October’s Awesome Ottawa award goes to Stephen R. Coleman, to support the completion of a documentary about homelessness during the cold Ottawa winter.

Stephen and his team have been working on the film, unfunded, for over two years. “Our main goal is to produce a beautiful film which will be intriguing for people to watch,” explains Stephen. “From the microcosm of each individual to the macrocosm of the city, we want to explore what life is like in the winter for people struggling. At the same time, we want to highlight the triumph of the human spirit and the beauty contained within those struggles.”

Over the last two years, Stephen’s team has spent hundreds of hours volunteering at shelters around the city and has worked closely with The Shepherds of Good Hope and its clients. The team released a trailer in September, and to complete filming this winter Stephen will be homeless for one month, living with the main subjects of his film 24 hours a day.

Stephen is an aspiring filmmaker who moved to Ottawa ten years ago from Almonte, where he was born and raised. You can follow him on Twitter at @LexMagOttawa.