Filmmakers of all ages gathered at the Surrey Arts Centre Saturday, Nov. 2 for the Surrey International Film Festival Awards.
By “celebrating the future of filmmaking,” the event recognizes the work of high school and post-secondary filmmakers, as well as the work of professionals.
David Manuel and his film O Angel of God won in three categories: best film, actor and director. O Angel of God tells us about a choice a young man must make in order to please either his father or his lover. Manuel is a young filmmaker who graduated from Simon Fraser University and most of his movies are filmed in Surrey.
Since 2007, the festival unites young, emerging storytellers from Surrey and from around the world. All the contributions to the festival are short films and the objective is “to foster creativity and create a community of young filmmakers.”
This year the event was hosted by Chris Thornley, vice-president of Thornley Creative Communications and a local arts enthusiast, who has been contributed to the arts and the community of Surrey in many levels.
The Surrey International Film Festival is an organization founded by Glen Chua and Tim Reyes, both young filmmakers who want to create a cultural hub of visual storytellers in Surrey.
In the video, Chua and Manuel talk about the importance of the festival for the city, especially for the enhancing the creative economy.
