Julia Brown - Actor, Mentor and Coach

Julia Brown- Actor, Mentor and Coach

Julia is a Canadian actor with an Acting for Film and Television diploma from Niagara College. Through the on-screen parts of the program, Julia gained knowledge and skills related to improv, character voices, dialect work, scene study, audition techniques, and stunt fighting. Behind the scenes, she learned how to screenwrite, direct, film, and edit all of her own work. She also has experience training at Walter Alza’s award-winning acting studio in Toronto and the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City (home of the Sandford Meisner technique).

Julia has been studying vocal music, musical theatre, and various dance genres (Ballet, Tap, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Modern) since the age of 6. She has acted in several theatre productions such as The Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Spring Awakening, Godspell, Shrek the Musical, Beauty and the Beast, Into the Woods, etc.

Julia has film, television, and voice acting credits from a range of projects including a national commercial campaign, a radio show, and doing voices for video game characters. She previously worked with iFilmGroup on the film “Tuned In”.

Julia is currently going back to school at Georgian College to pursue a career in Education. Combining her passions for Film and Television and mentoring others, she wants to pass on the knowledge she has to up-and-coming actors.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Ali Shareef Joins iFilmGroup

Ali Shareef, a filmmaker in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

From a young age, I’ve been passionate about filmmaking. Exploring and learning every aspect that goes into the process of creating a motion picture. From writing in notebooks, to scripts, to production, to editing. But it wasn’t until later in my life I fully pursued it as a professional career, rather than just a hobby.

After taking many courses regarding filmmaking, photography, editing and graphic design during secondary school, I went off to Fanshawe college and expanded my knowledge on the subject by participating in creating short films, commercials and many other video-related projects.

In my years at Fanshawe, I thrived on all the knowledge I had gained and all the content I had created, But the one and most important piece of information that I learned the most was to value failure more than success. By learning and understanding the reasoning behind failure anyone can truly exceed their own limits and be unstoppable. If I hadn’t learned and valued my failures, I would not have become the person I am today and would not have been able to continue to expand my understanding of film.

After graduating Fanshawe college I took all the knowledge I learned and applied it to the real world. Since then I’ve worked on different independent film projects and advertisements. One of my upcoming short film projects titled ‘Luna’, currently in pre-production will focus on schizophrenia and will have a mystery horror vibe.

After graduation, I still continued to learn and expand my horizon, which led me to Don Hickey and Mathew Marshall founders of iFilmGroup. I met Don and Mathew on the set of one of their feature films titled ‘Not Ready’.

I was Assistant Camera in ‘Not Ready’ and Director of Photography / Cinematographer in ‘The Big Audition’ and

Cinematographer / Cinematography for the ‘Audition Waiting Room’.

After working for them on the set of ‘Not Ready’, I kept in touch with them hoping to participate in more future projects. Since then I have worked with iFilmGroup on two other projects, which has allowed me to continue expanding my grasp on filmmaking and learn to work with other film companies.

Working with the iFilmGroup has taught me many new things regarding film which has helped me in my own projects. Since joining the iFilmGroup Don Hickey has been so generous in teaching me how to brand myself and showing me new marketing skills which will further my career and knowledge.

Don has even helped me work on my own scripts and screenplays, which has allowed me to exchange thoughts and opinions with someone, who’s passionate about film as much as I am. In conclusion, I hope to continue working with iFilmGroup and continue to work with people who are just as passionate about all of this as I am.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Actor Cindy Leigh Works With iFilmGroup

Actor Cindy Leigh

Actor Cindy Leigh playing a part of a nervous actor having ‘second thoughts’.

The iFilmGroup team recently wrapped production on a short film called “Audition Waiting Room” featuring the talented Cindy Leigh in the lead role of the short film. Cindy was actually cast a few months ago by the iFilmGroup team. Together Cindy and iFilmGroup’s Head of Film Production Matthew Marshall have been working on the script and the concept since her casting. When Cindy was asked about her reaction to being cast in the role, her response was “Ecstatic and looking forward to working on this exciting project.”

Cindy Leigh playing a nervous actor prior to audition.

The short film is part of the “Audition Room” series of short films by iFilmGroup, and serves a dual purpose of being a film, and fitting into the iFilmGroup’s ‘Online Learning Platform’ (an aspect that Leigh likes).

She feels the film is very relatable to anyone that has been through the auditions process for acting. iFilmGroup and Leigh both agree that a film like this will also be relatable for those just breaking into the acting industry on what they can expect. “I relate to the role as I have been through and had the thoughts and feelings at auditions that my character is having,” said Leigh.

Cindy Leigh playing with lots of tension as an actor prior to auditions.

The “Audition Waiting Room” film centres around an actor named Kaiah Lucas waiting to go in for her auditions. “All the thoughts and feelings that go through her head while she waits. The anxieties she experiences and the self-doubt on if she is good enough” Leigh adds.

In the earlier part of spring, the iFilmGroup casting team was working on narrowing down the selections for this film while still casting for other films in the series. The casting team was impressed with the top four candidates. “In the end, Cindy checked all the boxes for us,” says Community Engagement Manager and iFilmGroup co-founder Don Hickey.

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Leigh who was originally based in Melbourne, Australia, is now in Toronto, Ontario pursuing her passion and furthering her professional career in acting. She comes to Canada with an impressive resume of acting experience. Leigh has played a wide range of roles in television series, music videos, short films & theatre productions.

Leigh also landed the leads for several projects including playing ‘Amy’ in the newly released short film 'Your Face' directed by Alex Thompson. Also with ‘Revolving Door Productions' short film 'Earth' where she played lead ‘Lani’ and Drama King Theatre Company's play 'Bad Habits' where she played the lead ‘Ally’.

Leigh graduated from the Full-Time Program at ‘The Australian Film & Television Academy’ in 2019. Training with the likes of John Orcisk, Mick Preston, Huw Higginson, John Preston & Kym Valentine.

When she’s not auditioning or on set, she's singing, dancing & learning Spanish. Leigh has the special skill of accents and dialects from Australian, General American, Southern American, South African, and General British. “During auditions, Cindy flipped from her native Australian accent to a standard American in just a few lines of dialogue”, says Marshall.

Leigh is excited to expand her skills and further her professional career and looks forward to landing lots of leading acting roles in Canada.

Actor Cindy Leigh in make-up department onset of ‘Audition Waiting Room’ with iFilmGroup.

Along with the lead role in the film, Leigh recorded a training segment for the iFilmGroup ‘Online Training’ that deals with the theme of the film. Marshall says that footage from the film along with other footage will make up the images of the segment that Leigh gives great advice to actors.

The film now moves to the Post-production stage for editing.

iFilmGroup Cast and Crew onset of ‘Audition Waiting Room’ with Cindy Leigh.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Brie Bennett Joins Production Team

Brie is a Canadian actor who has a BA in Theatre, Specialized in Devised at York University in Toronto, Ontario. The program offers students an intensive curriculum in devising and performing original theatre pieces. This interdisciplinary series of courses is overseen and taught by faculty from all three areas of the department: Acting, Production, Performance Creation, and Research.

Through the knowledge within this intense program, Brie now is branching out into teaching and coaching actors who are up and coming.

Brie has credits in film, theatre, and voice acting with a wide range of companies and organizations. Brie previously worked with iFilmGroup on the film “Social Disobedience” where Brie played the role of “Bailey” and also assisted in the cinematography of the film.

Brie Bennett joins iFilmGroup as a Production Leader

Brie is now using the acting training from the program to create in-person workshops and virtual training for iFilmGroup’s online training segments. Brie loves acting and feels really passionate when it comes to teaching others about acting. Brie loves seeing what people can do when they are given the tools to learn the art and craft of acting.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Actor Training and Filming with Olivia Williams

Matthew Marshall- Head of Film Production with Intern Student Olivia Williams and Don Hickey- Community Engagement Manager

Meet the iFilmGroup team that is working with Olivia Williams, a Co-op intern placement with iFilmGroup. Olivia is in grade 11 and is very passionate about acting and filmmaking.

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Matthew Marshall sharing notes with Olivia Williams for the next shot.

The iFilmGroup’s mandate is to mentor individuals young and old in the art of filmmaking and acting. This has taken many forms throughout the existence of iFilmGroup. Which includes mentoring through teaching on set, and at workshops.

The iFilmGroup team has also done what is called "accredited mentorships" through educational facilities. Meaning students work a prescribed number of hours to achieve a credit or credits for an educational institution (this in the past has been on a shorter term of a few weeks to a month). But, starting in October 2021 the iFilmGroup team led by the head of film Production Matthew Marshall took on a full-term intern/co-op student from a local St. Thomas Ontario High School named Olivia Williams.

Matthew Marshall showing Olivia Williams composition of finished shot.

Olivia has worked from October 2021 to the end of May 2022 with iFilmGroup studying acting and film production. Olivia was taught about different acting styles and methods, along with learning skills of acting and the audition process. As part of the co-op, she did monologues, wrote weekly blogs about what she has done, did acting training, and various activities related to film and acting assignments.

She also participated in a film through Fanshawe College and worked on footage for the training segments iFilmGroup is producing.

Olivia Williams on set of ‘The Big Audition’ with director Matthew Marshall

“Olivia and Matthew Marshall also made a short film called “The Big Audition" in which Olivia starred in. Olivia also learned how a set was built (props, lighting, audio) and watched how other actors were directed. Olivia also met other actors and directors and crew from other productions,” says Don Hickey.

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Matthew Matthew setting the shot. Olivia Williams and Jordyn Taylor doing ‘actor to actor’ training.

“The year has been very successful and Olivia has learned a lot about the art of acting,” says Marshall. This full school year internship is something that the iFilmGroup team hopes to be able to do with more students moving forward.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

“MALICIOUS ATTACK" wins Film Awards

iFilmGroup’s Life-saving Cast and Crew of Award Winning Anti-Bullying Movie - ‘Malicious Attack’.

iFilmGroup is proud to announce our film

“MALICIOUS ATTACK"
won three of the six awards that it was nominated for at the
TAKE A STAND FILM FESTIVAL.

The film won in the categories of:
ANTI-BULLYING AWARD
BEST BULLY THEME FILM AWARD
BEST DIRECTOR AWARD – Matthew Marshall

The film also received nominations in the categories of
NOMINATION - BEST MESSAGE AWARD
NOMINATION – LEADING LADY AWARD – Katie Ostojic
NOMINATION – ACTING SUPPORTING ROLE – Morgan Flanagan

ALSO AT…
Global Shorts a Los Angeles-based online International Film Festival has chosen iFilmGroup's short film "Malicious Attack" about bullying to be a "Finalist" in their festival.

iFilmGroup’s administration staff and Production Leaders are so proud of the many kids and adults that were a part of the making of this very important movie. It was ‘life-saving’ work for ‘life-remembering’ awards. Hugs to all!
Stop a bully… save a life!

Don Hickey
Community Engagement Manager

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

2021 Year in Review

The curtain has dropped and the page has turned on another year.
A fresh new, empty book of a year lay in front of us to write the story of 2022. 

To say that 2021 was anything less than challenging for iFilmGroup and the world for that matter would be an understatement... on top of an already challenging 2020. But the moments in life are what you make of them.

The team at iFilmGroup feels sometimes that life is like a movie set. Sometimes you have to make the best out of what you are given. That concept makes the iFilmGroup team think of the song ‘Season of Love’ by Jonathan Larson which was featured in the Broadway show “Rent”. The song talks about ‘525,600’ minutes in a year. That is Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred moments to make something happen. “Five hundred twenty-five thousand journeys to plan”. The song asks the question “How do you measure a life of a woman or a man?”

 The iFilmGroup team feels we can each be measured with what we do with the time we are given and how we make the most out of what we have, regardless of the circumstances. Filming and doing production have ground to a standstill in the past two years. With only a few limited shoot dates happening in the last couple of years due to restrictions and safety protocols. The slower pace has given time for post-production of the several films already filmed.

2021 saw the release of “Malicious Attack” and another film “Not Ready” having most of the post-production done with a plan to release in 2022. ‘Filmmaking’ is not at the core of iFilmGroup… ‘mentoring’ is, and has in the past couple of years been challenging on that front. But iFilmGroup has been adapting.

A lot of groundwork has been laid in the past two years for the future of iFilmGroup. Although the process has been slower than the team would like, it is moving forward with a lot of great things that have happened and that are planned for the future.  Like every year at this time the team likes to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year… while also dreaming and looking forward to what is to come. So, in the spirit of ‘Season of Love’. Let's celebrate and remember a year in the life of iFilmGroup for 2021.

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 The iFilmGroup team came into 2021 with three films in post-production that had been shot previously. “We were in a bit of a hole”, remarks ‘Head of Film Production’ Matthew Marshall. iFilmGroup included a short film on bullying called ‘Malicious Attack’ which Marshall had shot through his production company m & s Marshall Productions that was brought under the iFilmGroup banner.

On the set of ‘Blue Love’. Some cast and crew.

A second short film that Marshall had been working on with Helena Rose that wrapped filming in 2019 called “Blue Love” was added to the editing roster.

Then the iFilmGroup production “Not Ready’ had been filmed as well and needed to be edited. Marshall goes on to explain, “That due to some rapid growth of iFilmGroup and a number of opportunities that had presented themselves during 2019 and 2020 the team had focused on Production and filming with little time left for editing”. Something that in the end may have worked out for the team when things came to a standstill in 2020 and into 2021 when the slow down continued.  

On set of ‘Not Ready’ with some cast and crew.

2021 SEASON OF EDITING
Marshall spent most of the year of 2021 with the editing department. Editing first “Malicious Attack” and “Not Ready”. He brought ‘Malicious Attack’ to completion and 'Not Ready' to the point of Audio Post-production. He even started editing on ‘Blue Love’.  “2021 was a very productive year of editing,'' Marshall adds.

 RELEASE OF MALICIOUS ATTACK
Marshall's work in the editing department started to pay off as in October iFilmGroup and m & s Marshall productions released the 49-minute dramatic film “Malicious Attack” about bullying and how it affects high school students.  October seemed fitting for the release as it is ‘World Bullying Prevention Awareness Month’, with October 13th being ‘National Stop Bullying Day’. Which was the day the team decided to premiere the film. “Malicious Attack” has already gone on to have 12,000 views and be nominated for awards in Film Festivals. 

NEW FORM OF MENTORING
With restrictions, the iFilmGroup team has had to find new ways to carry out the goal of mentoring the target groups. Three areas have developed with great success and have stood out with iFilmGroup International Film Festival, Online Remote Learning and Outreach Beyond the Walls. 

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iFilmGroup International Film Festival (IFGIFF)
In late 2020 iFilmGroup opened up their new Film Festival for the first year as a way to allow filmmakers of all ages to submit their work. This initiative allowed iFilmGroup to mentor filmmakers online from around the world. The online event was held in April 2021 and was a success. The first annual IFGIFF (as it is called for short) produced some familiar faces in the winner circle which added to the giving back to the Southwestern Ontario Community.

The IFGIFF 2020-2021 winners
Best Director- Sadie Rose- ‘August’
Best Micro Short Film- ‘Hinterland Election Night’
Best Short Film- ‘August’
Best Lead Actress- Ashleigh Morrison- ‘Goldfish’
Best Lead Actor- Max Steinberg- ‘What Normal Boys Do’
Best Actress Under 18- Ashleigh Morrison- ‘Detainee X’
Best Actor Under 18- Max Steinberg- ‘Afreen’
Best Ensemble Cast- ‘Hinterland Election Night’ 

In October 2021 the second year for the 2021-2022 iFilmGroup International Film Festival opened up. With an end date of April 2022. Thus far the festival has over 60 entries and will have its final deadlines over the coming months of the early part of 2022. The iFilmGroup team is excited for the results of this second season of the festival.

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ONLINE REMOTE LEARNING
Taking a page from the education system, iFilmGroup looks to offer a platform where iFilmGroup members can be mentored without being in person. The iFilmGroup team is working on an online learning and teaching program. A lot of planning and discussion has gone into what this would look like.

This project has been in the works for two years and finally is starting to take form. The team has been filming footage and having individuals record the base training tracks for segments. The concept was started in 2020 but has been one of the aspects to be slowly moving forward. But 2021 saw growth and development as things started to come together and the team prepared for a launch in the future, even if the ‘in-person’ mentoring comes back. iFilmGroup feels this will be a great way to connect with more people and offer teaching and learning so that the mentoring is not limited to just people who can come to ‘in-person’ events. 

OUTREACH BEYOND THE WALLS OF IFILMGROUP
Several moves were made to open more doors for outreach by the iFilmGroup team. In the spirit of mentoring and teaching, the iFilmGroup team has several acting coaches working with various actors wanting training both ‘in-person’ sessions (when safe), and also online remote training. Head of Film Production Matthew Marshall has been doing this dealing with the tech side of production. Marshall was hired by the Digital Creative Arts Centre which is under the banner of BGC London. Marshall led two one-week filmmakers camps for teens. Marshall has also been doing some remote teaching on acting and filming with students.

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATES
During this downtime, it also allowed Don Hickey (co-founder and Community Engagement Manager at iFilmGroup) to engage in the International Indie film market. In talks with international contacts (since early 2020) iFilmGroup now has associates in Sweden, South Korea, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, and the USA. These associates have already contributed in many ways to our production processes in 2020 and 2021.

EXPANSION & GROWTH
Even in these times of slow down and restrictions iFilmGroup has seen growth. Not always in the areas that they expected, but growth has come on a number of fronts.

 The truth is that this process of ‘limited shooting’ has been time-consuming and frustrating at times, for the iFilmGroup team but they are confident that the strides they are making will be good for iFilmGroup and their associates, actors, and crew as the team moves forward.

The first area of growth was iFilmGroup casting a virtual remote film. This had been in the works since 2020, but finally got rolling with some additional casting of roles in 2021. The cast of ‘Social Disobedience’ was fully selected and cast. Filming has started but has been slow due to some of the cast having to learn how to do shots and filming themselves as well as other commitments in their life. “It’s a new way of making a film and I think everyone is on a learning curve of how to make it work”, comments Marshall on the virtual filming process.  

A place to film without rental fees and working out schedules has been on the team’s minds. Especially within the world of restrictions. The iFilmGroup team, under the direction of iFilmGroup’s Community Engagement Manager; Don Hickey has obtained space in a warehouse to safely shoot ‘specific sized sets’ for future ‘specialized social distancing’ filming.

This warehouse will allow shooting with multiple three-walled rooms. Hickey figures once renovations are complete there will be at least 8 rooms for staging. “Just think “Big Bang Theory” set or any other sitcom set that you might have seen (on a behind-the-scenes feature), and that’s what iFilmGroup will have”, Hickey says.

 Marshall adds, “This awesome ‘real estate’ feature will allow us to continue with mentoring workshops and ongoing filming. Our members (made up of crew and actors) are excited about continuing their growth and sharing their talent with our mentoring program. Growth will continue and we have a full schedule for the 2021-2022 season.” The team has already shot footage for the acting training as well as scenes for the film 'Not Ready' in this warehouse. 

From a personnel perspective, the team has grown as well. Tim Harvey, a local photographer and sound engineer that has worked with the iFilmGroup team a number of times have come on board to help out with people who are looking for affordable headshots. Tim worked on several productions with the team as a photographer including ‘Struggles Within’ and ‘Malicious Attack’. Most recently he was a drone pilot and camera op for ‘Not Ready’. Tim has an extensive background in photography in various forms. “He is partnering with iFilmGroup to be a source that we can send people to for headshots.” adds Marshall.

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 The iFilmGroup team expanded in 2021 in a way that is at the core of the iFilmGroup’s values and mission. iFilmGroup added a co-op student, Olivia Williams. Her time started in October 2021 and will go to June 2022.

The iFilmGroup team has had what they call “Accredited Mentoring” of students in the past on a short-term basis for a term of a month or so, or for a certain number of hours. A student had completed a one-month term during shooting of a film. A College student also did some virtual training with Marshall on ‘Directing’. But never an internship or co-op that ran a full school year or semester like Olivia is doing.

Marshall and Hickey are very excited about this opportunity. “This style of training is at our core as a mentoring group”, Marshall says. Marshall feels this opens the door to the group doing more internships and training like this in the future. Olivia’s training has been mostly virtual. But Marshall feels that when you look at acting in most cases actors do a lot of independent work learning the craft and preparing for auditions. So, the style of virtual training very much fits the way an actor would be functioning. More so than attending a certain location every day.

 With the co-op, it is putting more of a focus on the development of the Online virtual learning program and how much this could be a state-of-the-art program in the area for the training of young or new actors. “The structure and learning process could be something that we become well known for”, adds Hickey.

 LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
With all this growth in the last few years, the team is looking to where they need to go in the future. If by the theory, growth continues at the current rate, the team has to look at how their programs and facilities can expand and how this structurally will work. iFilmGroup is not funded by any government programs. Their funding comes from the generous funding of corporate and individual donations.

Perry Hegmans and Don Hickey overseeing the renovations at the warehouse to complete iFilmGroup Studio.

The team and donors have fronted the burden of the costs of renovations in the warehouse as the team converted the interior to sound stages. Renovations of the warehouse to sound stages will be ongoing into 2022. Also, the team has shot several short films, plus Virtual Acting training incurring many expenses. In 2022 iFilmGroup will be looking at ways to raise more funds to continue to finance the projects underway. To make a donation to iFilmGroup cause, please contact either Matthew Marshall or Don Hickey of iFilmGroup.

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Despite the restrictions of 2021, iFilmGroup feels they have used every second of their Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred moments of 2021 and is planning to wisely use all those same moments of time in 2022. As the chapter of 2021 has closed, a new chapter of 2022 has opened with a fresh new blank page. As Hickey and Marshall are both scriptwriters, they both jokingly wish to be very clear that because we have ended a year, that doesn’t mean the story of iFilmGroup has ended.  In fact, it has just begun for a New Year and they look forward to the new journey and the story that will be written.

New Year 2022 - Chapter one… begins!

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“2020 and 2021 have been great growth years even during these ‘special times’ and with many restrictions on business and society. Developments in many departments within iFilmGroup have exceeded our expectations. Thank you to The Production Team, mentors, mentees, actors, and associates.”

— iFilmGroup Co-founders

iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Olivia Williams - Joins Production Team

The iFilmGroup team is excited to announce that Olivia Williams will be doing a Co-op intern placement with iFilmGroup that will last till the spring of 2022.  Olivia is in grade 11 and is very passionate about acting, modeling, and dance. She is excited for the upcoming months with iFilmGroup and the opportunities she will get through the placement in the art of acting and modeling.

Olivia Williams applied for the Co-op position and was put through a typical audition process of first submitting a headshot and resume with acting experience. Then she had to perform a rehearsed monologue and go through an interview process with the iFilmGroup Head of Production Matthew Marshall.   Marshall admits the process is not an easy one but feels the audition process for the placement mirrors what it is like in the real world for those auditioning for roles in productions for acting. “The idea of the audition and application process is to simulate what is like for someone looking to be cast or brought on with a theatre or production group,” says Marshall.  He admits it’s not an easy or simple process but those that get through it have shown that they are up to the task.

Williams admits to being a little nervous with her audition monologue. “I was scared I would mess it up” says Williams. She found a monologue she knew and liked online and then went over it a lot of times.  In the end, she felt that she did pretty well.  Marshall backs up and confirms that Williams did well by pointing out that Williams made it through the process and was selected for the Co-Op placement. “I think that fact that she got the placement speaks to how the entire audition interview process went for her.  Williams is just getting started on the placement, but she is already enjoying talking about what her Co-Op with iFilmGroup might look like and the opportunities she might have.  “I think it sounds really exciting. I am looking forward to it” adds Williams.

The Co-op placement will include the various aspects of acting including character development, various styles of acting, and acting methods. As well it will include work on the audition process which is something Williams is glad that she will get lots of opportunities to get more comfortable with the process even if it might feel repetitive at points. 

This is not the first time iFilmGroup has offered something like this in a formal program to someone looking to expand their knowledge in an aspect of the film industry. Although iFilmGroup co-founder and Community engagement Manager Don Hickey offers up these words “the two previous Accredited Mentoring participants had experiences different than that of what Olivia Williams will have”.  Hickey is quick to point out the difference between accredited mentoring and the standard mentoring program that the iFilmGroup offers.

Standard mentoring is what the group does all the time. But the accredited mentoring is when students in high school or college/university have their school involved and the student does an internship or period of evaluation with iFilmGroup and the student is then evaluated and receives a mark and credit for their time under the mentorship of the iFilmGroup team. 

The iFilmGroup has had two previous students. “One individual did their internship during the making of a film to put in the hours required for their course. They were evaluated on their acting and performance as well as participation in the filmmaking process, along with the hours put in. This will be similar to what Williams is doing. However, Williams will follow more of the standard Co-op placement practice of having to put in a certain number of hours in a week. 

The second student was a Middle Eastern woman named Yasmine “Jasmine” Al Sayyid.  Yasmine left her home country and came to Canada to study film in post-secondary studies. While in Canada she went by the name Jasmine. She had very little opportunity to explore education and make films in her home country due to her culture. While studying film at film school here, she was looking to learn more about directing. Marshall mentored her virtually to assist with long travel.

She spent several months being mentored by Marshall several hours a week and working on a film studies credit and an independent project on the art of directing a film. With the opportunity to learn and train with Marshall, she was able to explore her passion for filmmaking. “Learning directing and filmmaking from Mr. Marshall and the iFilmGroup was a dream come true for me”, says Yasmine.

She goes on to say “I feel very blessed to be able to have learned from someone like Mr. Marshall. He creates strong female lead films. This group of people at iFilmGroup inspire me. They make me want to pursue my dream even more. I love that they allowed all people to have opportunities to explore their passions and talents within making films”, adds Yasmine. 

Following her film training, Yasmine went back home and most recently went on to submit a short film called “Prejudice” to the iFilmGroup International Film Festival. Yasmine was the director and the creative drive of the film. She says that she owes a lot of making this film to iFilmGroup for what they gave her. The film received three “Official Selection nominations” at the 2020 IFGIFF. “Prejudice” was nominated for the best short film, Yasmine Al Sayyid was nominated for “best director” and the lead actress of the film Amira Assad was nominated for “Best Actress” for her role of Maryam.  The film lost in all three categories but Al Sayyid was happy with the nomination. “It showed that what I learned was able to be applied. The nominations mean I made a good film. That is all I can ask for” says Al Sayyid. 

The focus for iFilmGroup now turns to this newest opportunity to mentor through an accredited Mentoring program opportunity. Marshall has a number of things in the works to try and give Olivia Williams an outstanding placement experience. Marshall would not divulge much of what he has planned. Just saying it was “in the works” But he did share a few tidbits. “She is likely to play a big part in working with us to get the iFilmGroup online education program off the ground with training videos,” says Marshall.  Williams is looking forward to being part of the newly formed training program. “I think that the educational videos will be really fun to be a part of as well as it being a good thing to look back on at the end of this year,” says Williams.   

It is also not to be forgotten that iFilmGroup is also preparing for their second annual iFilmGroup International Film Festival which will happen during Williams’ placement. “She will likely play a part working on the administrative side with us in helping make the festival a success,” adds Hickey.

RELEASE SUMMARY
Production Team Member- Olivia Williams

iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Safety Controlled Sound Stages

Safety Controlled Sound Stages

Pandemic Scrambling and Safety Measures

iFilmGroup Leads The Way in the Film Industry
with Safety Controlled Sound Stages

iFilmGroup’s Production Team over several months have researched the film industry struggles with ‘full production of films’. The bigger players in the film industry that have million dollar budgets are deeply struggling. Being bigger at this time may not ‘save them’, their overhead is huge. iFilmGroup.org is an independent (INDIE) film organization operated by donated funds, with all volunteers. For iFilmGroup to continue all mentoring programs it is necessary to have a facility to accommodate interior sound stage filming. We are a small community of dedicated actors, crew and screenwriters that donate their time, talent and money to support existing and in-coming people that want to be a part of the iFilmGroup family.

It is by your donations that our awesome acting and crew workshops and mentoring programs continue.

Under the direction of iFilmGroup’s Community Engagement Manager; Don Hickey, iFilmGroup has obtained space in a warehouse to safely shoot ‘specific sized sets’ for future ‘specialized social distancing’ filming. This warehouse will allow shooting with multiple three walled rooms. Hickey figures once renovations are complete there will be at least 8 rooms for staging. “Just think “Big Bang Theory” set, or any other sitcom set that you might have seen (on a behind-the-scene feature), and that’s what iFilmGroup will have”, Hickey says.

Warehouse accommodations secured… to build ‘sound stages’ for filming

Matthew Marshall of iFilmGroup says, “This awesome ‘real estate’ feature will allow us to continue with mentoring workshops and ongoing filming. Our members (made up of crew and actors) are really excited with continuing their growth and sharing their talent with our mentoring program. Growth will continue and we have a full schedule for the 2021 season.”

Take part in iFilmGroup’s future. Join us as an actor or crew.
Our Production Crew
is steadfast with mentoring others to fulfill their dreams to be successful in the film industry.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Safely Expanding Programs

iFilmGroup Safely Expanding Programs

FilmGroup is looking for a few talented individuals to be “Virtual Acting Coach” for a new online iFilmGroup program that is being created and designed. The successful candidates would be assisting in the design and execution of the new virtual program. Which would be for members of the iFilmGroup for training and teaching of acting techniques and skills through recorded videos, skits, scenes and online virtual teaching. With the possibility of in person teaching and workshops down the road.

All Virtual material will either be shot from home locations or in special cases at remote studios and locations for certain specialized material depending on what is required for the setting of the recorded material.

Focus of all material created and recorded would be training of iFilmGroup members ranging from youth to seniors in the art and skills of acting and the various aspects of the film industry including but not limited to auditioning, projection, emotion, various acting skills, and set protocol

Candidates can be of any age but should have formal training in acting through a Post-Secondary school program degree or through real life practical training in acting. Candidates must be familiar with both stage and film acting.

Please submit qualifications / resume as well as promotional head shot to info@ifilmgroup.org

Be sure to include in the subject line of the email “Application for iFilmGroup Virtual Acting"

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Max Steinberg Receives Nomination Again

iFilmGroup and m & s Marshall Production would like to congratulate iFilmGroup member and London Ontario actor Max Steinberg on his two
2020 Joey Award nominations.

His most recent nominations included a
“Best Actor in a short film (14-16 years)”
for his role as Michael in iFilmGroup’s short film “Not Ready”.

The movie ‘Not Ready’ was shot throughout Southwestern Ontario using over 100 actors and crew using many students from grade-schools and high-schools, along with college and university students. Many parents volunteer for crew or background actors with iFilmGroup.

Max is no stranger to the Joey Awards. With these two newest nominations Max brings his total to 8 nominations and 1 win at the Joey Awards since 2017. He had 1 nomination in 2017, 2 nominations in 2018 and was nominated in 3 categories in 2019. He won in the category for "Best Featured Actor in a Feature Film" for his role in "Afreen" in 2019.

Congratulations to Max and his family on his most recent nominations and we wish him all the best in November 2020 at the Awards Ceremony.

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org

Films in Development

iFilmGroup Films in Development

ABOUT THE FILMING PROCESS OF THESE MOVIES

During this time of social distancing, iFilmGroup is bringing our film community together to make films while keeping everyone safe.
The end result is a concept to create films that can be done from the comfort and safety of actors’ homes.

To kick this off we have two films being shot in this new style.
ONE NOW AND ANOTHER IN 2021

So we are calling for submissions for auditions and the scripts will be finished and finalized as we cast.
Auditions for these films are being done by online remote auditions which you do from your home.
This is open to local and International applicants.

AUDITION AT THIS LINK

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iFilmGroup
London ■ St. Thomas ■ Chatham-Kent
Ontario - Canada
WEBSITE - www.ifilmgroup.org