Anna Kuelken, has been selected as the National winner of the 19th annual BMO 1st Art! Competition.

As the National winner Anna has been awarded a cash prize of $15,000 for her film submission, entitled Father Like Son. The 17-minute long film offers a brief look into daily life on the filmmaker’s small family farm. As her young niece and nephew grow and integrate into the farm, they are faced with difficult lessons about empathy and where their food comes from.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Anna this month to talk about her interest in documentary filmmaking, the subjects and themes in her films.

Anna’s artwork is on display in the second virtual BMO 1st Art! exhibition until December 8, 2021 along with all the 13 of this year’s competition winners, selected from across Canada. Log into artmuseum.utoronto.ca to view their work.

You can also find more of Anna’s work on her instagram page.