for immediate release:
Whitby-raised emerging filmmaker duo wins Durham Region International Film Festival’s $30,000 incubator prize
Whitby, ON - Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF) is proud to announce Van Wickiam and his short film ‘Heap’ as the winning submission of its inaugural filmmaker incubator contest. The Shifting the Narrative: Emerging Filmmaker Incubator will provide Wickiam and his team with $30,000 cash, mentoring and in-kind services to produce their film and have it screened at DRIFF’s August 18 drive-in event in Whitby.
“This program not only provides a substantial opportunity for emerging filmmakers from the region, but it also signals to the next generation of filmmakers that there is a community and support system right in their own backyard. I think that is a crucial component to elevating homegrown talent and I’m really excited to learn from this program and contribute to the Durham Region film community,” says Wickiam.
The winning project, ‘Heap,’ is a dark comedy about a disturbed and disillusioned tenant who discovers a strange Utopian community in the building next door and the tangled web she weaves to get what she wants. It explores issues of social hierarchy, the lack of affordable housing, and mental health, with a creative stylistic approach that will combine a super 16 millimetre film look with a harder edged digital video image to contrast two levels of reality which seem increasingly incompatible.
The creative team of Wickiam and director Kyle Marchen both grew up in Durham, meeting at Sinclair Secondary School in Whitby before heading off to Toronto to pursue film studies. Since then, they've kept their Durham connections active, and have committed to filming this new project in the region. Wickiam is also an alumnus of DRIFF, co-producing ‘This Garden is Yours’ which screened at the DRIFF fall festival in 2020.
“Everyone involved in the selection process was extremely impressed, not just with the winner, but with all eight semi-finalists,” says Peter Findlay, a filmmaker on the selection committee and member of the DRIFF Board of Directors. “What a great crop of emerging filmmakers, and a testament to the inspired and inspiring local talent nurtured in Durham Region!”
The Shifting the Narrative: Emerging Filmmaker Incubator is presented by DRIFF with funding from the Canada Council for the Arts, Film Durham and Unifor. The prize also includes the loan of filmmaking equipment courtesy of Durham College’s School of Media, Art and Design. The initiative aligns with DRIFF’s new strategic vision which aims to foster, build, and promote a vibrant film culture in Durham Region that demonstrates inclusiveness while inspiring young filmmakers and providing them with a launch pad to success.
DRIFF’s Shifting the Narrative drive-in presentations will return on June 16, July 21 and August 18, where ‘Heap’ will be screened before the feature presentation. All drive-in screenings will take place behind the Whitby Municipal Building at 575 Rossland Road East in Whitby.
The fifth edition of the DRIFF fall festival makes its return September 29 to October 1, 2022.
About DRIFF:
DRIFF is a not-for-profit film festival rooted in the communities of Durham. DRIFF will engage a diverse network of audiences, filmmakers, and collaborators to promote film as a form of creative expression and a catalyst for community building. Find out more at driff.ca.
About Film Durham:
A part of the Regional Municipality of Durham’s Economic Development and Tourism Division, The Durham Region Film Commission (Film Durham) promotes Durham Region as a world-class location for film, television, and digital media productions. Its purpose is to encourage film and media activity, job creation, business opportunities, education, provide industry development support, and generate greater economic activity within the local film sector. Visit the Film and Television web page on investdurham.ca to learn more.
Media contact:
Laurie Turner, laurie@driff.ca
Durham Region International Film Festival
www.driff.ca | @catchthedriff
