Goettler Foundation supports Yellow Door film academy

Will the next Scorcese, Gerwig or Spielberg come from Niagara-on-the-Lake? 

The notion is not so far-fetched now that Yellow Door Theatre Project is getting set to launch its Goettler Family Foundation Film Academy on Sept. 15. 

“It’s the result of the success we had with our film Red Letter Day during the final year of the pandemic,” says YDTP founder and artistic producer Andorlie Hillstrom.

The musical was written by NOTL resident  Lezlie Wade, with music by Scott Christian. Wade also shot all of the footage, directed the film and was responsible for the editing. The cast featured youth from across the province, but most were participants in YDTP programs. 

“It won awards and it offered so much to the youth in the area," adds Hillstrom. "We didn’t want to let that all lay dormant.”

So Hillstrom and her team put together a proposal for the Goettler Family Foundation, which supported the production of Red Letter Day, shot entirely in the Niagara Region, including at the old Laura Secord Public School in Queenston. 

The foundation’s director, Jodey Porter, says she encouraged Vaughn and Lauren Goettler to back YDTP financially two years ago. 

“At our first foundation meeting I brought it up,” says Porter. “Yellow Door is all about young people, giving forward, getting young people into the performing arts, which builds confidence and changes lives forever.”

Recognizing the mental health benefits in YDTP’s programs, Porter felt the film academy proposal was a logical next step for the foundation’s support. They reviewed the details and the film academy was born.  

Once the funding was in place, Hillstrom worked with Lori Ravensborg, a coordinator and professor in Niagara College’s Acting for Film and Television program, to design the program.

“She has been instrumental in this,” Hillstrom says. “I reached out to her and she took an interest immediately. She agreed to provide us with a detailed curriculum. She has a pretty dynamic resume in film and television, and she has a background in working with young people.”

Hillstrom is equally as excited to bring in Carter Vahrmeyer as the teacher for the new program. The graduate of Niagara College’s program also runs his own company through which he has produced  a number of films and music videos. 

The new film academy is designed as a two-year program for students aged 13 to 17, with sessions to be held every Friday night between September and May from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Vahrmeyer will focus primarily on the technical skills needed to produce a film, such as lighting, editing and camera operation. 

“We’ll all be learning as we go,” says Hillstrom. “The idea is to take small bites, to make sure they have good technical skills before they move into the actual film process itself. There will be a certain amount of writing involved in it as well.”

The curriculum will also include lessons in acting for film and television, but Hillstrom doesn’t see those beginning until the academy’s second year. 

“We’ll likely have someone come in and speak to the kids about the differences between film and television and theatre acting,” she adds. “We’ll definitely touch on that, but it’s not going to be the emphasis.”

In contrast to the Red Letter Day project, Hillstrom expects that the students will be working toward producing short films, with the hopes of entering some of them into future film festivals.

“Knowing some of the kids who are interested in this,” she says, “I have no doubt that these will be wonderful films. There are several film festivals specifically aimed at youth. We’ll see what happens, get some feedback, and see what we can build on.”

Currently, the plan is to begin the Goettler Academy this month, and to work with those students exclusively over the ensuing 24 months. 

“But there’s been a lot of interest already,” Hillstrom says. “If there is a significant amount of interest this year we will hopefully be able to roll with it, and expand the program to take on another group next September.”

For information and to register for the Goettler Family Foundation Film Academy, visit yellowdoortheatre.com.