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Talent on Tap – Kamen Staykov and Richard Davis Nail The Last Audition

When the theatre lights go out and you prepare to watch a short film… can you ever be prepared enough? They don’t preview trailers for short films and the anticipation level can be all over the meter. Unless you attend film festivals, you may not be too familiar with short form films/short films. Their impact is largely underestimated and an outstanding short film can be a calling card for the next level, another doorway and another room. This is a business of great stories and important relationships, in many rooms that require different keys. The more keys you collect, the closer you are to the penthouse suite.

Many filmmakers take years to form those relationships and others just make films. Imagine my surprise when I met two young filmmakers with much to say, using the language of film. Writer, director Kamen Staykov and producer Richard Davis bring a heartbreaking yet mind bending film, with a terrific twist to a screen near you. I love a film with a great story, great characters and a great twist and although this is a short film, it has all the elements of a feature film – without all the yawning and bathroom breaks. 

Kamen and Richard really combine their talents to create a short work of art that needs to be seen to be appreciated. I had the grand pleasure of meeting and speaking with writer, director Kamen and producer Richard from their homes in Hollywood and… I’m kidding because Richard is in grade 11 and still lives at home and Kamen is into his second year at Capilano University in N. Vancouver. We met up on Zoom and they were the youngest filmmaking duo I’ve spoken to; mindblowing!

 

      

HNMAG “How was the idea of this story conceived?”

KAMEN “I’ve always loved character driven/family-relationship driven films. I wanted to write a story about how hard work pays off. A story about a single mother who has been put down by life but yet has a lasting dream of being on the silver screen.”

 

HNMAG “How did you both end up working together? 

RICHARD “We met in the Film and Broadcast Program at Burnaby North Secondary. It’s a program that brings together students from all across the district to work together. I saw the story and it hit close to home. I was impressed with the way it represented the experience of your normal everyday actor and I knew I had to produce this. I offered to produce and we haven’t stopped working together since!”

 

HNMAG “What genre of film are you interested in pursuing?”

KAMEN “I like to write stories that impact people and make them feel something after they’re done. For me, drama’s lend themselves best for that. That being said, I’m always open to exploring different genres as long as I can get a message across that can leave the audience thinking and feeling a certain emotion after it’s finished. Currently my next film Please Help Me, I’m Drowning is a drama/horror/thriller film which will be my first exploration of the horror/thriller genre.” 

 

HNMAG “How long did it take to shoot it and what size of a crew did you use? 

KAMEN “We had a small crew of 10 people as we wanted to limit any covid spread on our set. Therefore, a lot of us had to double task. I’m honestly still quite impressed by our crew and their ability to do multiple roles at a time.” 

 

HNMAG “How did you finance the project?”

KAMEN “As for finance, it mostly came from my family who were generous enough to sponsor the film. My family are always my number one fans and are always there to help me when it comes to my projects.”

 

HNMAG “How did you find actor (mother) Andrea Stefancikova?”

RICHARD Part of our program is the broadcast side of things. I had dabbled a bit in broadcasting and one day towards the end of class Kamen came over and said ‘What if we covered the Whistler Film Festival?’ We emailed them and managed to get press access to the festival. It was there that we interviewed Andrea. We saw her work in American Badger and when we were casting for this film, we reached out and surprisingly she took a chance on us as first-time high school filmmakers.”

KAMEN “Andrea was extremely kind to take a chance on us. It was an honor to work with her. Her expertise in her field along with the industry has really taught Richard and I a lot. Her performance really brought the film to another level. Without it, the film wouldn’t have been the same.”

 

HNMAG “Can you describe that feeling after ‘its in the can’?” 

RICHARD “It’s a weird feeling. Our editor Kevin and Kamen were working on the film for so long, meticulously working to shape the story, so it almost felt surreal when we watched the final edit.”

KAMEN “I’d agree, it feels weird. Obviously you’re excited that it’s finished but you also feel sort of empty in a way. Something you’ve worked on for so long is finally finished and you’re left thinking ‘what do I do now’? The best way I’d describe it is probably how parents feel when their child moves out of their home. Of course, you’re glad the film is done but sad at the same time as it now belongs to the public for people to talk about and form their own opinions on the work.” 

 

HNMAG “Why did you want to pursue filmmaking?” 

RICHARD “From the age of 4 – 15 I was an actor. Before 15 I had dabbled in filmmaking, but it was mostly super childish stuff. I began to write and became interested in filmmaking because I wanted to truly tell stories, not just say the words on the page. My passion really accelerated once I was in the film and broadcast program. The energy, creativity and knowledge that our teacher Mr. Byrne brought to the classroom really helped to foster my love of the art as well.”

KAMEN “I’ve always been interested in telling stories and creating something that can make people feel a certain emotion. Seeing people gravitate towards something you make is an irreplaceable feeling. Honestly ever since a young age I have loved films. It’s not until I was in high school that I figured out I wanted to do this for a living. Making a film has a lot of highs and lows but honestly those highs are some of the best feelings I ever get.”

 

HNMAG “Have you submitted the film to festivals?” 

RICHARD “Whistler and a couple in Canada and the States. Whistler because that’s where it all happened/started.”

 

HNMAG “What’s next for both of you?” 

KAMEN “I’m making a film called, Please Help Me I’m Drowning. The film is about four boys who go for a night of drinking only to be faced with their own personal problems. As one of them goes missing the three other boys must find their friend while not losing themselves along the way.” 

RICHARD “I’m working on a documentary about the Skytrain system. It has a focus on how it’s an iconic part of the city’s culture as well as its impact on the population and skyline of the region.”

 

HNMAG “Finish this sentence… In 5 – years I’ll be making a feature film about…? 

KAMEN “About two brothers, an autistic savant pianist and a troublemaker genius who must follow their dreams while facing their haunting past. It’s a full feature I’ve been writing for the past year and hopefully in 5 years I can look forward to it being in production.”

 

HNMAG “What’s the most extreme activity you’ve tried?” 

RICHARD “I’d say ziplining, which isn’t all that exciting but after only lived in BC for a year and seeing signs stating that BC is the best place in the world to live and then ziplining through it, I really believed it.”

KAMEN “I’d have to say ziplining as well. I’m not a very extreme person.”

 

HNMAG “If you could, would you rather orbit the earth for a day or travel to the deepest part of the ocean for the day?” 

KAMEN “I would definitely orbit the earth for the day. I would love to see what’s out there one day” 

RICHARD “I think I would also choose orbiting the earth but to see what’s at the bottom of the ocean is also intriguing as we don’t really know what is down there. But I also don’t want to be the one to discover the horrors of the deep. Orbiting earth, I’ve also heard that the Apollo astronauts had a new appreciation for earth after seeing it from space.”

The Last Audition is a very cool film that exposes the talents from the actors and filmmakers behind the project. There is something for everyone. Good on you! 

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