‘Pathway to Film Success’: KPU and ISAFF host first collaboration event

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s entertainment arts department and the International South Asian Film Festival (ISAFF) hosted their first collaboration event, “Pathway to Film Success,” on July 31 at KPU’s Civic Plaza campus. 

The event featured a panel interview and question-and-answer session with three professionals working in different spheres within the film industry to provide insights into each sector. 

Key speakers on the panel included Karen Bracken, development and production manager at Lark Productions, Subhadarshi Tripathy, director of film programs at the Centre for Entertainment Arts, and Aliza Vellani, an actress, producer, and member of the executive board for the Union of British Columbia Performers (UBCP/ACTRA).

“We’ve been working with Kwantlen for three years now,” says Mannu Sandhu, ISAFF Canada producer.  

“They are very community and student-oriented … and an essential university for the City of Surrey. We’re also a very essential festival for the City of Surrey, so the collaboration was very easy for us to come about.”

Bracken says she never thought there was a role in the television industry for her, but she found she enjoyed making plans and working with people from different departments as she started working as an executive assistant at Lark Productions.

“I’m not a writer and I’m not a director, but I’ve always been very good at organizing things, I love strategizing. I really didn’t think there was a place for that,” Bracken says, adding she hopes attendees take away some really good tips on how to enter the industry and leave feeling inspired. 

Vellani says events like this remind her how inspiring the future looks for creatives, so when Sandhu reached out to the UBCP/ACTRA, she decided it was a great idea to join.  

“It’s always easy when you’re in the business itself to feel like you’re in the hustle and bustle of it all, wondering what it’s all for,” Vellani says. 

“Then, you come here and get to hear what students are really looking forward to, what their goals are, and it really inspires you again to just know that the future is really bright with all of this greatness.”

The event began with an introductory speech from KPU Faculty of Arts Dean Shelley Boyd, followed by a speech from Sandhu. The panel then proceeded with interview questions on various topics, including how to take risks, the importance of collaboration, and how to find the right pursuits, before finishing with questions from the audience.

After the panel, attendees had the opportunity to talk to the speakers in-person, with snacks and refreshments provided.

“My impressions of the event were pretty good,” says Francis de Boda, an attendee at the event. “I was kind of lost about where to start in terms of my journey in the film industry, but I got a lot of clarity. I think I know at least things to look at, places to apply to, or submit my work now.” 

Student Sumanth Murukesh says he found out about the event accidentally and decided to check it out since he studies at the Civic Plaza campus.

“I found there are lots of opportunities for a lot of students, especially in the media field, and what I came to know from the panelists is that … if you have a passion for film or any of the ideas related to it, you can get connected to them and then pursue what you like,” Murukesh says. 

Sandhu says she is happy KPU and ISAFF collaborated to create this event and is thankful to the university for creating a space for cultivating students’ skills. 

“This could become a signature event,” she says. “You could see a ripple effect of this [event]. Maybe in the next six months, we could do another one, so we will keep building on it now.”