Lost in translation Competition

10/06/2017-11/20/2017




Congratulations to the winners of LOST IN TRANSLATION, Filmaka's second competition of the new season!

1st Place Winner: Matthew Kalish for "Speechless Nights"
2nd Place Winner: Miles Crossman for "Old World New"
3rd Place Winner: Christina Cannarella for "Stop. Look. Listen" and Nate Bower for "Tradduction"


The three winners receive cash prizes and are eligible to participate in Filmaka's Final Competition to win a chance to make a fully-financed feature film.
" I was really excited by the quality of filmmaking with all the finalists. Each one was unique, thought-provoking and very professional. Because of the diversity of themes and talents picking a winner was very difficult. Congratulations to each and everyone. I hope you go forth in the world of cinema and conquer it."
-Don Murphy

Old World New BY Miles Crossman
Contest Name: Lost in Translation Submission Date :11-20-2017, Uploaded By : Miles Crossman
Directed By :  Miles S. Crossman, Independent Film Maker/ Student,,
Inspiration: This story was inspired by a friend and former employee. Upon meeting him in mid-2013, he had a light air about him that inspired. As the situation in his homeland of Eastern Ukraine began to deteriorate it started to have a profound change in him. He spoke of the honor attacks that were happening in his hometown of which his own parents were the victim of. They simply spoke the wrong language in the wrong area of town. Having no experience of this kind of behavior I struggled to understand how this could ever be an issue. I began to imagine what kind of country Canada would be if this was happening here. What would our streets be like? How would we treat each other differently? How would our worldview change? I asked him what he thought about the situation and his response was that he was just happy to be in Canada as he knew that he would be involved in the fighting. Why? I asked. He said that it would be his obligation to take up arms against those against them, “How could I show my face if I did not?” It really struck me that this concept of honor and punishment was so ingrained that it was tied not just to some individuals but within the entire community as a whole. “How could I show my face...” if I did not seek vengeance? A powerful notion that I still grapple with as it is in direct contrast to the ideals of forgiveness and the rule of law in Canada. I knew that as the turmoil raged in Eastern Ukraine, so too did the angst amongst the diaspora here in Manitoba. The dinner time conversation with loved ones at home would be about loved ones at ‘home’ a world away. These new Canadians and particularly their children would have to decide what kind of country they would make Canada in their wake. Would the minutia of growing up in a different culture from their parents be lost in translation? This short film is an attempt to identify this struggle and ‘call out’ the negative response that I believe all humans have within them, to seek vengeance. It highlights the choice that we make when we put violence as a means of resolving conflict behind us and work for a better world.

Comments

Nate Bower

Great job. Music, tension, quality...hard to beat.

Federico Casal

Hey Miles, thanks for the friend request and kind words about my short! Loved yours too! "Old World Knew" convincingly recreates a conflict of geographical and identitarian boundaries. Keep up the good work!

Federico Casal

*New :)


Nice, I love what the kid chose to do. great music too.

sahra Bhimji

Took me a while to figure out why the young guy was talking with the older guy, but in the end it all came together nice. Good acting too. Ambitious project for a filmaka short!

T-bone Without The Steak

Experimental at its finest!

Ryan Wolfe

Nice pacing and escalation. It seemed like a quick 5 minutes because it was so intense. Good work.

Matthew Kalish

Super powerful story and very well told. Was gripped the whole time. The moment after the confrontation was so well designed, visually and emotionally, that it said it all! Great work Miles.

Andrew Parnell

Very suspenseful an intriguing great work miles

Brett Poldrugo

Great use to suspension to bring in the audience. Music definitely added a new element to the film.

Deepak Nayar
{Jury Member}

The film was very effective and kept me in suspense. The young man was well cast in the role

Don Murphy
{Jury Member}

I liked the lead a lot. Good filmmaking

Troy Brown

Only just now has the pleasure to watch this film....... amazing. Really loved how you fit a story within a story within a story in to 5 minutes and exposed us to a different world. The cast was great. So many different levels going on here. Obviously following the son, then the relationship between mother and father, then the relationship with father and son, then the fathers background becoming obvious and then the political background of their origin. Great job. Honestly really enjoyed the film
Speechless Nights-Matthew Speechless Nights
Directed By Matthew

First Place $2500
Old World New-Miles Old World New
Directed By Miles

Second Place $1500
Stop. Look. Listen.-Christina Stop. Look. Listen.
Directed By Christina

Third Place $750
Tradduction-Nate Tradduction
Directed By Nate

Third Place $750