Christopher Jordon Lee wants to live at YVR.
He’s scoped the place for food, knows where the good stores are. He’s taken tips from experts, in this case Tom Hanks’ character Viktor Navorski in The Terminal – a movie where Navorski finds himself stranded in JFK International Airport for months.
Lee feels ready to move away from home.
The public can now vote online for Lee, a Maple Ridge resident who made it to the Top 5 in Vancouver International Airport’s search for an all-in-one reporter, director, editor, producer, and post-production supervisor to live at the airport for 80 days.
“I couldn’t believe I made it in the Top 5,” said the fast talking actor, who found out he was a finalist while in a crowded van shooting for a short film. “I think YVR is the most exciting place in the world.”
YVR wants its correspondent to uncover stories and share experiences from the country’s second busiest airport in celebration of its 80th anniversary.
Besides the opportunity to live at an airport, the winner also receives a $15,000 honorarium and complimentary meals three times a day. YVR equips the correspondent with a camera, editing equipment, and a cellphone.
“I think it’ll be really exciting, but I’m also kind of nervous,” said Lee, 22.
In all, 96 people applied for the contest, submitting a three-minute video about a person, place, or event in the community. The video had to be produced, shot, and edited solely by the applicant.
Lee’s comedic submission documents his journey to the Tool Library in Vancouver, where he interviews the owner and customers, talking into a hammer instead of a microphone.
He fills his dialogue with funny quips about the journalism business.
“We were incredibly impressed by the quality and quantity of video entries for Live@YVR,” said Rebecca Catley, director of communications for the Vancouver Airport Authority. “Now it’s the public’s turn to have its say on who will tell the behind-the scenes stories of its airport.”
The winner begins the assignment on Aug. 17, living in the YVR community by day and sleeping at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport Hotel by night until Nov. 4.
If chosen, Lee plans to venture into the airport’s exclusive First Class Lounge.
“Maybe while I’m in there, I’ll sneak a massage and a gourmet meal.”
The blonde, shaggy-haired Vancouver Academy of Dramatic Arts graduate has been practicing his craft for the past three years. He’s acted in commercials, made-for-TV movies, and short films.
Lee will use the $15,000 to return to acting school and fund a web-series he’s working on titled Unreeled, to be filmed at the Hollywood 3 Cinema in Pitt Meadows.
Among the other finalists, three are from Vancouver: Carrie Dymond, 36; Jaeger Mah, 29, and Sarah Szloboda, 24. The fifth finalist is Marelle Reid, 29, of Coquitlam. Reid previously worked as a reporter for the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News and other Black Press publications.
• To vote for Christopher Lee, visit liveatyvr.ca.