A sharp-witted 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy living in assisted care has his independence tested when his overprotective mother secretly enrolls him in a risky medical trial – forcing him, his girlfriend, and his neighbor to confront what freedom really means.
Cory Thibert is an award-winning actor, writer and filmmaker living in Victoria, BC. Cory has been writing, producing and performing in theater productions for over 16 years. Cory is the director of the feature length documentary On The Fringe, which won Best Documentary Film 2023 at the Nova Scotia Screen Awards, and Mildlife which is his first narrative feature film. Mildlife recently had its world premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival where it received an honourable mention for Impact in fiction filmmaking for the Ultra Indie Award.
Steven Cayer has a love of movies like no other. He’s been working at Landmark Cinemas New Westminster since 2018, watching over 100 movies per year, writing and posting reviews on various platforms followed by close to 1000 people. This is Steven’s first foray into screenwriting, having taken a course last year.
Jelian Quincina is a Writer, Director, Producer and graduate of the Writing for Film, TV & Games program at Vancouver Film School – Television. She has a passion for storytelling and enjoys bringing these tales to life. Her short film “Measuring Up” was part of this year’s FascinAsian Film Festival as well as Sala Film Festival. Jelian has also been included in Rianne Pictures’ 75 Filmmakers to Watch in 2024 list at the Women x Film Festival.
Alexa Gogoescu is a producer, writer, and director with a BSc in Computer Science and Philosophy (UBC 2025). She has worked as an executive research assistant at OUTtv, coordinated UBC’s long-running GirlSmarts4Tech program, and is currently working toward associate membership with the DGC. Drawn to people and patterns, her work explores character-driven stories about agency, relationships, joy found despite hardship, and the emotional logic behind our everyday decisions.
Ava Maria Safai, a Canadian-Iranian artist from Vancouver, Canada, is a Dean’s List graduate from UBC’s BFA in Acting program and currently serves as the artistic director of The Harlequin Theatre Society. She is also a Leo award-winning editor, and has produced every project she’s directed.
Ava Maria is currently in post with two features (including self-directed and written Telefilm Talent to Watch project FOREIGNER), a web series, and a short. In addition to working behind the camera, Ava Maria is also an accomplished actor, musician, and writer, known for infusing her diverse talents into every project. Explore more about her work at www.avamariasafai.com.
