At Island Pacific School, we believe middle school students are capable of serious work. Our Grade 9 Masterworks program gives students the chance to pursue an ambitious, self-directed project and present it publicly. It is one of the signature experiences of an IPS education.
For Calem Dansie, Class of 2025, that work became something extraordinary.
As his Masterworks project, Calem wrote a short film script called Robert. The film tells the story of a Vietnam veteran living with PTSD. Written as a PSA film, it takes up a serious subject with purpose, compassion, and heart.
What began as a school project soon grew far beyond the classroom. Calem’s script inspired a director and a 30-person cast and crew to volunteer their time, talent, and equipment to bring the film to life. Along the way, Calem was included in every stage of the process, from pre-production to post-production, gaining firsthand experience in how a film moves from idea to final cut.
That work has now taken him all the way to Hollywood.
Robert was screened at the famous TCL Chinese Theatre as part of the Beverly Hills Film Festival, a remarkable moment for any young writer and filmmaker. The film has also already won awards at short film competitions across North America.
We could not be happier for Calem, now in Grade 10. His success reflects talent, discipline, and a willingness to take on meaningful work with seriousness and care. It also shows what can happen when a young person is given the chance to make something real.
We wish Calem every good fortune as he follows the path this Masterworks project has helped set in motion.
Watch the trailer: Robert
Because Middle School Matters
Island Pacific School is a co-educational IB World School on Bowen Island, B.C. For more than 30 years, it has focused exclusively on the developmental needs of students in Grades 6 through 9.
