Javier Badillo
Javier Badillo (1978) is a Venezuelan-Canadian writer-director and producer whose films mix magical realism with themes of displacement and belonging, inside compelling underdog stories. After an early career as a touring punk rock vocalist and a stint as a TV animation artist, Javier switched to live-action independent filmmaking in 2008.
Under his production company Spitshine Flicks, Javier's films have screened and won awards at numerous Canadian and International film festivals, including the Leo Awards, Chicago Children’s, Cinéfest Sudbury, Toronto Black Film Festival, and the Harrogate Film Festival, among many others.
In 2022, Javier directed his first feature length film, ROADS OF ITHRIYAH, which he co-wrote and produced with friend and actor Shayan Bayat. The self-funded, crowdfunded, grassroots-produced war drama tells the story of a Syrian combatant who suffers a concussion in the desert battlefield and forgets his past, and what side of the war he was fighting for - allowing him to reconstruct his memories, atone for past misgivings, and seek a way out of the war. The film premiered to a sold out audience and standing ovation at the MENA Film Festival on November 24th, 2021, in Vancouver, and was released internationally on VOD.
Badillo’s 2022 follow-up feature screenplay, co-written with partner Nat Marshik, is the Latinx sci-fi punk-rock comedy LUPE Q AND THE GALACTIC EARWORMS. The script received development funding from Telefilm and CreativeBC, and was selected as a participant in the Blood in the Snow Development Lab in Toronto, in November 2021.
BABA, a cross-cultural, interfaith short drama Javier co-wrote in 2021, won Best Short Film, Best Writing, and Best Actor at both the 2022 Reelworld Film Festival, and the 2022 Vancouver Short Film Festival. The short film was a Top-6 selection of the prestigious Crazy8s Competition in Vancouver, and was a collaboration between Javier and his friends and collaborators Jay Kamal (dir) and Panta Mosleh (prod).
Javier is producing his first documentary feature film, titled ENMANUEL. The subtle, intimate film follows a Venezuelan child called Enmanuel and his family as they learn to adapt to their new life as refugees in Colombia. The film is directed by photojournalist Ty Snaden and executive produced by Charles Officer (Unarmed Verses, Akilla's Escape).
Javier is actively involved in his community. He was the Director of Programming for the Vancouver Short Film Festival from 2012 to 2020 and has served on the board of the Venezuelan Canadian Society of BC (VCSBC) since 2020. Javier won the 2019 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award for his contributions to Canada’s pluralistic society, and in 2018 he was nominated for the "Most Inspirational Latin" Award (Arts and Culture) by the Latincouver Society.
QUOTABLES
Having worked repeatedly with Javier, I have been on set and personally observed his growth as a director since first meeting him in 2013. Even then, I felt he had great potential as he was highly collaborative when there was time to be so, and very decisive when there wasn’t. I’ve worked with a great many highly regarded directors, including the great Robert Wise, and the best of them all had this great sense of balance between collaboration and decisiveness. I watched him manage a great many difficult situations with a clear head and strong sense of leadership.
Jon Povill
Writer, Total Recall, Star Trek, Sliders
Javier is detail orientated, hard working and delivers above and beyond expectations. I recommend him wholeheartedly and he is a pleasure to work with.
Katrin Bowen
Film Director, Bowen Arrow Productions
Javier is a pleasure to work with - a true team player - highly adaptable to any work situation, and very knowledgeable in many aspects of film and event production, as well as post-production.
Grace Chin
Actress, Producer
Roads of Ithriyah (2019)
80 min, HD, Adventure / Drama
A Middle Eastern militant wakes up concussed after a rocket attack and can't remember which faction he was fighting for.
Written by Javier Badillo and Shayan Bayat.
Coco Blue (2018)
10 min, HD, Drama
A young sex worker struggles with her dreams of becoming a singer.
Written by Kendra Westwood.
Leo Awards nomination for Best Performance (Kendra Westwood), Canada, 2019
Hollywood North Film Awards, Canada, 2019 (Nominations for Best Director, Best Lead Performance, Best Supporting Performance, Best Production Design, Best Costume and Wardrobe, Best Makeup and Hairstying, Best Original Music, Best Canadian Short Film)
Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival, Canada, 2019 (*Winner, Best Performance (Kendra Westwood) and Best Music)
Jecheon International Film and Music Festival, Korea, 2019
9th Charlotte Black Film Festival, USA, 2019
7th Toronto Black Film Festival, Canada, 2019
Black Film Festival of New Orleans, USA, 2018
69th Cannes Int'l Film Festival SFC, France, 2018
Two of Cups (2017)
3 min, HD, Horror / Fantasy
A tarot card reader receives her latest customer, Death. Upon picking the Two of Cups card from the deck, the fortune teller has a realization: solitude is haunting Death's dreams.
Written by Erica Huntley.
RAW Artists Showcase, Vancouver 2017
Afternoon At Gudrun (2013)
7 min, 35mm, Romantic Comedy
Olivia is a shy waitress whose biggest challenge is finding the courage to teach a customer a few dance moves. Starring Linda Kee, Steven Roberts, Dwayne Bryshun and Taegan Vincze.
Ozark Shorts Screening Series, USA, 2016
What a Short International Online Film Festival, India, 2016
66th Cannes Int'l Film Festival SFC, 2013
Canadian Film Fest, Tokyo, 2013
Celluloid SC Valentine Fest, Vancouver, 2013
Faith and Conviction (2011)
4 min, HD, Dark Comedy
A British home-grown terrorist wins the opportunity of a lifetime. Starring Shayan Bayat.
Ozark Shorts Screening Series, USA, 2016
RAW Artists Showcase, Vancouver, 2015
The Eclectic Circus, Vancouver, 2011
PBS/Channel 13, New York, 2011 *Winner, Best Short Film
Henchin' (2010)
10 min, HD, Comedy
All Bruno wants is some respect from his teenage son, even if that means foiling the plans of his supervillain boss. Starring Ridgeway Wilson, Travis Turner, Shayan Bayat, Jessica Hill, and Joshua Larsson.
MidForms Int'l New Media and Film Festival, Vancouver, 2009
CartoonBrew.com, 2010 *Special Mention
Scars (2009)
5min, HD, Crime Thriller
When a hitman's next target is their own partner, will their friendship save them? Starring Travis Turner and Nicole Moraskawa.
Vancouver Pre-Olympic Film Festival, 2010
Vancouver Celluloid Social Club, Canada, 2009
Key Art
Coco Blue (2018)
10 min, HD, Drama
A young sex worker struggles with her dreams of becoming a singer.
Written by Kendra Westwood.
Roads of Ithriyah (2019)
80 min, HD, Adventure / Drama
A Middle Eastern militant wakes up concussed after a rocket attack and can't remember which faction he was fighting for.
Written by Javier Badillo and Shayan Bayat.
Fatal Rhapsody (2016)
14 min, HD, Dark Comedy
A pizza delivery guy on his way to his marriage proposal gets hijacked by a thug on the run from his own broken relationship.
Starring Thomas Nicholson, Lochlyn Munro and Steven Roberts, with Starlise Waschuk, Gareth Rees and Agnes Tong.
Written by Gemma Holdway. Produced by Jay Kamal, Javier Badillo, Gemma Holdway, Thomas Nicholson
Okotoks Film Festival, Canada, 2018
National Screen Institute (NSI) Online Short Film Festival, Canada, 2018
Short Circuit Pacific Rim Film Festival, Canada, 2018
Harrogate International Film Festival, UK, 2018 (*Winner, Audience Choice Award)
Edmonton International Film Festival 2017
Punk Noir (2021)
90 min, HD, Crime Thriller
After her ex-boyfriend gets stabbed and killed at a punk rock venue, Erika, a young punker and journalist wannabe, follows the trail to discover a dark real estate plot leading to the higher echelons of the city.
Legally Speaking (2016)
8 min, HD, Comedy
Asking your parents for startup money should never be this hard. Especially in a state where growing pot will soon be legal.
Starring Michael Germant, Roman Podhora and Meldrum Tuck.
Rink Rats (2013)
22 min, TV Pilot, Comedy
A workplace comedy on ice.
Starring Allan Yates, Jack de Saram, Isaac Wolf, David C Jones, Kirsten MacKay, Bridgette Wolf, and Cody Young.
Written and Produced by Allan Yates and Jack de Saram.
The Grow Show (2014)
2x5min, webseries, Comedy
Making a living, one clipping at a time.
Starring Eric Banerd, Steven Roberts, Howie Lai, and Jeff Todd
Meridiem (2017)
Action Thriller, HD
A web of crime, deceit, money and magick.
Starring David Lloyd and Emily Haine
Two of Cups (2017)
3 min, HD, Horror / Fantasy
A tarot card reader receives her latest customer, Death. Upon picking the Two of Cups card from the deck, the fortune teller has a realization: solitude is haunting Death's dreams.
Written by Erica Huntley.