In the news: Filmmaking workshops with passionate, accomplished filmmaker

In the news: Filmmaking workshops with passionate, accomplished filmmaker

By Phil Jenkins

April 29, 2025

Low Down To Hull and Back News

Four years ago, Savanna Oliver moved from Kitchener to a small farm up at Danford Lake. By the time she came to the Hills, the 28-year-old, a graduate of Toronto Film School, already had a short dramatic film ‘Wooden Spoon’ making the rounds of festivals. (You can take in the film on YouTube by searching “Savanna Oliver ‘Wooden Spoon’ film.”) Oliver also ran a series of youth videography workshops in several Nunavut locations, during which she fell in love with the land and the culture. In a short time she has made her professional mark in the Hills. In 2024, Oliver, who has her own film company, Unstoppable Films, was taken on by the 100 Mile Arts Network to work on the fourth season of ‘Art to Heart’, a series of short documentaries highlighting local artists. She was cinematographer and editor on the episodes featuring artists: Nathalie Coutou, David Perrett, Eva Danielson, Julia MacLaine, the Kitigan Zibi Cultural Centre, Bhajan Cooke, Noel Smith Sparrow, Benji Rowland, Jamie Munro and Miranda Ceara. She also worked on several other documentaries for the 100 Mile Arts Network, including ‘Trails & Trials’, featuring the stories of several Indigenous artists. “My passion is storytelling,” Oliver says, “everyone has a story to tell and deserves to be heard.” This echoes the words of author Carol Shields, who said, “Either we are all ordinary, or we are all extraordinary.” Again, through the auspices of the 100 Mile Arts Network, Oliver is facilitating and passing on her knowledge in a six-week course titled, Filmmaking with Savanna Oliver. It has funding from the Government of Canada, the municipality of La Pêche and the MRC des Collines-de l’Outaouais. By the end of the course, participants will have the knowledge to shoot fi lms with in-depth learning about camera, lighting, sound and editing.

My passion is storytelling. Everyone has a story to tell and deserves to be heard.

Oliver looks set to inherit the mantle from the Rooneys – Robert and Brenda – whose annual summer film camp was so successful, and who made several successful full-length documentaries. “The Gatineau Hills are a great place to make films, and I’m sure having a film office here would be a boost to attracting filmmakers to shoot here,” said Oliver. Here’s hoping. The Filmmaking with Savanna Oliver workshops are for ages 18 and up and run for six weeks on Friday evenings from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m., starting April 25 until June 6, with no session on May 16. All the workshops will be held in English and will take place at the Rupert Community Centre, 24 Ch. Shouldice, Alcove, with the exception of May 9, when it will be at the 100 Mile Arts Network gallery and boutique at 721 Ch. Riverside, Wakefield. Registration is limited to a maximum of 30 participants.