From making videos on his first VHS camera at the age of 11 to starting his own filmmaking business in Niagara and now releasing his first feature film, Adrian Thiessen (BA ’09) is the model ‘living out your passion.’

Thiessen graduated from Brock University’s Film Studies program and was one of the key players in rejuvenating BrockTV, which gave him valuable and influential experience to start his own filmmaking business.

“I started Fourgrounds Media in 2008 when I was still a student — balancing client pitch meetings with seminars and lectures in my last year at Brock,” says Thiessen. “I think I knew pretty early on I would be starting my own thing.”

Fourgrounds has produced its first award-winning feature film, The Hotel Dieu, which will be screened Friday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Seneca Queen Theatre in Niagara Falls and Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre’s Film House in St. Catharines.

Located in downtown St. Catharines, Fourgrounds Media Inc. is a video and film production company with a diverse and creative team of filmmakers and editors dedicated to creating engaging content for any platform. Fourgrounds specializes in commercial, corporate and film production and are big supporters of other local organizations in Niagara.

“A lot of the commercial work we do I am proud of for different reasons,” says Thiessen. “The work we do locally at the Shaw Festival or for the Niagara IceDogs is cool because it is seen by a large audience and we are proud to be a part of what organizations like that are doing locally.”

Fourgrounds has also been successful in creating viral sketch comedy videos that have been seen by millions of people around the world.

“To put something out there and see it travel the globe in a few days is unreal,” he says.

Along with corporate commercial and video production, The Hotel Dieu was Fourgrounds’ first award-winning feature. Now they’re developing two other feature films and a web-based drama.

The Hotel Dieu, which was shot primarily in the old hospital in St. Catharines a month after it was decommissioned, is a coming of age drama in which a teenager’s reality is challenged after losing his sight in a near fatal experience and tells a story through emotion and creative imagery. The film was co-written and directed by Thiessen, produced by Niagara local Kristen Nater and involved a cast and crew of around 35 people.

Making The Hotel Dieu was a goal and passion project for Fourgrounds and has since made its way around the festival circuit, earning “Niagara Rises Best Feature” and “RBC Emerging Artist Award” at the Niagara Integrated Film Festival, “Best Director of a Feature Film” and “Best Supporting Actress in a Feature” at the Portsmouth International Film Festival and “Best Producers of a Feature Film” at the St. Tropez International Film Festival, all in 2015.

“So far it has been a great release,” Thiessen comments about the reception during the Toronto screening last week. “We had quite a good reception last year in our festival run with several awards and nominations globally, so it is great to finally get the film out to our family and friends and the general public.”