Birth Day

A father arrives late to his son’s birthday to say goodbye for the last time. A tragic glimpse into the lives of one family whose lives will be changed forever.

Creative team

Writer: Miles Sullivan, Anthony Janssen
Director: Juan Riedinger
Producer: Wade Fennig

Director’s statement

Juan Riedinger says:

“I directed Birth Day for the Vancouver Film School‘s writing department. It was done through the “Portfolio Shorts” program, which allows student writers from VFS to see their words come to life. As a final assignment, writing students go through the production process with a professional director and crew, as their entire film is shot in 3.5 hours using limited locations.

This is the sixth film I’ve directed in this format, and I enjoy the process immensely. It’s like boot camp for a filmmaker. Having under four hours to shoot a film forces everyone to be on top of their game, and it’s quite surprising what you can put out in very little time.

The script for Birth Day, co-written by Miles Sullivan and Anthony Janssen, is the tragic story of a father and husband on the run from some bikers, being forced to say goodbye to his wife and son one last time…during his son’s ninth birthday.

It’s difficult to effectively pull off such a dramatic piece in such a short time. However, the writers did a great job of capturing it on the page, and the actors’ performances were so sincere, which made my job much easier.”

About Juan Riedinger

A graduate of the University of Calgary’s theatre program, Juan began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous film and television productions including Jennifer’s Body, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Fringe, Sanctuary, Smallville and Supernatural.

Wanting to explore the other side of the camera, Juan has recently ventured into the world of directing, having completed ten short films in two years. His directorial debut – a project called Shark Out of Water – landed him nominations for British Columbia ’s Leo Awards in four categories, including Best Short Drama and Best Direction in a Short Drama.

Juan hopes to use the knowledge he garnered through making short films to direct a feature-length project in the near future.