In Conversation
Christian Sparkes in conversation with Justin Oakey
A discussion on auteur filmmaking in Newfoundland and Labrador. Free
Justin Oakey is a bilingual (English-French) writer/director from Newfoundland, where he lives with his wife, children, and droves of animals. He lives a traditional lifestyle full of hunting, fishing, growing, and storytelling. Following his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Studies from Ryerson University, his award-winning films introduced an atmospheric, genre-agnostic vision of rural Newfoundland around the world. The claustrophobic micro-budget Riverhead (2016) and tense neo-noir A Fire In The Cold Season (2019) found acclaim at festivals and the Canadian Screen Awards. His folkish thriller Hangashore (2025), starring James Frecheville and Hera Hilmar, is currently racking up awards on a festival run. Also an accomplished editor, Justin has cut a number of acclaimed features – most recently the cult hit slasher Dolly, the star-studded crime thriller Blood For Dust, sci-fi adventure The Outer Threat, and fantasy drama The King Tide — for which he has won numerous awards, including top honours at the Canadian Cinema Editors Awards.
Christian Sparkes is an award-winning writer and director from Newfoundland, Canada, and an alumnus of the Canadian Film Centre. His films have screened at the world's top festivals including TIFF, Fantastic Fest, and Busan. His debut feature Cast No Shadow (2014) was nominated for four Canadian Screen Awards including Best Picture and won Best Direction at the Atlantic Film Festival. His sophomore feature Hammer (2019), starring Will Patton and Mark O'Brien, received widespread acclaim from RogerEbert.com and The Hollywood Reporter. He released two features in 2023: Sweetland, adapted from Michael Crummey's novel, won Best Atlantic Director and the Michael Weir Award for Best Atlantic Screenwriting at the Atlantic International Film Festival; and The King Tide, starring Frances Fisher, premiered in TIFF's Platform Program. Christian has also directed numerous episodes of television. He lives in St. John's.
