Ottawa youth wins award in Hollywood for inspirational short film made here
Hull, Quebec, November 9, 2000 — When Todd Reichert of Ottawa submitted his short film last spring to the Canadian Children's Museum, the high school student had no dreams of Hollywood. This fall, though, he can put the $3,500 prize awarded to him for Creative Excellence toward his studies in engineering at the University of Toronto.
Reichert, the only Canadian winner, won second prize at the Backyard National Children's Film Festival and received his award at Paramount Studios on Friday, November 3 in Los Angeles, California. The award was presented to him by Hollywood actor Ryan Hurst, who stars in the current film Remember the Titans. The rest of the weekend was filled with workshops, tours and screenings to further inspire the budding filmmakers who attended from across North America.
Each year, the Canadian Children's Museum in Hull holds a film festival for children and youth from across Canada, and winning submissions are sent to the Backyard National Children's Film Festival in the United States. Todd's entry was a two-minute, forty-second video called The Littlest Kojak, which demonstrates the potential in each and every individual.
In the film, Kojak is the smallest member of a colony of imaginary creatures who are gathering food on their fictional island for an afternoon meal. A beautiful Kabitsu nut is spotted in a high tree, but no one in the colony can get it down until little Kojak, inspired by some encouraging advice, comes up with an idea that works, demonstrating that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Reichert, a Governor General's Medal winner at Gloucester High School, executed all aspects of the video production himself, with the exception of some of the voices, using clay figures in animation — a technique called claymation. He heard about the children's film festival contest through his principal, Mr. Bob Armstrong, and then created the video as part of a Grade 12 Independent Study Class.
Reichert is concentrating on studying engineering for now, but this exciting experience with filmmaking has given him some ideas about the future: "Increasingly, engineering is being applied in seemingly unrelated disciplines like medicine or biology," said Reichert. "Some day, I hope to apply my engineering skills in the film and entertainment business."
The video will be on view at the Canadian Children's Museum early in the New Year.
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