Dear friends,

I’m ecstatic to report that Jugaad had a phenomenal world premiere at the Lunenburg Doc Fest! It was complete with an almost-full theatre, enthusiastic audience, lively Q&A and appreciative filmmakers who cheered me on all weekend. It was just what I – and the film –  needed. Executive Director Pamela Segger found Jugaad on Indiegogo, having looked beyond her offering of more than 900 submissions. Her marvellous community of film lovers, artists and foodies really put together an extraordinary event in the sparkling town of Lunenburg. 

As the season's changing I'm looking forward to the next chapter. Next up are more festival submissions, my return to India next month and new projects on the horizon. I'm also taking time to breathe, smell the autumn leaves and be grateful for everything that I have. 

One of the filmmakers at the Lunenburg Doc Fest was Thomas Simmons, director of Coyote, a film about the “James Dean” of the yachting world. His film was almost entirely crowdfunded, and he said that every time he received support for his film, it felt like a missile to the heart. I couldn’t have related more. When you make something with your heart, you feel any help you get right there in the ticker. 

To anyone who offered their energy, skills, resources, morale, love and support, you sent a missile to my heart.

I met several inspiring filmmakers in Lunenburg, one of whom is Aube Giroux. She directed a film about her love of food, her green-thumbed mother, and her investigation into the lack of GMO labelling in Canada and the US. It took Aube more than ten years and two fundraisers to make Modified. I recommend anyone who loves food and cares about what they eat to watch it. Modified won the award for best Atlantic film, as well as the audience award – rightly so! I’m grateful for this film. 

Jugaad is scheduled to air on the CBC’s documentary Channel on November 16th. Stay tuned for more details!

With gratitude and pumpkin spiced love,

Susannah

Susannah Heath-Eves, Producer and Director of Jugaad

Jugaad is a feature length documentary that explores and celebrates the enduring human spirit in Mumbai, India’s Promised Land. The word 'jugaad' means creative problem solving.