Local filmmaker’s latest short plans 2026 festival run
Bugs are rarely a laughing matter, but Windsor filmmaker Michael Poirier is betting that one woman’s fear is an audience’s delight.
The 24-minute short comedy picks up as even-keeled Beverly meets her new roommate Marta, a brash and bold woman whose outsized confidence evaporates in a snap, whenever a bug appears. Things spiral out of control as both social conventions and the lives of the people around her unravel under Marta’s relentless bug-related emergencies.
Marta skateboards down a familiar Windsor street | Still courtesy Michael Poirier
Marta vs the Bugs marks the latest project for Poirier, who has built a catalogue of locally produced independent films over the past several years. His previous work includes The Gentle Art of Making Enemies, a comedy about a woman managing social media for a professional wrestling school; spy-spoof Gary Blaze; and the feature-length Thundersnake, a comedy-drama about a group of friends launching a hair-metal podcast. Thundersnake screened at the Windsor International Film Festival in 2024, and Poirier hopes to see Marta vs the Bugs screen in WIFF’s 2026 programming.
Director & Co-Writer
Michael Poirier
The screenplay was co-written by Poirier and Julia Avramidis. While Poirier handled most of the dialogue and scene writing, the pair worked collaboratively to shape the overall structure of the story.
“We took things that happened from my memory, that happened to Clara, and tied them all together,” Poirier says.
Clara, the real-life model for the Marta character, was Poirier’s former roommate. It was those interactions between Clara, Poirier, and the people in their lives that became the inspiration for the film. Beginning with a long list of stories and incidents, Poirier and Avramidis worked to narrow the material down to five key “episodes” that best captured the character’s personality and funniest moments.
From there they wrote a series of escalating scenes that reveal both Marta’s quirks and test the patience of those around her. Adding another layer to the inside joke, the real Clara even makes a cameo appearance in the finished film.
One of the standout factors of Marta vs the Bugs is Poirier’s strong sense for when to let a scene breathe and when to time a cut for maximum effect, with several of the film’s biggest laughs emerging from reaction shots and editing choices that amplify the performances of the cast.
Beverly on an awkward date | Still courtesy Michael Poirier
The completed film becomes even more impressive when considering the challenges of short film production and budgetary necessity. The majority of Marta vs the Bugs was shot over a handful of days, and Poirier shared after the screening how several scenes came together through a combination of creative scheduling and fortunate breaks. However, the finished film doesn’t suffer from those limitations, highlighting the resourcefulness of the cast and crew.
Marta vs the Bugs Theatrical Poster
Leading the cast is Laura Naranjo Calderón as Marta. Born in Colombia and now living in Windsor, Calderón says the film was both her second project with Poirier and only her second time acting in English.
“I hadn’t acted in years,” she says. She adds that she loved the experience of collaborating with “people who saw my potential and were willing to work with it.”
Co-star Sarah Eby made her film debut in Marta vs the Bugs. She credits Poirier with creating an environment that encouraged experimentation and collaboration on set.
“Mike made it fun,” Eby says. “The more time we spent together, the more jokes would come out.”
One of Eby’s favorite moments involved an awkward date scene in a car that evolved through improvisation during filming. According to Eby, Poirier would provide direction and structure while leaving room for performers to discover unexpected moments within a scene.
That balance between planning and spontaneity extends to Poirier’s broader approach as a filmmaker. When asked about influences, he points to filmmaker Kelly Reichardt’s human-scale storytelling, grounded characters, and patient visual style. That influence can be felt in Poirier’s approach to finding humour in the quirks of everyday people. But at the same time, he says he’s less interested in emulating specific directors than in developing his own voice through experience.
“I’m finding my style as I make these films,” he says. “But there are a couple of things I did in this movie I’ll never do again. Once you notice a trick or trope you do in your own movies, you should try to do something different.”
For now, future projects remain in the notes stage. But if Marta vs the Bugs is any indication, Poirier’s most effective stories may also be the ones hiding closest to home.
Sometimes they’re even hiding just under the rug.
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For updates on Marta vs the Bugs and information on Poirier’s other projects, visit facebook.com/CircleBoxFilms
