ANITA DORON,
INTERACTIVE FEATURE FILM PROGRAM ALUMNUS, CFC MEDIA LAB

Anita’s Doron’s productions are within the realm of groundbreaking. She has been described as a surrealist filmmaker and documentarian, and has had her hand in many impressive transmedia productions and has justifiably been recognized by many prestigious institutes and festivals around the world.

Anita was born in Transcarpathia of the former Soviet Union. Her first feature film was an environmental protest piece, which raised the ire of the Soviet bureaucracy. An impressive feat for a 12 year old.

By her early-twenties, Anita wrote and directed short films “Not a Fish Story” (2002) and “Elliot Smelliot” (2004) premiering them at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2003 and 2004 respectively. As well, “Not a Fish Story” received a Banff Rookie Award nomination for the Short Drama category in 2003.

In 2005, Anita wrote and directed her first feature, “The End of Silence” starring Sarah Harmer. Since its premiere at the Whistler Film Festival 2005, the film has screened at NXNE 2006 and The Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2006, and won several awards including “Best in Show” at Toronto’s Female Eye Film Festival 2006, and “Best Feature” at the Canadian Filmmakers Festival 2006. It has also received International awards including “Best Foreign Film” at the Tahoe/Reno Film Festival 2006, “Spirit of Moondance Award” at Hollywood’s Moondance Film Festival 2006, as well, it was the sole recipient of finishing funds for narrative films from LA-based Women In Film Org. “The End of Silence” was also shortlisted by the Venice International Film Festival as one of the Top 5 Canadian feature films of 2005 as well as the Sundance Film Festival 2006. It was broadcast on TMN and distributed by Mongrel Media as part of the prestigious Festival Collection.

Also in 2006, Anita signed with “235 Films” as a music video director, handling artists such as Sarah Harmer, The Miniatures, Willie Venant, Prairie Oyster, Theresa Sokyrka and Octoberman. Anita was co-cinematographer as well as director in Theresa Sokyrka’s music video “Sandy Eyes”, which debuted on MuchMusic’s Top Ten Countdown in 2007.

In 2008, with the CFC Media Lab and the National Film Board of Canada, Anita wrote and directed “Late Fragment”, North America’s first interactive feature film and the official selection of SXSW and the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008. “Late Fragment” went on to also screen at Motovun Film Festival, San Jose’s Zero 1, and Cannes’ Future of Cinema. It was released by Mongrel Media in 2008 and was also featured in Wired Magazine in December of that year.

Also in 2008, Anita received development funding from Telefilm Canada for her feature film adaptation of the novel by Richard Van Camp entitled “The Lesser Blessed”, produced by Christina Piovesan, First Generation Films, and Telefilm Canada.

In 2009, Anita created “Roma Dreams”, a transmedia project selected for Banff Centre’s Interactive Project Lab. “Roma Dreams” is a television series in development with Serendipity Point Films/Entertainment One. Also in 2009, Anita directed short documentaries for Canadian artists Damian Abraham and Sebastian Graingerof, as part of CitySonic, which world premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and exhibited at Nuit Blanche.

As if that’s not enough, Anita is currently in post production for feature film, “Louise Del Mar” a magic realism comedy set in Mexico as well as “Europa, East”, a minimalist political drama set in Budapest, Hungary. “Europa, East” had its world premiere at the 2010 International Film Festival Rotterdam to three sold out screenings.

And she’s not slowing down. Anita is currently in production for an interactive musical feature film, produced by Ana Serrano and the CFC Media Lab. The prototype for this project participated in the Banff New Media Institute’s “Interactive Screen” showcase.

Anita is compelled to revolutionize audience experience by producing beautifully rendered transmedia stories and narratives. She is wise beyond her years, has a genuine excitement for learning, and is a proud recipient of a 2010 TED Fellowship.

Visit Anita’s Website here.