Brock alumnus Jonathan Laakso (centre) was part of a group of filmmakers whose short film, Disconnect, screened at the Cannes Film Festival this week. Shown with Laakso are (from left) Danny Tresise, Aaron Hayes, Kevin Davidson, Sean Nasmith and Jordan Beacock.

A group of Toronto-based filmmakers – including a Brock graduate – saw their short film screened at the Cannes Film Festival this week.

Niagara Falls native Jonathan Laakso, (BA ‘06) was one of six filmmakers, part of a group called the Grand Sarachis, whose film Disconnect screened in the Best of the 48 Hour Film Project block of the Cannes Short Film Corner on Wednesday.

Disconnect was written, cast, filmed, edited and scored in one weekend last November as part of the 48 Hour Film Project. Participants in the project are given a character, a prop, a line of dialogue and genre and must put together a movie in two days.

Most of the Grand Sarachis had not met each other prior to the 48 Hour Film Project when they joined forces to produce Disconnect, a silent film that Laakso, 29, directed, edited and even acted in.

The film went on to win the audience award, best film and best score at the Toronto 48 Hour Film Project festival. It was then screened at Filmapalooza, the signature film festival of the 48 Hour Film Project in Hollywood.

Based on the reception the film received in Tinsel Town, it was shortlisted to be one of 15 48 Hour Films to screen at Cannes. It competed against more than 3,500 cinematic feats from around the world for a coveted spot at Cannes, which runs until May 26 and brings together the A-List celebrities of world cinema.

Laakso and crew, which includes Laakso’s high school friend Aaron Hayes and fellow Niagara Falls native Kevin Davidson, have chronicled their film-making odyssey and will release a feature-length documentary about it next year.