A documentary about the passion of Canadian farmers premiered this fall with a Niagara College alum behind the lens.
Quinn Corkal, a 2009 graduate from NC’s Broadcasting, Radio, Television and Film Production program gave viewers of Beyond the Fields a window into the lives of Ontario farmers and their connection to the land and their communities.
“He’s a talented young man that also loves giving back,” said Dutch Vandenberg, program coordinator of the BRTF program and one of Corkal’s instructors.
Set on the shores of Lake Simcoe in Georgina, Ontario, the 15-minute short film captures the passionate and hardworking farmers in the town where Corkall has spent the last seven years.
“Every time I would visit one of the farms, I would always come away feeling like I wanted to have a stronger connection to them,” explained Corkal. “I always knew that there were some incredible stories just waiting to be told, and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to tell some of those stories through the lens.”
Yearning for a challenge, Corkal filmed the documentary entirely on his own, and all with natural light.
Since going live, news of the documentary has been shared locally in Barrie Today and The Georgina Post. The project was supported by the Town of Georgina, York Region, and Central Counties Tourism.
While at NC, Corkal specialized in Television Production, and since graduating, has grown his small production company, Quinn Aden Creative, to work with enterprise level clients such as Deloitte, Toronto Stock Exchange and TaylorMade. He made his first documentary film, John is for the Dogs, in 2022, following by The Art of Grief and Beyond the Fields in 2024.
“I truly have extremely fond memories of NC,” said Corkal. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without NC and the amazing teachers there. I’m not sure anyone involved at the time (including myself) realized how valuable that would be to my career.”
Corkal reminisced about working for the College.
“NC was the first client I ever had. How crazy is that?”
“They really laid such a strong foundation for me, not only in the classroom and in the field, but also from a client perspective. I left the College with real projects under my belt, and feeling like I wasn’t just a student anymore, I was a working professional. That was invaluable.”
