Posted on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.
News release: June 25, 2008
Two new web-based features from the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI) officially go “live” today: an
online industry centre and a year-round, 100% Canadian online
short film festival (
www.nsi-canada.ca). The NSI website has been extensively rebuilt and is still in the beta phase.
Concurrent with the launch of the new website is a call for submissions for the NSI Online Short Film Festival. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Submissions will be accepted on DVD only and there is no submission fee.
For full details and an application form: www.nsi-canada.ca/submit.aspx.
NSI Online Short Film Festival
The NSI Online Short Film Festival features 100% Canadian short films that can be accessed 24/7 for free. The festival promotes homegrown talent on both sides of the camera. New films are solicited four times a year and must be short narratives not longer than 30 minutes: the shorter the better! Drama, comedy, animation and short documentaries are all eligible but they must tell a story and must be Canadian.
All film festival submissions will be screened by an NSI selection committee led by
Liz Janzen, National Screen Institute Director of Programming. NSI anticipates streaming approximately 100 Canadian short films on its website annually with new films posted each week.
A “Best of” award (which will be cash and/or services) will be given to one film in each selection period. The winner will be chosen by an independent jury comprised of filmmakers and industry members.
NSI Online Industry Centre
In the NSI Online Industry Centre visitors can access audio and video interviews with leading lights of the industry, as well as an online community called “My NSI”. They will also find blogs, articles, links and discussion forums designed for professional development and information exchange between people across the film, television and digital media industries at all levels. New items will be added weekly. Features this week include:
- An audio interview with Brent Butt (Corner Gas) conducted by entertainment writer Cheryl Binning.
- A video interview with Gordon Pinsent (Away From Her) conducted by Richard Crouse, host of Reel to Real.
- Blog posts representing a cross-section of the Canadian industry.
- A regular NSI blog which includes contributions from NSI staff members.
- Films in the inaugural round of the online film festival will be streamed.
- Two additional new films will be posted weekly accompanied by interviews with the filmmakers.
“NSI programs are designed to allow writers, directors and producers to train without relocating. The internet is a means to keep them connected across the country, complementing our face-to-face training,” says
Susan Millican, CEO of the National Screen Institute.
Adds Liz Janzen, “Both the learning opportunities and the festival allow us to expand our reach as a national training institution. We want to provide year-round learning, film showcasing and a venue for the exchange of ideas and information among content creators across the country.”
The National Screen Institute - Canada (
www.nsi-canada.ca) is widely known for its prestigious training programs for Canadian writers, directors and producers working in the film, television and digital media industries. 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.
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.
Media enquiries
Glynis Corkal, Marketing & Communications Manager
Tel: 204-957-2995 | Email: glynis.corkal@nsi-canada.ca
NSI on the web