BFTV student film Shadow Boxing featured in CBC national series

A Sheridan student capstone project is once again among the films featured in CBC's Absolutely Canadian, a national series showcasing documentaries and performance programs that tell unique stories from communities across Canada.

Shadow Boxing, directed by third-year Honours Bachelor of Film and Television (BFTV) student Arwen Mercado (pictured), follows the journey of Muay Thai martial artist Navreet Chadee as she confronts her inner shadows of self doubt and builds the confidence needed to enter the ring.

The six-minute film was broadcast on CBC Toronto's Toronto Reel Shorts program on Saturday, July 5 and is available for streaming on CBC Gem.

"Shadow Boxing is Nav's story, but the reason I was able to tell it well is because I was a first-hand audience to it," says Mercado, who was coached by Chadee when she turned to the sport in 2023. "Muay Thai is not about being tough, it's about feeling safe with your vulnerability. My personal experience with Nav provided me with perspective on perseverance and women's empowerment, teaching me that strength extends far beyond physical. I'm hopeful that this documentary will have the same effect on women of all ages as it did on me."

A team of 13 Sheridan BFTV students worked on the film over the span of a full semester, following a process similar to industry practices that includes pitching, securing funding, writing, filming and post-production editing and sound mixing. During capstone projects, students take on key creative and technical roles to bring a shared vision to life, sometimes collaborating with other programs such as Music Scoring for Screen and Stage and Makeup for Media and Creative Arts.

Shadow Boxing is the seventh BFTV student film to be featured by Absolutely Canadian, which has also aired six films by Honours Bachelor of Animation students and two by Advanced Television and Film students.

Watch Shadow Boxing on CBC Gem

Learn more about how Sheridan's Honours Bachelor of Film and Television degree helps students launch their journeys into the world of motion pictures, broadcast and multimedia.