Digifest is proud to announce the prize winners for the First Canadian edition of It’s A Start entrepreneur challenge.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Lily Tse, Good Clean Collective Inc.
Think Dirty Do Clean App
The Think Dirty Do Clean campaign is a movement to educate and empower the consumer to make informed decisions about the cosmetic products we purchase and encourage the manufacturers to discontinue the use of harmful ingredients.
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Reusable bags:
The first phase of our movement is handing out these reusable bags packed full of samples and coupons from “clean” manufacturers. Bags will be handed to people on the street to raise awareness of toxic skincare and the mobile app launch.
Mobile App:
The Think Dirty Do Clean app allows the user to search by product to see a list of ingredients or search by ingredient to how harmful it is.
Grand Prize Includes:
- The grand prize includes mentorship support, one AMD Firepro W8000 graphics card, $5,000 financing to put towards the project and an office space for one year in the George Brown College Digital Media & Gaming Incubator.
SECOND PRIZE WINNER
Matthew Scott
The Hammer and Locksmith
The Hammer and Locksmith is a new storytelling experience in the form of a stereoscopic 3D, interactive, web series.
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This epic Cold War narrative is set in Eastern Europe and Russia, circa 1961-1962. Participants travel back in time to follow an engaging ensemble of characters as they experience the testing of the largest hydrogen bomb in history, the rise of the Berlin Wall, political conspiracy, military experiments, espionage, and submarine chases.
As the story unfolds, you take control and assume the role of characters, such as a British spy stuck behind the Berlin Wall. There, you will explore a large, fully realized, section of “”open-world”" 1962 East Berlin, filled with characters to meet, mysteries to uncover, and hair-raising triggered events. Environments like this will serve as “sets” for a rich and ever expanding story. Expect to experience many iconic Cold War events in a new way, in this immersive, interactive, adventure.
The Hammer and the Locksmith’s interactive components have been built from the ground up in stereoscopic 3D. Every detail, from the art to the gameplay, has been meticulously design to promote depth and immersion – no cheap gimmicks or afterthoughts. While there are many approaches that could have been taken, the affordability of anaglyphic 3D (red/cyan glasses) was chosen to provide participants with the most accessible opportunity for an exceptional, immersive experience.
- Prize includes mentorship support, one AMD Firepro W7000 graphics card, $2,000 financing to put towards the project and six months office space in the George Brown College Digital Media & Gaming Incubator.
THIRD PRIZE
Daniel Perlmutter, Duck Duck Games
MOVIE MAYHEM
A casual social game for iOS that allows you to create your own movie and share it with the world.
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- The third prize includes mentorship support, one AMD Firepro W5000 graphics card, $1,000 financing to put towards the project and six months at a hot desk in the George Brown College Digital Media & Gaming Incubator.

- George Brown College Digital Media & Gaming Incubator
The incubator space offers eight individual private office spaces to small and emerging companies and twenty hot desks available for freelancers and sole proprietors. Tenants enjoy the benefits of a co-working community environment, updated technology, shared meeting and kitchen space, business and professional services such as human resources support, management coaching and administrative assistance. This will allow companies to focus on creation and professionalize their operations.
MOBILE PRIZE
Mark Thoburn
Qualia
Qualia is “Planet Earth, the video game”– a multi platform (mobile and Kinect) game where players live the lives of animals in the wild.
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- Digifest 2012 is pleased to announce that Academic partner OCAD University, working with MEIC (Mobile Experience Innovation Centre) developed a mobile prize for the IT’S A START program. This prize consists of:
- Assigned, dedicated, 6-month rent free hot desk in the DFI studio, beginning January 1, 2013
- Access to co-working space in the MEIC collaborative studio (rm 7311)
- Wireless internet service to High Speed Orion infrastructure and OCAD University email
- Access to free workshops on campus and courses offered by the Imagination Catalyst
- 1 iPAD3

- Mobile Experience Innovation Centre
For more information about It’s a Start, other finalists, our jury and partners, visit the It’s a Start page.
Richard Dao
The Ultimate Dinosaurs Exhibition from the Royal Ontario Museum visits Digifest.