Dive deeper into the creative process of filmmaking. Explore the inspirations and challenges faced during production, and gain a richer understanding of some of the films selected for this year's festival.
These candid conversations not only shed light on the artistry and technical expertise that go into filmmaking but also provide a glimpse into the personal stories and motivations that drive these talented creators.
Vancouver wiz-kid Max Trest’s love for games started early but while most of us are happy to simply play them, Max decided he wanted to make one.
Astrolander is his first foray into game development. A unique co-op game that mixes adventure and puzzle solving into the gameplay, the project first started as a Steam release that has grown into something significantly larger: a PlayStation exclusive due for release in 2024.
In this conversation with Festival Director Marina Antunes, Max talks about his early foray into coding and animation, the early development of Astrolander and how a coding mistake led to one of the game’s stand-out features.
Astrolander was awarded a Runner Up, GameVerse prize at SPARK ANIMATION 2023.
Image Credit: Astrolander © 2023 Max Trest. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKER
Max Trest
Game Developer // Lost Cartridge Creations
Max Trest is a 13-year-old video game developer and maker.
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
Dive deeper into the creative process of filmmaking. Explore the inspirations and challenges faced during production, and gain a richer understanding of some of the films selected for this year's festival.
These candid conversations not only shed light on the artistry and technical expertise that go into filmmaking but also provide a glimpse into the personal stories and motivations that drive these talented creators.
Vancouver wiz-kid Max Trest’s love for games started early but while most of us are happy to simply play them, Max decided he wanted to make one.
Astrolander is his first foray into game development. A unique co-op game that mixes adventure and puzzle solving into the gameplay, the project first started as a Steam release that has grown into something significantly larger: a PlayStation exclusive due for release in 2024.
In this conversation with Festival Director Marina Antunes, Max talks about his early foray into coding and animation, the early development of Astrolander and how a coding mistake led to one of the game’s stand-out features.
Astrolander was awarded a Runner Up, GameVerse prize at SPARK ANIMATION 2023.
Image Credit: Astrolander © 2023 Max Trest. All Rights Reserved.
SPEAKER
Max Trest
Game Developer // Lost Cartridge Creations
Max Trest is a 13-year-old video game developer and maker.
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
President // Spark CG Society
Marina has been writing and discussing film for over 15 years, first on a personal blog, followed by a decade-long tenure on the now retired Row Three. In 2008, she joined the writing staff at Quiet Earth, becoming Editor-In-Chief in 2014, a role she still holds. Over the years, she has also produced and hosted a number of podcasts including Before the Dawn, a long-running podcast on the Twilight franchise, Girls on Pop, a podcast on film and popular entertainment from women’s perspective and After the Credits, bi-monthly film podcast with nearly 300 episodes.
Marina is a member of ACM and ACM SIGGRAPH, the Online Film Critics Society, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society. She is the President of Spark CG Society and the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter. She has also served on juries for several film festivals including DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival. She joined the Spark CG Society in 2014.
