August's Awesome Ottawa award goes to Vaibhavi Dhote to support a mini docu-series showcasing the inspiring stories of community-focused initiatives in the city.

“Ottawa Tales,” explains Vaibhavi, “has a simple aim – to show the good in Ottawa.”

“Ottawa is home to many community initiatives with stories that deserve to be told widely and Ottawa Tales offers these initiatives a platform to share their stories, celebrate their achievements, and articulate their visions for the future.”

“In the first season,” she continues, “we are producing 12 short docs with episodes shared freely online, as well as community screenings, so that these stories can reach residents beyond the communities directly involved.”

“I like to think of Ottawa Tales as a community-building project that happens to use film as a medium,” says Vaibhavi. “While the episodes can be used by the organizations for promotion, Ottawa Tales is first and foremost interested in the people and intent behind the initiatives, and encouraging people to connect, volunteer, and participate.”

Vaibhavi will use the Awesome Ottawa award to commission original music for the series by local musician Jack Hui Litster, and to establish branding for the series. “A recurring musical language can become something audiences associate with Ottawa Tales,” she says, “creating continuity between stories that may otherwise have different subjects. Rather than treating each episode as a standalone video, I want Ottawa Tales to feel like a cohesive series with its own audio and visual style.”

Vaibhavi is an Ottawa based indie filmmaker and fiber artist. “Ottawa Tales started out of a desperate need to find a connection and belonging in the city that is my home,” she says. “It has allowed me to not only connect with people whose stories I am fortunate enough to tell but has helped me form a set of awesome emerging filmmakers in the city who want to keep showing up to tell these stories.”