Alex Mifflin
Alex Mifflin (BA IDS 2008):
Documentary Film Maker (Toronto)
Alex Mifflin’s advice to international development students: “Make sure that the other courses you’re taking are really related to something that you are really passionate about.”
In addition to international development, Mifflin says his passion was science and more specifically, water.
Since 2008, Mifflin has worked for SK Films, which produces natural history, wildlife and science-based IMAX documentary films. The films are shown in science centres and museums around the world. Mifflin holds the position of director of development and focuses on generating new film ideas.
Mifflin is also a host, writer and director of The Water Brothers. The series follows Mifflin and his brother, Tyler, in their journey to uncover water-related environmental and social challenges across the globe – from women’s rights, to food production, to plastic in the ocean.
“A lot of our episodes would be fascinating topics for an IDS class and it would fit in to almost any IDS class that I took,” says Mifflin.
First airing in 2012, The Water Brothers currently has four seasons and 25 episodes. The episodes are broadcasted on TVO, Québec Radio-Canada, British Columbia’s Knowledge Network and distributed in 30 other countries around the world.
Mifflin says the IMAX films and The Water Brothers episodes are used as a resource in classrooms for students.
For Mifflin, it is rewarding to provide an “entertaining, yet informative TV show and movies that are going to get young people excited about science and more empowered with knowledge to tackle some of the biggest water-related environmental issues that we face in the world today.”
While from Toronto, Mifflin’s maternal grandparents are both from Nova Scotia and studied at Dalhousie University.
In addition to his roots, Mifflin says he chose to attend Dalhousie because “it looked like a great school.”
Mifflin says he met many friends at Dalhousie, had great professors and good experiences in his classes.
“I think it’s a great program,” says Mifflin. “I had great time at Dal.”
Mifflin says the biggest takeaways of his degree were learning about the challenges involved with development and the interconnectedness of global issues.
We face a lot of similar challenges around the world. Solving certain issues in one corner of the world can have global implications in terms of development
“We face a lot of similar challenges around the world,” says Mifflin. “Solving certain issues in one corner of the world can have global implications in terms of development.”
In addition, Mifflin says the IDS program provided him with the opportunity to combine his interests in development and science.
“Development is a broad, all-encompassing type of topic,” says Mifflin. “It’s great that you have opportunity to combine it with whatever you want to do.”
In 2008, Mifflin received a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies with a Minor in Environmental Studies.
Development is a broad, all-encompassing type of topic. It’s great that you have opportunity to combine it with whatever you want to do.
Mifflin says his degree “definitely” relates to his work with SK Films and The Water Brothers. In the films and TV series, Mifflin has confronted many global development challenges, including access to water and sanitation, overfishing, deforestation and droughts.
It’s a mix of science and development.I had this amazing opportunity to do education work directly related to everything I learned at university and have a platform to share those ideas.
“It’s a mix of science and development,” says Mifflin. “I had this amazing opportunity to do education work directly related to everything I learned at university and have a platform to share those ideas.”
“I really lucked out.”