Filmmakers invited to participate in an intensive immersion program into the world of cinema at the Barrie Campus

Oct. 9, 2015

Filmmakers are invited to unite at Georgian College’s Barrie Campus this October for a series of intensive workshops.

The Georgian College Filmmakers Summit, taking place over two weekends (Oct. 17, 18 and Oct. 24, 25), will immerse participants in the world of cinema – past, present and future. The program will allow established and emerging filmmakers to create new and compelling story content. Summit organizers hope to push the participants to their artistic and technological limits.

“This summit is a boot camp for those interested in all aspects of the film industry – people who love film and stories,” says Paul Koidis, Associate Dean, Design and Visual Arts. “It’s a great mentorship opportunity, offering young filmmakers the chance to learn from some of the industry’s best professionals.”

“This is Georgian’s first foray into the world of film and we’re planning to host more activities like this summit. Ideally, I would like to see an ongoing project of this kind every year,” he adds.

The summit will consist of two weekends of workshops that will allow participants to completely immerse themselves in the art of making a film. They’ll take advantage of professional insights from world-class filmmakers, industry professionals and cultural taste-makers like Piers Handling – the director and chief executive officer of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) – who are creating a Canadian cinematic revolution.

Other award-winning industry professionals taking part in the summit include Alex Shuper, Elan Mastai, Gail Harvey, Geoff Pevere, Michael Dowse, Phillip Daniels, Shael Stolberg, Wayne Clarkson and Wyeth Clarkson -summit creator and director.

“We were looking to organize a summit of this type in the area and Georgian was eager to get involved,” says Clarkson. “It’s a perfect fit for Georgian’s new one-year graduate certificate in Digital Video that’s being launched in 2016.”

Clarkson says the landscape around Barrie is a filmmaker’s dream. “When you can get out of the city it frees your mind. For Georgian to be nestled within this environment is inspiring from a creative perspective.”

He adds there are talented filmmakers in the area and the summit will help them hone their skills, network with industry professionals and get jobs. The last day of the summit will feature a viewing and critique.

“The unique aspect of this summit is that participants will actually have the opportunity to create a film for their portfolio, share it, and get constructive feedback from key professionals in the Canadian filmmaking industry,” says Clarkson.

And most importantly, Clarkson hopes participants will become inspired by what they learn at the summit.

“Inspiration is such a critical part of teaching. I hope the summit sparks that ember and encourages them to do something with what they learn.”

Participants can register for the full four days or for individual sessions. The summit is geared to anyone interested in the film industry and the art of storytelling.

For more information visit the filmmakers summit website.