The Winnipeg Film Group is excited to announce the recipients of the Spring 2025 MFM Marketing Fund:
SLURP by Elena Sturk-Lussier – $750
About the project:
Determined to finish her erotic novel, ill-fed Shirley relishes in the quietude of an isolated cabin on Lake Manitoba… only to be harassed by a mysterious woman who relentlessly gifts her with beautiful produce.
Elena Sturk-Lussier is a francophone screenwriter, director, and independent filmmaker from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since 2021, Elena has made many narrative and experimental shorts in both French and English. Her films have screened at Cinemania, Festival Courts d’un soir, Cinémental, and the Gimli International Film Festival, where she won the RBC Pitch Competition in 2021. Elena’s bilingual comedy-drama series LES FAILLITES D’ASTRID is currently in production with Radio-Canada. Elena also works as a writer-director for hire, and has worked on many documentary, lifestyle, and animated youth series. Her latest narrative short film SLURP, an erotic thriller, was made with an entirely women and non-binary cast and crew, and will be hitting the festival circuit next fall.
Elena Sturk-Lussier / Photo courtesy of the filmmaker
Big Small Town by Meg Robinson and Taylor Brown – $750
About the project:
Big Small Town is a absurdly funny sketch comedy show, based in small town Manitoba – each short sketch is filled with highly produced off-the-wall humour featuring the best of prairie comedians. From sentient self-checkout machines to Halloween funerals, each sketch is a hilarious adventure with comedians like Kevin McDonald, Jane Testar, Quinn Greene, and more.
Taylor Brown (Big Small Town Director and Co-Producer) is an award-winning director and editor based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Taylor co-owns film production company, Folks Films, accomplished director and a driving force behind the success of Folks Films. Since co-founding Folks Films in 2016 with his sister Laina, he has been instrumental in producing and directing an impressive portfolio of captivating TV Series, music videos, short films, and commercials.
One of his notable works is the critically acclaimed film Model Citizens which was awarded Best Film at the Yorkton Film Festival, Best Film, Best Director, Best Score, and Best Female Actor at the Gimli Film Festival. The film went on to CBC’s Short Film Face-off where he earned a spot as a top three finalist. His comedy short films have screened at the Canadian International Comedy Film Festival, Just for Laughs Vancouver, CBC Gem, Tiff Bell Lightbox, and many more.
Taylor has director two comedy TV mini series for Bell FibeTV1 Ghost Kitchens and Big Small Town. Taylor specializes in directing comedy and has worked with Canada’s top comedians in his sketch comedy shorts and series, and in directing comedy specials like Kid’s In the Hall‘s Kevin McDonald, Spencer Adamus (JFL Montreal/Vancouver/Toronto), Emmanuel Lomuro (CBC’S The Debaters, Comedy Records), Jane Testar (CBC Radio), and more.
Taylor Brown / Photo courtesy of the filmmaker
Meg Robinson (Big Small Town Co-Producer) is Manitoba-based Producer who has worked with Eagle Vision Productions, Frank Digital, Familiar Films and Folks Films. Meg produced award-winning comedy TV mini-series Big Small Town (BellFibeTV1), starring Kids in the Hall’s Kevin McDonald, JFL Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto’s Spencer Adamus, CBC Podcast’s Jane Testar, and Comedy Record’s Emmanuel Lomuro. Other producing credits include short I Fall to Pieces (dir. Jessica Landry), and the What Does It Take podcast for SSHRC and Manitoba Film & Music. She has held key marketing roles on large-scale productions like Deaner ’89 (Mongrel Media) and True Story Pt. 1 & 2 (History Channel), 7TH GEN (APTN), and Ghost Kitchens (Bell FibeTV1). She is currently the Production Manager for TV series, Game Changers Season 2 (AMI), and developing her own projects , including the upcoming documentary Dottir of New Iceland and thriller UNCLEAN.
Meg Robinson / Photo courtesy of the producer
I Fall to Pieces by Jessica Landry – $250
About the project:
When a young woman’s limbs mysteriously (and pretty inconveniently) begin to fall off one by one, she must race against the clock to figure out what’s happening to her…before there’s nothing left of her to save.
Jessica Landry is a CSA-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer. Her projects have been developed through TIFF, Women in the Director’s Chair, NSI, CFC, and Whistler Film Festival. Jessica has several projects in various stages, including GHOST LANDS, an Indigenous-led paranormal documentary; THE NIGHT BELONGS TO US, a feature adaptation of her Shirley Jackson Award-nominated novella; and ANATOMY OF A SÉANCE, a horror series. She’s written several TV movies, including the Critics’ Choice Award-nominated film, LIST OF A LIFETIME. Jessica also co-wrote the Rockie-nominated feature documentary, TRUE STORY; as well wrote, directed, and produced four of her own award-winning short films.
Jessica Landry / Photo courtesy of the filmmaker
Thank you to all who applied for the Spring 2025 MFM Marketing Fund. All submissions were juried by a peer assessment committee.
THE WINNIPEG FILM GROUP ACKNOWLEDGES MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC FOR GRACIOUSLY SUPPORTING THESE AWARDS.
