"Paper Angels" is the extraordinary life of Mikey Mendoza, a trailblazer who defied odds to venture into realms deemed exclusive. This inspiring coming-of-age tale takes us from Mikey's early years - marked by supernatural encounters, generational trauma, and superstitions - into his unprecedented success and fall in the world of professional skateboarding.

8 mins | Digital

(Currently in Film Festival Circuit)

(2025)

A young musician whose obsessive past led to a destructive spiral, was deported before he could turn things around. Returning home to friends still lost in addiction, he’s now chasing a second chance.

Told through the ominous lens of hindsight, this poetic docu-fiction vignette blurs memory and music video, tracing Robby’s raw journey toward creative rebirth.

2 mins | 35mm

Currently in festival circuit.
(2025)

A hybrid doc about a queer individual’s search for belonging whilst living on the intersections of gang violence and the opiod crisis.

Client | University of British Columbia
Director | Sebastian Hill-Esbrand
EP | Michael Millardo
Producer | Maisie Thomas
Producer | Rob Crenson
DP | Alfonso Chin
Prod Co | Kiddo Films

YDA - Gold
Shots - Silver

Out There is a series of five short documentary portraits exploring the experiences of inspiring youths growing up in small towns in the age of connectivity.

Maryam Tsegaye, a young woman from Fort McMurray, Alberta, enters a global competition for highschool students meant to inspire creative communication in science, and unexpectedly wins—defying the odds. Tsegaye reflects on her family, community and sense of self, before leaving home to start a new life far from home.

Available on Telus Optik TV

Director: Sebastian Hill-Esbrand
DP: Kaayla Whaachel
Edit: Benny Scheutze
Prod: SALAZAR

Official Selection - Hot Docs (22)