Sandy Point
A peninsula in Bay St. George, Sandy Point was once home to many Mi’kmaq and Europeans. By the mid-20th century, families had begun moving off Sandy Point to surrounding communities, including St. George’s, Barachois Brook, Flat Bay, Stephenville Crossing and more. While no one lives there today, there are still many stories told of the place, and it remains a vital part of the history of Newfoundland / Ktaqmkuk (Mi’kmaq for the Rock Over the Water).
Our logo resembles a view of one end of Sandy Point, known as the Spit where a lighthouse still functions to this day. From Black Bank, overlooking the ocean, one can see the lighthouse standing above a thin line of sand.
Origins of the Festival
Artists Travis Lucas and W. Evan Butler are from Stephenville Crossing, on the eastern edge of Bay St. George. They share a desire to create original films, many of which are inspired by local cultures and local stories. This led to the desire to showcase not only their own work, but of that by other artists from Newfoundland & Labrador, particularly those that may not live and work in the larger TV & film industry within the province.
In spring 2022, Travis and three friends developed and hosted Wicked Fright — an evening of horror films they had created, which was screened at the Arts & Culture Centre in Stephenville, NL. That fall, they held a second screening during Halloween at the same location. This became the kernel of an idea for an annual festival. One that would focus on new artists, and help foster the local arts scene in their home region.
Starting in the fall of 2025, Travis & Evan began meeting to plan out their new festival. Wanting to create something new, but set firmly in Bay St. George, they settled on the name Sandy Point Independent Film Festival — SPIFF! With small steps at first, they began sharing their idea with friends, encouraging them to shoot something new to share, and since that time have begun making more connections around the province, eager to find new artists, and new films.
About Us
Wicked West Coast Productions comes from the collaborations between Travis Lucas and various friends and fellow students from his time at College of the North Atlantic. As a graduate of their Digital Filmmaking & Digital Animation courses, Travis uses his wide array of skills to create original films, with a strong focus on comedy. More recently, his released on YouTube have also included BTS (behind-the-scenes) videos, as well as vodcast-style commentary on various film-related topics.
Su’n (pronounced soon) is Mi’kmaw for cranberry. But one berry does not make a batch of jam, and so, when William Evan Butler decided to start a media production company, he chose SOONL, aka, su’nl, the plural — cranberries. His productions benefit from the varied ideas and approaches that come with collaborating with others. Over the last several years, this has predominantly been former students of his while he was teaching in Film & Animation at College of the North Atlantic. He left this position, in part, to launch his business.
SOONL Media Productions Inc looks to be a different kind of company — one that seeks to mentor new artists, and to focus on rural and Indigenous storytelling. SOONL provides commercial production services to local organizations, and is developing original works of fiction and non-fiction.