On The Fence
Writer & Director
Stories of childhood, home, and identity intertwine as five figures recall their experiences of cultural disconnect as immigrants against a projector.
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"This beautifully crafted film about identity captured by its five crew members all from various cultural backgrounds, transports us on a journey into the film’s core message: What is culture? As each storyteller sits in the foreground, profiled and shadowed to share deeply personal experiences of immigrant life, acclimation and loss, starkly juxtaposed home video images of their playful childhood's gleam in the background. This open and compelling film will return viewers to their own precious memories of culture with pride. Whether celebrating one’s heritage, home or country, we are reminded never to forget where we come from, for risk of sacrificing who we are along the way."
- Lanettte Ware-Bushfield, WIFT Showcase 2021 Juror
" A thought-provoking look at the meaning of home and identity."- Kevin Connor NFFTY 2022 Programmer
"Simplicity is key to a great short and Paula Ner Dormiendo’s On The Fence has that quality in spades. It shows projections of home movies in the background and in front of that projection are shadows of young adults that those children have turned into. This juxtaposition of images are equally haunting because these young adults are 1.5 generation immigrants. And these immigrants, like myself, have specific yet complex feelings about their identities. The best of the festival’s shorts, especially when it reveals the relationship between crew and subjects."
- Paolo Kagaoan, In the Seats
Writer & Director...Paula Ner Dormiendo
Producer...Asad Chaudhry
Director of Photography...Molly
CineFam Film Festival
Best Short Film 2021
Canadian Film Festival
Best Producing Award 2021
Streamed on Amazon Prime Superchannel 2021
Canada Shorts Canadian & International Short Film Festival
Award of Distinction 2021
Oakville Festival of Film and Art (OFFA)
Best Student Film 2021
Audience Choice Award 2021
National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY)
Opening Night Screening 2022
Best Student Film Nominee 2022
Programmer's Pick 2022
Mosaic Internation South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF)
Best Canadian Short 2021
Reelworld Film Festival
Best Writer & Director Nominee 2021
Best Producer Nominee 2021
Sheridan College
Best Non-Fiction Film Award 2021
Vladimir Kabelik Excellence in Documentary Filmmaking Award 2021
Sheridan College's Official 2021 Selection into the Student Academy Awards & CILECT
Durham Region International Film Festival
Best Student Film 2021
Barrie Film Festival
Third Place Open Category Winner 2021
Borrowed Ears Showcase
Official Selection 2024
Flauntit Movement
Asian Artists Showase 2024
UrbanArts Toronto
Official Selection 2023
Reelworld Building Resilient Communities Through Film Event 2023 Official Screenings in...
Oshawa
Waterloo
Oakville
Guelph
Brampton Canadian National Film Day Screening
Official Selection 2023
Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Private Screening 2022
Waterloo Region Migration Film Festival
Private Screening 2022
Do You See Us? Sheridan College International Day of Tolerance
Screening 2022
The Art Gallery of Mississauga | City Hall Border Crossings Concert
Official Screening 2021
WIFT Showcase
Official Selection 2021
CBC Gem Toronto Reel Shorts
Official Broadcast 2021
Vancouver International Women in Film Festival
Official Selection 2021
Yellowknife International Film Festival
Official Selection 2021
Cultural Lens Film Festival
Official Selection 2021
Milton Film Festival
Official Selection 2021
LIFT Off Global Network Sessions
Official Selection 2021
Diwa Filipino Film Showcase of Seattle
Official Selection 2021
Gen Zed Film Festival
Official Selection 2021