News release: January 4, 2010

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) announces its newest film lineup for the NSI Online Short Film Festival, with new short films from Canadian filmmakers rolling out on the NSI website over the next few months. The festival now has over 100 Canadian short films available to watch for free on its website.

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. All NSI website content can be accessed for free.

(Links are included for films that are already available on the site. Remaining films will be released online over the coming weeks.)

• Everything Burns directed by Aram Kouyoumdjian (Dartmouth, NS)
  In your own neighbourhood, crimes are ongoing yet unreported. But Mom has plans to overcome adversity. (Music video)

• Naked directed by Juan Riedinger (Vancouver, BC)
  When a young couple decides to pose nude for a life drawing class they discover that their physical flaws are nothing compared to the cracks in their relationship.

• You’re a Good Man, Antimin directed by drechtaber fulmowitz (Toronto, ON)
  In a dystopian state, long after the nuclear wars have erased mankind's memory of the past, NEW SOCIETY has created an ordered social Darwinist state. But not everyone is who they appear to be.

• Chère directed by Brian G. Smith (Toronto, ON)
  In this mockumentary, former CBC TV colleagues Ken and Brian, now downsized, join forces to take the fringe theatre circuit by storm. A new film by the director of Dave Foley & Fans.

• Last Communication with Laura directed by Alexander Carson (Calgary, AB)
  A poetic farewell love letter to a girl named Laura.

• Lift directed by Ian Basso (Whitehorse, YT)
  Set against the backdrop of the Yukon’s magnificent mountain scenery, Lift tells how a paraglider pilot reconciled himself to the challenges and dangers involved in his chosen sport.

• A Brief History of Life directed by Tenzin Jangchup (Montreal, QC)
  Winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary in Radio Canada International’s online film contest Digital Diversity, this personal film speaks of the cultural experience of growing up as a Tibetan refugee in India and later immigrating to Canada.

• Grad Day directed by Saira Rahman (Winnipeg, MB)
  Two sisters have a picnic in celebration of graduation and come to realize that they have reached a crossroads. Their struggle to find direction in their lives is a lot more complicated than seen at first glance.

• The Dirty Truth directed by Terri Catlin (Toronto, ON)
  A 1940's detective duo discover that their new case may be more than they bargained for. A film noir detective comedy about climate change.

• I Want to Be a Desi 2 directed by Allan Tong (Toronto, ON)
  "DESI: South Asian immigrants and descendants, carrying a subtext of inclusiveness and unity…" This film asks, What does a non-Desi have to do to become a Desi? And what does the word DESI mean to you?

• Oops directed by Bruno Marino (Toronto, ON)
  Jennifer plans on breaking up with her fiancé over dinner, but when he doesn’t arrive on time she begins to wonder if he has had some second thoughts of his own.

• The Lake directed by Michael Humble (North Bay, ON)
  A bitter old man sitting alone at a picnic table by the cold autumn waters of a lake and a cocky young man discover that despite their differences they might both be looking for the same thing.

• Murder at Insomnia Station directed by Lara Cassidy (Halifax, NS)
  A nosey café waitress imposes herself into Dave’s quiet reading time. It’s surprising how constructive an unwelcome conversation with a perfect stranger can be.

• Max O U/W directed by Chuck Clark (Halifax, NS)
  19-year-old Max, who has Down’s Syndrome, practices with a Special Olympics swim team and plays at the local pool. Chuck Clark’s extraordinary underwater photography joyously captures the swimmer’s exuberance and remarkable talent.

• Carleen directed by Carleen Kyle (Vancouver, BC)
  “Carleen gets dressed and goes to comedy class, tears in her eyes, her heavy heart laughs.” The first line of Katie Ormiston’s beautifully written song about Carleen’s journey to overcome tragedy with humour says it all. (Music video)

• Intervention directed by James McLellan (Winnipeg, MB)
  A medieval girl battles unnatural dangers to wrest her brother from the mysterious curse that holds him in its grasp.

• Nightfall directed by Mina Vladimir (Montreal, QC)
  Like a moth throwing itself into fire, a young woman throws herself into the heart of the busy night and revolts against the city’s stress and oppression with the beauty and power of dance.

• On the Way to the Videostore … directed by Ryan Halun (Edmonton, AB)
  After running into his favourite porn star on the way to the videostore, Charles, a young bear, decides he will do anything to make first contact.

• Knots directed by Robert Woolsey (Vancouver, BC)
  A betrayed husband exacts revenge on his cheating wife and her secret lover.

• Worked for Me directed by Ken Simpson (Toronto, ON)
  After a devastating breakup, Michael, with a little help from a shifty doctor and a new dog, might be able to pull himself back together.

• Cortez the Killer directed by Timo Puolitaipale (Port Coquitlam, BC)
  A boy with cerebral palsy must give in to his rebelling muscles to find the magic that they can provide him with to get his way. But when unbridled teenage angst and power meet, keeping it under control becomes the hard part.

• I’m That Fool directed by Patrick Carroll (Vancouver, BC)
  Steve and Roxanne have played in power pop bands for over a quarter century. Will a 20-minute-long festival gig at an L.A. strip mall end "25 years of total failure and lack of success"?

• The Pact directed by Chidi Nwaozomudoh (Toronto, ON)
  After several years, a man and a woman who were once high school friends coincidentally find each other again through a suicide club website called The Pact. With their rekindled relationship they struggle to make new meaning of their lives.

• The Last Feast directed by Marc Beurteaux (Toronto, ON)
  Irving, a mindless drone, steals from the graves of the dead to fulfill his greedy masters' desire in this animated tale of conspicuous consumption gone too far.

• Pigmalion directed by Juan Riedinger (Vancouver, BC)
  The story of a couple on a farm - an abusive husband and an abused wife. Will the tables turn?

Apply for the next selection period

This is the sixth 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 February 10. 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. Congratulations to Daniel I. Schacter, from Montréal, QC, the most recent winner of the A&E Short Filmmaker Award.

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.

NSI on the web