Sheridan professor's first made-for-TV film airs Saturday on Lifetime Canada

One big reason former Advanced Television and Film (ATVF) student David Mewa returned to Sheridan as a professor was the chance to share his experiences with the next generation of filmmakers.

"There's an energy of being close to that next generation," he says, "and the instructors here can give students the real story because they've seen things with their own eyes."

That includes Mewa (pictured, right), who now has a new experience to share with his students: what it's like to direct your first made-for-TV movie. The Millwood Murders: Buried Truth — which follows a prosecutor who, after sending her husband to death row, realizes the real killer is still active and a threat to her family — aired earlier this year in the U.S. on Lifetime Movie Network and will make its Canadian premiere Saturday, May 2 on Lifetime Canada (8 p.m. ET.)

"Working in unscripted television has enabled me to earn directing credits for more than a decade, but I've always had a passion for theatrical cinema," says Mewa, a veteran showrunner who has worked with numerous international broadcasters and streamers including HGTV, CBC, HBO, MTV, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. "This was by far one of the most demanding creative jobs I've ever had, trying to command an audience for 80 to 90 minutes."

The Millwood Murders: Buried Truth was filmed over a 15-day span last summer in Hamilton, Ont. "The biggest thing about directing made-for-TV movies is the pace. It took an immense amount of preparation. You have to have a clear vision of what you're doing," says Mewa.

"But another lesson I can deliver to my students is demystifying the process of directing a feature film. All of the collaborators you work with are people too. At times, this might feel unattainable, but if you build experience and confidence in what you do, you realize we are all building this thing together and it's not as hard as you think."

Visit the program pages of Sheridan's Honours Bachelor of Film and Television degree and Advanced Television and Film graduate certificate to learn how they train students with skills and tools for success in today's world of motion pictures, broadcast and multimedia.