Short film Stay to premiere at GIFF on July 23

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This article was published 20/07/2022 (1530 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NORWOOD FLATS

ST. BONIFACE

ST. VITAL

The curtain will soon be raised on Elena Sturk-Lussier’s short film Stay, which will be officially premiered at this year’s Gimli International Film Festival.

The 28-year-old Winnipegger won the 10th annual RBC $10,000 Emerging Filmmaker Pitch Competition at last year’s festival, and the film will now be shown as part of this year’s festival on July 23.

Since winning the prestigious competition last year, it’s been a busy time for Sturk-Lussier, who grew up in Norwood Flats and is a Collège Louis-Riel alumna.

“It’s been great. Creatively, I’ve been very, very busy,” Sturk-Lussier said in the run-up to her film’s premiere. “It’s been very intense, but very rewarding.”

In the last 12 months, Sturk-Lussier has written an episode of the French-language animated children’s series La Brigade, which is produced by St. Vital-based Manito Média.

And along with filmmaker Danielle Sturk, who is also her mother, and producer Katy Slimmon, Sturk-Lussier developed a French-language animated children’s series called Aanya et nos histoires retrouvées with TFO, the French-language educational TV channel, which is produced by St. Boniface-based Ray Films.

As well, Sturk-Lussier — who is currently working full-time as a production manager at Wookey Films — has directed, shot and edited an as-yet-unreleased music video for the Franco-Manitoban artist Félixe.

In terms of the upcoming premiere, Sturk-Lussier is looking forward to the occasion with a mixture of emotions.

“I’m so excited this year, as my film gets to open in front of a live audience and a live jury. I’m very excited, but also a bit nervous knowing I’ll be in a room when it’s shown publicly for the first time. Not even my husband and mom have seen it,” she said.

“It’s also a big deal for me, and a big step for me, because the film is in English, and I usually work in French.”

The film Stay — which features Brandon McEwan, Madison Chevrefils, and Shannon Loewen — is described as a coming-of-age drama. As part of her win last year, Sturk-Lussier was awarded $10,000 in production funds through the RBC Emerging Artists Project.

The Gimli International Film Festival will run from July 20 to 24. Go online at gimlifilm.com for more information about the Gimli International Film Festival.