A graduate of Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School and aspiring filmmaker came home from the Windsor International Film Festival with a mitt full of awards on Friday night.

Antoine Taouil, who directed a five minute film called Penitence, said the project earned eight of a possible 13 awards at the Mark Boscariol 48-Hour FlickFest.

According to the rules of the festival’s contest, filmmakers are required to write, shoot, edit and produce a five-minute film during a 48-hour window about five weeks before the festival starts. Films must include certain elements like a common character, a prop and a particular piece of dialogue.

“Our film is about a pizza man making a weird delivery,” he said. “It’s a thriller that takes a strange, dramatic turn.”

There were 15 submissions, which were all screened at the festival on Halloween, and Taouil’s film won the Best of FlickFest award, the viewer’s choice award, best screenplay, best performance by an actor, best editing, best use of character, best use of prop, and best use of dialogue.

Taouil, who graduated from the University of Windsor’s Department of Communication, Media and Film in October, said he had a great crew of collaborators including Evan Johnson, who shot and edited the film; Kendra Schmidt, who co-edited it; Sam Rosso who produced it; and Jagger Riddell and Grace McLinden (a graduate of St. Thomas of Villanova Catholic Secondary School) who shared screenwriting duties.

Currently in the process of writing a new project, Taouil said he hopes to have a 40-minute film ready in January that he can start submitting for the 2026 film festival circuit.