Behind the Scenes: Fragile Seeds
Welcome to this exclusive look behind the scenes of Fragile Seeds. It’s been such an amazing experience to work on this feature length film here in Cobble Hill, BC. We are excited to introduce the cast of Fragile Seeds, and couldn’t ask for a better combination of talented, passionate people (with such a strong work ethic!), to breathe life into the script.
Here’s a short video introducing several key people who worked on the film. Read on below for biographies of the cast and crew.
Meet the Cast of Fragile Seeds
As a woman of many talents, she wears many hats: MIA GOLDEN is the writer and producer of Fragile Seeds. She plays the role of Ryann Temple in the film. You can find her on instagram @goldenjamaican.
Mia Golden is a Jamaican-born actor, writer, producer, and director whose background as a counsellor and understanding of human behaviour allows her to delve deep into her subjects. Golden wrote Fragile Seeds based on her novel of the same name. She is a producer on a variety of productions ranging from the award-winning feature comedy Jackhammer (E One Films 2014) to factual series, shorts, and the short documentary Penny Girl (Empress Avenue Media 2019). She has acted in a number of films and television projects over the last few years, including the award-winning comedy feature Open For Submissions (2019) and the upcoming feature thriller Dashcam: Dead Air (2022). She is currently directing her upcoming documentary, Tug of War.
SEAN BAKER plays the role of Gavin Hartstrum in the movie Fragile Seeds. You can follow Sean @coops_tanked.
Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Sean Baker has been engaged with theatre/performing his whole life. Sean has performed on many stages throughout Western Canada as both an actor and musician. As a professional musician, Sean performed with his band Celebrity Traffic as well as his own solo project under the name Sean J.E. Baker. Some of his most recent live theatre credits include the Victoria Operatic Society’s production of RENT and Bluebridge Reparatory Theatre’s production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Sean is currently writing and recording a new solo album as well as writing his first screenplay.
DARREN ADAMS is Jordy in Fragile Seeds. It’s been a pleasure to work with Darren. His social handle is @thederwood.
Born in Cranbrook B.C., Darren has been based out of Vancouver since graduating from the Acting for Stage and Screen program at Capilano University in 2016. He has since made appearances on Supernatural (CW), The Arrangement (E!), and When We Rise (ABC).
We feel very fortunate to have been able to work with none other than STEFANIE DOLAN in the role of Violet Temple. Check her out @stefanie.dolan.
Stefanie Dolan is a Canadian born Actor best known for HomeStay (Telus Web Series-2020), All-In Madonna (Feature-2020), Open For Submissions (Feature-2019), Pile of Corpses (Short Film- 2021), Revel (Short Film-2020), Curse (Short Film-2018). She graduated (2016) from The Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts with a diploma in Film and Television and has since performed in a wide range of lead and supporting roles. When not in front of the camera, Stefanie is the Calian lead supervisor/role play actor contracted by the Canadian Arm Forces.
The very fun, very talented KATE BOUTILIER plays Poppy Temple. You can connect with Kate @kate.boutilier.
When Kate Boutilier was 10 years old, she played a caterpillar in a community theatre production, and she’s been hooked on acting ever since. She grew up on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ people (AKA Victoria, BC). Kate moved to Vancouver to pursue her diploma in Acting for Stage and Screen from Capilano University. Since graduating the program in 2017, some of Kate’s highlights have been performing in films The Baker’s Son, V.C. Andrews’ All That Glitters, A Timeless Christmas, Love In Store, and in the CW show DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. She’s also recently voice acted in the short film The Butterfly Affect and Coyote’s Crazy Smart Science Show and has been on stage in both The Vancouver Fringe Festival and the About Love Festival.
In the role of Buddy, we are excited to be re-introducing actor JOEY CRAMER. You can follow Joey @thejoeycramer.
Joey is known for various film and TV from the 80’s including the starring role in Disney’s Flight of the Navigator. Fragile Seeds is Joey’s first return to acting since leaving the business as a child actor. Now living on Vancouver Island, he is reigniting his acting career as an adult. He’s recently released a feature documentary Life After the Navigator (2021) and just wrapped another Canadian indie feature Twelve Step Strangler with an upcoming role in a film in South Africa.
In the part of Hazel, we are happy to have SUSAN KO. She can be found @susanko2116.
Susan is an actor from Victoria. She studied at the University College Drama Program in Toronto. She has acted in local community theatre in Victoria, as well as in local independent films. She has recently moved into producing, writing, and directing. Her short film, In The End, has been selected for international festivals, and has won a few awards. She is currently directing the short film, Coming Home, here in Victoria.
It has been a joy working with actor AMOS MITCHELL, who plays Derek Fuller in the film Fragile Seeds. Visit Amos @amosandmitch.
Amos has been a working actor for the past 10 years in Vancouver. In that time, he has performed in numerous plays such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Blind Date and Film & TV My Mom Robs Banks, Recipe for Love, and Motive, as well as many commercials. Amos’ passion lies in telling powerful stories, and that’s exactly why he signed on to do Fragile Seeds.
The well-rounded CLAYTON NEUWIRTH joins our cast in the role of Carlos. His social handle is @usernameclayton if you’d like to check out his demo reel and give him a follow.
Clayton has performed in various television, commercial, and film projects over the last few years. He openly expresses his love for acting and feels it’s the biggest privilege to be given the opportunity to bring someone’s vision to life. Clayton tackled a character with many layers in Fragile Seeds. He feels thankful for the people he’s met and the roles he’s had. Recent films include All-In Madonna as well as McManus and Sons.
We are honoured to work with CHRISTAPOR YAACOUBIAN, who played the role of Howie in Fragile Seeds. Christapor’s DMs are open @afunnythingcalledlife.
Christapor is an award-winning actor who hails from Sydney, Australia where he honed his craft through numerous appearances in theatrical productions and short films, often returning to work with former collaborators. Christapor made his feature film debut in 2019 with Maybe Tomorrow, directing duo Caitlin Farrugia and Michael Jones. Maybe Tomorrow was the 2020 Gold Coast Film Festival Blackmagic Design winner of Best Australian Independent Feature Film.
Through his appearance in Maybe Tomorrow, he was cast in Help:The Series, by series creator Fabiana Weiner. Following these appearances, Christapor relocated briefly to Vancouver, where he developed relationships with Bream Productions, having worked with them on multiple projects. Christapor is currently writing his debut play in Mexico and researching for a short film that will act as his directorial debut.
The very talented JONATHAN MASON fills the role of Anthony in Fragile Seeds. He can be found at @jon_c_mason.
Jonathan Mason is an actor at the Stratford Festival, Birmingham Conservatory alumni a Masters with Distinction graduate from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. While being based on both sides of the country in Vancouver and Toronto, he has also worked professionally in Canada and abroad in the UK. While specializing in classical theatre, Jonathan’s work in television, voice acting, directing and dance gives him a unique and varied perspective on Vancouver’s performing arts scene. Jonathan uses a mix of his classical training along with more modern Michael Chekhov and Laban techniques, giving his students a mix of the old and new worlds of acting traditions
TOR THOMAS has been a vital member of the Fragile Seeds cast team, playing Justin.
Tor makes his on-screen debut with Fragile Seeds. He is grateful to have had the opportunity to bring this conflicted, sympathetic character to film. He is honoured to have met and worked with the brilliant and beautiful cast and crew. Presently, he is further educating himself on the many techniques of acting.
Jonesy is played by WARREN SHERMAN.
Warren began acting as a regular supporting actor in Jamaica’s most popular soap opera, Royal Palm Estate. He went on to appear in local commercials and being a guest host on a popular travel magazine program, before emigrating to Canada in 2009. Once here, Warren appeared in two short films, grasping the leading role in Motionless (2010), before taking an acting hiatus. Fragile Seeds reignited Warren’s acting passion where he took pleasure in bringing “Jonesy” to life.
Bringing in a wealth of experience and passion, CHRISTOPHER BAUTISTA fits right in as the character Jazz. Follow Christopher @christopherbautistaa
Christopher is an American-born writer, actor, and producer with over 10 years professional acting experience under his belt. With roots that grew out of theatrical training from a very young age and landed him at The University of Southern California’s School of Dramatic Arts, Christopher has had a successful career with lead and supporting roles in theatre, film, tv, and commercials. Some of his most recent acting credits include Warner Bros.’ Titans (2021), Theatre Passe Murraile’s Dora award-nominated The Negroes are Congregating (2020), as well as BlackLake’s upcoming short thriller Lonely (2021).
The multi-talented AMBER KENNEDY makes her acting debut in the role of June. Check out her Homelys @semicolonmiddlechild.
Born and raised in Prince George, BC, Amber recently moved to Vancouver Island to start fresh. Her natural comedic style, beautiful singing voice and imaginative hand stitched creations called “Homelys” popularized her, and she quickly became a Tik Tok influencer with a loyal following known as “Amber’s Army”. Fragile Seeds is Amber’s film acting debut, however, we are sure it won’t be her last.
The character of Dr. Andrew Stevens is played by the one-and-only TREVOR HINTON. Trevor can be found at @suretrev if you ask nicely.
Trevor has been a theatre actor working professionally in Canada and Europe since 2007, and relatively recently made the switch to film and tv in 2018. Since then he has worked in the independent film scene as well as with Disney, Hallmark, Hulu, National Geographic and HBO.
Long-time friend and actress PANTA MOSLEH plays the part of Carmen in Fragile Seeds. Find her online @pantamosleh.
Panta Mosleh is an LGBTQ2i+ BIPOC Director, Producer and Actor based out of Vancouver, BC. Made in Singapore, she is a test tube baby born and raised in Middle East/West Asia and Canada. Panta graduated from University with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In addition to working on several bug-budget TV shows, MOWs and commercials as a Production Coordinator, Panta independently produced and shot award winning short films and music videos. Panta currently divides her time between producing, production coordinating and acting, bringing her unique flair to every project. Panta’s most recent projects include the Crazy8s film “BABA”, as well as developing a feature script that is an extension of the short film Pass the Salt. Panta has produced multiple award winning projects such as Pass the Salt and Dama Branca, which have aired on CBC, CBC Gem, Telus Optic TV VOD, Super Channel, Apply TV+ and Air Canada. She has also worked as an Associate Producer on Canada’s first Transgender sitcom, The Switch, airing on OutTV and Revry, LGBTQ+ streaming services.
“Mia told me about the script and novel she was writing 6 years ago. I had the pleasure of reading her first production draft back then and thought it was a powerful story and agreed to be in it then. Fast forward to 2020, Mia said to me, ‘Let’s go shoot a feature.’ I got to read the final production draft and realized that she had managed to make a great script into a PHENOMENAL script! I was so excited to work on this project. And the experience on set was like an absolute dream come true. The cast and Empress Avenue crew were so connected. I’ve worked with Ana-Maria, Joseph and Mia before so it felt like a reunion but better, and to see the words my friend had written come to life was so amazing. I have no doubt this film will resonate with many.”
We’re happy to introduce local actress, TRINA (SWEE-THULT) SXWITHUL’TXW for the role of Michelle. Give Trina some love @trinasweetheart.
Trina is from the Penelakut Tribe and was born and raised in the Cowichan Valley. She has a background in acting for film and TV with credits that include Unnatural and Accidental and a recurring role on DaVinci’s Inquest. Trina has also been involved behind the scenes as an Associate Producer on APTN’s show Warrior Games and was the Project Coordinator for APTN’s Tribal Police Files, both produced by Kwassen Productions Inc.
Trina lives on beautiful Vancouver Island and devotes much of her time to her two children, Mason and Wyatt. Trina’s day job is as the Director of Ocean Resources for the Beecher Bay First Nation, which includes managing many major projects in the marine space.
It’s been a pleasure to work with the amazing DUSTY SMITH, who plays the role of Brian in the film.
He shares, “A lifelong dream of being in a movie came true for me in 2020. A friend on Facebook messaged me saying “I forgot you were an actor. Want to audition for a movie we are making?”, and I said yes. I’d done a tiny bit of extra/background work, and been interviewed on TV, but this was different. And magical.
I have loved acting since I was a kid. In kindergarten, I played Doc in Snow White, and have loved the stage ever since. I was thrilled to get good reviews for my roles in The Laramie Project, The Boys in the Band, and The Normal Heart.
In the role of Jeremy, we are fortunate to have AMBROSE GARDENER lending his acting skills.
Ambrose Gardener is a classically trained actor with over five years of experience. He has co-starred on network television shows such as Project Blue Book, iZombie, Nancy Drew, and Twilight Zone. He is also known for his role as Clark Witchel in Alien Ore, written and directed by The Spear Sisters and presented by 20th Century Fox and the Alien franchise.
With a background in eurythmy and a unique mime influence from his father, Ambrose studied alongside Matthew Harrison focusing on text analysis, scene structure, body language and grounded emotional presence. Once he completed this training, he joined Jeb Beach’s Advanced On Screen Technique, as well as vocal lessons with Clare Durrant.
Ambrose’s first introductory role to acting was his character Aaron in the award winning indie short film with a great festival run, Kids Who Jump Off Bridges (2015), directed by Zoe Neary. You can find him in two upcoming feature films coming soon: Miles Away, written and directed by S.C. Wilson, and Fragile Seeds written and produced by Mia Golden.
Ambrose is currently working on scripting a miniseries of odd short stories and is in pre-production as the director of photography for a 25-minute short film.
JOSHUA KALEF plays the role of Brad. His IG is @kaleforniacation
Classically trained, Joshua has appeared in television and movies over the past two decades. His passion for performance and telling a story drives him in each production. Joshua lives in Victoria, BC with his young daughter Marilyn.
Meet the Awesome Kid Actors Behind Fragile Scenes
Some of the best times on set were working with these awesome kid actors, who truly showed us that talent does not always come with age. Without further ado, we’d like to introduce and thank the talented young actors in Fragile Seeds.
Thanks so much for lending your talent and presence, and for bringing the theme of the film to an undeniable reality.
Meet the Crew of Fragile Seeds
But what good is a talented cast, if not in good hands. Introducing the stellar crew of Fragile Seeds; they’ve each been a vital part of the telling of this story.
JOSEPH BOUTILIER has been an integral part of the film from day one, in the role of Director. More about Joseph @josephboutilier.
Joseph Boutilier has worked in the film and television industry in a wide variety of roles ranging from 1st Assistant Director to Director of Photography to Production Designer on various series and features including Runaway Christmas Bride (2017), New Year’s Kiss (2019) and Honeymoon in Paradise (2020). He recently directed the short documentary Penny Girl and just completed the feature film Dashcam: Dead Air (2022) which he wrote and directed. He is currently working on numerous projects including serving as Director of Photography on the upcoming documentary, Tug of War.
Another essential member of our team is producer ANA-MARIA BUTCURA. We appreciate you, @ambutcura!
Born in Romania, Ana-Maria fled with her family to Canada as a young child. Her experience living in Communist Eastern Europe is the backdrop to her drive to realize her dreams. Butcura is a talented producer, director and actor who also has a diverse background in corporate management in the restaurant industry. Her business savvy, drive and creativity guide her work. Ana-Maria has produced a variety of short films including the recently produced, Betsy and is in pre-production on her next feature film, as well as a series she co-created based on her Romanian culture.
We couldn’t have made Fragile Seeds without talented producer EMREY WRIGHT of Empress Avenue Media on the site. More about Emrey, @emreywright.
Emrey co-founded Empress Avenue Media, building on over twelve years of experience in the entertainment industry. He has worked on a variety of films in various capacities including Production Manager, Assistant Director, and Producer for theatrical, broadcast and VOD feature films. Fun fact about Emrey, he grew up on a sailboat.
JOSH TERRY-BRAND has been instrumental in getting this film through post-production as the Lead Editor. We feel so fortunate to have his amazing editing skills at work on Fragile Seeds. You can find him @joshterrybrand
Josh is a 21-year-old full-time video editor, born and raised on Vancouver Island. He has spent the majority of his life working on video projects. As a young sailor, Josh entered the industry by using the connections within his maritime family to create dozens of video projects for the Coast Guard and Navy. As Lead Editor of Empress Avenue Media, he has worked on documentaries such as Penny Girl and the upcoming Tug of War, features such as Victory on East Hastings, as well as countless educational and promotional videos. In 2021, Josh completed his debut short film Cool Affections, as well as the feature edit of Fragile Seeds.Outside of work, Josh spends his time with friends, family and dogs, biking and creating within a variety of art forms.
Not only are we lucky enough to have talented composer and musician ADRIAN BENT score our film, but he’s also a such genuinely nice guy to work with and be around. We appreciate you, @abentimus!
Adrian Bent, a well-respected musician and producer, is a multitalented, multi-instrumental musician who has become the go-to talent for live and studio projects for the world’s most relevant musicians. Playing drums, bass, guitar, and piano, he is best known as the drummer for hip hop artist Drake, performing on his live tours and select studio productions. He’s also played for world-renown artists such as Jay Z, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, TLC, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Usher, H.E.R., Florence and the Machine, Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Daniel Caesar, Chris Brown, Meek Mill, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Jhené Aiko, and DVSN. Adrian has also served as composer on many tv and film productions, which include Mariah’s World (2017), Steve Harvey’s Funderdome (2017), Making It (2018), and Tournament of Laughs (2020).
Fragile Seeds – The Trailer
We can’t wait to share this film with you. Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and to learn more about future screenings.
The World Premiere – Hamilton Film Festival
Saturday November 13th, 9:30pm, $10
Tickets: https://filmfreeway.com/HamiltonFilmFestival/tickets