and Director.
Eric Y. Lapointe - Just for Laughs - Montreal, Canada Eric is the Senior Director for International Sales & Digital Development.
Michael Lolato - GRB Entertainment - Los Angeles, USA Michael is the Senior Vice President for International Distribution.
George Reese - Seeka TV - Minneapolis-St. Paul, USA George is the Co-founder and VP of Programming, Seeka TV
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Block 3 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM MC: Kris McRonney Mystery
THORNBROOK
Kingston, USA
Science Fiction
THE LEAGUE OF S.T.E.A.M.
Los Angeles, USA
Comedy
CRAIGSLIST THERAPIST
Valley Village, USA
ONYROS Thriller Carmignano di Brenta, Italy Action/Adventure
DIVINE SHADOW
Burien, USA
Animation
THE PARTITIONED
Los Angeles, USA
Block 4 2:30 PM - 4:15 PM MC: Kris McRonney SINGLE AND DATING IN VANCOUVER
Comedy
TO BELIEVE OR NOT
Action/Adventure
Vancouver, Canada Buenos Aires, Argentina
Thriller
HIDDEN
Ustica, Italy
Documentary
Ontario, Canada
NASTY HABITS
Drama
Los Angeles, USA
TEA TIME
Mystery
Lyon, France
OR SO THE STORY GOES
Horror Weehawken, USA
THE FORGOTTEN SALMON
4:15 PM - 5:00 PM
KEYNOTE SPEAKER BRETT-PATRICK JENKINS Head of Development at Propagate Content Los Angeles, United States
“The Future Of Digital Television Series: How To Succeed” 32
Block 5 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM MC: Mackenzie Gray MINA MURRAY’S JOURNAL THE ADVENTURES OF BROKEN HEART KILL STILLS
Fantasy
London, UK
Animation
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Thriller
Magenta, France
CONVERSATIONS FROM Science Fiction THE AFTERLIFE
Maplewood, USA
Drama
Toronto, Canada
SUBLETS
Comedy
New York, USA
DISCOCALYPSE
Horror
Cologne, Germany
FOOLS FOR HIRE
Comedy
Vancouver, Canada
THAT’S MY DJ
BRUTAL SOLDIERS OF EARTH
Action/Adventure Science Fiction
Puteaux, France Vancouver, Canada
Block 6 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM MC: Mackenzie Gray PETROL
Mystery
Mississauga, Canada
ROO-INING CHRISTMAS
Musical
Hawthorne, USA
THE ROOM ACTORS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Comedy
Los Angeles, USA
Drama
Sydney, Australia
STARTING FROM NOW JULIE
Science Fiction
Paris, France
THIS IS THAT
Comedy
Vancouver, Canada
MADAME HOLLYWOOD
Thriller
Paris, France
GOLD MOUNTAIN
Mystery
San Francisco, USA
END OF SATURDAY SCREENINGS...
Joanne Bentley and Mohave 33
9:00 PM - 9:30 PM
GAME SHOW “What the Hell Do YOU Know?” Come Get your Game On! Come take part in this zany trivia game that challenges your knowledge and reflexes by polarizing the room for low-budget prizes. Hosted by the multi-talented Mike Cavers. (AKA Dink Martindale)
9:30 PM - 1:00 AM
KARAOKE SATURDAY IS A PERFECT NIGHT TO SING... SING OUT LOUD The Evil Bastard KARAOKE Experience with Dan Hill. Come have a great evening and request a song or three... and by that we mean you get to sing them. C’mon, everybody loves karaoke! **Karaoke Party included in 3-day pass or 1-day Saturday pass ...otherwise $20
NOTES:
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SUNDAY / MARCH 19 Block 7 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM MC: Winson Won Documentary
SEASONAL LIFE
Maisonnette, Canada
UNTOURAGE
Reality
Eindhoven, Netherlands
FLUFFY MARKY
Family
Quebec, Canada
THE SPELL TUTOR
Fantasy
Toronto, Canada
THEATER SO GOOD
Documentary
MEET THE LADYBUGS
Animation
North Bergen, USA
Family
STAY AT HOME MOM
Calabasas, USA
BERTRAND
Comedy
INVANCITY
Documentary
*
Rome, Italy
Paris, France Vancouver, Canada
Free coffee and donuts at morning screenings.
PANEL 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CBC COMEDY - INFUSED WITH MAPLE SYRUP Join CBC for a one-hour panel discussion on how to make great content – that’s both funny and Canadian as maple bacon. This CBC panel will ask the most important question from CBC execs and YouTube creators: What do Canadians find funny? Moderator: Eric Y. Lapointe Senior Director for International Sales & Digital Development Just For Laughs - Montreal, Canada
Panelists: Chris Harris EP, Digital / Scripted CBC Toronto, Canada
Matthew Clarke Filmmaker / Writer / Actor Musician Vancouver, Canada 35
Zach Feldberg Executive in Charge of Production, Digital Originals CBC Toronto, Canada
David Milchard Actor/Producer Musician Vancouver, Canada
Block 7 12:05 PM - 2:10 PM MC: Winson Won NO STRINGS ATTACHED Documentary
Melbourne, Australia
SURF THERAPY
Drama
Puteaux, France
VERDE NOIR
Reality
Washington, USA
JLT’S THE OTHER LOVE STORY
Drama
London, UK
DON’T DO IT!
Horror
Seattle, USA
SCOUT
Drama
Brisbane, Australia
DROPPING THE SOAP
Comedy
JOURNEYQUEST
Fantasy Seattle, USA
ANA
North Hollywood, USA
Action/Adventure Buenos Aires, Argentina
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM
YOUTUBE EVENT Creating Relevant Content on YouTube Screening, Panel, Meet and Greet Join us for our first ever YouTube Afternoon. YouTube’s loyalty platform Juniper will discuss details of its program. Joel Wegner - CEO, Juniper - Vancouver, Canada Then we will be showcasing content by popular content creators followed by an insightful panel discussion on using YouTube as a platform. Following the panels is a Meet And Greet. Moderator: Matthew Clarke Filmmaker / Writer / Actor / Musician Vancouver, Canada
Lisa Schwartz - YouTuber/lisbug - Los Angeles, USA Jennifer Chiu - YouTuber/chiutips - Vancouver, Canada Matt Dennison & Jason Lucas - YouTuber/IFHT Films Vancouver, Canada
Bradley Friesen - YouTuber/Helicopter Pilot - Vancouver, Canada 36
AWARD CEREMONY & GALA 6:30 PM - 11:15 PM Doors open at Performance Works Cocktails / Red Carpet 6:30 PM Doors open to Theater More Cocktails / Red Carpet 7:30 PM
Awards Ceremony with MC Mike Cavers 8:00 PM Prior to the start of the ceremony, Vancouver Web Fest is proud to present the World Premiere of Just For Laughs’ web series comedy ‘Explaining to an Alien’
Music & Drinks & Celebration 9:30 - 11:15 PM Our most heartfelt thanks and appreciation for all of you who entered your series and have come out to join us for VWF 2017! - The Vancouver Web Fest Team
Vancouver Web Fest is a proud sponsor of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
Proud Supporter We are contributing the proceeds from the Silent Auction to this charitable organization! 37
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