Anderson Losada was 8 years old when he lost his leg to a landmine in Colombia. As a refugee, he was resettled in a small Canadian ski town which opened his eyes to the world of para-alpine skiing. He was on the brink of national competition, when citizenship complications restricted his athletic potential and withheld the sense of belonging he desires. Following Anderson’s Colombian past and his journey to citizenship in rural Canada, this short documentary explores the citizenship barriers he and other refugee minors face. When Anderson’s struggles caught the attention of a Canadian Senator, his story impacted an amendment that recently changed Canada’s Citizenship Act, to aid refugee minors.
Kaio Kathriner is a Swiss-Canadian Director whose documentaries and short films are inspired by his love for the outdoors and his upbringing in rural Canada. His filmmaking adventures have landed him across the globe in Nepal, Cambodia, Peru and across the USA.
His latest film, “Refuge in the Rockies” (2018) just won Best Documentary Film at the 2019 Vancouver Short Film Festival and a recent music video “Balmoral Hotel” by Rare Americans (2018) has surpassed 1M views online. His 1st short film “Hunt for the Mad Trapper” (2013) received Official Selection to the 2014 NSI Online Film Festival and was awarded 5 nominations, including Best Short Drama, at the 2014 Leo Awards. Kaio was also awarded the Rising Star Award at the 2015 Canada International Film Festival, and recently co-directed a GoAuto Commercial (2018) featuring NHL superstar Connor McDavid.