Lily Miller, Noah Gaffran and James Tucker know how to make the most of these long summer days.
Each of these youth is participating in the intensive two-week Film Camp run by Selkirk College and Watershed Productions in Nelson.
This summer is particularly exciting for these local teenagers who all received the Emerging Kootenay Filmmaker Award from the Osprey Community Foundation to attend the camp on a full scholarship.
“Filmmaking is something I am passionate about. You get freedom from filming,” explained Miller, who started making short films when she was nine years old.
During their camp, each will direct and produce their own work to share with the larger community. Gaffran believes, “film is a creative medium to express ideas and learn about the world.”
Tucker recognizes that the Emerging Kootenay Filmmaker Award that the foundation has funded “is an investment for us to pursue what we’re passionate about” adding that filmmaking for him is about “exposing truth, becoming an avenue for self discovery, which can be extremely rewarding.”
Miller, Gaffran, and Tucker are among a larger group at the two-week camp that will receive one-on-one mentorship with professional filmmakers in scripting, directing, shooting, editing and distributing their own short film.
“The Osprey Community Foundation supports a broad cross section of local and regional interests annually through its community grants program. In addition to community grants, Osprey supports arts projects through the BC Festival of the Arts Fund, a legacy of the festival held in Nelson in 2000 that continues to support emerging local artists. We are delighted to provide support to young filmmakers through this legacy," said Leah Best, co-chair of the grants committee for the foundation.
Each of these filmmakers was selected among dozens of local youth to receive the Emerging Kootenay Filmmaker Award.
“These three are so deserving of this award, having developed their own unique filmmaking voice while adding great value to our community over the years,” said Amy Bohigian of Watershed Productions.