Conversations with filmmakers selected to the festival.
Director Michael Mankowski knew he wanted to tell the inspiring story of how his community of Fort McMurray came together after the devastating fire of 2016. With a passion for animation, no experience but with a willingness to learn, he sold everything and enrolled in animation school with the goal of making Back Home Again.
Discover how Michael’s 10-minute concept turned in a 30-minute short film and how, an international community of people affected by devastating fires came together to make the project a reality.
SPEAKER
Michael Mankowski
Director, Owner // Alien Kow
Michael Mankowski was born and raised in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo. Owner and operator of Alien Kow formerly known as Wood Buffalo Productions, an Alberta, Canada-based award-winning production house. A graduate of University of Lethbridge Bachelor of Management and Vancouver Film School 3D & Animation Program.
In 2017 Michael won an award for Excellence in The Arts by the RMWB and Arts Council Wood Buffalo. In 2016 WBP won a Leadership Award from RMWB and YYM Magazine. Satisfied clients include: Vice Media, Stuart Olson, Shell Canada, Bell Let’s Talk, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Nexen, United Way, Canadian Red Cross, CMHA and Paul Davis Restoration. WBP created a series of videos for United Way Fort McMurray that helped raise 7 million dollars for local non-profits. In 2014 winning recognition as the most profitable United Way Campaign in North America per capita.
Michael has also produced passion projects on the side, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, was the winner of the Best Short Film award at the Alberta Film and Television Awards in 2016 and most recently winner of the Best Animated Short Film at the 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival.
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
Festival Director, Film Critic, Podcaster // Spark CG Society
Marina joined the Spark Computer Graphics Society as Festival Director in 2014. Throughout her tenure, the festival has grown into Western Canada’s premiere animation festival, featuring a number of specialty programming including the “Made in Canada” program celebrating Canadian creators, “Mother of a Medium” featuring works from female filmmakers, and “Spotlight on France” which celebrates the best of French animation. In 2019, the SPARK ANIMATION FESTIVAL became Academy Award ® accredited, the only festival in British Columbia to hold that distinction.
Marina is also a writer and podcaster with over 15 years of experience, 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 the Online Film Critics Society, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society is the President of the Vancouver SIGGRAPH chapter, and has served on juries for several film festivals including the DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival.
Conversations with filmmakers selected to the festival.
Director Michael Mankowski knew he wanted to tell the inspiring story of how his community of Fort McMurray came together after the devastating fire of 2016. With a passion for animation, no experience but with a willingness to learn, he sold everything and enrolled in animation school with the goal of making Back Home Again.
Discover how Michael’s 10-minute concept turned in a 30-minute short film and how, an international community of people affected by devastating fires came together to make the project a reality.
SPEAKER
Michael Mankowski
Director, Owner // Alien Kow
Michael Mankowski was born and raised in Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo. Owner and operator of Alien Kow formerly known as Wood Buffalo Productions, an Alberta, Canada-based award-winning production house. A graduate of University of Lethbridge Bachelor of Management and Vancouver Film School 3D & Animation Program.
In 2017 Michael won an award for Excellence in The Arts by the RMWB and Arts Council Wood Buffalo. In 2016 WBP won a Leadership Award from RMWB and YYM Magazine. Satisfied clients include: Vice Media, Stuart Olson, Shell Canada, Bell Let’s Talk, Northern Lights Regional Health Centre, Nexen, United Way, Canadian Red Cross, CMHA and Paul Davis Restoration. WBP created a series of videos for United Way Fort McMurray that helped raise 7 million dollars for local non-profits. In 2014 winning recognition as the most profitable United Way Campaign in North America per capita.
Michael has also produced passion projects on the side, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, was the winner of the Best Short Film award at the Alberta Film and Television Awards in 2016 and most recently winner of the Best Animated Short Film at the 2021 Edmonton International Film Festival.
MODERATOR
Marina Antunes
Festival Director, Film Critic, Podcaster // Spark CG Society
Marina joined the Spark Computer Graphics Society as Festival Director in 2014. Throughout her tenure, the festival has grown into Western Canada’s premiere animation festival, featuring a number of specialty programming including the “Made in Canada” program celebrating Canadian creators, “Mother of a Medium” featuring works from female filmmakers, and “Spotlight on France” which celebrates the best of French animation. In 2019, the SPARK ANIMATION FESTIVAL became Academy Award ® accredited, the only festival in British Columbia to hold that distinction.
Marina is also a writer and podcaster with over 15 years of experience, 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 the Online Film Critics Society, Alliance of Women Film Journalists, and the Visual Effects Society is the President of the Vancouver SIGGRAPH chapter, and has served on juries for several film festivals including the DOXA, St. Louis International Film Festival, and the Whistler Film Festival.
