Fun. Fast. Crazy8s!
Running since 1999, Crazy8s is an annual 8-day short filmmaking challenge that provides support and funding to 6 emerging filmmakers to produce a short film, and provides training opportunities to crew and cast. After a Gala Screening and Afterparty, the films go on to be seen by audiences worldwide at film festivals and on other distribution channels.
Films
Top 6 Projects will be announced on January 17, 2024, 12 pm.
Gala Screening + Afterparty
Crazy8s 2024 Gala Screening + Afterparty
Crazy8s is Presented by DGC-BC
Celebrating 25 Crazy Years
Crazy8s Film Society is proud to present this year’s celebration of 6 new short films—made by 6 inspiring filmmaking teams in just 8 exhilarating days—at our annual Crazy8s 2024 Gala Screening at The Centre in Vancouver. This also marks Crazy8s’ 25th year since the very first screening in 1999.
Following the Gala Screening, head over to Science World for your time to shine at our “Reach For The Stars” inspired Afterparty—Vancouver’s largest single-evening film and television industry party! Walk the “blue carpet,” partake in a specialty cocktail or a tall cool one from our bars, and hit the dance floor or our chillout lounge, both featuring live DJs. Go for a spin in the 360 Photo Booth, or strike a pose with the posters of this year’s films at the Green Screen Photo Booth. The on-site Triple O’s will be open and offering their full menu all evening.
Come celebrate this year’s filmmakers, and our 25th year, with us!
Important Notes
Tickets
Tickets: $40 (plus service charges) in advance online until 12:00 pm on Saturday, April 20 / until sold out.
Limited tickets will be $50 at the door from 6:00 pm at The Centre box office, if still available. Ticket payment at the door by credit card.
Note: TICKETS ARE ONLY SOLD AT THE CENTRE. No tickets are sold at Science World.
Your ticket provides entry to both the Gala Screening at The Centre and the Afterparty at Science World.
Gala Screening
- Doors at 6 pm – Arrive early – Seating is not assigned
- Show starts promptly at 7 pm
Afterparty
- You must purchase drink tickets to redeem for drinks at the bar
- Drink tickets are sold on both levels at Science World. Bars are open on both levels
Selected Projects
Top 6 Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 6 will be announced on January 17, 2024, 12 pm.
| PROJECT TITLE | GENRE | LOGLINE | DIRECTOR(S) | WRITER(S) | PRODUCER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronaut | Dramatic Whimsy | Amidst a backdrop of 1990s Chinese-Canadian immigration, a young boy is visited by his absent father who builds him a cardboard spaceship and launches him on a fantastical mission to connect with the neighbourhood kids. | Kevin Cheng | Stephanie Joan | Stephanie Joan, Luke VandenBerg, Bobby Tiet (Executive Producer), Campbell Hunter (Executive Producer), Charlie Gudgeon (Executive Producer), Tavish Gudgeon (Executive Producer) |
| DTF? | Coming-of-Age Comedy | During an anonymous sexual bender, a young queer writer is forced to confront his insecurities when he ends up on a date with his former English professor. | Jess Mcleod | Jess Mcleod (Co-Writer) Sam Krochmal (Lead Actor, Co-Writer) | Erin Purghart (Lead Producer), Jess Mcleod (Producer), Hana Huggins (Producer), Sam Krochmal (Co-Producer), Garfield Wilson (Co-Producer) |
| Gone Abroad | Drama | After a conservative Chinese-Catholic school covers up the suicide of Kevin's best friend, he and his friends make a plan to uncover the truth. | Kevin Ang | Kevin Ang | Moheb Jindran (Producer), Allen Xu (Producer), Carlo Fortin (Co-Producer) |
| Our Long Goodbye | Drama | Caregiver by day and musician by night, Mark brings his elderly father's dementia-addled mind back every evening with his songs...until he can't. | Dave Beamish | Dave Beamish | Erin Morgan (Lead Producer), Christina McInulty (Producer), Sarah Alma Angelle(Producer) |
| Toe Pick | Comedy-Drama | A struggling teenage figure skater pushes back against the constraints of her sport in 1990s Vancouver. | Teresa Alfeld | Teresa Alfeld | Kiefer Doerksen, Thea Loo, Natalie Murao |
| What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Fantasy Comedy | Kendra struggles to fit in at a noisy party, much to the chagrin of her guardian angel, a sharp-beaked and sharp-witted harpy, who really wants her to stop staring at her shoes. Inspired by classic 80's puppet films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, What Are You Supposed to Do With Your Hands? explores the unique experience of living as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. | Larissa Thompson | Larissa Thompson | Amanda D'Silva |
Top 12 Semi-Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 12 will be announced on November 29, 2023, 12 pm.
| PROJECT TITLE | GENRE(S) | LOGLINE | DIRECTOR(S) | WRITER(S) | PRODUCER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronaut | Dramatic Whimsy | Amidst a backdrop of 1990s Chinese-Canadian immigration, a young boy is visited by his absent father who builds him a cardboard spaceship and launches him on a fantastical mission to connect with the neighbourhood kids. | Kevin Cheng | Stephanie Joan | Stephanie Joan, Luke VandenBerg |
| Breaking Bank: The Caregiver Edition | Comedy | Four overworked Filipino caregivers dealing with insurmountable struggles embark on a side-splitting journey when they decide to use their caregiving skills to commit the perfect bank robbery. | Kent Donguines | Kent Donguines | Jordan Connor, Kyle Guerrero |
| Disordered | Drama | A troubled teen who is struggling with her mental health confronts the embodiment of her childhood trauma, which pushes her on a path to healing. | Allana Miller | Allana Miller | Giselle Miller (Lead Producer) Ivanna Samuel (Co-Producer) Lily Yawson (Co-Producer) |
| DTF? | Coming-of-Age Comedy | During an anonymous sexual bender, a young queer writer is forced to confront his insecurities when he ends up on a date with his former English professor. | Jess Mcleod | Jess Mcleod (Co-Writer) Sam Krochmal (Lead Actor, Co-Writer) | Erin Purghart (Lead Producer), Garfield Wilson (Co-Producer) |
| Gone Abroad | Drama | After a conservative Chinese-Catholic school covers up the suicide of Kevin's best friend, he and his friends make a plan to uncover the truth. | Kevin Ang | Kevin Ang | Moheb Jindran |
| Kosher Kush | Comedy | Kosher Kush follows senior citizen Larry Goldhacker as he is evicted from his home and forced to move into a run-down Jewish nursing home. There he strikes an unlikely partnership with a young nurse to sell weed to other residents, hoping to buy back his house with the profits. | Malka Martz-Oberlander | Malka Martz-Oberlander | Hayley Grey |
| Next Stop | Comedy | Young Will must make a precious delivery after finding himself crammed into the back seat of an Uber Pool with strangers. | Jennesia Pedri | Jennesia Pedri | Kate Kroll, Dale Shippam, Matt Villeneuve |
| Our Long Goodbye | Drama | Caregiver by day and musician by night, Mark brings his elderly father's dementia-addled mind back every evening with his songs...until he can't. | Dave Beamish | Dave Beamish | Eva Tavares, Erin Morgan (Producer's Assistant) |
| Strata | Comedy | When a gentle, elderly resident moves a potted plant in the lobby of her building she unwittingly unleashes a war that the whole building shows up for. | Anna Van Hooft | Anna Van Hooft | Matthew Clarke |
| Toe Pick | Comedy-Drama | A struggling teenage figure skater pushes back against the constraints of her sport in 1990s Vancouver. | Teresa Alfeld | Teresa Alfeld | Kiefer Doerksen |
| Velvet Secrets | Drama | A conservative mother's discovery about her daughter, leads her to question tradition, love, and the ever-evolving dynamics within her family. | Shanthini Balasubramanian | Shanthini Balasubramanian | Prakrit Kamra |
| What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Fantasy Comedy | Kendra struggles to fit in at a noisy party, much to the chagrin of her guardian angel, a sharp-beaked and sharp-witted harpy, who really wants her to stop staring at her shoes. Inspired by classic 80's puppet films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, What Are You Supposed to Do With Your Hands? explores the unique experience of living as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. | Larissa Thompson | Larissa Thompson | Amanda D'Silva |
Top 40 Quarter-Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 40 will be announced on November 15, 2023, 12 pm.
| TITLE | SUBMITTER | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astronaut | Stephanie Joan |
| 2 | AUTO | Milo Shandel |
| 3 | Baby Rose | Shanti Harris |
| 4 | Becoming Owen | Austin MacWhirter |
| 5 | Breaking Bank: The Caregiver Edition | Kent Donguines |
| 6 | Chicken Poulet Soup | Andy Wong |
| 7 | Concussion Perfume | Nathanael Vass |
| 8 | Confessions | Hudson Williams |
| 9 | Demon Twink | Jason Sakaki |
| 10 | Disordered | Allana Miller |
| 11 | DTF? | Sam Krochmal |
| 12 | Girl's Best Friend | Sarah Angelle |
| 13 | Gone Abroad | Kevin Ang |
| 14 | GRAN | Kyla Smith |
| 15 | I Can Hold You | Cassandra Naud |
| 16 | Joint Effort | Shubham Chhabra |
| 17 | Kosher Kush | Malka Martz-oberlander |
| 18 | LUCKY | Olaf Jacobson Sahuaya |
| 19 | Maternal Instinct | Melanie Ellyce |
| 20 | My Sun | Marc Yungco |
| 21 | Next Stop | Jennesia Pedri |
| 22 | No Bystanders | Carson Poole |
| 23 | Oasis | Marlies Dubois |
| 24 | Our Long Goodbye | Dave Beamish |
| 25 | Proximity | Gur-Inder Singh |
| 26 | RIDE OR DIE! | Ildiko Susany |
| 27 | Slay Dragons | June Laporte |
| 28 | Solar Punks | Alyssa Kostello |
| 29 | Speech | Tito Ferradans |
| 30 | Strata | Anna Van Hooft |
| 31 | Survivors | Josefina Llanos López |
| 32 | The Design | Christian Lagasse |
| 33 | The Mannequin | Ramgopal Rajagopalan |
| 34 | The Schvitz | Arielle Leah Szpiro |
| 35 | The Sickle of Youth | Anja Savcic |
| 36 | They Think You're Haunted | Robyn Campbell |
| 37 | Toe Pick | Teresa Marie Alfeld |
| 38 | Two Rings | Joel Michael Reimer |
| 39 | Velvet Secrets | Shanthini Balasubramanian |
| 40 | What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Larissa Thompson |
Top 6 Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 6 will be announced on January 17, 2023, 12 pm.
| PROJECT TITLE | GENRE | LOGLINE | DIRECTOR(S) | WRITER(S) | PRODUCER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronaut | Dramatic Whimsy | Amidst a backdrop of 1990s Chinese-Canadian immigration, a young boy is visited by his absent father who builds him a cardboard spaceship and launches him on a fantastical mission to connect with the neighbourhood kids. | Kevin Cheng | Stephanie Joan | Stephanie Joan, Luke VandenBerg, Bobby Tiet (Executive Producer), Campbell Hunter (Executive Producer), Charlie Gudgeon (Executive Producer), Tavish Gudgeon (Executive Producer) |
| DTF? | Coming-of-Age Comedy | During an anonymous sexual bender, a young queer writer is forced to confront his insecurities when he ends up on a date with his former English professor. | Jess Mcleod | Jess Mcleod (Co-Writer) Sam Krochmal (Lead Actor, Co-Writer) | Erin Purghart (Lead Producer), Jess Mcleod (Producer), Hana Huggins (Producer), Sam Krochmal (Co-Producer), Garfield Wilson (Co-Producer) |
| Gone Abroad | Drama | After a conservative Chinese-Catholic school covers up the suicide of Kevin's best friend, he and his friends make a plan to uncover the truth. | Kevin Ang | Kevin Ang | Moheb Jindran (Producer), Allen Xu (Producer), Carlo Fortin (Co-Producer) |
| Our Long Goodbye | Drama | Caregiver by day and musician by night, Mark brings his elderly father's dementia-addled mind back every evening with his songs...until he can't. | Dave Beamish | Dave Beamish | Erin Morgan (Lead Producer), Christina McInulty (Producer), Sarah Alma Angelle(Producer) |
| Toe Pick | Comedy-Drama | A struggling teenage figure skater pushes back against the constraints of her sport in 1990s Vancouver. | Teresa Alfeld | Teresa Alfeld | Kiefer Doerksen, Thea Loo, Natalie Murao |
| What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Fantasy Comedy | Kendra struggles to fit in at a noisy party, much to the chagrin of her guardian angel, a sharp-beaked and sharp-witted harpy, who really wants her to stop staring at her shoes. Inspired by classic 80's puppet films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, What Are You Supposed to Do With Your Hands? explores the unique experience of living as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. | Larissa Thompson | Larissa Thompson | Amanda D'Silva |
Top 12 Semi-Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 12 will be announced on November 29, 2023, 12 pm.
| PROJECT TITLE | GENRE(S) | LOGLINE | DIRECTOR(S) | WRITER(S) | PRODUCER(S) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astronaut | Dramatic Whimsy | Amidst a backdrop of 1990s Chinese-Canadian immigration, a young boy is visited by his absent father who builds him a cardboard spaceship and launches him on a fantastical mission to connect with the neighbourhood kids. | Kevin Cheng | Stephanie Joan | Stephanie Joan, Luke VandenBerg |
| Breaking Bank: The Caregiver Edition | Comedy | Four overworked Filipino caregivers dealing with insurmountable struggles embark on a side-splitting journey when they decide to use their caregiving skills to commit the perfect bank robbery. | Kent Donguines | Kent Donguines | Jordan Connor, Kyle Guerrero |
| Disordered | Drama | A troubled teen who is struggling with her mental health confronts the embodiment of her childhood trauma, which pushes her on a path to healing. | Allana Miller | Allana Miller | Giselle Miller (Lead Producer) Ivanna Samuel (Co-Producer) Lily Yawson (Co-Producer) |
| DTF? | Coming-of-Age Comedy | During an anonymous sexual bender, a young queer writer is forced to confront his insecurities when he ends up on a date with his former English professor. | Jess Mcleod | Jess Mcleod (Co-Writer) Sam Krochmal (Lead Actor, Co-Writer) | Erin Purghart (Lead Producer), Garfield Wilson (Co-Producer) |
| Gone Abroad | Drama | After a conservative Chinese-Catholic school covers up the suicide of Kevin's best friend, he and his friends make a plan to uncover the truth. | Kevin Ang | Kevin Ang | Moheb Jindran |
| Kosher Kush | Comedy | Kosher Kush follows senior citizen Larry Goldhacker as he is evicted from his home and forced to move into a run-down Jewish nursing home. There he strikes an unlikely partnership with a young nurse to sell weed to other residents, hoping to buy back his house with the profits. | Malka Martz-Oberlander | Malka Martz-Oberlander | Hayley Grey |
| Next Stop | Comedy | Young Will must make a precious delivery after finding himself crammed into the back seat of an Uber Pool with strangers. | Jennesia Pedri | Jennesia Pedri | Kate Kroll, Dale Shippam, Matt Villeneuve |
| Our Long Goodbye | Drama | Caregiver by day and musician by night, Mark brings his elderly father's dementia-addled mind back every evening with his songs...until he can't. | Dave Beamish | Dave Beamish | Eva Tavares, Erin Morgan (Producer's Assistant) |
| Strata | Comedy | When a gentle, elderly resident moves a potted plant in the lobby of her building she unwittingly unleashes a war that the whole building shows up for. | Anna Van Hooft | Anna Van Hooft | Matthew Clarke |
| Toe Pick | Comedy-Drama | A struggling teenage figure skater pushes back against the constraints of her sport in 1990s Vancouver. | Teresa Alfeld | Teresa Alfeld | Kiefer Doerksen |
| Velvet Secrets | Drama | A conservative mother's discovery about her daughter, leads her to question tradition, love, and the ever-evolving dynamics within her family. | Shanthini Balasubramanian | Shanthini Balasubramanian | Prakrit Kamra |
| What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Fantasy Comedy | Kendra struggles to fit in at a noisy party, much to the chagrin of her guardian angel, a sharp-beaked and sharp-witted harpy, who really wants her to stop staring at her shoes. Inspired by classic 80's puppet films like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth, What Are You Supposed to Do With Your Hands? explores the unique experience of living as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. | Larissa Thompson | Larissa Thompson | Amanda D'Silva |
Top 40 Quarter-Finalists
In alphabetical order by project title:
Top 40 will be announced on November 15, 2023, 12 pm.
| TITLE | SUBMITTER | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astronaut | Stephanie Joan |
| 2 | AUTO | Milo Shandel |
| 3 | Baby Rose | Shanti Harris |
| 4 | Becoming Owen | Austin MacWhirter |
| 5 | Breaking Bank: The Caregiver Edition | Kent Donguines |
| 6 | Chicken Poulet Soup | Andy Wong |
| 7 | Concussion Perfume | Nathanael Vass |
| 8 | Confessions | Hudson Williams |
| 9 | Demon Twink | Jason Sakaki |
| 10 | Disordered | Allana Miller |
| 11 | DTF? | Sam Krochmal |
| 12 | Girl's Best Friend | Sarah Angelle |
| 13 | Gone Abroad | Kevin Ang |
| 14 | GRAN | Kyla Smith |
| 15 | I Can Hold You | Cassandra Naud |
| 16 | Joint Effort | Shubham Chhabra |
| 17 | Kosher Kush | Malka Martz-oberlander |
| 18 | LUCKY | Olaf Jacobson Sahuaya |
| 19 | Maternal Instinct | Melanie Ellyce |
| 20 | My Sun | Marc Yungco |
| 21 | Next Stop | Jennesia Pedri |
| 22 | No Bystanders | Carson Poole |
| 23 | Oasis | Marlies Dubois |
| 24 | Our Long Goodbye | Dave Beamish |
| 25 | Proximity | Gur-Inder Singh |
| 26 | RIDE OR DIE! | Ildiko Susany |
| 27 | Slay Dragons | June Laporte |
| 28 | Solar Punks | Alyssa Kostello |
| 29 | Speech | Tito Ferradans |
| 30 | Strata | Anna Van Hooft |
| 31 | Survivors | Josefina Llanos López |
| 32 | The Design | Christian Lagasse |
| 33 | The Mannequin | Ramgopal Rajagopalan |
| 34 | The Schvitz | Arielle Leah Szpiro |
| 35 | The Sickle of Youth | Anja Savcic |
| 36 | They Think You're Haunted | Robyn Campbell |
| 37 | Toe Pick | Teresa Marie Alfeld |
| 38 | Two Rings | Joel Michael Reimer |
| 39 | Velvet Secrets | Shanthini Balasubramanian |
| 40 | What Are You Supposed To Do With Your Hands? | Larissa Thompson |
Juries + Story Editors
Video Pitch Jury
For Top 40 Quarter-Finalists
Live Pitch Jury
For Top 12 Semi-Finalists + Top 6 Finalists
Story Editors
For Top 12 Semi-Finalists
Instructor-Kaiako, Creative Writer, Story & Script Consultant, Dramaturg, Director, Producer, Lab Supervisor
How to Apply
Apply to Crazy8s 2024
Register and submit your short film concept in a 3-minute video pitch, along with the first 3 pages of your script, and you could be one of the 6 winners to make your film through Crazy8s!
Online Submissions
Please register and submit your applications online at FilmFreeway.
Crazy8s accepts all genres of live action, scripted short film pitches including drama, comedy, science fiction, horror, fantasy, musical, etc. We do not accept animation or documentary pitches.
Opening Date: September 5, 2023 at 12:00 pm
Early Bird Deadline: September 27, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Submission Deadline: October 13, 2023 at 11:59 pm
Registration Fees:
- $50 CAD: Sept 5 – Sept 27
- $60 CAD: Sept 28 – Oct 13
Crazy8s Film Society believes in equality, diversity and community. The program welcomes contributions from all, and is not limited to, people of varied age, culture, ethnicity, gender, gender-identity, language, race, sexual orientation, and religious views.
Info Session & Pitching Workshop
Date: September 24, 2023
Time: 1:00pm – 2:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Attending this session will provide tips and how-tos of how to make a great Crazy8s submission.
Crazy8s team members and alumni will be in attendance and are available to answer questions about the program and application process.
Awards + Prizes
- $2,000 Cash
- Up to $50,000 In-Kind Sponsorship for Professional Production Gear/Services
- Professional Colour Timing + Sound Mixing
- Professional Story Editing
- Professional Casting Services
- Production Insurance
- A percentage of Municipal Location Permit Fees Waived
- Professional Directing/Producing/Post-Production Mentorship
- …and more