Two UWinnipeg Theatre and Film instructors, Milos Mitrovic and Fabian Velasco, are screening their latest film at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
Serve the Country is a deadpan comedy about a self-proclaimed tennis prodigy who attempts to get back into the game he once loved, only to be met with contempt and indifference from those he comes in contact with. His journey reflects a desire for connection and recognition, but his authenticity is challenged and he is forced to confront the repercussions of his deceit.
“The film is an allegory on Truth,” Mitrovic said, “and how we live in a Post Truth world these days, where everything is true and everything is false depending on who you talk to.”
Mitrovic and Velasco have taken previous films to South By Southwest, Vancouver International Film Festival, and Slamdance. This is Mitrovic’s third time playing at TIFF.
“I think TIFF is a great achievement for any independent filmmaker out there,” he said. “To get that kind of exposure, and get to watch films from around the world that will be nominated for Oscars, is definitely inspiring and makes you want to make something new right away!”
Mitrvic said he hopes that inspiration trickles down to UWinnipeg Theatre and Film students.
“When success comes to someone familiar, like a teacher or a mentor, the student is even more inspired to break that ceiling and get out there be the next big filmmaker,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing in all arts is to not quit,” he added. “Fabian and I have made tons of films and have been rejected tons of times. But the inspiration that we get from certain movies, filmmakers, and even people that we have met at UW inspire us to keep going and keeping making films.”
Mitrovic believes filmmaking is an important art form to reflect and critique society and, ultimately, make positive changes.
“You create an entire world that directly mirrors how you view the world,” he said. “In doing that, you have the power to change the world. To make it laugh, make it cry, make it feel something it’s possibly never felt before. I think that’s what draws me to this medium.”
Serve the Country is playing at TIFF as part of the Short Cuts 2024 Programme 03, and will play twice on September 7 and again on September 12.
You can also catch Mitrovic’s television show, which screens Fridays on Super Channel and is available on Amazon Prime via streaming. One Way Mirror is a true crime show that uses real police interrogation footage released by courts after a guilty verdict has been reached. The show analyses interrogation tactics and looks into the psychology of criminals as they are questioned.
