Markham Talent Season 3 Launches Exciting New Short Film &
Online Competition
Markham Talent is proud to announce the launch of its newest spotlight category for Season 3 - 2025 Open Casting Call: the Short Film Competition. This innovative competition is open to filmmakers, actors, digital creators, and visionaries from around the globe, bringing together storytelling, performance, and the cutting-edge world of artificial intelligence.
As part of this year's expanded talent platform, the short film competition will celebrate outstanding creative achievements in both traditional filmmaking and AI-assisted
storytelling.
Hosted by Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci, the media conference brought together influential leaders from the fields of arts, education, filmmaking, and artificial intelligence.
This groundbreaking initiative represents a significant evolution in Markham's vision for talent development one that proudly embraces both technological innovation and cultural diversity.
Finalists will be showcased in a public online screening, with winners selected by a distinguished panel of industry judges.
The Short Film category will be led by Head Judge Kaveh Ebrahimpour, a seasoned international filmmaker renowned for his compelling storytelling and cinematic vision.
The judging panel also includes:
• Colleen Rush - Casting Director, Larissa Mair Casting
• Jessica Allen - Casting Director, Mann Casting
• Anthony Collucci - Youth Actor and Returning Markham Talent Judge
• Al Creative Professionals: Daniel Pan, James Bae, and Asad Norouzi
• Majid Ghalamshahi - Founder, Artourism International Film Festival
Awards to Be Presented:
• Best Picture
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Director
• Best Documentary
• Best AI-Assisted Short
• People's Choice
Key Dates:
• Submission Deadline: September 14th, 2025 5 pm EST
• Online Screening & Judging: September 15-19, 2025
• Award Announcements: September 27, 2025
Awards to Be Presented:
• Best Picture
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Director
• Best Documentary
• Best AI-Assisted Short
• People's Choice
All winners will receive official recognition, trophy and the opportunity to be featured across Markham Talent platforms.
In addition, select entries from the Short Film category will have the exclusive opportunity to be showcased at the Artourism
International Film Festival, offering further exposure on a global stage.
