Alfie is a 12 minute queer coming of age story that follows the story of cousins Alfie and Julia, who, after discovering an abandoned house on a walk home from school, begin a journey of joyful self-exploration and push the boundaries of binary gender expression. With this film we sought to tell a story that prioritized queer joy and reminded audiences of the excitement of childhood self-discovery. While there can be so much pain in stories like these, our ultimate goal was always to be hopeful and to send a message that young queer children have the agency and power to write their own narratives and control their own futures.
Emily says of the film, “the making of this project was a labour of love and a test of our resilience as Mississauga artists to brave the storm of film production during COVID. We had to make many last minute changes and adjustments to ensure everything was done as safely as possible and in the end, we made a project we couldn’t be more proud of. Since completing the film in May 2021, it has gone on to screen at a number of film festivals, most recently garnering recognition from UN Women USA GCC, Cinema Audio Society in LA, and the Canadian Society of Cinematographers.”Thank you MAC for your support from start to finish – this wouldn’t have been possible without you. Thank you MAC for your support from start to finish – this wouldn’t have been possible without you.”
Learn more about Alfie here: https://emilyryder.ca/films/alfie
Alfie has screened at:
- 2022 Inside Out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival
- 2022 Breakthroughs Film Festival
- 2022 National Film Festival for Talented Youth
- 2022 Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival
- 2021 Forest City Film Festival
- 2021 Red Rock Utah Film Festival
Awards/Recognition for Alfie include:
- 2022 UN Women USA GCC Best Emerging Filmmaker Award Winner
- 2022 National Film Festival for Talented Youth Audience Choice Award Winner & Programmer Pick
- 2022 Canadian Cinema Editors Association Award Winner
- 2022 Breakthroughs Film Festival, Jury Award Honourable Mention
- 2021 Ontario Screen Creators Conference Panelist Film
- 2021 Sheridan College Screen Arts Awards – including Best Direction, Best Screenplay, Best Sound, Cinematography, and Editing