Canada’s Walk of Fame’s Future Storytellers program spotlights iconic changemakers & fresh voices
– 2025 Shorts Drop today on Newly Designed canadaswalkoffame.com –
View Highlight Reel and Download Images
(L-R: 2025 Inductee Dr. Samantha Nutt & Laila Vaga, Arushi Sabharwal & 2023 Inductee Tantoo Cardinal, Eddy Yang & 2023 Inductee Alan Frew, 2023 Inductee Rick Mercer & Melissa Castillo)
Toronto, ON — November 7, 2025 – Canada’s next generation of filmmakers is stepping into the spotlight, and they’re bringing the stories of iconic Canadian trailblazers to life.
The Canada’s Walk of Fame’s 2025 Future Storytellers program, presented by founding partner NBCUniversal, alongside Seeing Red Media and Cineplex, features four short films, each focusing on a Canadian icon and Inductee: Tantoo Cardinal, Dr. Samantha Nutt, Alan Frew, and Rick Mercer. Created by emerging filmmakers from Humber Polytechnic and Sheridan College, these three-minute films blend creativity, heart and originality, showing that the future of Canadian film is as bold and brilliant as the legends it honours.
The shorts drop online today on the newly designed canadaswalkoffame.com, with a special Future Storytellers Screening Event planned for March 2026. Highlight reels will also appear on Cineplex screens nationwide in early 2026 as part of pre-show entertainment.
2025 Canada’s Walk of Fame Future Storytellers Filmmakers and Inductees
Arushi Sabharwal (Humber Polytechnic)
Subject: Tantoo Cardinal, 2023 Inductee, Actor and Advocate
Coming to Canada as an international student in 2023, Sabharwal is an aspiring filmmaker and storyteller currently working as a freelance creative professional and developing an independent animated short film. Born in a North Indian household, her journey with storytelling began as an act of creative self-expression and survival.
“The Future Storytellers program is an incredible opportunity for student filmmakers aspiring to step into the industry and gain hands-on professional experience,” says Sabharwal. “This opportunity not only helped me gain exposure to what the film industry looks like in Canada but also gave me the confidence to share and work on my story and ideas. Working with Tantoo Cardinal – an amazing actor and activist – was one of the most impactful experiences of my life. She expressed all her answers, thoughts, and experiences with so much passion, emotion, and truth. To see her in person being as authentic as that was necessary and inspiring for me, especially as a woman with stories to tell herself. As she said, ‘honour yourself. Because how you think and feel and what you want to do is valuable.’”
Laila Vaga (Sheridan College)
Subject: Dr. Samantha Nutt, 2025 Inductee, Humanitarian and War Child Canada/War Child USA Founder
Laila Vaga is a 22-year-old Director, Producer, and 1st Assistant Director based in the Greater Toronto Area, and a graduate of Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Film and Television program. As a filmmaker and storyteller, her mission is to create work that gives a voice to those who do not have one.
“Being part of the Future Storytellers Program was an incredible and rewarding experience,” says Vaga. “I’m appreciative of the opportunity to tell Samantha Nutt’s story through this vignette while strengthening my creative skills as a Director. Interviewing Samantha Nutt was an incredibly insightful, emotional, and deeply moving experience for me. She is someone who has made a profound difference in the world and brings hope for the future. Her lessons on idealism and resilience strongly align with the values I hope to reflect in my own creative work as I continue my journey as a Director.”
Eddy Yang (Humber Polytechnic)
Subject: Alan Frew, 2023 Inductee, Glass Tiger Frontman
Eddy Yang is a 26-year-old filmmaker based in Toronto, originally from Shenyang, China. After immigrating to Vancouver at age 12, he went on to study Film Theory at McGill University, where his passion for filmmaking began.
“The Future Storytellers program gave me the opportunity to direct my first film after graduation,” says Yang. “I was generously provided with the resources I needed to let my creative juices flow. Being able to collaborate with peers and compensate them for their work — after we had all grown in our respective fields — was a truly cherished experience. For the first time, I felt capable of commanding a set toward a unified vision without nervousness. That confidence came from the trust we built as professionals. Working with Mr. Frew was incredibly inspiring. I resonated deeply with the hopeful, forward-looking tone of his songs, and while reading his memoir The Action Sandwich, I came to understand that this hope comes from his resilience in facing hardship. It’s a powerful story — one I identify with both as an immigrant and as a creative — and one that I believe will give others strength. He trusted me to carry out my directorial vision, unimpeded by my age or experience. I am grateful for his trust and for being an inspirational artist.”
Melissa Castillo (Humber Polytechnic / Toronto Metropolitan University)
Subject: Rick Mercer, 2023 Inductee, Comedian, Television Personality, and Author
Melissa Castillo is a Master of Digital Media candidate at Toronto Metropolitan University and a graduate of Humber College’s Film and Multiplatform Storytelling program. Originally from the Philippines, she has worked as a video editor on projects focused on climate change, women’s empowerment, and equity in sports.
“Future Storytellers was one of those experiences that really made everything click for me,” says Castillo. “It pushed me to step out of just ‘editing the footage’ and actually own the creative direction of a piece. Working with Rick Mercer was honestly one of the highlights of this whole experience. He wasn’t just there to be interviewed; he helped us make the piece. He showed us how they used to do it back when he was filming, and it really helped us get the vibe we were going for. He’s quick, sharp, and grounded — it felt like we were all building something together.”
Shot at Toronto’s Astrolab Studios in July 2025, each film tells the story of its Inductee through the unique lens of a filmmaker from an underrepresented community – delivering a fresh take on Canadian excellence.
“Every year, Future Storytellers shows us just how transformative art can be,” says Griffin Sokal, Director of Marketing at Canada’s Walk of Fame. “This program gives young filmmakers a chance to tell deeply human stories — and this year’s subjects, Tantoo Cardinal, Dr. Samantha Nutt, Alan Frew, and Rick Mercer, each represent different ways of moving the world forward. Watching these filmmakers interpret those legacies through their own creative voices has been incredible.”
“Film is all about bringing stories to life and experiencing them together,” says Sara Moore, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Cineplex. “It is an honour to showcase these new voices in film and their compelling storytelling with audiences across the country.”
