(L-R): Niek Theelen, Sheena Bjornson, J.R. Bjornson, Kristina Gagnon, and Jason Steele. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

smashing barriers

Red Deer filmmaker proves disability no deal-breaker with CAFF award win

Oct 25, 2022 | 12:26 PM

Eleven winners, including a very deserving Red Deer man, had their moment under the bright lights this weekend at the sixth annual Central Alberta Film Festival’s red carpet award gala.

Niek Theelen, whose documentary about adaptive sports called ‘Love of the Game,’ won an audience choice award.

This was the Red Deerian’s first venture into filmmaking, and his moment was very much of the feel-good variety.

Theelen, 30, was born with cerebral palsy, and wanted to tell a story showcasing how one’s lot in life is more about what they make of it than to do with the raw circumstances they’re dealt.

“I’m somebody that takes a situation most people would see as a negative, and I turn it into a positive. To tell a story about people with disabilities — people who aren’t talked about very often — is quite a privilege,” said Theelen, whose film was funded by a Telus Storyhive grant.

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“Even though I have a disability, I’ve always been very passionate about sports. A lot of disabled people play sports professionally and at a high level, but many of us are just doing it to be active and be part of a community, or try things for the first time. We have different impairments and things which affect the way we move or what we see, but it doesn’t mean we can’t get together and share a love of sport.”

Theelen previously played sledge hockey, and is currently involved in wheelchair basketball.

“Disability isn’t necessarily a negative. A lot of people look at me and assume what I can or can’t do, or assume that I also have a mental impairment. A lot of people speak to the person I’m with rather than me directly,” he laments.

“I want them to know we’re capable of a lot of things, and especially on a project like this where one needs a lot of skills. I have a degree. Never give up on what you want to do.”

The doc, which involved about a dozen people, also features segments on goalball and skiing, among other things.

The goalball chapter talks to Red Deerian, and one of Theelen’s fellow standup comedians, J.R. Bjornson.

“Being part of this film meant the world to me. Niek and I did Zoom standup during the pandemic and built our bond from there. He’s one of the hardest working people you’ll meet. Because of his mobility issues, much like my vision issues, he has to work 10-times as hard to find employment or get opportunities,” says Bjornson, 31.

“In this world we live in, you only get one chance at this thing called life, so you don’t want to be negative the whole time. More people will want to work with you if you’re positive. As a standup and knowing the power of humour and positivity, that’s helped me. I can’t see anybody smile, but when I hear those laughs, my blindness goes from a negative to a positive.”

Love of the Game is part of a virtual London, UK-based film festival this week before Theelen says physical copies will be made available. Proceeds will eventually go to a foundation created for friend Shandon Ransom, who passed away while the film was being shot.

Jason Steele, gala co-host and Film Festival volunteer, praised all 31 films selected for screening.

“This year, we had a number of phenomenal entries. Jurors said they had to cut so many that could’ve been at the top,” says Steele. “It was a challenge to determine who would win the awards, some of which were juried while others were audience choice.”

Attendance at the festival averaged about 30 per showing, he adds.

“How the film industry works is we know what the next Marvel or Jurassic Park movie is, so that’s what we see. Festivals involve films most people haven’t heard of because they don’t have the financial clout of a Paramount or Disney,” Steele says. “Come out next year because you’ll see something you may never see on any screen again. These movies are years in the making and then can disappear into obscurity, so festivals are your only chance to see the magic put together on screen.”

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Full list of award winners

Feature Narrative: ‘April Skies’ – Directed by Pascal Payant (Montreal)

Feature Documentary: ‘OMA’ – Directed by Griffin Cork (Calgary)

Short Documentary: ‘Blind Ambition: The Wop May Story’ – Directed by Frederick Kroetsch & Tom Robinson (Edmonton)

Short Narrative: ‘Reformat’ – Directed by Jesse Pickett (Vancouver)

Music Video: Metube: August Sings ‘UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA’ – Directed by: Daniel Moshel (Austria)

Best Actor: Paul Batten in ‘Jalopy’

Best Actress: Elodie Doumenc in ‘Reformat’

Audience Choice Awards

Feature Documentary: ‘Love of the Game’ – Directed by Niek Theelen (Red Deer)

Feature Narrative: ‘Ferryman’ – Directed by Darren Bender (UK)

Short Narrative: ‘Tunnel Vision’ – Directed by Danny Chamberlin (Edmonton)

Short Documentary: ‘Indian Grove’ – Directed by Lucas Margetson (Indigenous Short)

More information is at cafilmfestival.ca.