From left to right: Luke Cloarec, Emma Ljunggren and Brendan Shaw. (RDP/Supplied)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Best Student Production

RDP students win Rosie Award for their short film ‘Specular’

Nov 10, 2025 | 12:31 PM

Three filmmakers from Red Deer Polytechnic were named the Fil Fraser Best Student Production award winners at the Alberta Media Production Industries Association’s 51st Rosie Awards last month.

The awards ceremony took place in Edmonton on October 25, where Luke Cloarec, Emma Ljunggren and Brendan Shaw continued RDP’s three-year streak of taking home an Alberta Film Association award.

They earned the award for their short film called Specular.

“It was an incredible opportunity to be recognized and to continue building valuable industry connections,” said Cloarec in a media release. “I’m so proud of everyone involved in the project, and grateful for the chance to show the Alberta film community what RDP students are capable of achieving.”

The institution said the achievement says a lot about the program’s reputation for producing industry-ready talent.

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“I want to congratulate Luke, Emma and Brendan on winning a Rosie Award,” said Dr. Robbie Halonen, Dean, School of Arts and Education, Red Deer Polytechnic. “This honour not only reflects the talent and dedication of these students, but also the expertise of their RDP instructors who help prepare students to make an impact in their fields and communities.”

The trio’s award-winning film Specular is described as a psychological horror with a haunting reflection on society’s growing dependence on technology.

“Specular is a psychological horror about a young man, Dylan, who struggles to sleep due to his phone addiction,” said Ljunggren. “One night, he searches YouTube for sleep meditations, hoping they’ll help, but instead finds a sinister one with life-threatening effects. The theme of technology consuming us speaks to both adults and teens, making the film especially relevant and terrifying.”

It also invites the audience to reflect on their own relationship with technology and the cost of constant connection.

“It’s my hope that the themes of anti-technology dependence and the dangers of tech addiction are clear to viewers,” Shaw said. “People are so caught up in their phones and doomscrolling these days that real experiences are missed, even the mundanity of everyday life. It’s important to be bored sometimes— that’s where our best ideas come from. And if nothing else, I hope viewers can feel the passion behind our short film.”