Posted on Friday, December 19, 2008.
News release: December 19, 2008
A&E Television Networks has contributed $10,000 to the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) to establish the
A&E Short Filmmakers Award which will recognize outstanding works in the
NSI Online Short Film Festival. The juried award will provide one filmmaker with a cash prize of $2,500 and will be presented four times a year.
Launched this year by NSI, the NSI Online Short Film Festival is a year-round 100% Canadian short film showcase with new films and
filmmaker interviews uploaded every week. The festival features works by emerging and established writers, directors, producers and actors, introducing Canadian film to a broad audience across the country. All NSI website content can be accessed for free.
See our latest short film program now showing at the NSI Online Short Film Festival.
Paul Davis from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory is the first recipient of the A&E Short Filmmakers Award. His short documentary
-40°C (in French with English subtitles) follows an on-call teacher in Canada’s northwest as he cycles to work through darkness, ice fog and cold so deep it can break steel. Jury members Jessica Klement, Jennifer Cecconi and Michael A. Dobbin described the film as “intriguing from start to finish” – a “unique glimpse into the human experience in a sub-arctic climate” conveyed through a simple structure and storyline. The jury also noted the difficult shooting conditions presented by the darkness and extreme cold.
Citing “beautifully shot, well-crafted vignettes of life on the street in downtown Toronto,” a poignant story line and its achievement in putting a face on homelessness
133 Skyway directed by
Randy Redroad (Big Soul Productions, Toronto, Ontario) was singled out for an Honorable Mention by the jury. The film tells the story of a homeless man trying to get his guitar out of hock who is aided by a troubled friend and a sympathetic pawnshop employee.
Shelley Blaine Goodman, Vice President, Canada for A&E Television Networks said, “We are delighted to establish this award. Showcases like the NSI Online Short Film Festival are important and provide another platform for emerging filmmakers to share their work with new audiences.”
“We are very pleased with A&E’s support of the NSI Online Short Film Festival through this special award,” says Susan Millican, CEO of the NSI. “The award will be important to working filmmakers and we hope will encourage them to share their films with the viewing public.”
NSI is now accepting films for its NSI Online Short Film Festival. Submit films for free by Friday, February 27, 2009. Get details here.
In addition to the NSI Online Short Film Festival, the NSI website also has an
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 & SOUND.
About the jury
Jessica Klement manages international film acquisitions for Ouat Media, an international short film distributor. She has a background in television sales and marketing.
Jennifer Cecconi is the manager of the short film program for the Calgary International Film Festival. She is also a producer/production coordinator and a creator of educational materials for films and film festivals.
With one foot on either side of the Atlantic,
Michael A. Dobbin heads up Quiet Revolution Pictures as a producer and development consultant.
About the National Screen Institute
The National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI) is widely known for its prestigious training programs for Canadian writers, directors and producers working in film, and television. Most programs are part-time so students keep their day jobs while they train. Participants do not have to relocate – intensive training happens in one place and participants return home to work with a mentor for the rest of their program. All training is delivered by senior industry experts.
NSI on the web