DRIFF: Alumni Spotlight 2022

In our 2022 blog, DRIFF is proud to spotlight several creative duos who were honored at the festival that year. We’re highlighting two standout partnerships: Ulises Porra and Silvina Schnicer, winners of Best Feature Film for Carajita, Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, who received Best Canadian Short for Nuisance Bear.

Since their DRIFF win, Ulises Porra has continued to build an impressive body of work. He has written three films; Under the Same Sun (2025), The Permanent Picture (2023), and La Barberie (2023). In addition, Carajita earned a nomination for Best Latin American Film at the 2023 Ariel Awards in Mexico. Silvina Schnicer has also seen notable success, writing and directing La Quinta in 2024 and sharing the Ariel Awards nomination for Carajita.

Our second spotlight duo, Jack Weisman and Gabriela Osio Vanden, have also had an eventful journey since their DRIFF recognition. Most recently, they attended the Sundance Film Festival in February of this year, where they won the Grand Jury Prize. The trip became even more memorable when the two were married in a spontaneous ceremony in front of the theatre before leaving the festival as newlyweds.

Beyond Sundance, Gabriela continues to expand her work as a cinematographer. Her recent projects include multiple television series, among them an episode of I’m Also Here, as well as films such as I Am Pleased, Don’t Come Upstairs, A Mother Apart, and Erase and Rewind. Jack has also reached new milestones, including serving as an executive producer on The Territory (2022), which is now available to stream on Disney+.

Together, these duos reflect the talent, creativity, and lasting impact of the filmmakers celebrated at DRIFF 2022.