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By Justin Dionne

Local film festival still accepting Peace region submissions

Feb 18, 2019 | 6:00 AM

Filmmakers in the Peace region have a chance to have their work showcased at the Reel Shorts Film Festival.

The local festival that has been taking place in Grande Prairie for the last 12 years is accepting film submissions from the Peace region until February 21.

Programmer and Director of the festival Terry Scerbak says the event showcases the talent of filmmakers from the Peace and across the world.

“The film festival itself includes screenings – usually at least 80 short films – and workshops and panels,” says Scerbak. “So, it’s an opportunity to learn and watch great films and meet other people.”

So far, films from about 116 countries have been submitted to the festival.

Scerbak explains movie-makers in the Peace region have some extra time to submit their films, and over 5,000 films have already been submitted. From 2013 to 2018, the festival screened 89 films from the Peace region.

“Our deadline for submissions from outside the region has already ended. There’s an extended deadline for Peace region films, whether that’s made by a Peace region filmmaker anywhere in the world, or by somebody outside the region who’s made a film here,” says Scerbak.

The festival is a qualifying event for the Canadian Screen Awards presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, and has the biggest school program of any film festival in the prairies. Last year, more than 2,000 students attended the festival.

Rules for submissions can be found on the festival’s website. Scerbak says the festival’s volunteer program team which views the submissions are made up of people throughout Canada, and some volunteers are located in California.

The 13th Reel Shorts Film Festival takes place on May 6 to 13. 

by Justin Dionne