Pictured: (from left to right): filmmakers Ana Astaiza, Rich Acheampong and Ayanie Naseem.

Three young filmmakers debuted their first projects at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on Tuesday night, helped along with the support of industry heavyweights.

It was all part of Temple Street Productions/Team Seven Entertainment/Remix Project’s inaugural City Life Film Project, in which a trio of school-aged filmmakers were selected out of 50 applicants to work with industry mentors like Clement Virgo, Charles Officer, Karren Walton and Calum deHartog, in order to bring their visions to the big screen.

The evening kicked off with Trespassing, Rich Acheampong’s slice-of-life take of a young man dreaming of breaking into the music business, but who must also deal with the drug game. Acheampong himself is a recording artist and music producer, having also produced records for Drake, k-os, and Bustah Rhymes.

The Garden from Ana Astaiza followed, an artistically shot film about a girl who must confront her past to move forward, telling the story through flashbacks with her family.

The evening capped with Ayanie Naseem’s Balancing Act, a touching portrayal of a young boy dealing with an alcoholic mother.

“The reception was a great example of what we hoped City Life would accomplish,” said Michel Pratte, manager of business development at Temple and project executive director. “An amazingly diverse group of people, including participants, donors, film lovers and business people shared their thoughts on this year’s films and some young people were even pitching us projects for next year. That type of energy is an inspiration – its why we do what we do.”

The City Life Film Project will look to repeat its success next year. For more information, head over to the City Life site.