Posted on Monday, March 29, 2010.

News release: March 29, 2010

18 new short films from Canadian directors have been selected for the NSI Online Short Film Festival, hosted by the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI).

The festival is currently soliciting new films. Submit films for free by 4:30 P.M. CST, Friday, May 21, 2010. Films must be no longer than 30 minutes. Drama, comedy, animation, short documentaries and experimental films are all eligible and must be Canadian. New films are solicited four times a year. Get details and a submission form here.

The NSI Online Short Film Festival is a quality, year-round, 100% Canadian online film festival. New films are added to the NSI website weekly and the site also houses a growing archive of short film. All NSI website content can be accessed for free.

• The King of Siam directed by Byron McKim (Burlington, ON)
  During a day at the horse races, a son learns to become a man to his father.

• Let Go directed by Elif Isikozlu (Whitby, ON)
  Living in a world of silks and stairs, a lone dancer grapples with gravity, risking, releasing, struggling and succumbing to this inevitable force of nature.

• Those Ten Minutes directed by Sonal Bawa Bakshi (Surrey, BC)
  Shveta is expected to do her duty and produce a male heir for the family no matter what. Can she break free and give her daughter a chance at leading a dignified life?

• Triptych directed by Byron McKim (Burlington, ON)
  John Prophet is haunted by his past. His memories cloud each sleepless night and his waking hours, confusing past and present, delusion and reality.

• Time to Kill directed by Danielle French (Calgary, AB)
  A bizarre series of dream dates ensue when Scarlett and Raven spot each other across the room at a fantasy-themed costume party.

• Alternative Parents directed by Larry Di Stefano (Vancouver, BC)
  Alternative parenting vanguards Robyn and Leeagh won't stop until Dolly is accepted into school and society.

• Sanguine directed by Levon Henderson (Vancouver, BC)
  After escaping a lethal pandemic, a family of isolated survivors now has to deal with the disappearance of their son. When word of his possible infection reaches them, the father must choose between abandoning him or unleashing the virus on his family.

• Truce directed by Cameron Patterson (Winnipeg, MB)
  A Canadian soldier is faced with the decision to either help or kill a German general.

• Time to Fire Your Agent directed by Bruno Marino (Toronto, ON)
  David, a classically trained actor, is frustrated with his agent who keeps sending him out on degrading auditions. After a heated argument his agent decides to teach him a lesson.

• And You Keep Going directed by Ryan Flowers, Tyler Hagan and Lisa Pham  (Vancouver, BC)
  Smoke, fight and eat your way through another long day with two bros who refuse to give up on each other.

• Our Son Is A… directed by Juan Riedinger (Vancouver, BC)
  Having run out of options, the Thompsons seek the advice of a quirky psychologist to help them cope with their son's 'alternative lifestyle.'

• Straight and Narrow directed by James Vorstenbosch (Mississauga, ON)
  In a world where homosexuality is the norm, high school students Roman and Julia have to face the consequences of being different.

• Roofies and Romance directed by Cody Campanale (Toronto, ON)
  A sociopathic date rapist sets his sights on one unfortunate young woman, but discovers he’s not the only predator in search of new prey.

• Man of the Family directed by Laura Turek (Montreal, QC)
  Vishwa has only been in Montreal for a few months and he’s already in trouble for fighting at his new school. Replaying the events leading up to his current predicament outside the principal’s office, he wonders if his Uncle Kapil will be proud of him or not.

• Chenrezig directed by Doug LeConte (Thunder Bay, ON)
  Observing the construction of a mandala, this short documentary explores the relationship between Art, the Sacred, and the pathway of peaceful action.

• The Projectionist directed by Kevin Gabel (Winnipeg, MB)
  David is about to close up the movie theatre for the night when he discovers there is still someone inside.

• Bee Man directed by Robert Lendrum, Morris Lum, Drew Ferguson (Toronto, ON)
  Robert Ireland is a bee keeper who has a complex relationship with bees. Not only are bees his livelihood, they also help keep him alive.

• Jigsaw directed by Scott Staven (Surrey, BC)
  How do you solve a puzzle if you don't know what it's about? That is essentially the question asked by Jigsaw as you enter a non-chronological crime thriller that pieces itself together in a rather unique fashion.

This is the seventh official selection of films in the NSI Online Short Film Festival. New films are solicited four times a year, with films currently being accepted until May 21. Get details and a submission form here.

The NSI Online Short Film Festival has been made possible through the support of Presenting Sponsor Canwest, and A&E Television Networks which has generously funded the A&E Short Filmmakers Award. The next winner of the A&E Short Filmmaker Award will be announced in April.

In addition to the NSI Online Short Film Festival, the NSI website also features the NSI Online Industry Centre with professional development resources including blogs, industry articles and video and audio interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors from the film, television and digital media industries.

The NSI Online Industry Centre has been made possible in part through the support of Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the ongoing financial contributions of our additional Founding Site Sponsors: Rogers, Canwest, Insight Film Studios, and MANITOBA FILM & MUSIC.

The National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI) operates with ongoing funding from Core Funders: Manitoba Culture, Heritage, and Tourism, the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council; Benefactor: Canwest; Patron: CTV and the CTV/CHUM Benefits; Builders: Rogers, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Contributors: Telefilm Canada, APTN, NBC Universal and Women in Media Foundation. 

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