Erick Boychuk is one of Vancouver's hottest up-and-coming indie directors, and he's not afraid to prove it. His tenure in the world of film has been short but prolific, and when he arrived in Vancouver a scant three years ago, he was headed in a completely different direction. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Boychuk completed an honours degree in Cognitive Science at Carleton University. From there, he intended to go into the world of finance, selling stocks and bonds, but his real dream of making films won out in the rainy city, and he has never looked back.

Boychuk has built his reputation by taking advantage of the kind of forums available to newer filmmakers to get their stuff seen. He's done especially well with festivals and contests with projects like Vagina Vacation (2nd prize Vancouver Asian Film Festival), Crossing the Line (Best Picture - Laughing Stock Film Festival), and placing in the top 5 for the Doritos Commercial Contest . Crossing the Line has subsequently screened as part of the Made in Vancouver Film Festival in February 2010.

Boychuk remembers his first experience seeing his work on a big screen, a contest screening in 2008, and his embarrassment at his perceived quality of the film galvanizing him to do better next time. A year later at the same contest, he found himself a single point out of first place.

What are the challenges of being a young person with ambitions in this industry? What kind of compromises do you have to make, and where do you draw the line?

What line? I've really sacrificed everything I have to get here, sold all my stuff except a TV and a bike. The biggest sacrifice I think though is time, 'cause it sucks up virtually all my time and that is time apart from family and friends. I keep telling myself it'll pay off in the end and I sure as hell hope it does. Being ambitious is great and people will praise you for it but it's also a curse. You keep striving 'cause you want more but because of that hunger you can never be satisfied.

Was there a catalyst moment where you went from finance to film? Or was it a matter of waking up one day and knowing?

Well I had come out to Vancouver to basically start my adult life, career, etc. So at the time I was doing a lot of soul searching. To be honest I was writing my Level 1 exam for my CFA (Chartered Financial Analysis). Very ball busting. Needless to say, failing that had to be the catalyst moment (laughs).

How has the finance background served your film work?

Well in some respects, film is finance (laughs). If you don't have the money, you don't make the movie. So I am glad I have a knowledge of the fundamentals of it.

Have you shot all of your films in Vancouver?

Yeah, all my films thus far, except for a short I did in LA. We shoot mostly in people's houses 'cause it's the easiest and you can do the most work without getting kicked out. One time we were doing this horror film shoot out at SFU on Burnaby Mountain. It was a really cool little area, this glass-encased fire escape that comes right up out of the ground. We were on our last shot of a 12hr day and of course security comes up. They were good enough to let us finish though. It's amazing what you can get away with when you're nice and generally respectful.

What's up next for you?

I have two feature-length teen comedies coming up, "Life of the Party" and "Camping Trip". The scripts are just getting finished by some very skilled people and then it's on to the next step, meeting with producers. And if I don't get any bites then I'll be doing them myself with my film peoples.

One of your best known films is Vagina Vacation. It's an edgy choice, starting from the title. What are some of the reactions you've had?

Pretty much everything from shock to admiration. I was surprised it did so well.

The premiere screening with the general public is always the most exciting and motivating thing for me. Especially in comedy where I'm really not sure if they will get half the jokes, or just walk out of the theatre (laughs). It's especially true when you try some risky stuff and when it lands and the audience loves it, it's such a high.