Reel Shorts Film Festival (Grande Prairie)
| Location | Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada |
|---|---|
| Hosted by | Grande Prairie Live Theatre |
| Number of films | 100+ |
| Language | International |
| Website | http://reelshorts.ca |
About the Festival
The stated goal of the Reel Shorts Film Festival is to celebrate short films and the filmmakers who make them by screening "gems of storytelling brilliance" from around the world, across Canada, and in the Peace Region.[1] A second goal is to help grow a filmmaking community in the Peace Region (northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia) by inspiring, developing and showcasing the region's filmmakers.[2]
Founder Terry Scerbak started the festival in 2006 as a production of Grande Prairie Live Theatre after seeing the short film program at the Edmonton International Film Festival and deciding to bring some of the films back to Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.[3] It is a spring festival produced by Grande Prairie Live Theatre:[4] the first festival took place in March 2007, the next three festivals were in April, and subsequent festivals have taken place the first week of May.[5]
The festival's program has grown from 38 films screened over 3 days in 2007[6] to over 100 short films in 18 packages at the 8th festival in 2014.[7]
In 2014, the festival became competitive, presenting an award designed by Grande Prairie sculptor Grant Berg to the following winners:
- Best Animated Short - Oh Sheep!, a 7-minute film from Germany directed by Gottfried Mentor
- Best Documentary Short - Grandpa and Me and a Helicopter to Heaven (Morfar och Jag och Helikoptern till Himlen), a 15-minute film from Sweden directed by Palmgren and Åsa Blanck
- Best Live Action Short - Dotty, an 11-minute film from New Zealand directed by Mick Andrews and Brett O'Gorman[8]
Since 2010, audiences have determined the winners of the Audience Choice Award:
- 2014 - Fool's Day, a 19-minute film from the US directed by Cody Blue Snider
- 2013 - A Senior Moment, a 6-minute film from the US directed by Michelle Davidson
- 2012 – Sugar (Suiker), an 8-minute film from the Netherlands directed by Jeroen Annokkée
- 2011 – The Legend of Beaver Dam, a 12-minute film from Canada and the US directed by Jerome Sable
- 2010 – Multiple Choice, a 5-minute film from Australia directed by Michael Goode[9]
In the summer of 2012, the festival produced a short film as part of Shoot for Reel,[10] a collaboration between the festival, Grande Prairie Regional College, and Ricebrain Media, a Vancouver film company whose president (Scott Belyea) grew up in Grande Prairie. The Horizon Project, the short film that Belyea directed during the 11 days of Shoot for Reel,[11] premiered at the 7th Reel Shorts Film Festival in 2013.[12]
The school program of screenings, training,[13][14] and filmmaker class visits is a big component of the film festival.[15] In 2013, the festival produced HB, an 8-minute film directed by Nathan Fast, as part of the Youth Film Mentorship Project.[16] On Sep 29, 2013, it won the Best Overall Youth Short Film Award at the Calgary International Film Festival[17] and a month later won the Young Filmmakers Program Competition Grand Prize at the 2013 Austin Film Festival.[18]
See also
- List of festivals in Alberta
- List of short film festivals
- List of film festivals in North and Central America
- List of film festivals
References
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Jan 6, 2013
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Jan 6, 2013
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Jan 6, 2013
- ↑ "Grande Prairie Live Theatre", retrieved Jan 7, 2013
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Feb 28, 2015
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Jan 6, 2013
- ↑ Mari Sasano, "Reeling In Alberta" Alberta Views, Oct 2014
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Feb 28, 2015
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Feb 28, 2015
- ↑ Kirsten Goruk, "Video internship program launched" Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune, May 31, 2012
- ↑ Kirsten Goruk, "Grande Prairie becomes Hollywood North" Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune, July 11, 2012
- ↑ Kirsten Goruk, "Work continues on film shot in GP" Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune, December 20, 2012
- ↑ Eileen Coristine, "Lights, Action, Revenge" Art of the Peace, Issue #16, Spring 2011
- ↑ Kirsten Goruk, "Young filmmakers get hands-on training with workshop" Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune, April 24, 2012
- ↑ "About Reel Shorts", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Feb 28, 2015
- ↑ "Winners of Youth Film Mentorship Project", Reel Shorts Film Festival, retrieved Feb 28, 2015
- ↑ Kirsten Goruk, "Local short film earns award in Calgary" Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune, Sep 26, 2013
- ↑ THR Staff, "Austin Film Festival Announces 2013 Winners" The Hollywood Reporter, Oct 28, 2013