Source: Eastern Institute of Technology
18 seconds ago
Fresh from winning Best Film at the Toronto 48Hour Film Project, EIT Screen Production graduate Clark Marcelo returned to his roots, entering the Hawke’s Bay heat of the global competition from Canada.
Clark completed a NZ Diploma in Screen Production (Level 5) and then a NZ Diploma in Arts and Design (Level 6) in 2021. He first took part in the competition while studying in Hawke’s Bay.
EIT Screen Production graduate Clark Marcelo, now based in Toronto, returned to his Hawke’s Bay roots to compete in this year’s 48Hour Film Project.
“I joined the competition during my first year at EIT when I didn’t even know what a first assistant director was. By the time I did my third competition, our film went to regionals and won awards for editing and cinematography. That experience made me want to keep going.”
The 48 Hour Film Competition is a worldwide filmmaking challenge in which teams are given just 48 hours to create a short film. They must work within a randomly assigned genre, while including prompts such as a specific prop, character, line of dialogue, or other cinematic elements revealed at the start of the countdown.
This year, despite the time difference that meant waking at 3am in Toronto to begin, Clark and his Toronto-based team created a buddy film called Cleaners.
Clark says entering the Hawke’s Bay heat was a way to share his latest work with the people who first supported him.
“Being able to share it with my mum, my tutors and my classmates in Napier meant a lot. They’ve supported me from the start, and it felt special to have them in the audience. They also said the film looked very polished and they enjoyed it, which made me really happy.”
His team has also enjoyed major success in Canada. They recently won Best Film at the Toronto 48Hour Film Project with Pagpag, a horror short based on a Filipino superstition. Written and directed in Tagalog, the film beat several other entries and will represent Toronto at Filmapalooza in Lisbon next year.
Their film Rosario, a coming-of-age film shot in black and white, also took home Best Picture in another Toronto 48 Hour Film Competition, securing 9 awards from 11 nominations.
Originally from the Philippines, Clark came to Hawke’s Bay to join his mum and pursue his dream of filmmaking, after working in a call centre.
Clark Marcelo completed a NZ Diploma in Screen Production (Level 5) and then a NZ Diploma in Arts and Design (Level 6) in 2021.
Since moving to Toronto, Canada in 2023, Clark has produced more than 10 short films, created an award-winning web series, and now works as a production manager at a Toronto-based film production company.
He is also continuing to run his own company, Unsalted Films – a name he first came up with while studying the Business for Creatives course at EIT.
“I’m thankful because of the foundation I learnt at EIT. The things my tutors taught me, I’ve been able to bring into everything I do here in Canada. They always supported me, even after I graduated, and it gave me the confidence to write, direct and produce my own work.”
Looking ahead, Clark says his goal remains as strong as ever.
“My goal has always been to get an Oscar. Studying at EIT gave me the skills to take that next step. Now being in Toronto, I feel like I’m in the right place to keep pushing for that dream.”
Wayne Dobson, IDEAschool Lecturer, said Clark was a class favourite with a passion for all things film.
“His eagerness to engage at any level, or in any role, while studying was reflected in the work he produced for himself and fellow classmates. We look forward to following his career path into the future as a member of the EIT Screen Family.”
Sean Coyle, Head of School IDEAschool, said: “It is wonderful to see our talented graduates achieving amazing things, not just locally but also on an international stage”.
“IDEAschool is such a great and nurturing environment for students to begin to understand and experiment with their own creative practice. Clark’s success and journey since graduating is such a good example of this.”
