Honouring a daughter’s memory

A natural artist and thoughtful observer, Jane Orion Bau found her truest self in filmmaking. At just 17, she wrote, directed and scored her first film, which went on to screen at the Whistler Film Festival and the Vancouver Short Film Festival.

At Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, Jane found a medium that brought her writing, music and photography together — and where, in her mother Sandy’s words, she truly “lit up.”

When Jane died unexpectedly in June 2023 during her fourth year in film production, the loss was immeasurable. In the midst of that grief, Sandy and her family chose to honour Jane’s memory by supporting the next generation of Concordia filmmakers.

Through a $7,500 gift to Concordia, they established the Jane Orion Bau Award for Exceptional Filmmakers to support students who share Jane’s creative talent and collaborative spirit.

“Jane really found her place at Concordia. It’s where she met her people and made some great friends,” says Sandy. “She was joyful and loving — a magnetic person. Friends and classmates were drawn to her individuality, integrity and sensitivity.”

Sandy hopes to recognize students who embody not only artistic promise, but also generosity, humility and a commitment to collaboration.

The donation was made possible through a grassroots crowdfunding campaign initiated by family friends, along with contributions from Concordia faculty and staff through Shuffle, the university’s annual walkathon. The family also created a memorial scholarship at Templeton Secondary School in Vancouver, where Jane first discovered filmmaking.

The Jane Orion Bau Award will help ensure that emerging filmmakers at Concordia can continue to pursue their creative ambitions in Jane’s name.

“Film was where she felt most herself,” says Sandy. “Helping another student follow that path feels like a good way to honour her.”