Posted on Tuesday, September 20, 2011.

News release

Shark Out of Water directed by Juan Riedinger from Vancouver, BC is the latest winner of the $2,500 A&E Short Filmmakers Award in the NSI Online Short Film Festival run by the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI). In Shark Out of Water a young gambling addict is given a glimpse into his dismal future if he continues playing the tables.

Shark Out of Water was written and directed by Juan Riedinger and produced by Andrew Halliwell. This is the second time Riedinger has won the A&E Short Filmmakers Award. He previously won with his film Birth Day.

Jury members had this to say about the film:

Justin Rebelo: "Shark Out of Water is a dynamic story, well acted and directed with a very impactful ending. For these reasons, it stood out as a short and talent deserving of the A&E Short Filmmakers Award."

Anita Reilly McGee: I was drawn into the world created in Shark Out of Water: the story, the setting and the characters are nicely drawn and the shooting style complemented the addicts' world. Good story, well executed.

Marc Roussel: "Shark Out of Water stayed with me long after watching it, particularly because of the performances of the lead actors. [Juan] and his cast were able to convey characters that had complicated histories and relationships within a short span of time - a challenge for all short films - and this one nails it thanks to a solid script. Kudos to the entire team for a fine, thought provoking film."

Writer/director Juan Riedinger says, "I am speechless. Thanks so much to everyone at the National Screen Institute for this wonderful honour and to A&E for making such a generous award possible for Canadian filmmakers!

I also want to thank the jury members - Marc, Anita and Justin - for choosing our film from a group of great Canadian shorts. I was blessed with an amazing cast and crew for Shark Out of Water which really made the film what it is.

It was my first short film as a director, and the fact that it continues to affect people means so much to me. Our team is working on making our first feature film, and winning this award will definitely help us accomplish that feat. Thanks again!"

Where to watch Shark Out of Water

Having finished its run in the NSI Online Short Film Festival, Shark Out of Water will now be available to watch in Super Channel’s screening room from September 26 through to November 30.

It will also air on Super Channel at these times:

• September 26 at 9:15 p.m. ET on SC3
• September 28 at 7:30 p.m. ET on SC4/HD2
• October 1 at 7:30 p.m. ET on SC4
• October 2 at 4:05 p.m. ET on HD2

About the director: Juan Riedinger

A graduate of the University of Calgary's theatre program, Juan began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous film and television productions including Jennifer's Body, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Fringe, Sanctuary, Smallville, Human Target and Supernatural.

Although he still works regularly as an actor, Juan has now directed over a dozen short films and is hoping to direct his first feature in the next two years.

Juan recently finished directing a Bravo!FACT short film entitled Float, which was shot on 35mm film.

About the jury

Justin Rebelo has worked as a programmer for The Movie Network, Much Music and has been the director of Canadian programming for Super Channel since 2007. He’s also enjoyed stints at the Toronto International Film Festival, DreamWorks distribution, as a writer/director/producer at TMN/MPix and on multiple independent projects.
 
Anita Reilly McGee is an award-winning filmmaker whose shorts include New Neighbours (Canal+ Honorable Mention), Little Dickie, (Venice, Toronto), and Dinner For One, (Best Short at Cinequest, Runner Up for the BAFTA/LA short film award). She produced the Gemini award-winning drama Clothesline Patch and line-produced the features A Stone’s Throw and Whole New Thing.

Marc Roussel is an award-winning filmmaker from Toronto whose short film Remote won the most recent A&E Short Filmmaker's Award. The film has screened at over 40 festivals worldwide, picked up 11 awards and was nominated for a Director's Guild of Canada award in 2010. Marc is currently in development on his first feature film and in pre-production on a Bravo!FACT film called The Sweetest Hippopotamus.

NSI is proud to acknowledge the continued support of A&E Television Networks in the funding of the A&E Short Filmmakers Award. As a founding sponsor of the NSI Online Short Film Festival and through this prestigious award, A&E has shown their commitment to the growth of Canadian filmmakers and the development of quality film.

The NSI Online Short Film Festival has been made possible through the support of Presenting Sponsor Shaw Media, A&E Television Networks which has generously funded the A&E Short Filmmakers Award and Supporting Sponsor Netflix.

The NSI Online Industry Centre has been made possible in part through the support of Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the financial contributions of our Supporting Sponsors: Rogers and Shaw Media.

All media enquiries

Lauren MacDiarmid, Communications & Programs Coordinator
Tel: 204.957.2999 or email: lauren.macdiarmid@nsi-canada.ca

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