Copy of SPARK pitch v3
Cascadoo Films and Give a Hoot Productions announced today that award-winning director Camille Hollett-French is set to shoot SPARK in Vancouver. The short film, which goes to camera in January, received the highest grant possible from the Canada Council for the Arts and will run a paid mentorship program sponsored by TELUS STORYHIVE.
Trinidadian-Canadian actor and filmmaker Hollett-French (pictured), whose film FREYA recently won five Leo awards, is directing and producing the film that is written by Christina McInulty. Spark centers on Roxanne, a disillusioned senior care home worker, who is implicated in the disappearance of lonely aging scientist Harold; a cantankerous, assisted living resident who is obsessed with fixing a mysterious machine to find his missing wife. The film is a senior adventure story about hope, love, and second chances.
Spark received $100,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts for production, marketing, and community outreach, the highest amount for any project. TELUS STORYHIVE is sponsoring the film’s mentorship program for nine mentees who will be partnered with mentors in an immersive and collaborative environment while being paid for their involvement. Participants will also receive a professional package including a headshot, industry-specific resume writing, anti-bias training, interview preparation, and a guided facility tour of William F. Whites, Canada’s premiere equipment rental company.
Writer Christina McInulty says, “When I saw The Body Remembers When The World Broke Open team speak about their mentorship program at VIFF’s Totally Indie Day a couple of years back, I just remember thinking… yeah. This is it. This is the future of filmmaking. We’re really trying to honor their work, learn from it, and contribute to the continuation of this paradigm shift in the industry.” McInulty, a recent mentee of the WIFTV Mentorship program, will also be producing and starring as Roxanne. McInulty and Hollett-French share a passion for lifting the next generation of filmmakers.
“Creatives learning today are absolutely vital to the art we consume in the future and the ways in which we’ll consume that art,” says Hollett-French. “People are valuable, every role on a film is needed, and we want to live that truth through the work we do. That value is inherent in Harold’s story, which is what drew me to this unlikely tale. We’re thrilled to have and acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and TELUS STORYHIVE whose mandates clearly align with ours.”
Spark is being directed and produced by Camille Hollett-French and her company Cascadoo Films and written and produced by Christina McInulty and her company Give a Hoot Productions. Mexican producer and director Michelle Godoy Priske (13 Steps, Skylight) is producing, BC-born actor and producer Liz Wallace (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Skylight) is co-producing, Paul Benallick (Hush Little Baby, ENDOMIC) is executive producing and award-winning actor and director Luvia Petersen (H.appiness, iDorothy) is the Mentorship Program Manager. Frequent collaborators costume designer Karyna Barros and production designer Jamie Chrest are attached, as well as editor David S. Titus. Monika Dalman (Soft-Spoken Weepy Cult Child, MoonTime) is the casting director.
Award-winning, multi-hyphenate Canadian creative artist and entrepreneur Marika Siewert (left) has joined the team as the first mentee and associate producer. Marika is a Vancouver-based recording artist, songwriter, actor, producer, director, and creative coach.
Spark was funded in the same Canada Council for the Arts round as award-winning filmmakers Shazia Javed of Ontario with her short film The Bus Ride written by Nisha Khan and produced by Javed’s company LifeSketch Media and Gloria Mercer of BC with her feature film A Safe Distance written by Aidan West and produced by See Horse Films. They along with Hollett-French are alums of Canada’s prestigious Women in the Director’s Chair program.
Spark is being made with the generous support of Seniors Come Share Society where the film will be shot. The team is actively seeking relationships with senior-focused organizations in BC and beyond and plans to hold special screening events of the film for senior communities across North America. Organizations whose values align with the Spark team’s mandate of inclusion, fostering growth, and care for the elderly are encouraged to reach out.
The SPARK team is also currently looking for their director of photography and many other positions. They are doing a province-wide search for the role of Harold and accepting applications from all ages for the mentorship program, which begins immediately. People can learn more at sparkshort.com. Spark shoots January 22-26, 2022.
Source/ images provided by Pender PR
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