Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Films from directors Trevor Mack and Matthew Taylor Blais, Caroline Mailloux, Michael Chen and Ben Proudfoot in this week’s NSI Online Short Film Festival.

Clouds of Autumn

Clouds of Autumn | Drama, 14:56, Tsilhqot’in, BC, 2015 | Directors: Trevor Mack, Matthew Taylor Blais

The carefree childhood existence of an Indigenous brother and sister is torn apart when the older sister is forced to attend a residential school far from home.

La Grange (The Barn)

La Grange (The Barn) | Drama, 19:00, French, QC, 2014 | Director: Caroline Mailloux

A sweltering August in a remote community. Authorities and neighbours from the area search for a child who has gone missing.

Near the old family barnhouse, Jacinthe finds her son Kevin escaping into his imaginary world. The secret he will reveal to her will change their lives forever.

Lost

Lost | Drama, 11:41, English, BC, 2015 | Director: Michael Chen

Amidst her parents fighting, a little girl discovers a lost stuffed rabbit and attempts to reunite it with its owner.

Mother Earth

Mother Earth | Documentary, 9:10, English, NS, 2015 | Director: Ben Proudfoot

Louise Pentz was a production potter, making a successful living on her handmade brand of tableware. After 30 years, the passion for the work left her.

Rather than live with the apathy, Pentz began to explore the limitless possibilities of the only medium she knows: clay.

Inspired by the female form, Pentz embarks on her next endeavor as an artist and activist, raising awareness about violence against women through her evocative, humanist sculptures.

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Call for films / submit by March 18

We’re accepting short film submissions until March 18. If your film is programmed, you have a chance of winning up to $4,750 in cash awards. We accept films released after January 1, 2011.

Your film must be less than 30 mins long. Drama, comedy, animation, documentary, sci-fi, horror, music video and experimental are all eligible and must be made by a Canadian writer, director or producer. There is no submission fee. Films must be available online (YouTube or Vimeo) for viewing by the selection committee.

Submit your film(s) by Friday, March 18, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. CST.

You can also read about our most recent round of award winners chosen last December.

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The NSI Online Short Film Festival is made possible through the support of Festival Partner Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment, Blue Ant Media, Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and Breakthrough Entertainment; Award sponsors A&E Television Networks, the Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation, Shaw Media and Blue Ant Media; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

Above: the post-binge-watching blues: a malady of our times

We read a lot of stuff each week. Here are a few snippets from the past week packed neatly into one post for your convenience. Happy bedtime reading!

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The post-binge-watching blues: a malady of our times

Originally published by The New York Times last December, we found ourselves reading (and relating to) this article about binge-watching our favourite shows online. And the not-oft-mentioned condition, the ‘out-of-shows’ blues. Read the full story

BBC announces first major virtual reality project: a VR documentary

The BBC is continuing its experimental approach to new content with the announcement of a virtual reality documentary. Tentatively entitled Easter Rising: Voice of a Rebel, it will put users in the shoes of 19-year-old Willie McNieve, a participant in the aforementioned armed insurrection in Ireland. Read the full story

Cinema Canadiana launches Canadian Motion Picture Database

Canadians have been telling stories for over 100 years with motion pictures. Yet currently, there is no maintained, comprehensive online database of Canadian film, television and digital projects. Cinema Canadiana aims to change this by launching the Canadian Motion Picture Database becoming the first user-driven database for exclusively Canadian media. Read the full story

Exploring interactive and transmedia documentary

Are you interested in exploring new forms of documentary storytelling? Join DOC BC on Wednesday, March 23 as they present a panel of leading creators working in the field of interactive and transmedia documentary. Together they will discuss their stories, their craft and the resources needed to produce these works. Read the full story

The future of movie theatres? Letting moviegoers choose which films play

One of Britain’s biggest movie theatre chains has revealed plans to let film fans decide which movies are played from a library of more than 400 titles. Vue Cinemas is teaming up with Ourscreen, a social crowdfunding platform that lets people ‘vote’ for a particular movie to be aired by committing to buying a ticket in advance. Read the full story

A massive list of spring 2016 grants all filmmakers should know about

No Film School has put together its latest list of filmmaker grants for 2016. Read the full list

The National Screen Institute is seeking applications from writer/producer teams for its NSI Totally Television course.

Up to six teams will have the opportunity to develop their television projects with the best showrunners/story editors in the country.

Past story editors have included Ellen Vanstone (Rookie Blue), Ian Carpenter (Being Erica), Jeff Biederman (Spun Out), Leila Basen (Heartland, Strange Empire) and Mike McPhaden (Seed).

Teams will also meet with decision makers from major Canadian networks and executive producers from companies like Shaftesbury, Temple Street, CBC and Entertainment One.

This 10-month course includes extensive training, individual sessions with story editors and production execs, and private pitch meetings with broadcasters. Teams advancing to phase two of the course attend the Banff World Media Festival in June. NSI Totally Television faculty are program manager Shelly Quade and newly-appointed program advisor Julie Di Cresce.

“I’d like to extend a special thank you to long-serving program advisor Sam Linton – we are grateful for her commitment to NSI Totally Television,” said Shelly. “A warm welcome goes out to Julie Di Cresce – NSI is pleased to welcome her onboard for this course. Julie brings with her a wide range of experience in scripted content and development in the television landscape.”

Apply for the course by May 6, 2016 at 4 p.m. CST.

The program has produced 13 series that have gone into development, five that have gone to air, one that has been piloted, and another produced as a feature film that had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.

NSI Totally Television 2015 was presented by Presenting Sponsor Bell Media; Program Partner Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.

All media enquiries

Laura Friesen, Manager, Communications & Alumni Relations
Tel: 204.957.2999 or email: laura.friesen@nsi-canada.ca

Cynthia Knight (NSI Drama Prize) and Tracey Deer (NSI Storytellers, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program) were interviewed for a recent feature on The TV Junkies as part of their Women Behind Canadian TV series.

Cynthia and Tracey chatted about the development of their TV series Mohawk Girls and the importance of including women in key roles in the TV industry.

Read the whole interview here.

Congratulations to the NSI grads set to receive Harold Greenberg Fund support in its latest round of funding.

The funded projects and their creators are:

• Ripple’s Effect from Jeremy LaLonde (NSI Totally Television)

• Out Late from Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini (Movie Central Script to Screen)

• Halloween Party from Jay Dahl (NSI Totally Television, NSI Drama Prize)

• NSI Features First-developed Venus from Eisha Marjara and Joe Balass

• Night Raiders from Danis Goulet (NSI Drama Prize)

• The Stuntman from Michael Dowse (NSI Drama Prize)

• The Defection from David Weaver (NSI Drama Prize)

• How to Disappear Completely from Nick Citton (NSI Totally Television)

Above: How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town

Congratulations to the NSI grads with films at this year’s Canadian Film Festival.

• How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town from Jeremy Lalonde and Jordan Walker (NSI Totally Television)

• Borealis from Sean Garrity (NSI Features First)

• Divorce Photographer, an NSI Drama Prize film from Christine Buijs and Shannon Fewster

• Winter Hymns from Dusty Mancinelli and Harry Cherniak (NSI Features First)

The festival runs from March 30 to April 2 in Toronto.