Although Sorin Mihailovici graduated from MacEwan's Design Studies program in April of this year, he is already making a name for himself in the entertainment industry.  Mihailovici's short film, 419-the Nigerian Scam, was selected to be screened at the West Hollywood International Film Festival, which ran in July and August this year. 

Inspired by a real story, the film is about the scam e-mails that people receive every day.  "The Internet is flooded with e-mails promising money-making business proposals, lottery win notifications, and fabulous inheritances," he says.  "This is a story of how one man's involvement with such an Internet scam ruined his life." 

Edmonton audiences will get a look at the film when it is screened at the Edmonton International Film Festival (September 28 at the Metro Cinema). The film is also scheduled to be part of the Canadian Student Film Festival in Montreal and the Rappahannock Film Festival in Fredericksburg Virginia. 

Originally from Romania, Mihailovici was a television reporter in Europe.  Since moving to Edmonton in 2001, the filmmaker decided to make the move from the front of the camera to the back - a decision that has paid off.  In addition to promoting his own film, Mihailovici works for Rogers Media as an independent production development coordinator for OMNI TV Alberta and City TV.  "It is one of the jobs I ever had - just to be able to see what other producers come up with and how they think of doing it," he says.  Mihailovici credits lofty goal-setting for some of his early successes.  "Donald Trump once said if you are going to be doing the thinking anyway, you might as well think big.  This is one reason I sent my film to the West Hollywood Film Festival," he says. 

For now, Mihailovici continues to promote 419-the Nigerian Scam on the web.  An official trailer of the movie can be found at http://www.419thenigerianscam.com/ .