Writer/Director, Edmonton
Gordie Haakstad directed his first feature-length film, ABEL’S FIELD starring Kevin Sorbo and Samuel Davis, in Texas in 2012. It was released on DVD by Sony Pictures in January 2013. Gordie is currently writing the feature-length screenplay for a frontier crime thriller that he intends to direct.

Born in Grande Prairie and raised in the United States, Gordie graduated with honours from the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television. He helped to create industrial, short and feature-length projects, and interned under cinematographer Don Burgess. Gordie taught cinematography and editing at the New York Film Academy, developing much of the curriculum for those two departments. He moved to Grande Prairie from Los Angeles in January 2013 and taught DD1082 – Introduction to Video Production in the fall term at GPRC (Grande Prairie Regional College) from 2013 to 2015.

Gordie has been involved with the Reel Shorts Film Festival since he judged the Screenwriting Competition and taught the Editing for Filmmakers workshop during the 2013 fest. As well as being on the 2014 festival’s jury, he judged the Youth Screenplay Competition and mentored the three winners of the 2013 and 2014 Reel Shorts screenplay competitions. He wrote and directed Cold Decision which screened in the 2015 fest. Gordie and Chris Beauchamp wrote and directed The Souvenir which screened in the 2016 fest. Gordie has served on the Board of Directors of the Reel Shorts Film Society since March 2016.

In addition to serving on the jury, Gordie will moderate The Future of Storytelling: VR, Transmedia, and the Changing Filmmaking Landscape panel and participate on The Director’s Creative Process panel.