DOXA
BC Premiere
Fire Alarms, Standing Ovations, and a Big Win
Let me tell you about DOXA. Because… whoa.
Saints and Warriors closed out this year’s DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver, and I’m still buzzing. We had not one but two sold-out screenings, both of which packed the house with an incredibly warm, generous, and rowdy (in the best way) audience. And to top it all off—I was honoured (and honestly stunned) to receive the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Director, presented by the Director’s Guild of Canada. That one hit deep. Massive gratitude to DOXA and the jury for recognizing the heart and hustle behind this film.
But this wasn’t your average screening. After a packed awards ceremony delayed our start by 45 minutes, we got rolling—only to have the fire alarm go off mid-film. The entire building had to evacuate. Yup. Hundreds of people poured out of the theatre into the Gastown night, crowding into the SFU Woodwards courtyard like we were all suddenly extras in some kind of cinematic cliffhanger. And you know what? Everyone came back. Not a soul bailed. The theatre refilled, the film resumed, and the vibe? Electric.
It meant the world to have our crew in the room—Producer Michael Grand, film stars Gaagwiis Jason Alsop and Desi Collinson, editors Greg Ng, Hart Snider, and Darian Lung, co-cinematographer Michael Bourquin, and sound wizard Ramsay Bourquin. This film is the result of serious teamwork, long hours, and a lot of love. Celebrating together afterward at the reception was honestly one of the highlights of the entire festival run—right up there with our Canadian premiere at Hot Docs, if not surpassing it.
DOXA was a reminder that stories rooted in community and culture hit differently—and that no fire alarm can stop a packed room from wanting to see a story through to the end.