A Vancouver-based film and television producer is hoping his success in the industry can inspire local youth interested in the arts.
Garrett VanDusen, who was born and raised in Chatham-Kent, says his upbringing wasn't always the easiest.
He admitted to having lived through some troubling times, such as being in and out of juvenile jail for a couple of years while he was in high school.
"I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do in life," said VanDusen. "At that time during the 90s, it was a crazy time in Chatham. A lot of my friends were into things that didn't have a positive affect."
VanDusen graduated from Chatham Collegiate Institute and went on to Lambton College, where he studied law, security and administration. His goal at the time was to become a Canadian border security agency officer, but that changed after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
"At that point, I still didn't know what I was going to get into," said VanDusen. "I moved back to Chatham after some time, and I got stuck in a rut. I had no desire or ambition."
After moving back to Chatham, VanDusen joined Canada World Youth, a non-profit organization that creates learning experiences focused on building knowledge and leadership skills.
He said that experience changed his life.
"Without that organization, I would have never seen my potential," said VanDusen. "For six months, I taught a Guatemalan the ropes of Canada and the English language. This is when I started realizing my potential."
After doing some travelling around the world in places like Jamacia and the United Kingdom, VanDusen eventually found himself on Canada's west coast.
(Photo courtesy of Garrett VanDusen)
"I got a phone call from one of my friends that I grew up with," said VanDusen. "They were going on tour with Swollen Members and Sweat Shop Union, so I walked out of my job and I ended up going on tour."
VanDusen ended up working in the music industry for a decade as an international concert buyer, promoter, and tour manager.
In 2015, the B.C. government started providing a tax incentive for U.S. companies to film in the province. According to VanDusen, the industry exploded, and he had an in.
“I worked on shows such as Bates Motel and Riverdale," said VanDusen. "I was a PA (production assistant). I worked at that for about 45 days, and I hated it. The job was cleaning up cigarette butts and watching pylons."
VanDusen pressed on, though, quickly moving up in the industry. He spent half a decade as a location manager on an estimated 40-50 movies and TV series.
"From there, I became a production manager and a member of the Directors’ Guild of Canada," said VanDusen.
Since he got started in the film industry, Vandusen has worked on more than 60 productions and received a special jury recognition award this spring at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.
He will be presenting his latest work, When Morning Comes, at the Toronto International Film Festival this month.
"This is the first time in my life that I am being recognized on such a large scale," said VanDusen. "This (TIFF) is probably the greatest achievement yet."
Looking ahead, VanDusen is planning to work with local youth interested in the arts in the future and wants to bring film to Chatham and Windsor.
"I love my community, said VanDusen. "I want to put Chatham on the map."
Anyone looking for advice about getting into the arts can reach out to VanDusen through his social media accounts, including Facebook.
