MISSISSAUGA – Fresh from premiering his short film The Date at the 2014 Whistler Film Festival last weekend, Mississauga director Mazi Khalighi is immediately making it available as a mini web series, starting tomorrow.

Judging by the audience response at Whistler, viewers are in for a treat.

“It was as good as it gets,” said Khalighi. “The theatre was 95 per cent full, which is not common for a short-film screening.”

Khalighi says he decided to release The Date online as soon as possible, especially after the positive Whistler reception. The normal route, he says, is to make the rounds of film festivals before putting it on the Internet.

“But that could be several years and it takes a lot of money to travel around to the fests. I would lose interest by then. Besides, web series are becoming more and more popular.”

Check out the seven episodes, each about two minutes long, at thedatewebseries.com/.

The Date follows Steph (Katie Boland) and Mike (Noah Reid) who meet at a burger joint and immediately hit it off. Their initial encounter ends well, when Mike “gets the number.” As time goes by the relationship blossoms and they make a tradition of always coming back to the same place they met every year for their anniversary.

“Year by year, at the same burger joint, we see them evolve, from doting on each other, to supporting, to tolerating and eventually to bickering and fighting,” said Khalighi.

Will the maturity that time brings to every couple be enough to save their relationship? Or will they both end up heart broken like so many other 20-somethings trying to get a handle on the delicate balance between love and life?

Khalighi says the idea for the project came from his first long-term relationship and breakup, and his fascination with how people go through ups and downs and change as people in relationships.