A local filmmaker is continuing to make strides in her career after wrapping up a four-month residency at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
Shanthini Balasubramanian, a Surrey-based writer and director, was awarded the 2025 KDocsFF Emerging Filmmaker Residency Award at the Sundar Prize Film Festival earlier this year, something she says came as a surprise.
“When they were announcing the awards, I just kicked back and started to relax because I was not expecting to win,” she says. “I was completely shocked and it took me a couple of days to actually process that this was happening.”
She received the award for her debut film Velvet Secrets, which she produced in just 10 days. Velvet Secrets tells a story of a Tamil mother who discovers a revealing red velvet dress in her daughter's room which sparks a journey of self-exploration and empathy when she tries it on.
“I grew up in a Tamil household as a first generation Canadian, which is a very unique experience,” she says. “I wanted to show an authentic portrayal of that on the screen, and to centre the narrative around a character that we don't often see on screen — an older South Asian woman.”
Over the course of her residency, Balasubramanian has been consulting with KPU film studies instructors and documentary film producer Sean Farnel while working on an upcoming film project at the KDocsFF Social Justice Lab. Balasubramanian says Farnel’s mentorship, which is included as part of the prize, has been the most rewarding.
“Sean Farnel is an excellent producer and he's incredibly talented and wise. That has been the best part about the residency, to get to meet with him and to get his insight and thoughts,” she says.
Balasubramanian has also played the role of mentor by sharing her craft with film studies students at KPU.
“Shanthini screened Velvet Secrets for my class and held a discussion around telling stories with authenticity,” says KPU instructor Greg Chan. “Several students stayed behind to thank her and tell her how deeply meaningful Velvet Secrets was to them, and even ended up writing part of their final exam on the film. Shanthini has become part of the curriculum and will always have a home at KPU.”
As a capstone to her residency, Balasubramanian held a special screening of Velvet Secrets at KPU Surrey on Aug. 29, where she was joined by the film’s lead actor Chandni Appadurai and editor Yash Ahuja for a panel discussion exploring Tamil representation and the art of collaborative filmmaking.
During her residency, Balasubramanian was invited to be a junior creative producer at the Mighty Asian Moviemaking Marathon (MAMM). At that festival she was responsible for many aspects, including writing and directing Once Upon a MAMM, the opening film screened at the MAMM gala on Aug. 30.
“It's been 20 years since MAMM began, and we wanted to create an opening film to honour this and show how much the festival has grown. The idea of the film was to evoke that nostalgia, but also honour the legacy.”
Chan, who is also the director of the KDocsFF Emerging Filmmaker Residency program, says he’s proud of everything Balasubramanian has accomplished during her residency.
“From Velvet Secrets to Once Upon a MAMM, her filmmaking continues to resonate with audiences that feel seen and heard by her storytelling. Shanthini has embodied the spirit of the residency program through her generosity and community-mindedness,” says Chan.
Although her residency is coming to a wrap, Balasubramanian plans to keep ties with KPU.
“KPU is such a wonderful community and I'm so happy to be a part of it,” she says. “I don't think I plan to let go of the KPU community anytime soon. I want to stick around and help out in any way that I can and also stay connected.”