Maddy Pilon (left) with Charlene Bessin (right) of Quinte
West Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Centre.Submitted by Robin Pilon
Cameras rolled again in Trenton this summer as the GetReel Film Camp for youth returned.
Kids and teens in Trenton and the Quinte Region got an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in the magic of movie-making thanks to Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) citizen and filmmaker Maddy Pilon.
Pilon, a third year Ryerson University film production student, founded the GetReel Film Camp as part of the Ontario Summer Company Program.
Backed by the Small Business Centre, the first season of the camp was a huge success and earned her great praise from kids, parents and community members alike.
The feedback and involvement in the film camp encouraged Pilon to offer an expanded GetReel Film Camp opportunity to an enthusiastic group of young local talent, some returning for the second year in a row.
Pilon also founded the GetReel Youth Film Festival (GRYFF), a festival to showcase the student films at the Trenton Centre Theatre. A record crowd showed up this year to support the youth film festival that included a variety of comedic, stop motion, animated and dramatic shorts.
“It was great to see so many people come out to watch the films the GetReel campers worked so hard on this summer and did that work ever pay off. The films were amazing,” Pilon stated.
“It was such a talented group this year and I am very proud of each and every one of our young filmmakers,” she said.
Charlene Bessin, Managing Consultant with the Small Business Centre and Ontario Summer Company Program, was on hand at GRYFF to present Pilon with the Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award in recognition of her outstanding initiative.
“We would like to congratulate Maddy on completing her second year in her GetReel Film Camp business. We are so proud of her efforts and honoured to have such an inspiring young entrepreneur [in our community],” Bessin said during the presentation.
Pilon is already in the planning stages for GetReel Film Camp 2016 as well as a new after school film-making program, called GetReel After Class, that she is developing to run in Trenton starting this fall.