A former Morden student is making waves in the indie film scene.

Abdalla Mardli, a 2017 graduate of Morden Collegiate Institute, is currently attending the Vancouver Film School and is looking forward to the premiere of his first short film at the Buffer International Film Festival in Toronto next month.

While swimming was his first love, Mardli says his other passion was film and theatre. "My whole family has just always loved theatre, and I loved drama in high school."

His first screening with festival-goers and other filmmakers will be a pivotal moment, "maybe we will come home with an award, or maybe empty-handed, but it's still a great experience."

Together with colleague Julie Vu, Mardli co-wrote, directed and starred in the short 'Lost and Found', a coming-of-age story inspired by Vu's experience coming out as transgender.

Submitted photos.

While exciting, Mardli says it can be intimidating trying to break into the film scene in Vancouver, "when everybody here and their mother is an actor of filmmaker."

However, he says the best advice is to 'write the role you want to play'.

"Sometimes you have to make your own work to get started, you can't just wait around for an opportunity, you have to make your own."

'Lost and Found' will premiere at the Buffer Festival October 4-6, after which Mardli says the film will be available on YouTube.

The Buffer Festival is the world's largest international digital-first film festival.