Toronto Film School was out in full force at the recent Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (TINFF) – not only did our alumni take home a handful of awards, but many other grads garnered nominations, and TFS faculty and staff were also among the panellists who presented during the weeklong fest.

Billed as a multicultural festival that celebrates diversity and inclusion through film, the 8^th annual edition of TINFF took place September 8-15 across several venues in Toronto.

Here’s a rundown of Toronto Film School’s showing at the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television qualifying festival:

AWARD WINNERS 

Best Short Drama – North America

Dance with the Devil, which was written and directed by Class of 2023 Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre grad Alpha Chrislord Nyarko, took home the TINFF award for Best Short Drama – North America.

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by TINFF with this award. As a filmmaker, you pour your heart and soul into every project, and to have Dance With the Devil resonate with both audiences and the jury means the world to me,” said Nyarko.

“This recognition affirms my belief in the power of storytelling and the impact it can have on people’s lives.”

The psychological drama, which delves into themes of power and the duality of human nature, follows the journey of Cyrus – a man tormented by his own inner demons. Inspired by the classic notion of making a deal with the devil, Dance With the Devil explores the consequences of ambition, betrayal, and redemption.

“The inspiration for Dance With the Devil came from my personal fascination with the concept of inner conflict and the price we pay when we lose ourselves to ambition and power,” added Nyarko.

“I wanted to create a story that would force audiences to reflect on their own boundaries and consider the delicate balance between good and evil in their lives.”

With his lifelong passion for pushing creative boundaries – be it through acting or filmmaking – Nyarko said that, as he continues to grow as an artist, his aim is to create works that leave lasting impressions on audiences, while also exploring untold stories that reflect the human experience.

Best Cinematography – Canada

Class of 2017 Film Production classmates Nicholas Koscik, Dylan Young and David M. James celebrated their success of their film, Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone?, in TINFF’s Best Cinematographer – Canada category.

Directed by Koscik, with cinematography by Young, Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone? offers a rare glimpse into the world of Jayden Martin – an artist in the small, rural community of Englehart, Ontario who remains determined to succeed, despite struggling with addiction, mental health, and suicide. As he navigates the challenges of small-town life and grapples with his own inner demons, art proves itself more than just a hobby for Jayden – it’s his escape, his passion, and his lifeline.

“It’s been a phenomenal journey making this film a reality, and I’m thrilled to see how Jayden’s story has resonated with audiences who are also battling mental health and addiction,” said Koscik, who also co-produced the documentary alongside James.

To also have the film so well received at TINFF, he added, was an “incredible honour.”

“It took an immense amount of planning and hard work to create the visual aesthetic we were after, and for that effort to be recognized by one of Toronto’s most diverse festivals is a feeling like no other,” he said of the Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone?’s win for Best Cinematography – Canada.

“I’m immensely proud of my cinematographer, Dylan M. Young, and the rest of my team for their talent, dedication, and unwavering support in making this project a reality.”

The fact that three of the “small but mighty” team behind Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone? are from TFS, Koscik said, is a testament to the meaningful connections he made during his film school studies.

“Thanks to TFS, I met my most trusted collaborators, many of whom worked on this film with me – these are relationships that started back in Term 1 of Film Production,” he said. “I honestly don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for all the friends I made in film school.”

As for their plans on where to take Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone? next, Koscik said he and his team are keen to take advantage of TINFF’s status as an Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television qualifying festival to enter the project into consideration for the Canadian Screen Awards.

And – thanks to a recent interview with CTV Northern Ontario – they’re also now in talks with organizations in and around Koscik’s hometown of Englehart, Ontario about how the film can help those struggling with mental health and addiction in the North. They’re also hoping to organize a hometown screening of Dear Friend, Where Have You Gone? in the near future.

Best Short Film – Canada

Class of 2019 Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre alumnus Rebekah Johnson took home the TINFF award for Best Short Film – Canada for her female-led project, Death of a Spy.

Set during the Second World War, the film tells the story of a suspected French Resistance spy who is captured by German soldiers in a small, occupied French town and the ruthless Russian interrogator called in to question her. All seems lost – including a finger – until, at the last moment, good unexpectedly overcomes evil.

“It is encouraging to have festivals recognize the work and skill and importance of telling our stories as women,” Johnson, who both wrote and directed Death of a Spy, said of the recognition the film has been getting at TINFF, as well as other festivals.

The film has screened at 14 different festivals around the world, winning awards at the International Women’s Film Festival (Best Historical Film), Accolade Global Film Competition (Lead Actress, Short Film, Women Filmmakers, Historical/Biographical) Bridge Fest, and Athens International Film Festival.

Billed as historical fiction, Johnson said Death of a Spy nonetheless features characters based on real-life spies whose work went unrecorded

“So, the historical significance is real and what they accomplished is real. The research we put into the film was quite thorough, as we wanted to truly represent what the spies and French Resistance accomplished during WWII,” she said.

“I’ve always loved action and spy movies and wanted to see women in the midst of it, as it is usually always men getting the attention. I thought it was time that women had a chance to shine their truth and story, as the impact female spies had on ending WWII was quite important.”

Not only was the Death of a Spy set female led, but it was also a sustainable one – with all cast/crew food cooked homemade from local ingredients and served on reusable dishes to avoid waste.

“We did everything we could do eat local and organic and to have a minimal impact on the planet by limiting waste. We even carpooled and shared hotel rooms,” said Johnson.

“We also had many LGBTQ members in our cast and crew – including myself – so we had a lot of amazing things going for us and the planet thanked us.”

Hoping to ride the momentum of Death of a Spy’s successful festival run to date, Johnson now plans to apply for Telefilm Canada funding to produce a feature film version of the project featuring the lives of three female spies.

“This is huge, as it is nearly 10 times the budget and more than double the cast and crew (of the $20,000 short film),” she said.

“We are utilizing the French population in New Brunswick and working closely with them to help bring an accurate portrayal of Agent ‘Clair’ and her three helper female spies who smuggled children and Jews out of France during Nazi occupation.”

Best Short Documentary

The DNA of LOVE, a short documentary directed by Class of 2023 Film Production alumnus Kevin Huhn, took home the TINFF trophy for Best Short Documentary.

A story of ‘resilience and power’, the documentary short shines a spotlight on Akilah Love – a mother of five, wife, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Huhn, who shared the award with fellow TFS grads Khushi Nayak (cinematographer) and Diego Aldana(camera operator), characterized the film’s success at TINFF as “more than I could ever imagine.”

“None of this was possible without all that I learned at TFS and all those I met at TFS…This Canadian Screen Award qualifying festival was such a warm gathering of like-minded creatives,” he said.

“And then to meet TFS alumni from 2017, 20818, 2021, 2022 and 2023…I felt such an incredible connection.  We even got to connect with people from the UK, Italy, South America, Australia and the U.S. This was no small festival.”

TFS FACULTY & STAFF PANELLISTS

TFS’s representation at TINFF wasn’t just on the big screen – several TFS faculty and staff members were also on-hand at the festival to speak on panels.

TFS’s Director of Production Michaelangelo Masangkay lead TINFF’s panel entitled Beyond the Budget: Your Guide to Indie Film Financing. He lauded the festival for both its representation of diversity and the quality of talent it drew.

“It was really great to see such diverse voices represented at TINFF, where the talent was brimming full,” said Masangkay, who also serves as General Manager of Raven Banner Entertainment and President and Founder of Siné Institute.

“It provided a really great opportunity for budding and emerging talents to gain insights into the marketing and distribution side of the film business, which I was fortunate to share with those in attendance.”

NOMINATED ALUMNI PROJECTS

In addition to those alumni whose projects won awards, a handful of other films directed, written by and starring TFS grads were also nominated in various categories at the 2024 TINFF, including:

• The Package – directed by Alexandre Belke (Film Production ’23), written by Kevin Huhn (Film Production ’23), and starring Micheal J. Hill (Acting ’23)

• Out of the Equation – directed by William Gauthier (Film Production ’23), co-written by and starring Malcolm Green

• Brody Joins a Cult – directed by Steve Dimitropoulos (Film Production ’24)

• UNHOLY – directed by Berhane Negussie (Film Production ’23)

• Congratulations, It’s a Girl – directed by Han Liu (Film Production ’23)