Independent filmmakers often say it’s a tough job getting noticed, but the nine finalists in the Grand River Film Festival’s SHORT Shorts Film Competition will see their work screened at the Princess Twin Cinemas on Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 2:00 pm, followed by an awards ceremony and after-party at Waterloo's Failte Irish Pub. The event is sponsored by MCAP.
Rawl Banton, Executive Producer of CREATE Region Symposium 2014, will be the master of ceremonies of this short-film showcase and will host the prize ceremony. Considered by the National Post as one to watch in 2007, Rawl Banton continues to push the boundaries of interactive digital media. His experience began in traditional media production and has extended through digital and interactive media and into mobile application development.
The finalists will compete for the top honour in two categories: Waterloo Region and Cross-Canada. The first-place winner in each category will receive cash, prizes and bragging rights, as well as a hand-crafted kaliedoscope created by artist Heidi Antonia Brannan of Etherworks Sculpture & Illuminations. Among those coveted finalist spots are two productions by Waterloo Region filmmakers.
In the Waterloo Region Category, the Director must be from the Region of Waterloo or the film must have been produced in Waterloo Region. The finalists are:
1. Adam's Day by Benjamin Rouse (Toronto, ON)
2. Behind the Mask by Joshua Chislett (Cambridge, ON)
3. Going Going Gone by Danny Hamilton and Cameron Herzberg (Etobicoke, ON)
4. Tasha and Friends by Greg Kovacs (Kitchener, ON)
In the Cross-Canada Category, the film must have been filmed and produced in Canada with a Canadian Director. The finalists are:
1. Call it Blue by Julia Hendrickson (Richmond Hill, ON)
2. La Canadienne Francaise by Charles Grenier (Montreal, PQ)
3. The Hold Up by Struan Sutherland (Halifax, NS)
4. Milk and Honey by Samantha van der Beek (Guelph, ON)
5. Strangers by Kevin Hoffman (North Bay, ON)
The 2014 guest judges, who will determine the first-prize winner in each category, are:
Suzan Ayscough, Director of Communications, Academy of Canadian Cinema & TV, Toronto
Chloe Bellande, Director/Producer, Blue Infinity Films, Montreal
Matt Ninaber, Director/Producer, High Rise Studios, Conestogo
“The shorts are a fantastic format for both the audience and the filmmaker,” explained Nelson Dunk, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Grand River Film Festival (GRFF). “The challenge and art of telling a story in a short amount of time produces exceptional films, and has made this annual program a ‘must attend’ event at GRFF.”
The after-party will take place at Waterloo’s Failte Irish Pub. Admission to the SHORT Shorts Film Screening and Awards event is $12 for adults and $10 for students with valid ID, which includes the off-site after-party. Tickets can be purchased online at: http://www.grff.ca/box-office/tickets/
For more information about the Grand River Film Festival and the SHORT Shorts Film Screening & Awards event, visit: http://www.grff.ca/2013-festival/short-shorts/
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