Crazy8s

2026

Gala Screening + Afterparty Program Guide

Online Guide
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2026 Gala Guide

Crazy8s

2026

Gala Screening + Afterparty
April 11, 2026

Gala Screening

The Centre, 777 Homer Street
Doors 6 pm / Show 7pm

Afterparty

Science World
Start 9:30 pm

#crazy8sfilms26

About Crazy8s

Crazy8s is an 8-day filmmaking challenge and a five-month program that provides support and funding to emerging and mid-career or transitioning filmmakers to help them produce a professional-quality short film. The Crazy8s program is run by the Crazy8s Film Society, a registered BC not-for-profit society with a core belief in equality, diversity, and community. Crazy8s was created in 1999 by the DGC BC to foster support for emerging filmmakers who have little or no access to funding and resources to make short films. 157 films have been made to date. Crazy8s 2026 is presented by the DGC BC.

Fast. Fun. Crazy8s!

Visit Crazy8s.film
Welcome to Crazy8s 2026

Grace Chin

  • Executive Director

Welcome to the Crazy8s 2026 Gala!

“Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.” Real talk from a sorta famous Greek poet back in the day, that remains as true now as then. We invite you to follow this year’s Crazy8s Top 6 filmmaking teams to where angels fear, delivering six stories of human audacity that show us what happens when just one person dares to imagine they can have a different life, and acts on it.

That one person—and it could be you—may be the catalyst that ignites many more hearts than they could have imagined, through a moment of boldness that inspires others to be the change they didn’t know they wanted to see. The Crazy8s organization is proud to have supported these Top 6 key creatives and their teams in producing the films you’ll experience tonight at The Centre in Vancouver, each with a distinct voice and vision of transformation.

We didn’t start the fire, but we can keep it going. After the screening, come on back to the future to party with us like it’s 1999 at Science World. The Triple O’s will be open to take your milkshake order.

All the love and huge thanks to you, our audience and community, for showing up; to the Crazy8s team and board, and all the mentors to the teams, for staying the course and getting it done; and to our sponsors, supporters, partners, and donors, without whom none of this is possible. In these uncertain, troubling, and tough times—this year’s films, and this event, celebrate the tenacity, resourcefulness, and resilience of human-based creativity and the spirit of ingenuity that is the core of our indie community and industry, right here in BC and across Canada.

Abandon certainty. Embrace change. And come take a leap into the unknown with us, because if you gaze long into the abyss….you end up making a movie about it.

Greetings
Greetings From DGC BC

On behalf of the Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia (DGC BC), I’d like to congratulate this year’s Top 6 teams and welcome you all to the 2026 Crazy8s Gala Screening and After Party!

Crazy8s is truly the single best way in BC to launch your career. As a Crazy8s alumni myself, I’m thrilled to see two Members credited as producers on two of tonight’s films; congratulations Jessica To with Gone Viral, and Patrick Tozer with The Thing Inside Her!

Our organization’s support of this filmmaking challenge has spanned decades and we continue to be in awe of the creativity, passion, and dedication demonstrated by the Top 6 teams each year. We offer a round of applause in celebration of each individual who committed to making a short film in just eight days. This night is a celebration of our emerging local talent and your hard work.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to offer my best wishes to you all in person. If not, know that the DGC BC Executive Board wishes you the best with tonight’s screening. We’ll all be keeping our eyes out for your films this upcoming festival season.


Zach Lipovsky
Chair
Directors Guild of Canada, British Columbia

Events like the Crazy8s Gala Screening play an important role in bringing together key industry members to exchange ideas, build partnerships and strengthen our audiovisual ecosystem, all with the goal of delivering compelling stories to audiences at home and abroad. These gatherings provide a privileged space to connect, learn and collaborate.

At Telefilm Canada, investing in cinema to promote the Canadian identity is a core mission. We support productions every step of the way, from development to distribution, so that these stories can be seen and celebrated. By fostering dialogue and innovation, events like the Crazy8s Gala Screening help build a stronger, more vibrant film industry.

Beyond business and networking, these events celebrate the creativity and ambition that drive our cinema. They remind us that collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential to our collective success.

We’re proud to be associated with Crazy8s, which celebrates the power of cinema and brings together the Canadian audiovisual industry. Enjoy the evening!

Julie Roy   
Executive Director and CEO, Telefilm Canada  

Creative BC is proud to celebrate another remarkable year of Crazy8s!

Each year, Crazy8s demonstrates the enduring importance of short‑form storytelling. It offers creators the space to experiment, collaborate, and advance their practice in ways that shape not only their individual careers, but also the broader industry. Rooted in a love for filmmaking and the belief that bold ideas deserve to move from imagination to screen, Crazy8s continues to be an energizing force in British Columbia’s creative community.

Across its 27 years, Crazy8s has played an instrumental role in nurturing a culture of creativity within our province. Its films have sparked meaningful conversations, its community has grown into a network of collaborators who champion each other’s success, and its alumni have gone on to be establish successful careers across the motion picture industry. Creative BC is honoured to support a program that builds such momentum for emerging talent and empowers them to step confidently into the next stages of their careers.

We recognize the incredible collective effort that brings this program to life each year. The dedication of organizers, volunteers, partners, creators, and audiences creates an environment where artists feel supported, challenged, and celebrated. This spirit of collaboration is a cornerstone of B.C.’s film industry, and Crazy8s exemplifies it beautifully.

One of the most exciting aspects of Crazy8s is its continuous evolution. Each year introduces new voices, new perspectives, and new stories that reflect the diversity and richness of our province. Nearly three decades in, we acknowledge not only how far it’s come, but also the power of community, creativity, and storytelling.

Here’s to another inspiring year, and to the stories that are yet to be told!

Prem Gill
Chief Executive Officer, Creative BC

On behalf of the residents of Vancouver and my colleagues on City Council, I am pleased to extend my warmest greetings to everyone attending the Crazy8s Film Society’s Event.

As a BC-based registered not-for-profit, Crazy8s has played a vital role in supporting emerging and mid-career Canadian filmmakers, particularly those with limited access to funding and resources. Since 1999, the organization has produced 151 professional short films, many of which have gone on to receive awards and recognition at film festivals around the world.

Vancouver continues to grow as a global creative hub, and the Crazy8s Film Society is an important contributor to our city’s vibrant arts and cultural community. This event provides a valuable platform to showcase diverse storytelling and celebrate the incredible talent of our local filmmaking community.

I commend Crazy8s for its longstanding commitment to fostering creativity and expanding opportunities within the film industry. Your work not only supports artists but also strengthens Vancouver’s reputation as a leading centre for film and innovation.

Best wishes for a successful and inspiring evening!

Sincerely,

Mayor Ken Sim

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Gala

Program

PRESHOW: 6:30PM

SHOW STARTS: 7:00PM

AFTERPARTY STARTS: 9:30PM

Host: Sam Krochmal
Opening Remarks: Host & Special Guests

Behind The Six (Behind the Scenes)

The Decision

The Last Caller

Full Asian

20-MINUTE INTERMISSION

Gone Viral

Mould

The Thing Inside Her

Take A Bow (Crazy8s 2026 Teams)

AFTERPARTY: SCIENCE WORLD

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All films are rated by Consumer Protection BC.

Content Warning: Some of this year’s films contain scenes that are unsuitable for minors, or that some viewers may find disturbing or triggering. Viewer discretion is advised.

Crazy8s Film Society is grateful that we live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish People, the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations.

Gala Host

Sam Krochmal

Sam Krochmal (he/him) is an award-winning actor and screenwriter from Edmonton, now based in Vancouver. No stranger to the Crazy8s program, Sam previously served as producer, co-writer, and lead actor on the 2024 film DTF?, which has since gone on to an acclaimed international festival run. After returning for 2025’s Red Light Rebel, he is thrilled to be back this year as your Gala host.

Sam’s 2026 slate is his busiest yet. He recently wrapped a recurring role on a major streaming series set to release this fall and will soon appear in the Netflix feature Voicemails for Isabelle opposite Nick Offerman, as well as the horror feature The Young People, directed by Osgood Perkins.

Additional credits include a guest-starring role on Private Eyes: West Coast (Global), multiple episodes of The Vince Staples Show (Netflix), and appearances on Fire Country (CBS), Tracker (CBS), and Upload (Prime Video).

Sam is “absolutely fricken stoked” that you’re here supporting Canadian independent filmmaking tonight. He hopes these six films make you laugh, cry, and light you up. samkrochmal.com

Crazy8s Afterparty

Following the Gala Screening, head over to the Afterparty at Science World with an 80’s-inspired, cyber-glow vibe—Vancouver’s largest single-evening film and television industry party! Walk the “blue carpet,” indulge in premium beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at the bars from vendor sponsor Lavish Liquid, and hit the dance floors on two separate levels, both featuring live DJs spinning retro 80’s hits and more. Strike a pose at our LED movie poster gallery and selfie station/photo booth.

Join our on-site treasure hunt for chances to win prizes valued up to $100 each.

The on-site Triple O’s will be open and featuring their full menu all evening!

Grab the afterparty bus, sponsored by On Set Headsets, from right outside The Centre. Buses run in a loop from The Centre to Science World and back again, approximately every 15 minutes for about an hour after the screening concludes.

Behind the Six

“…you made that in 8 days?” Follow the journey of our Top 6 key creatives as they bring their stories and vision to life through the Crazy8s program—together with their talented, insanely hard-working teams and crew, and with the support of seasoned industry-professional mentors, Crazy8s alumni, and program sponsors and partners. After a 3-stage, 3-month selection and development process followed by 7 accelerated weeks of prep, see what it takes for the final Top 6 to create their aspirational short films in just 8 days, through production and post-production to delivery: before watching the films tonight, you’ll take a look Behind The Scene(s) to see how everything came together.

BTS Director/Cinematographer/Editor / Brian Cheung

BTS Camera Assistant / Chris Lam

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Board Greeting

The Crazy8s Film Society Board welcomes you to one of the most anticipated film events of the year, the 2026 Crazy8s Gala. Crazy8s looks forward to sharing with you another 6 amazing short films from our vibrant local film community. Thank you for continuing to put value on live film screenings and short film storytelling.

Congratulations to all the filmmakers on all your perseverance and talent on making your films. We are proud to add these 6 new films to the already 151 Crazy8s films in our catalogue made over the past 27 years. Many of our films have been launching pads for careers and have had successful festival runs and distribution. We can’t wait to see where your films will take you.

These films could not be made without the support of all our sponsors – thank you for continuing to invest in the future talent of BC. Let this evening and the continued success of the films act as a showcase of what the community can do when it works together to help foster training and artistic expression and invest in the next generation of filmmakers.

Thank you too to Executive Director Grace Chin, and the rest of the Crazy8s team, for another successful season. A special thank you to all the volunteers this evening that contributed to make the Gala and Screening such a success.

And to all filmmakers and sponsors in the audience tonight thinking you would like to participate in Crazy8s next year, do not hesitate to get involved so that the legacy of Crazy8s can continue with your artistic vision and sponsorship support.

Board of Directors

Paul Armstrong

  • President

Amanda Tapping

  • Vice President

Erin Mussolum

  • Secretary

Jayme Pfahl

  • Treasurer

Amber Orchard

  • Member-At-Large

Amy Barager

  • Member-At-Large

Dylan Akio Smith

  • Member-At-Large

Jem Garrard

  • Member-At-Large

Lecily Corbett

  • Member-At-Large
2025 Crazy8s Team

Staff

Program + Administration

Grace Chin

  • Executive Director

Chandni Sharma

  • Program Manager

Karen Cowl

  • Graphic Designer

Karen Leung

  • Web Manager

Karen Wong

  • Bookkeeper

Nicola Pender

  • Publicist

Matthew Broughton

  • Registration & Submissions Coordinator

Nancy Kamar

  • Sponsorship Manager

Jeanne Chen

  • Communications Coordinator

Brian Cheung

  • EPK Director

Social Media + Digital Marketing

Brittany Tiplady

Director

Angela Vannatter

Senior Account Manager

Development, Production + Post-Production

Sina Nazarian

  • Line Producer

Erik Mortensen

  • Vendor & Equipment Manager

Julia Niendorf

  • Post Production Manager

Kyle Wills

  • Post Production Supervisor

Brook James

  • Production Manager

Gabriel Souza Nunes

  • Production Manager

Kat Montagu

  • Story Editor Coordinator

Sophie Caird

  • Script Coordinator

Kenneth Seto Tynan

  • Casting Coordinator

Luka Cyprian

  • Still Photography Producer

Chanbin Lee

  • Vendor & Equipment Coordinator

Buket Topalakci Biles

  • Credits Coordinator

Gala Screening + Afterparty

Regina Leung

  • Gala Producer

Louis Poulain

  • Front of House Manager

Vincent Gan

  • Box Office Manager

Stephanie Joan

  • Box Office Coordinator

Chandni Sharma

  • Sponsor Reception/Volunteer Coordinator

Hannah Lee

  • Afterparty Event Manager

Mentors & Interns

DIRECTOR MENTOR(S) / Andy Alvarez, Jason Karman, Jeff Chiba Stearns, Jonathan Tammuz, Karen Lam, Nimisha Mukerji
PRODUCER MENTOR(S) / Amanda Drake, Ingo Lou, Kristyn Stilling, Paul Telner, Phil Planta, Robyn Weiner
DIRECTING WORKSHOP MENTOR(S) / Jonathan Tammuz
CINEMATOGRAPHER MENTOR(S) / Danny Nowak
STILLS/PUBLICITY MENTOR(S) / Bettina Strauss, Carole Appleby
EDITOR MENTOR(S) / Greg Ng
PRODUCTION DESIGN MENTOR(S) / Siobhan O’Keefe
INTERN(S) – PRODUCTION / Kayleigh Davidson, Georgia Guthrie
INTERN(S) – SCRIPT COORDINATION / Madeline Weigh-Wadman
INTERN(S) – LOCATION SCOUTING / Alex Cooper, Luca Campi, Valere Hart
INTERN(S) – STILL PHOTOGRAPHY / Katrina Jose, Leonid Boytsov, Vlada Hayvoronska

Juries + Story Editors

Video Pitch Jury

For Top 40 Quarter-Finalists

Jordan Waunch

Director / Writer / Producer
Website

Lecily Corbett

Entertainment Industry Career Coach, Courage & Flow Coaching
Website

Mandana Mehrghorbani

Director / Producer
Website

Raugi Yu

Actor / Director
Website

Live Pitch Jury

For Top 12 Semi-Finalists + Top 6 Finalists

Brenna Goodwin-McCabe

Writer / Director
Website

Cindy AuYeung

Editor / Producer
Website

Jayme Pfahl

Producer / Senior Instructor, Vancouver Film School
Website

Raquel Dominguez Simpson

Program Analyst, Funding Programs, Creative BC
Website

Tarique Taras Qayumi

Director / Writer / Producer
Website

Story Editors

For Top 12 Semi-Finalists

Adam Hussein

Screenwriter, Story Editor
Website

Allie Devereaux

Writer
Website

David Geary

Instructor-Kaiako, Creative Writer, Story & Script Consultant, Dramaturg, Director, Producer, Lab Supervisor
Website

Duane Adler

Writer, Director, Producer
Website

Jessica Bradford

Writer, Director
Website

Karen Lam

Director, Writer, Producer, Filmmaker
Website

Marque Franklin-Williams

Writer, Actor, Producer
Website

Ryan Atimoyoo

Writer, Filmmaker, Story Editor
Website

Sara B. Cooper

Producer, Screenwriter
Website

Zac Hug

Screenwriter, Lecturer at UBC Creative Writing
Website
Films

Full Asian

2026
 / Comedy, Drama
 / 12:51 mins

Feeling out of place as a half-Japanese male, Benny undergoes a new surgical procedure called “Beyond Asian.” This advanced technology allows individuals to erase their non-Asian heritage and implant artificial memories, transforming them, into fully Asian.

  • Parental Guidance: Coarse Language and Parental Guidance: Violence

  • Mild coarse language

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Ely Davidson
WRITER(S) / Ely Davidson
PRODUCER(S) / Ione Fernando, Madeline Zimmerman, Kevin Cheng
DIRECTOR(S) OF PHOTOGRAPHY / Eli Laba
EDITOR(S) / Lorenzo Onrubia
PRODUCTION DESIGNER(S) / Grace Chuka
1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR(S) / Breann Houghton
FEATURING / Ted Angelo Ngkaion
Back to Film List

Gone Viral

2026
 / Thriller
 / 17:03 mins

Amelia is a true crime podcaster who is struggling to build a sustainable following and is convinced the algorithm is working against her as a creator of color. After investigating the production of a mysterious juice that makes influencers go viral, Amelia makes a horrifying discovery.

  • General - Coarse Language and General: May Frighten Young Children

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Kat Reynolds
WRITER(S) / Felicia Simone, Kat Reynolds
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER(S) / Ian Nsenga
PRODUCER(S) / Mariam Barry, Adrian Neblett, Maritama Carlson, Jennifer Duong, Renata Calderon, Mimi Dejene
CO-PRODUCER(S) / Jessica To
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER(S) / Tracey Walker
DIRECTOR(S) OF PHOTOGRAPHY / Andy Brown, Marco Bossow
EDITOR(S) / Hayley Sawatzky
PRODUCTION DESIGNER(S) / Jacob Kolodziej
FEATURING / Felicia Simone, Marci T. House, Lilian Doucet-Roche
Back to Film List

Mould

2026
 / Drama, Horror
 / 12:22 mins

Mould is a dramatic short that blends live-action and claymation. The film follows Stevie, a disconnected twenty-something who struggles with increasing dissociation as her body unexpectedly begins to reshape itself into clay.

  • General-No-Advisory

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Morgan Abele, Kiki Evans
WRITER(S) / Morgan Abele
LEAD PRODUCER(S) / Noah Rosellini
PRODUCER(S) / Malka Martz-Oberlander, Andrea Quan
DIRECTOR(S) OF PHOTOGRAPHY / Mia Teodocio
PRODUCTION DESIGNER(S) / Sadie Edney
1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR(S) / Marie-Rose Monabeka
COSTUME DESIGNER(S) / Diba Golbarg
FEATURING / Stephanie Petallano, Morgan Mitchell
Back to Film List

The Decision

2026
 / Drama
 / 14:23 mins
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.

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.

  • General - Coarse Language

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Cory Thibert
WRITER(S) / Steven Cayer
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER(S) / Steven Cayer, Ava Maria Safai
LEAD PRODUCER(S) / Jelian Quincina
PRODUCER(S) / Alexa Gogoescu
CINEMATOGRAPHER(S) / Marc Yungco
EDITOR(S) / Anthony Luneberg
PRODUCTION DESIGNER(S) / Hannah Grace Nicholls
1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR(S) / Linzie Weiss
COMPOSER(S)/ORIGINAL MUSIC / Josh Santos
FEATURING / Steven Cayer, Beverley Elliott, Tavia Cervi, Eric Ruggieri
Back to Film List

The Last Caller

2026
 / Mockumentary
 / 13:40 mins

It’s the Bingo Galaxy Quinvigintennial and rockstar bingo caller Dave Lorrie must overcome vocal nodes, handsy patrons, and his e iciency-obsessed manager if he wants to save his workplace and prove what he knows to be true: that bingo is about more than just gambling. It’s about the people behind the dabbers.

  • Parental Guidance: Coarse Language

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Mariel Calvo
WRITER(S) / Miguel da Ponte
STORY BY / Mariel Calvo, Miguel da Ponte
PRODUCER(S) / Kris Mish, Miguel da Ponte
CO-PRODUCER(S) / David Lundmark
DIRECTOR(S) OF PHOTOGRAPHY / Saarthak Taneja
EDITOR(S) / David Borja
PRODUCTION DESIGNER(S) / Phoebe Kohn, Thomas Chiasson
FEATURING / David Lundmark
Back to Film List

The Thing Inside Her

2026
 / Surreal Comedy Horror
 / 15:55 mins

As the hormones from her recently removed IUD wear off, a woman realizes the horrifying truth about her boyfriend—he’s a giant slug.

  • Parental Guidance: Coarse Language and Parental Guidance: Sexually Suggestive Scene

Crew & Cast

DIRECTOR(S) / Jacki Gunn, Della Haddock
WRITER(S) / Jacki Gunn
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER(S) / Patrick Tozer
LEAD PRODUCER(S) / Lizzi Pedersen
CO-PRODUCER(S) / Jackie Hoffart
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER(S) / Alexander Jones
CINEMATOGRAPHER(S) / Jay Kamal
EDITOR(S) / Jason Hamill
FEATURING / Jacki Gunn, Matthew Graham, Arghavan Jenati, Jennifer Koenig, Sena Yurika
Back to Film List
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Telefilm Talent To Watch

Six years ago Crazy8s Film Society was selected by Telefilm Canada as a Designated Industry Partner organization for the Talent to Watch program which funds feature films from emerging filmmakers. Each year since, Crazy8s alumni directors apply to us for a recommendation letter towards this program. We are thrilled that one of these projects was successful in its application and is now in the final stages of post-production – THE CHINATOWN DINER, directed by Lawrence Le Lam (CYPHER, 2017), written by Lawrence and Alex Love Kink (MR. JAMES IS DEAD, 2020). The film is produced by Thomas Affolter (THE UNDERTAKER’S SON, 2017) and Lynne Lee. The executive producers are Paul Armstrong (Crazy8s, Lawrence & Holloman), Erin Mussolum (Crazy8s, Bye-Bye), Liz Levine (Two Sentence Horror Stories, Hudson & Rex). and Charles Chang. The production manager was Dominique Roy (I CAN’T GO ON, 2023).

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Sponsor Support for Crazy8s
Photo: Jamie Poh
Photo: Ivan Sufinsky

As a not-for-profit organization, Crazy8s Film Society is thankful to be supported by close to 100 sponsors, including cash, in-kind, media, and community partners. The Crazy8s program would not exist without the generous support of such a broad spectrum of the British Columbia film industry in the Lower Mainland, as a further opportunity to showcase what our shared filmmaking community and industry can do when it comes together to create great films.

The cash sponsors allow Crazy8s Film Society to operate as a not-for-profit on a modest budget, and to contribute $12,000 total cash towards the teams to help finance their films.

We estimate the in-kind value is approximately $75,000 per team for a total of $450,000 in support. This includes: Production insurance, legal review and clearances, casting services, production gear and equipment, locations support, special effects support, props and set dressing, set radios, and post production finishing services.

Other forms of in-kind support and donations include contributions towards the production of our Behind The Scenes video and promo videos; as well as workshops, mentorships, media coverage, and cross-promotion, bringing the total to over half a million dollars a year of in-kind sponsorship and partnership support.

Crazy8s, and each year’s cohort of filmmakers, are grateful to all the sponsors that support the organization, the program, and the film projects. For the full list of our many sponsors, please see the last few pages of the program guide or visit: crazy8s.film/sponsors

Thank You to All Our Sponsors

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