The Sorcerer’s Sanctum is my first foray into the world of directing live-action short film. This film is part of the 2025 University of Regina Film Students Omnibus Film, University Life on Campus.

The film was made with strict guidelines imposed, including: the film must be shot on campus, a maximum of 5 lines of dialogue, 1-2 characters, a maximum of 2 minutes in length, and the film must thematically fit with “University Life on Campus” in a creative way. Strict limitations forced me to master precision and the fundamentals of filmmaking.

I wrote, directed, produced, edited, and colour graded this film. I pushed the theme to its limits, turning an ordinary tale of academic life into a dark thriller about fear and magic.

I took the common anxiety of the pressure to pass an exam and, through metaphor, explored the extent to which students will go just to pass. The Sorcerer becomes a symbol of the extreme measures students will go to perform well academically. In a final twist, The sorcerer is revealed to be a scammer. The ending of the film, wherein the protagonist passes his exam, highlights the power of believing in oneself and the importance of self-confidence.