Future Ridley Filmmakers meet Ridley’s Current Film Professionals!

This year, Ridley’s esteemed Crawford Gordon ’56 Speaker Series has welcomed an Olympian, a MIT-educated professor, and a successful working actor. Furthermore, the last presentation of this year’s speaker series was nothing short of spectacular! Not only did Ridley welcome distinguished alumni as guests, but this event also collaborated with a favourite Ridley tradition, the Ridley Independent Film Festival, serving as a grand celebration of Ridley’s Arts in April.

The evening’s guests of honour were Wendy O’Brien ’88 & Georgie Murphy ’19, Old Ridleians who are currently active members of the film industry.  Wendy O’Brien, a former student-athlete in rowing, is now one of the biggest names in film & television casting today! After she was introduced to the casting industry during a university internship, her impressive work has been seen throughout an array of notable TV shows and movies. She has worked on shows such as Abbott Elementary, Lincoln Lawyer, Sons of Anarchy, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (on which she’s worked for 17 seasons!) Her distinguished work has been recognized by the industry, as she is a four-time Artios Award winner, which is the highest honour presented by the Casting Society of America. In addition, she has received a Peabody Award for her casting on the series, Men of a Certain Age, and for her work on Abbott Elementary, she has won an Emmy award, the most prestigious prize in all of television!

Georgie Murphy, a former house captain in Leonard House, is an up-and-coming actress seeing great success in the film industry! Having an acting background in theatre, Georgie Murphy began acting as a child in professional theatres in her hometown in Prince Edward Island. She later became a very active member within Ridley’s esteemed drama program.  She has received training from Carnegie Mellon University and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and she is now using this training to pursue a career in film and television. After only being a working actor for a few years, she has already booked many notable roles. She’s a current series regular for the CBC show, Small Achievable Goals, and was a guest star on CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries. Additionally, we are planning on seeing her in some upcoming shows, which include a sci-fi thriller called ‘Safehaven’ and ‘Gen V’.  It was truly an honour to welcome back distinguished alumni to our stage!

The Ridley Independent Film Festival (RIFF) is a well-known Ridley tradition to showcase the filmmaking talent of Ridley’s student body, ranging all the way from Middle School to our DP2s. Before the panel took place in the evening, select student filmmakers, teachers, and our guests of honour were invited to a reception showcasing the talents of Ridley students! Occurring in the Iggulden Building, this special screening displayed diverse talents from Media Arts classes & IB Film classes, which shared differing genres and film techniques. The night was followed by a panel with O’Brien and Murphy, in which they talked about their careers, their inspirations, and their Ridley experiences. Some of the questions revolved around Ridley’s word of the year, ‘Hope,’ and both participants gave incredible insights on how hope has shaped their careers. Right before answering questions and offering advice and encouragement to Ridley’s student body, five films from our IB film classes were selected to be shown during the panel. Three films from the DP2 film class showcased three different interpretations of the horror genre, with these films using acting, camera angles, and hues to create frightening atmospheres. Also, two DP1 films were presented, which showed how engaging camera techniques and scene transitions can convey deep emotions and feelings.

The event marked one of the many celebrations in Ridley’s very own Arts in April. We hope that this celebration of this incredible discipline of art will encourage the next generation of film professionals to come from Ridley! Bravo to all of Ridley’s amazing filmmakers!