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Commissioned Artists’ World Premiere 🎟️

  • SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 149 W Hastings St Vancouver, BC V6B1H4 Canada (map)

still of ‘finding flow’ by kristen ‘katchflow (Canada) Emerging

Commissioned Artists’ World Premieres
Saturday November 22 from 7:00-9:00PM PST 

Live Talkback facilitated by Jen Sungshine
Location: SFU - Djavad Mowafaghian Theatre
Doors: 6:30PM PST

How do you define movement? This is a question that grounds our work, inspiring artists to deepen the scope and expand the possibilities of what recorded movement can be.

At the heart of FORM lies our annual Commissioning Fund Program, a moment when the ambitious creativity of Youth and Emerging artists is harnessed. Over six months, artists transform their unique perspectives on movement to be told through filmmaking. Their ideas are supported through creative workshops, mentorship, and peer discussions. Not only is this program a catalyst for these artists to share their distinctively powerful stories, it is also an opportunity for their voices as creative leaders to be nourished. 

We are thrilled to support these artists’ bold approaches as they redefine the container of what a filmmaking process can be, from beginning to end. The core of each film highlights the expansive potential of recorded movement. It is an honour to premiere these inspiring new films on the big screen for all to witness and experience for the first time! 

To learn more about our support offerings during screenings visit our FAQ.

Commissioned Artists’ Films Screening:

CFP Artists
chattering of sparrows
chattering of sparrows

Ronnie Cheng 鄭芷路, Andie Lloyd, Amélia Simard (Canada) YOUTH

World Premiere

Duration: 15:00

Content Warning: harsh language

Four close friends, East, South, West and North, play a game of mahjong before dinner. Tensions rise as they all discover they have unique ways of playing, skill levels with the game, and differing attitudes towards competition. How will they navigate personal differences and learn to play with one another?

Co-Creators: Ronnie Cheng 鄭芷路, Andie Lloyd, Amélia Simard
Movement Director: Shion Skye Carter
Composer: Alex Mah
Game Designer: Wendy Fung
1st Assistant Directors: Xuan Wei Lau, Reza Nagaresh
1st Assistant Camera: KR Gonzales
On-Location Sound Mixers: Ayana Madi, Colin Williscroft
Script Supervisor: Ashley Victoria
Sound Designer: Taylor Wilson
Marketing Manager: Tiffany Au
Brand Designer: Lauren Naidoo
On-Set Photographer: Alison Ludlow
Crew: Ma
Chef: Howard Liu
Community Event Helpers: Stacey Kwok, Finn Leahy

Performers
East: Kenny Poon
South: Tamlin Vetter
West: Anjela Magpantay
North: Tiffany Au

We want to extend so much gratitude to Odd Meridian Arts, Morrow, rice & beans theatre, the frank theatre, Progress Lab 1422, HK House, Ambit Cafe, Myst Asian Fusion, Saigon Ivy, Shiun Okada, Andie's Dad, Ronnie's Parents, Karter Masuhara, Eli Morris, Claire Wilson, Victor Yin, Michael Liang, Marina Toptchiian, Nancy Lee, Howard Liu & the whole team at FORM <3

GVASALIA
GVASALIA

Simone Chnarakis (Canada) YOUTH

World Premiere

Duration: 15:00

Content warning: harsh language/profanity

Simone Chnarakis explores Vancouver’s ballroom scene, more specifically her house, the House of Gvasalia. It features candid interviews with house members, highlighting their personal journeys in ballroom, the challenges they face, and the love and support that sustain them. Beyond competing, ballroom and The House of Gvasalia, becomes a space of belonging and resistance where chosen family, self-expression, and joy redefine what it means to be a part of this world.

Director/Cinematographer/Editor: Simone Chnarakis
Overseer: Ralph Escamillan/Pablo Balderas

Featuring:
Princess Wing Wing Gvasalia
OA Legendary Posh Gvasalia
Mother Bee Gvasalia
Menace Gvasalia
Prince Astro Gvasalia

And accompanying members of The House of Gvasalia
A big huge shoutout to The House of Gvasalia, My Legendary Mother, and mentor, Ralph aka Posh Gvasalia and Pablo. As well as my FORM Artistic Consultant, Nancy. 

LIVE at the Court
LIVE at the Court

Ben Mouland (Canada) YOUTH

World Premiere

Duration: 10:00

Three basketball players step onto the court, each with a rhythm of their own. As their movements are studied and reimagined, their game is then recontextualized into jazz, revealing the artistry within sport and the music hidden in motion.

Director/Producer: Ben Mouland
Producer/AD: Satchel Ramraj
2nd AD: Hanbi Yang
Cinematographer: Jamie Mitri
1st AC: Tahlia Hunt
2nd AC: Mahan Mohammadinasab
B-Cam Op: Chris Berry
C-Cam Op: Andrew Lee
Location Mixer: Juliette Leach
Sound Assistant: Emmi Tsiapalis
Gaffer: Jack Bailey
Grip: Aryan Kurungode
Dolly Grip: Alonso Recavarren
BTS: Lewen Han
PA/Trainer: Koby Cobb-Vialet
DIT: Chloe Chan
Editor: Joshua Brad-Lee Garrido
Score: Mafuba 
Player 1: Shamar Givance
Player 2: Duane Notice
Player 3: MiKyle McIntosh
BG player 1: Koby Cobb-Vialet 
BG player 2: Satchel M. Ramraj
BG player 3: Lucas Hawkforsterrs
BG player 4: Marco Cvitanovic
BG player 5: Nathan Hum
BG player 6: Jed Phillips
BG player 7: Qiyang Feng
BG player 8: Jeff Zhu

Special Thank Yous: Ian Freeman, Don Van Duuren, BJ Summers, Vancouver Bandits, TriVision  

Human Nature
Human Nature

Corus (Canada) YOUTH

World Premiere

Duration: 8:00

Human Nature is an exploration of the masculine and the feminine energies in relationship to the Earth. Through movement, imagery, and sound, the film reflects on how these forces exist within us and within the natural world, inviting viewers to witness their harmony and tension.

Director: Corus
Editor: Corus
Music Score: Corus & Rhythm
Movement / Performance: Corus & Rhythm

With gratitude to the land, ancestors, and community who continue to inspire and guide this work <333

Finding Flow
Finding Flow

Kristen Bailey (Canada) EMERGING

World Premiere

Duration: 6:00

In an often disconnected world, three dancers come together through the shared language of footwork. Rooted in African-diasporic street dance styles, Finding Flow explores the intersections of technical movement, culture, and self-expression. Each dancer’s journey unfolds as they move through a rich landscape of rhythm, technique, and expressive physicality—where footwork becomes a powerful tool for storytelling. While our feet carry us forward, we must not forget the footprints that remind us of where we've been.

Director and Movement Direction: Kristen Bailey
Director of Photography and Editor: Castle Rock Peters
Music Composition: Joel Campbell 
Assistant Camera: Trainor Race
Gaffer: Berkeley Reyes
Production Assistant: Aabhaansh Bhatnagar 
Freestyle Dancers: Emma Misak, Kelvin Agyemang, Esther Bagisha

What an incredible experience it has been to create with FORM! I am so grateful. I want to give Special Thank Yous to: The incredible FORM team, CineWorks, Pachamama Film Studios, and Simon.

Simone Chnarakis
Simone Chnarakis

Simone Chnarakis (she/her/they) is a 21-year-old Black woman and photographer born and raised in East Vancouver. Her work focuses on documenting Black communities, the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as the growing ballroom scene in the city. She is passionate about capturing raw, honest moments that reflect identity, culture, and care, through her work. She will be the cinematographer and co-director of this project.

Self-Portrait by the Artist

Katria Phothong-McKinnon
Katria Phothong-McKinnon

Originating from Calgary, AB and Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand, Katria Phothong-McKinnon is a Thai-Canadian artist navigating the blending of traditional and contemporary influences in her work through sculpture, new media, performance, sound arts, music, dance and design. Rooted in Classical Thai dancing since the age of 7, she has expanded her dance practice to include styles like W*acking, Voguing, Hip-Hop, Campbellocking, House, and Popping. Currently based in Vancouver, BC, Katria has a Bachelors in Media Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design, majoring in New Media + Sound Arts with a minor in Curatorial Practices, and most recently has worked/collaborated with Red Bull, Springboard Performance and the Esker Foundation; and received the inaugural New Media Curation Award at Emily Carr for her curatorial work with the Student Exhibitions at the university.

Photo by: Boris Khramstov

Jen Sungshine
Jen Sungshine

Jen Sungshine is a queer Taiwanese-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, community facilitator, and cultural producer based in Vancouver, BC. She is the Co-Artistic Director of Love Intersections, and Outreach Curator at The Polygon Gallery. Her works include "Yellow Peril: Queer Destiny", "Drag is for Everyone", both winners of the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for best BC Short; and "The House of 9 Dragons", an oral history exhibit in Chinatown. She loves hotpot and wants to know your favourite hotpot ingredient. www.jensungshine.com

Photo by: Rick Etkin

Thank you to our 2025 Commissioning Fund Program Supporters:

Supported by SFU
Commissioning Fund Production Partners: Cineworks, VIVO Media Arts Centre, Charles Street Video
Co-Commissioning Partners: O.Dela Arts, Plastic Orchid Factory
Supporting Funder of the Commissioning Fund Program: David Copper

This program is made possible by Commissioning Fund Production Partners: Cineworks, VIVO Media Arts Centre, Charles Street Video, Ed Video Media Arts Centre, Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers and Co-Commissioning Partners: O.dela Arts, Plastic Orchid Factory.

Meet the Facilitator:

Featured
Jen Sungshine
Jen Sungshine

Jen Sungshine is a queer Taiwanese-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, community facilitator, and cultural producer based in Vancouver, BC. She is the Co-Artistic Director of Love Intersections, and Outreach Curator at The Polygon Gallery. Her works include "Yellow Peril: Queer Destiny", "Drag is for Everyone", both winners of the Gerry Brunet Memorial Award for best BC Short; and "The House of 9 Dragons", an oral history exhibit in Chinatown. She loves hotpot and wants to know your favourite hotpot ingredient. www.jensungshine.com

Photo by: Rick Etkin

Earlier Event: November 21
From the Cypher to the Screen 🎟️
Later Event: November 22
Closing Party 🎟️