Every year, six talented, new filmmakers are chosen from hundreds of applicants to make a short film for Crazy8’s.
Crazy8s provides filmmakers with a significant boost to their projects. Six finalists receive $2000 each, plus an in-kind production package and post-production service valued at up to $50,000. This includes professional equipment, mentorship, and access to locations, helping them complete their short film within eight days.
There is a huge gala screening at the Vancouver Centre.
We met with director Cory Thibert to talk about their career and The Decision.
HNMAG: Where are you from originally Cory?
Cory Thibert: I’m originally from Ottawa.
HNMAG: How long have you been in the Lower Mainland?
Cory Thibert: I moved to Vancouver in 2015.
HNMAG: Not too long ago, eleven years.
Cory Thibert: I now live in Victoria.
HNMAG: When did you move to the Island?
Cory Thibert: Three years ago, now?
HNMAG: Do you prefer it there?
Cory Thibert: Just at my stage in life. I have two young children. It’s a slower pace and we’re close to my wife’s family. I do miss Vancouver but it’s nice to go over for opportunities like this.
HNMAG: Did you start out in Theatre?
Cory Thibert: I went to Theatre school in Ottawa. I have a theatre background. Writing, acting, and producing, touring the fringe festival circuit across Canada.
HNMAG: How did you become interested in working in Film & TV?
Cory Thibert: I always wanted to do film but film school was way too expensive. I grew up in poverty. It was too hard to get into so I thought I’ll go to theatre school and use all the transferable skills. I’ve always wanted to makes films and now it’s so democratized and technology is more accessible.
HNMAG: After that, you made short films.
Cory Thibert: I made a few shorts and music videos with my friends over the years. We’ve entered a few film festivals. I was able to teach myself by experimenting and playing around, I was slowly getting more confident in my skills as a filmmaker. The theatre and film communities are so separate. I know a lot of writers and actors but I don’t know many other filmmakers, so it was a self guided film school of sorts.
HNMAG: How did you get involved in Crazy8s?
Cory Thibert: I’ve always wanted to do it. I never thought I had a short film concept that was strong enough because it’s a pitch based competition. I didn’t have a great hook. Steven Cayer, the writer, reached out to me when he was already in the top forty. He needed a director. He asked around for a recommendation for directors who either live with a disability or had experience with cerebral palsy. I just made a feature film that is playing festivals now. It’s about my own personal experience being raised by my parents who both live with cerebral palsy.
HNMAG: What is that film called?
Cory Thibert: It’s Mildlife.
HNMAG: Was Mildlife set in Canada?
Cory Thibert: Yeah, set in Victoria.
HNMAG: Perfect.
Cory Thibert: It was filmed in Vancouver and Victoria.
HNMAG: How did the casting work for The Decision?
Cory Thibert: Crazy8s sets you up with a casting director. We were partnered with Monica Dolman casting. It was great – I got to review so many self tapes and we got all our top choices in the end. Steven, who’s the writer and executive producer, he’s actually the lead actor in it. He told me he wanted to put himself forward to play Kyle.
HNMAG: He was great.
Cory Thibert: Agreed. We told him to put himself forward, but you still have to audition and he was the best one.
HNMAG: The best one to play the character he wrote.
Cory Thibert: Yeah, exactly. Well, it’s his first time acting as well.
It was his first time writing and first time acting.
HNMAG: cool.
Cory Thibert: You never know at first, because I’ve never seen him perform, but his audition tape was great and he was excellent to work with. He’s very natural. Which is what you want. It was also important for both Steven and I to cast it authentically with someone who lives with cerebral palsy. It was the same with Mildlife as well. I cast two actors with CP to play the parents. There are talented actors who live with disabilities out there you just need to reach them. Unfortunately casting websites may not be the best way, it’s a yearly subscription and if there’s never any parts for them up there why would they sign up?
HNMAG: Definitely. How realistic is a cure for cerebral palsy?
Cory Thibert: So that is fictional. That’s Steven’s invented thing in the script. He didn’t want to go too far into detail. That would have gone more sci-fi and that’s not what this movie is.
HNMAG: Would this be hypothetical or realistic?
Cory Thibert: Hypothetical.
HNMAG: The decision is kind of a would you if it was possible. He had the support of his partner. That made it easier.
Cory Thibert: Mm-hmm. And then when that kind of personal decision is being pushed by, in this case, his mother, then there’s other kind of pressures to do it and you’re like, who would I be doing this for? It’s a very personal decision, it’s the characters whole lived experience. Also, there is a big risk. It could go poorly. Is it worth the risk?
HNMAG: Were you a caregiver for your parents when you lived in Ottawa?
Cory Thibert: Unofficially.
HNMAG: Right.
Cory Thibert: My parents are pretty self sufficient, Cerebral Palsy is different for everybody, if affects them a little physically and cognitively. I feel it’s probably the equivalent to aging parents where you have to help them go shopping or deal with sending an email, stuff like that or technical support. I was still totally free to go to school and go to work and move away.
HNMAG: Do you have siblings?
Cory Thibert: I have one brother who still lives in Ottawa, so he’s still close.
HNMAG: He helps. Is he younger or older.
Cory Thibert: Older, the older brother.
HNMAG: That probably made your decision to leave a little easier that your brother is still there.
Cory Thibert: Yeah, exactly. And that, again, is the question. In Mildlife, am I allowed to leave and how much is my responsibility? How much am I putting on my brother? How much am I putting myself in this position where I feel like they actually need all this help or am I just doing it because I’m here and I could and I want to? They are self-sufficient. They don’t have in-home care. People don’t need to come help them with the daily things. They raised me and my brother on their own.
HNMAG: Is there anything you’re working on after The Decision?
Cory Thibert: Just trying to get Mildlife and now The Decision out into the world. Then I’m writing two feature film scripts – a horror film and one about male friendship in your 30’s with my best friend and long time collaborator Tony Adams. I’m also working on another one man theater show.
HNMAG: Quite a bit. You’re busy.
Cory Thibert: Slowly, just chipping away. Writing them until I can pull the trigger on one of them. Also being a father and husband, I got all that going on too.
The Decision is an important film about whether or not to go through with a risky procedure to cure a chronic illness that brings many challenges to daily life. It’s made with authenticity and heart. It’s a drama with some comedic moments that shows that everyone has individual characteristics and we all connect to each other as humans. This project was driven by it’s writer and star, Steven Cayer. The movie needed the right director who could identify with the subject but also was a great filmmaker. They found one with Cory Thibert. We are also looking forward to seeing Cory’s feature film, Mildlife which we hope has a wide release.