Someone to Watch 2012
Presented with the generous support of LAUREN RICH FINE and GARY GILLER

In 2003, at the 27th CIFF we launched our Someone to Watch Award series. The purpose of this program is to highlight the works of mid-career filmmakers who we believe are rising stars in international filmmaking. Over the years we have celebrated filmmakers who have had their talent embraced at movie theaters across the country and the world. This year is no different.

Our three Someone to Watch 2012 Filmmakers:

David Boyle
Dave Boyle was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He made his feature film debut in 2006 with the bilingual comedy "Big Dreams Little Tokyo." The film won accolades for its deft portrayal of clashing cultures in an increasingly global world and was hailed by Home Media Magazine as "brazenly original and intelligent." In 2007 Boyle co-founded Tiger Industry Films with Michael Lerman. Boyle served as Executive Producer on Lerman's 2008 directorial debut "Natural Causes," which premiered at SXSW. Boyle's second feature "White on Rice" premiered as an Opening Night film for the 2009 San Francisco International Asian American Festival and was described by San Francisco Chronicle's Jeff Yang as "a cinematic milestone." His third film "Surrogate Valentine" is currently traveling the festival circuit. Boyle works as a film editor and is preparing to direct "Self Storage" and the Japanese film "Komorebi".

Films Screening:
Big Dreams Little Tokyo (USA)
Surrogate Valentine (USA)
White on Rice (USA)

Ed Gass-Donnelly
Ed Gass-Donnelly was recently praised by Variety as one of its Ten Directors to Watch for 2011. With roots in the theater, he has often served as director, producer, writer, and editor. After numerous short films and music videos, Gass-Donnelly's feature debut, "This Beautiful City," premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2007 and went on to be nominated for four Canadian Academy Awards (Genie Awards). His second feature, "Small Town Murder Songs," premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and recently won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Film at the Torino Film Festival and Best Actress (Martha Plimpton) at the Whistler Film Festival.

Films Screening:
Small Town Murder Songs (CANADA)
This Beautiful City (CANADA)

Lisa Gossels
Lisa Gossels is an Emmy Award winning filmmaker and the President of Good Egg Productions, Inc, a New York City-based production company. Gossels' first film, "The Children of Chabannes," won an Emmy Award in 2001 and ten film festival awards. It has been praised as "one of the most heartening Holocaust films ever made—splendid, informative and emotionally involving" (Los Angeles Times). Since premiering at Silverdocs, Gossels' second film, "My So-Called Enemy," has garnered three awards on the film festival circuit. It has received critical acclaim as "a provocative, balanced film that offers unexpected hope for resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" (Washington City Paper). Gossels became a documentarian because she believes in the power of film to affect social change. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Brown University.

Films Screening:
The Children of Chabannes (USA)
My So-Called Enemy (USA)