"The Good Survivor" and the Nature of Being Irrepressible

Irrepressible. It is perhaps one of my favourite words, and one on occasion used to describe my own attitude and approach to life. It is the quality that I find most appealing in other people, too, an unwillingness to give in or give up, a constant commitment to meeting new challenges and seeking new opportunities. And it describes some of my friends pretty well, too.

Some of those irrepressible friends happen to be local filmmakers. Over the last few years I have watched them tackle various challenges and embrace new opportunities, always both excited by their adventures and humbled to call this irrepressible group of individuals my friends. Just recently they embarked on another challenge.

"The Good Survivor" is a film concept currently competing with other film concepts to win funding and distribution through Telus Optik TV. Like many of these film challenges this one involves getting other people to vote for the concept they would like to see made into a film, and Tito Guillen, Ashley Laurenson, Steve Reeve Newman, Dave Boutilier and Dylan Thomas Bouchier have launched an impressive campaign to garner those votes.

I have never made a secret of how fond I am of the people named above, and perhaps none more so than young Dylan who has made quite an impression on me with his own irrepressible nature despite the challenges he faces in his own life. He is, like my own Intrepid Junior Blogger, one of those young adults who makes me feel good about our future, as he is articulate and clever and engaged and compassionate and a damn fine actor to boot. As for the rest - Tito, Ashley, Dave and Steve - well, what can one say about people who are always there when you need them, and who follow their own dreams and ideas with the kind of passion and fervour you wish you could instil into every person on this planet, knowing it would be a far better place for it?

So this is where you come in, dear reader. In order to see this dream materialized, this team of Fort McMurray locals needs your support. The voting process is simple, costs nothing but a moment of your time and could get some amazing local filmmakers one step closer to realizing a dream. You can vote at this link - but vote now because voting ends on Monday:

Vote Now for "The Good Survivor"

And check out the concept and pitch videos here: