FNUniv student’s film makes it to TIFF
- Jeanelle Mandes | December 27, 2014
Candy Fox, who is a Film Production major at the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), produced a 15-minute short film that has been selected as one of Canada’s Top Ten Student Films by the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Fox’s film, Backroads, is set to premiere on January 9th, 2015 in Toronto which has the film producer excited to see her production screened at the important film festival.
“It feels a little overwhelming at first, all at once; I’m thinking what I need to take care of to get everything to TIFF. I think this happening has been reaffirming for me,” says Fox.
Fox found out in November and had to keep the news quiet until TIFF made an official announcement in early December of all the selected films to be showcased in the New Year.
The short documentary is described as a testimonial by Camillia Stonechild who shares her story of her family upbringing and how that was destroyed through the abuse that occurred.
In 2012, Stonechild remembers her biological father made her touch him in an inappropriate way while she was passed out. It was not long ago when she decided to rid the burden of this dark secret that had slowly deteriorated her family.
“After that, everything just fell apart in my family. We used to be so close and after that, everything just shattered to pieces,” says Stonechild.
Stonechild says talking about it has not only helped her grow from the incident but it has helped people to come forward.
“I’ve had a couple people come up to me and sharing to me what they have never shared with anyone else. I took that very personal and it made me feel good because [my story] made an impact on them,” says Stonechild.
Fox says she knows now that she needs to continue making films because of the dialogues created and the impact the stories she illustrates through the craft of film producing.
“It’s inspiring because it’s showing somebody who is not afraid to stand up for herself and be public with this because a lot of times [these situations] are pushed behind closed doors especially when it occurs within a family,” says Fox.
The film student’s plans are to continue creating films and telling more stories. Her advice to those who want to pursue a passion for filmmaking is to find a mentor who is in filmmaking and ask them questions and to get as much experience as you can.
“Find out what’s important to you as a person and just do it if that includes telling stories through filmmaking, I’d say just do it.”
Fox’s film Backroads screened at Mispon - A Celebration of Indigenous Filmmaking film festival Friday, December 19th in Regina at the Artful Dodger.
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