It’s not a stretch to say that the 72hr Filmmaker Showdown has had a big impact on Kyle James’ life.
Back in 2015 the Squamish resident’s stop-motion film about a stray sock, called It Socks to be Lonely, made it to the finals of the World Ski and Snowboard Festival event. “It was my first time doing stop motion,” James says. “Because of that film, I decided to go back (to school), study, get a degree, and educate myself and come back.”
Come back he did—winning top spot, and a $7,000 cheque—at this year’s showdown. His film, Kevin, chronicles the journey of an adorable, bespectacled puppet as he attempts to break out of a house. It didn’t hurt that Kevin also had to contend with James’ three-and-a-half-month-old puppy (who earned several audible “awws” from the crowd at the Whistler Conference Centre at the event last Friday, April 12).
“I was really wanting to push stop-motion filmmaking for a while, so the last year I’ve been doing whatever I can to see what I can do,” James says. “I’m pretty ecstatic. It’s a turning point.”
In total, 10 filmmaking crews made it to the finals after spending three long days shooting, editing and producing a short film. While James took home Best in Show, Whistler crew Two Dontas, One Proctor Productions earned the People’s Choice award for their dark comedy, Benched. To check out James’ work go to huskyfilms.com.
