Every Day Gets Closer to Winter
Vancouver, Canada | Film Feature
Drama
Every day in Canada, Indigenous youth go missing. Most are forgotten within a week. This film refuses to let that happen. Based on the true story of Samuel Bird and his mother Alanna, who never stopped fighting.
Every Day Gets Closer to Winter
Vancouver, Canada | Film Feature
Drama
1 Campaigns | British Columbia, Canada
50 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
C$1,608
Goal: C$80,000 for development
Every day in Canada, Indigenous youth go missing. Most are forgotten within a week. This film refuses to let that happen. Based on the true story of Samuel Bird and his mother Alanna, who never stopped fighting.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After following a teenager in the days leading up to a tragedy that makes national headlines, the story shifts to his mother, who must navigate grief, public judgment, and systemic failure as she fights to reclaim her son’s story and show the world who he truly was
Samuel's Legacy through a Feature Film:
Inspired by the true story of Samuel Bird.
What happened:
On June 1st, 2025, 14-year-old Samuel Bird was murdered by his girlfriends father, then 4 months later, his body was found. For months, his family and community searched tirelessly across Edmonton while his mother, Alanna Joseph, refused to stop using her voice to bring him home. The story shook communities across the world. News outlets sparked a movement online - to the point where over 50,000 families began sharing stories of missing and murdered Indigenous youth.
"We hear about the missing and murdered Indigenous women, but we don't hear about the kids - the ones in foster care, and the ones who continue to struggle today."
-Alanna Joseph, mother of Samuel Bird
A community of over 50,000 people formed online searching for Samuel. (Facebook Group)
What is the film about:
What started as a tragedy became something much larger: a conversation about youth, grief, identity, violence, love, and the ripple effect one decision can have on an entire community.
Every Day Gets Closer to Winter is a narrative feature film inspired by these events. This is NOT about blame, politics, sensationalizing tragedy or a documentary. It is a deeply human story told through the eyes of a young boy and his mother. It explores the emotional reality behind the news coverage and asks difficult questions about belonging, choices, and healing.
Meet the Filmmaker:
Corben Bowen is an Indigenous filmmaker and member of the Haisla Nation (Eagle Clan), and a musician and actor known professionally as Boslen. After a career-ending injury in Youth Olympic Rugby, he turned to music, earning a Juno nomination for GONZO and surpassing 150 million streams. Transitioning into film, Corben signed with The Characters Talent Agency and produced/starred in Backstage, which screened at multiple festivals. He recently wrapped acting in the feature Lay Me By The Shore (dir. David Findlay) and completed his directorial debut short, Grief Goodbye. Every Day Gets Closer to Winter marks his debut feature as writer/director, developed in close collaboration with the family at the centre of the story.
What is the Tone:
My vision for this film is to create a story that feels deeply human, beautiful, intimate, and emotionally raw. Visually, I am drawn to the naturalistic style of Bones and All, particularly its use of 35mm film, soft natural light, and textured colour grading. That film captures landscapes and people in a way that feels both cinematic and lived in, and I want this story to carry that same grounded realism. The camera should feel present with the characters, observing rather than judging, allowing the audience to feel like they are walking beside them.
Structurally, the film will shift perspective in a way similar to Waves. The first half of the story follows Samuel, his world, his youth, and the choices that shape his life, allowing the audience to see him as a full human being rather than a headline. In the second half, the perspective shifts to his mother, Alanna, whose relentless search for answers becomes the emotional centre of the film. Like Waves, the film will carry two protagonists, allowing the audience to first understand the son and then witness the strength of the mother who refuses to give up on him.
The tone of Samuel’s early life draws inspiration from the Canadian film The Maiden, which captures the quiet realism of growing up, the subtle pressures, friendships, and moments that shape young people long before anyone realizes their importance. I want the audience to feel what it is like to be inside that world of youth, the vulnerability, the uncertainty, and the sense that life is unfolding faster than you understand.
Emotionally, the film will lean into the intimacy found in Aftersun and the grounded realism of Fruitvale Station. Both films show how ordinary moments, small conversations, quiet glances, everyday spaces, can hold enormous emotional weight. I want this story to feel equally intimate, allowing the audience to sit with the characters rather than rushing through the narrative.
Cinematically, I am deeply influenced by the work of cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose approach to light and composition creates images that feel both simple and powerful. His work reminds me that the most striking visuals often come from patience, restraint, and authenticity.
Ultimately, I want the film to feel both beautiful and honest, gritty in its realism but deeply compassionate toward the people at its centre. The goal is not only to tell Samuel’s story, but to create a cinematic experience that allows audiences to truly see the humanity of everyone involved and to feel the quiet but immense strength of a mother who refused to stop searching for her son.
Comparisons:
Fruitvale Station
Budget: $900K
Box Office: $17M worldwide
*Premiered at Sundance (Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award) & Festival de Cannes
Why it worked: Human-centred storytelling, emotional connection to real events.
Aftersun
Budget: $1M
Box Office: $9.7M worldwide
*Premiered at Cannes (Caméra d'Or nomination-Best First Film) Also screened TIFF, Distributed by A24
Why it worked: The story is intimate, personal, and rooted in a real relationship between a parent and child dealing with grief and mental health.
What is the goal:
We are raising $100,000 CAD toward our overall budget of $1 million CAD.
We want to:
- Raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous youth because thousands still go through this today.
- Encourage youth to think deeper about the decisions and environments around them
- Create space for families to feel seen
- Preserve Samuel’s legacy in a way that impacts audiences around the world
- Raise funds to bring this film to life, which will:
- Ensure Samuel's story is not forgotten
- Raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous youth
- Raise awareness for kids at risk
If we don't raise a minimum of 80% of our Seed and Spark funding goal, we won't receive ANY of our funding.
PLEDGE to our campaign! Every contribution, no matter the size, gets us closer to bringing this story to life.
While running this campaign, we are also raising external investment through investors.
Currently, we are securing cast & crew, with principal photography planned for Summer 2027 in Vancouver, BC.
If this story moves you, we ask you to share the campaign, support if you can, and help us ensure these stories are never forgotten.
Previous Work BTS:
PUP Films on set of our 15min short film, Grief Goodbye, (2025).
PUP Films on set of a music video for AEMIA - "From" (2025).
PUP Films on set of a music video for AEMIA - "Kleptomaniac" (2025).
Community:
Over the past several months, director and writer Corben Bowen has traveled back and forth to Edmonton, working closely with Samuel’s mother Alanna Joseph, his family, friends, and community members to approach this story with care and responsibility. The project is being developed alongside Indigenous voices and community guidance every step of the way.
Thank you to the community that has supported Samuel Bird
Press & Coverage:
CBC News - Samuel Bird remains located: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/samuel-bird-remains-located-9.6941197
APTN News - Family and friends lay Samuel Bird to rest: https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/family-and-friends-lay-samuel-bird-to-rest-bail-hearing-rescheduled-for-accused-a-second-time/
Content note: This page discusses the loss of a young Indigenous person, missing and murdered Indigenous youth, and grief. If you or someone you know needs support, the Hope for Wellness Helpline offers culturally grounded counselling for Indigenous Peoples 24/7 in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut: 1-855-242-3310.
Follow and share: #EveryDayGetsCloserToWinter • #SamuelsWarriors • #SamFilm
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Three Ton Grip Truck
Costs C$10,000
Carries all camera, lighting, and grip equipment between locations. Standard on any professional film set.
Production Van or Passenger Vehicle
Costs C$6,000
Transports cast, key crew, and sensitive equipment. Keeps the production moving efficiently between locations across Edmonton.
Fuel Budget
Costs C$3,000
Traveling between the grip truck, production van, and location scouts, fuel costs add up quickly over a 20-day shoot.
Craft Services or Catering
Costs C$12,000
Three meals daily for a crew of 60 people for 20 days.
Locations & Permits
Costs C$10,000
Fees paid to property owners or a home to potentially shoot in outside the lower mainland in British Columbia, Canada.
Wardrobe
Costs C$5,000
Options for different clothing pieces for the characters in the film
Film Festival Submission Fees
Costs C$2,000
Covers submission fees to TIFF VIFF Sundance and 10-15 smaller festivals. These fees add up quickly and Sundance alone is 75 USD.
Production Costs
Costs C$5,000
Production readiness, pre-production needs, production space
Production Insurance
Costs C$7,000
Covers essential production insurance required for locations, equipment rentals, cast, crew, and vendors.
Sound Equipment Package
Costs C$6,000
Covers professional sound gear so dialogue and atmosphere are captured clearly on set.
Data Management & Hard Drives
Costs C$2,000
Covers hard drives, backups, media storage, and secure handling of footage throughout production.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Behind Every Day Gets Closer to Winter is an Indigenous-led team of filmmakers, producers, actors, and community members committed to telling Samuel Bird’s story with honesty, care, and emotional truth.
Alanna Joseph - Mother of Samuel Bird, Co-Producer, has been involved in the development of the project from the very beginning. Her voice, guidance, and trust are the emotional foundation of the film. What began as conversations about preserving Samuel’s legacy evolved into a shared mission to create a story that could reach young people and support families who have experienced similar loss. Alanna has created an online Facebook group with over 40,000 members called Samuel's Warriors, initially to help find her son, which has now helped other families spread awareness about their missing family members. She's truly a mother who never gave up.
Corben Bowen- Director, Writer, is an Indigenous filmmaker and musician from Vancouver, BC, professionally known as Boslen. After years in the music industry, including a Juno nomination and international touring, Corben shifted into filmmaking to tell stories rooted in identity, grief, youth, and underrepresented communities. Over the past several months, he has traveled repeatedly to Edmonton, building a close relationship with Samuel’s mother Alanna Joseph, his family, and members of the community directly impacted by Samuel’s story.
Paula Devonshire - Executive Producer, Joining the project as Executive Producer is Paula Devonshire, an award-winning Indigenous producer and one of the most respected voices in Canadian cinema. Paula has worked across internationally recognized projects connected to major festivals including TIFF and Venice, and was the recipient of Variety’s prestigious 10 Producers to Watch recognition. Beyond her accomplishments, Paula has become a mentor to the team, helping guide the film’s creative direction, festival strategy, packaging, and long-term vision as the project moves toward production. She is the recipient of the CMPA 2025 Indiescreen Award (in partnership with Telefilm Canada).
Her credits include Survival of the Dead (2009), Wet Bum (2014), and Remember (2015), directed by Atom Egoyan. Her recent work includes Steal Away (2025), Nika & Madison (2025), and Blood Lines (2025).
Previous work: IMDb
Jasmine Vega - Executive Producer, Actress, is attached to play one of the film’s lead acting roles. Vancouver - Los Angeles -based actress and producer whose work spans independent cinema and major network productions. With 19 IMDb acting credits and more than nine years of professional experience, she is a UBCP Award and Leo Award nominee for Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film and a recipient of a provincial acting scholarship in British Columbia in 2024. Her recent and notable credits include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Billy the Kid, as well as two feature films in leading roles.
Previous work: IMDb
The film is further supported by Indigenous producers Rosie Johnnie Mills and Dustin Riel McGladrey, alongside a growing network of Indigenous creatives, mentors, community leaders, and collaborators across Canada.
Dakota Bear (@dakotabearofficial), flew to Edmonton from Vancouver to help drive the search for Samuel and played a crucial role in bringing him home. Not only is his story told in the film, but he is a creative partner on this project.
Together, our goal is not only to make a film, but to create something that sparks conversation, preserves Samuel’s legacy, and leaves a lasting impact for Indigenous youth, families, and communities.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After following a teenager in the days leading up to a tragedy that makes national headlines, the story shifts to his mother, who must navigate grief, public judgment, and systemic failure as she fights to reclaim her son’s story and show the world who he truly was
Samuel's Legacy through a Feature Film:
Inspired by the true story of Samuel Bird.
What happened:
On June 1st, 2025, 14-year-old Samuel Bird was murdered by his girlfriends father, then 4 months later, his body was found. For months, his family and community searched tirelessly across Edmonton while his mother, Alanna Joseph, refused to stop using her voice to bring him home. The story shook communities across the world. News outlets sparked a movement online - to the point where over 50,000 families began sharing stories of missing and murdered Indigenous youth.
"We hear about the missing and murdered Indigenous women, but we don't hear about the kids - the ones in foster care, and the ones who continue to struggle today."
-Alanna Joseph, mother of Samuel Bird
A community of over 50,000 people formed online searching for Samuel. (Facebook Group)
What is the film about:
What started as a tragedy became something much larger: a conversation about youth, grief, identity, violence, love, and the ripple effect one decision can have on an entire community.
Every Day Gets Closer to Winter is a narrative feature film inspired by these events. This is NOT about blame, politics, sensationalizing tragedy or a documentary. It is a deeply human story told through the eyes of a young boy and his mother. It explores the emotional reality behind the news coverage and asks difficult questions about belonging, choices, and healing.
Meet the Filmmaker:
Corben Bowen is an Indigenous filmmaker and member of the Haisla Nation (Eagle Clan), and a musician and actor known professionally as Boslen. After a career-ending injury in Youth Olympic Rugby, he turned to music, earning a Juno nomination for GONZO and surpassing 150 million streams. Transitioning into film, Corben signed with The Characters Talent Agency and produced/starred in Backstage, which screened at multiple festivals. He recently wrapped acting in the feature Lay Me By The Shore (dir. David Findlay) and completed his directorial debut short, Grief Goodbye. Every Day Gets Closer to Winter marks his debut feature as writer/director, developed in close collaboration with the family at the centre of the story.
What is the Tone:
My vision for this film is to create a story that feels deeply human, beautiful, intimate, and emotionally raw. Visually, I am drawn to the naturalistic style of Bones and All, particularly its use of 35mm film, soft natural light, and textured colour grading. That film captures landscapes and people in a way that feels both cinematic and lived in, and I want this story to carry that same grounded realism. The camera should feel present with the characters, observing rather than judging, allowing the audience to feel like they are walking beside them.
Structurally, the film will shift perspective in a way similar to Waves. The first half of the story follows Samuel, his world, his youth, and the choices that shape his life, allowing the audience to see him as a full human being rather than a headline. In the second half, the perspective shifts to his mother, Alanna, whose relentless search for answers becomes the emotional centre of the film. Like Waves, the film will carry two protagonists, allowing the audience to first understand the son and then witness the strength of the mother who refuses to give up on him.
The tone of Samuel’s early life draws inspiration from the Canadian film The Maiden, which captures the quiet realism of growing up, the subtle pressures, friendships, and moments that shape young people long before anyone realizes their importance. I want the audience to feel what it is like to be inside that world of youth, the vulnerability, the uncertainty, and the sense that life is unfolding faster than you understand.
Emotionally, the film will lean into the intimacy found in Aftersun and the grounded realism of Fruitvale Station. Both films show how ordinary moments, small conversations, quiet glances, everyday spaces, can hold enormous emotional weight. I want this story to feel equally intimate, allowing the audience to sit with the characters rather than rushing through the narrative.
Cinematically, I am deeply influenced by the work of cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose approach to light and composition creates images that feel both simple and powerful. His work reminds me that the most striking visuals often come from patience, restraint, and authenticity.
Ultimately, I want the film to feel both beautiful and honest, gritty in its realism but deeply compassionate toward the people at its centre. The goal is not only to tell Samuel’s story, but to create a cinematic experience that allows audiences to truly see the humanity of everyone involved and to feel the quiet but immense strength of a mother who refused to stop searching for her son.
Comparisons:
Fruitvale Station
Budget: $900K
Box Office: $17M worldwide
*Premiered at Sundance (Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award) & Festival de Cannes
Why it worked: Human-centred storytelling, emotional connection to real events.
Aftersun
Budget: $1M
Box Office: $9.7M worldwide
*Premiered at Cannes (Caméra d'Or nomination-Best First Film) Also screened TIFF, Distributed by A24
Why it worked: The story is intimate, personal, and rooted in a real relationship between a parent and child dealing with grief and mental health.
What is the goal:
We are raising $100,000 CAD toward our overall budget of $1 million CAD.
We want to:
- Raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous youth because thousands still go through this today.
- Encourage youth to think deeper about the decisions and environments around them
- Create space for families to feel seen
- Preserve Samuel’s legacy in a way that impacts audiences around the world
- Raise funds to bring this film to life, which will:
- Ensure Samuel's story is not forgotten
- Raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous youth
- Raise awareness for kids at risk
If we don't raise a minimum of 80% of our Seed and Spark funding goal, we won't receive ANY of our funding.
PLEDGE to our campaign! Every contribution, no matter the size, gets us closer to bringing this story to life.
While running this campaign, we are also raising external investment through investors.
Currently, we are securing cast & crew, with principal photography planned for Summer 2027 in Vancouver, BC.
If this story moves you, we ask you to share the campaign, support if you can, and help us ensure these stories are never forgotten.
Previous Work BTS:
PUP Films on set of our 15min short film, Grief Goodbye, (2025).
PUP Films on set of a music video for AEMIA - "From" (2025).
PUP Films on set of a music video for AEMIA - "Kleptomaniac" (2025).
Community:
Over the past several months, director and writer Corben Bowen has traveled back and forth to Edmonton, working closely with Samuel’s mother Alanna Joseph, his family, friends, and community members to approach this story with care and responsibility. The project is being developed alongside Indigenous voices and community guidance every step of the way.
Thank you to the community that has supported Samuel Bird
Press & Coverage:
CBC News - Samuel Bird remains located: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/samuel-bird-remains-located-9.6941197
APTN News - Family and friends lay Samuel Bird to rest: https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/family-and-friends-lay-samuel-bird-to-rest-bail-hearing-rescheduled-for-accused-a-second-time/
Content note: This page discusses the loss of a young Indigenous person, missing and murdered Indigenous youth, and grief. If you or someone you know needs support, the Hope for Wellness Helpline offers culturally grounded counselling for Indigenous Peoples 24/7 in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut: 1-855-242-3310.
Follow and share: #EveryDayGetsCloserToWinter • #SamuelsWarriors • #SamFilm
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Three Ton Grip Truck
Costs C$10,000
Carries all camera, lighting, and grip equipment between locations. Standard on any professional film set.
Production Van or Passenger Vehicle
Costs C$6,000
Transports cast, key crew, and sensitive equipment. Keeps the production moving efficiently between locations across Edmonton.
Fuel Budget
Costs C$3,000
Traveling between the grip truck, production van, and location scouts, fuel costs add up quickly over a 20-day shoot.
Craft Services or Catering
Costs C$12,000
Three meals daily for a crew of 60 people for 20 days.
Locations & Permits
Costs C$10,000
Fees paid to property owners or a home to potentially shoot in outside the lower mainland in British Columbia, Canada.
Wardrobe
Costs C$5,000
Options for different clothing pieces for the characters in the film
Film Festival Submission Fees
Costs C$2,000
Covers submission fees to TIFF VIFF Sundance and 10-15 smaller festivals. These fees add up quickly and Sundance alone is 75 USD.
Production Costs
Costs C$5,000
Production readiness, pre-production needs, production space
Production Insurance
Costs C$7,000
Covers essential production insurance required for locations, equipment rentals, cast, crew, and vendors.
Sound Equipment Package
Costs C$6,000
Covers professional sound gear so dialogue and atmosphere are captured clearly on set.
Data Management & Hard Drives
Costs C$2,000
Covers hard drives, backups, media storage, and secure handling of footage throughout production.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Behind Every Day Gets Closer to Winter is an Indigenous-led team of filmmakers, producers, actors, and community members committed to telling Samuel Bird’s story with honesty, care, and emotional truth.
Alanna Joseph - Mother of Samuel Bird, Co-Producer, has been involved in the development of the project from the very beginning. Her voice, guidance, and trust are the emotional foundation of the film. What began as conversations about preserving Samuel’s legacy evolved into a shared mission to create a story that could reach young people and support families who have experienced similar loss. Alanna has created an online Facebook group with over 40,000 members called Samuel's Warriors, initially to help find her son, which has now helped other families spread awareness about their missing family members. She's truly a mother who never gave up.
Corben Bowen- Director, Writer, is an Indigenous filmmaker and musician from Vancouver, BC, professionally known as Boslen. After years in the music industry, including a Juno nomination and international touring, Corben shifted into filmmaking to tell stories rooted in identity, grief, youth, and underrepresented communities. Over the past several months, he has traveled repeatedly to Edmonton, building a close relationship with Samuel’s mother Alanna Joseph, his family, and members of the community directly impacted by Samuel’s story.
Paula Devonshire - Executive Producer, Joining the project as Executive Producer is Paula Devonshire, an award-winning Indigenous producer and one of the most respected voices in Canadian cinema. Paula has worked across internationally recognized projects connected to major festivals including TIFF and Venice, and was the recipient of Variety’s prestigious 10 Producers to Watch recognition. Beyond her accomplishments, Paula has become a mentor to the team, helping guide the film’s creative direction, festival strategy, packaging, and long-term vision as the project moves toward production. She is the recipient of the CMPA 2025 Indiescreen Award (in partnership with Telefilm Canada).
Her credits include Survival of the Dead (2009), Wet Bum (2014), and Remember (2015), directed by Atom Egoyan. Her recent work includes Steal Away (2025), Nika & Madison (2025), and Blood Lines (2025).
Previous work: IMDb
Jasmine Vega - Executive Producer, Actress, is attached to play one of the film’s lead acting roles. Vancouver - Los Angeles -based actress and producer whose work spans independent cinema and major network productions. With 19 IMDb acting credits and more than nine years of professional experience, she is a UBCP Award and Leo Award nominee for Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film and a recipient of a provincial acting scholarship in British Columbia in 2024. Her recent and notable credits include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Billy the Kid, as well as two feature films in leading roles.
Previous work: IMDb
The film is further supported by Indigenous producers Rosie Johnnie Mills and Dustin Riel McGladrey, alongside a growing network of Indigenous creatives, mentors, community leaders, and collaborators across Canada.
Dakota Bear (@dakotabearofficial), flew to Edmonton from Vancouver to help drive the search for Samuel and played a crucial role in bringing him home. Not only is his story told in the film, but he is a creative partner on this project.
Together, our goal is not only to make a film, but to create something that sparks conversation, preserves Samuel’s legacy, and leaves a lasting impact for Indigenous youth, families, and communities.