It’s been a whirlwind two months for Red River College grad Lisanne Pajot (Creative Communications, 2003), whose debut documentary Indie Game: the Movie won the World Cinema Documentary Best Editing Prize at last month’s Sundance Film Festival in Utah.

Directed and produced by Pajot and James Swirsky (shown above), the film chronicles the world of independent video game developers, and has drawn rave reviews from critics across North America since it bowed at the Park City fest in January.

Even in its infancy, the film received strong support from the online community. After launching the project in May 2010, Pajot and Swirsky appealed to fans online via a pre-order campaign that helped raise production capital. They met their initial goal in just 48 hours, and in June 2011 again reached out to fans to help offset post-production costs. Their second goal was met in just 24 hours.

“We cannot tell you how much this means to us and how completely and utterly our minds are blown,” the duo wrote on their website following the Sundance win.

“The festival’s belief in this little film has very much changed our lives. It’s been amazing, hugely educational and most importantly, endlessly inspiring.

Pajot and Swirsky recently announced plans to tour the film through the U.S., via a series of in-person screenings in 15 American cities. (Earlier this month, they debuted the film for Winnipeg audiences at two back-to-back sold-out screenings.)

In addition, Indie Game has been chosen as an official selection at the South by Southwest Film Festival (in Austin, Texas) this March, and will be released on DVD and digital download later this year. It has also been optioned by U.S. producer Scott Rudin (The Social Network, No Country for Old Men), who hopes to adapt it as a half-hour comedy for HBO.

For the last four years, Pajot has been a partner at Blinkworks (a digital production company founded by Swirsky), where she produces and directs documentaries, lifestyle TV, corporate videos and commercials. Prior that that, she worked as a producer/editor for the CBC, where her work yielded multiple Gracie Allen awards, and a Gemini nomination.

Click here for more information on Indie Game, and here for more information on RRC’s Creative Communications program.