Turning 21 signals a maturation of sorts--and it applies to SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase on varied fronts, including in one key respect.

This year marks the 21st Showcase and how far we’ve come is reflected in the mini-profiles of two current Showcase directors who are not yet affiliated with a production company: Cameron Carr and Sophie Tabet.

When acknowledging their mentors, Carr thanked director Andre Muir while Tabet cited Nina Meredith. Both Meredith and Muir are SHOOT New Directors Showcase alums from 2018 and ‘19, respectively . 

Tabet said of Meredith, “She has taught me so much--both technically and also theoretically. I always bounce my ideas off her, and she provides me not only with professional knowledge but with unwavering support--which as a woman in film, is crucial. She is the first person to encourage me to push my limits, and she has an impeccable eye. Getting to assist her on massive commercials has been a real learning experience.”

Meredith, who as a Showcase director was not yet affiliated with a production company, is now on the roster of RadicalMedia.

Meanwhile Carr said that mentor Muir was the one who originally informed him of SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase. Furthermore, Muir sparked Carr’s self-confidence. Carr observed, “It is within this confidence that you never stop growing, learning and remaining ready to adapt to for filmmaking fluency.”

Back when he was selected for the 2019 Showcase, Muir was unaffiliated with a production house. Now he’s at SMUGGLER, having this year seen his “Truffles” music video for Mick Jenkins earn inclusion at the SXSW Festival. 

Muir said that connecting with SMUGGLER has been a key to his career. And he earlier credited SHOOT’s New Directors Showcase with bringing that about. “The Showcase changed my life,” said Muir, sharing that prior to getting that exposure he had a hard time even securing local market representation in Chicago. But when Muir’s short film 4 Corners made the Showcase cut and was seen at the DGA Theatre in NYC and online, he began to generate interest from A-level production houses, including SMUGGLER. “It’s not like my work had changed” from prior to the Showcase to after the Showcase, observed Muir. But the exposure the Showcase provided was the difference maker.

Robert Goldrich is a SHOOTonline editor.