One-half of the locally shot The Wedding Belles duo, award-winning Vancouver-based actor, director and television producer Aubrey Arnason is branching out with her short film, Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder, set to screen as part of the 2016 Vancouver Short Film Festival.
Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder tells the story of jingle-writer Audrey Ragnarson, played by Aranson, who is banned from her dream job when it is discovered she hasn’t completed her education. Her only option is to head back to school and complete the year she missed, in kindergarten.
“My goal with Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder was to tell a story that reminds us of life’s most important lessons – share, be nice, and don’t cut in line,” says Arnason.
In addition to acting in her own short, alongside co-stars Daniel Arnold and Noel Johanson, Arnason plays triple duty as writer and shares the director duties with Kalyn Miles.
Originally selected for the 2015 edition of Vancouver’s Crazy 8s, in which filmmakers are challenged with completing a film in just eight days, Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder has since gone on to be selected as part of The Shortest Day film festival, screening in over 90 Canadian theatres last December. Upcoming festival stops include the 2016 Vancouver Island Short Film Festival and the 2016 Providence Children’s Film Festival.
The journey of Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder mirrors Aubrey Arnason’s own recent career upswing. Familiar to television audiences for her work on Shaw TV’s The Proposal and The Wedding Belles – which earned her a 2014 Leo Award and twelve other Leo nominations – Arnason put a renewed focus on filmmaking and acting a year ago, with appearances on shows like Bates Motel and Ties That Bind.
In addition to Kindergarten Da Bin Ich Wieder, a second short she wrote, produced and started in called Payment, has already played at the Edmonton International Film Festival and the prestigious Whistler Film Festival last year. Arnason’s varied career has even included being the “voice” of Marc Jacobs’ Decadence in the fragrance’s debut commercial with supermodel Adriana Lima.
The coming year appears to be just as busy for Aranson as her newest directing and producing effort for television, Hip Hop with Travis Lim, premieres nationally in March on Shaw TV. For Arnason, her continued success across film and television is tied to one theme: storytelling.
“When I share my imagination and observations through storytelling, I feel alive,” she says.
Kindergarten: Da Bin Ich Wieder screens on January 30 as part of the Child’s Play series at the 2016 Vancouver Short Film Festival. Visit https://vsff.com for more tickets and information.