Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Blood Hunters, a film from director Tricia Lee (current Corus Diverse TV Director student), celebrated its North American premiere earlier this month at the Boston Science Fiction Film Festival.

At the end of October, the inaugural Requiem FearFest in Montreal will bring Blood Hunters its first Canadian public audience.

Blood Hunters is a character-driven genre film about a single mother who wakes up in a medical facility to find that everyone is dead and she’s somehow nine months pregnant.

As she struggles to escape, she discovers the facility’s secret: they’ve tampered with the boundaries of death and brought people back to life, but those who’ve returned have not returned alone.

Above: NSI Features First film The Sun at Midnight screens October 23

If you’re at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival, which starts tomorrow, check out some great work from our alumni.

Four Faces of the Moon

Writer/director Amanda Strong, producer Bracken Hanuse Corlett (both NSI Aboriginal Documentary). Screens as part of Landscapes of Truth on Thursday, October 20 at 10 a.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3

The Land of Rock and Gold

Director/producer Janine Windolph (NSI Aboriginal Documentary). Thursday, October 20 at 12 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3

7 Minutes

NSI Aboriginal Documentary short. Director Tasha Hubbard, producer Marilyn Poitras. Screens as part of Solid Ground: Canadian Shorts, sponsored by NSI. Thursday, October 20 at 2:15 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3

Cree Code Talker

NSI Aboriginal Documentary short. Director Alexandra Lazarowich, producer Cowboy Smithx. Screens as part of Solid Ground: Canadian Shorts, sponsored by NSI. Thursday, October 20 at 2:15 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 3

The Dust Bowl

Director/producer Lisa Jackson (NSI Storytellers, Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program). Screens as part of B[e]arings Experimental Shorts on Friday, October 21 at 2:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2

How to Steal a Canoe

Writer/director Amanda Strong, producer Bracken Hanuse Corlett. Screens as part of Music Videos on Saturday, October 22 at 10 p.m., Horseshoe Tavern

Hipster Headdress

Writer/director Amanda Strong, producer Bracken Hanuse Corlett. Screens as part of The Witching Hour on Friday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2

Remains, Human

Director Cody Halcrow, producer Roger Boyer (both NSI New Voices). Screens as part of The Witching Hour on Friday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2

Star Wars – Trash Compactor Scene

Director Zoe Leigh Hopkins (Featuring Aboriginal Stories Program). Screens as part of The Witching Hour on Friday, October 21 at 11:59 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 2

Crash Site

Writer/director Sonya Ballantyne, producers Sage Daniels, Luther Alexander (all NSI New Voices, NSI Aboriginal Documentary). Screens as part of Femme Totale on Saturday, October 22 at 2:30 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 1

The Sun at Midnight (pictured)

NSI Features First film. Director Kirsten Carthew. Sunday, October 23 at 1 p.m., TIFF Bell Lightbox, Cinema 1

And keep an eye out for NSI’s John Gill, Ursula Lawson, Kaya Wheeler and Chris Vajcner who’ll be attending the fest.

The Unseen, the debut feature from Goonworks Films’ Geoff Redknap (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First) and Katie Weekley (NSI Drama Prize, NSI Features First, NSI Totally Television), has a number of screenings coming up including:

• Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival – October 20

• Screamfest Horror Film Festival (Los Angeles) – October 25

• April Wolfe from LA Weekly includes The Unseen in 5 Horror Movies That Might Scare the Crap Out of Lydia Hearst (or You) at Screamfest

• Molins Film Festival (Spain) – November 14

• Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival (Toronto) – November 26

In dark horror-drama The Unseen, a man who abandoned his family now risks everything to find his missing daughter, including exposing the secret that he is becoming invisible.

Two new films in this week’s NSI Online Short Film Festival from directors E. M. Walker and Doug Cook.

Bill’s Birthday Bash

Bill’s Birthday Bash | Drama, 9:32, English, ON, 2016 | Director: E. M. Walker

As we get older we realize birthdays suck. This one is no different.

A lonely man sets up for his 39^th birthday party.

He’s made all the right preparations. He’s sent out invitations to friends and family, and even invited everyone from the office.

Did he buy the right amount of refreshments? What about the cake? Is there enough to go around?

Burning All the Past Away

Burning All the Past Away | Animation, 3:47, English, AB, 2016 | Director: Doug Cook

This animated, poetry-driven webisode follows Bandages, an old man haunted by The Judge (his dark past), as he embarks on his journey towards forgiveness.

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Call for films / submit by December 2

Films are now being accepted through FilmFreeway until Friday, December 2, 2016.

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.

Submit your film

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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, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and Breakthrough Entertainment; Award Sponsors A&E Television Networks, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Corus Entertainment and Blue Ant Media; and Industry Partner the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.