DRIFF: Alumni Spotlight 2024
In 2024, DRIFF honored several winners including Minerva Navasca for Best Student Film for Desync, Ilse Moreno for Best Documentary The Canadian Dream, Yero Timi-Biu for Best Short Film Essex Girls, and Kyle Marchen for Best Durham Region Film Heap.
We would like to start off by shining the DRIFF spotlight on Minerva Navasca. Since DRIFF, she has completed a music video project and directed her first ever commercial. She has also begun a new short film project along with beginning to develop a debut feature film. Her film Desync has since continued to be recognized regionally and international at film festivals, and she has been a part of the CBC Short Film Face Off where she was able to broadcast her work to a national audience. A personal piece of advice she wishes to share with aspiring filmmakers is that it is important to “Take your time. There really is no timeline to success. You're doing enough.”
Moving on to another set of winners, Ilse Moreno for her film The Canadian Dream and Yero Timi-Biu for Best Short Film Essex Girls. Ilse has since done work on two shorts and a TV Movie as an assistant camera director, all in 2026. Her biggest project was her work assisting with the T.V. movie Because of Cupid. Yero has since directed three episodes for the show Boarders, and her short film Essex Girls went on to win multiple awards at festivals including Sundance and Seattle International Film Festival.
Finally, we want to shine the spotlight on Kyle Marchen for winning Best Durham Region Film for directing the film Heap. This film went on to receive Kyle many awards in 2024 at other film festivals including Best Director and Best Film at the Dufferin Film Festival, the People’s Choice Award at Cabbagetown Film Festival and Best After Dark Film at the Vancouver Short Film Festival. Kyle was also selected by DRIFF to receive the grant for emerging filmmaker incubator in 2022 to support creating Heap, so looking back to see his accomplishments and how he has utilized this grant to make something great, DRIFF happy to have been a part of his story.
In conclusion, the achievements of DRIFF’s 2024 alumni highlight the incredible talent and dedication fostered within the festival community. Each filmmaker has continued to grow, taking on new projects, earning recognition, and making meaningful contributions to the film industry. From emerging voices gaining national exposure to award-winning works gaining international acclaim, their journeys reflect both persistence and passion. DRIFF is proud to have played a role in their development and looks forward to seeing how these creators continue to shape the future of storytelling.