CBC Revenue Group

FILM WITH THE SHORT FILM FACE OFF

Jun 14, 2012

Viewers help choose Canada's best short film over four-week competition,
Saturday nights on CBC-TV

Beginning this Saturday, CBC-TV viewers will get to enjoy the best in Canadian short films and vote for their favourites in SHORT FILM FACE OFF, a four-week search for Canada's best short film. The winning director receives a production deal worth $40,000 toward the cost of his or her next film. This is the biggest prize for a short film competition in Canada.

On three consecutive Saturdays (June 16, 23 and 30) at 7 p.m. (8 p.m. AT/8:30 NT), three short films will be screened each week, followed by an expert panel of judges who will discuss the films with their directors and provide both comments and critiques. Viewers can also watch the show online at cbc.ca/shortfilmfaceoff. 

After the third show, for a 24-hour window, viewers are able to vote online and by phone for their pick of the top three short films in the country. The winning short film will be announced in the final episode on Saturday, July 7.

"SHORT FILM FACE OFF is innovative because it offers programming that no one else has tried to do, taking little-known films and presenting them to a wider audience," says Peter Hall, senior manager, arts, documentary and performance programming, CBC Maritimes. "From the results we have seen in previous years, online votes come from literally all over the world, including Australia, Croatia, England, coast to coast to coast in Canada and most U.S. states."

For this year's competition, CBC received over 80 short films, with 32 being submitted to the final jury. Films are first screened locally in local film co-ops, film festivals, theatre showings and community events. CBC then promotes local submissions that are then submitted for national juried selection. From there, nine selected finalists are chosen. This year, the finalists are:

• British Columbia: Hop the Twig - Kyle Rideout
• Alberta: Secret Identity - Tyler MacIntyre
• Manitoba: Lie Down and Die - Kyle Sanderson
• Toronto/Western Ontario: The Scarf - Carla Veldman
• Ottawa/Eastern Ontario: Moments - Jeremy Kennedy
• Quebec: Mr. Crab - Faisal Lutchmedial
• Quebec: The Letter - Zhi-Min Hu
• Maritimes: Heart of Rhyme - Cory Bowles
• Newfoundland: Not Over Easy - Jordan Canning

The SHORT FILM FACE OFF is part of how CBC continues to play a vital role in supporting independent filmmaking in Canada.

In the last four years, CBC's SHORT FILM FACE OFF has grown from a regional series from Halifax to become, since last year, Canada's only national television magazine competition featuring Canadian-made short films.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. The Corporation is a leader in reaching Canadians on new platforms and delivers a comprehensive range of radio, television, Internet, and satellite-based services. Deeply rooted in the regions, CBC/Radio-Canada is the only domestic broadcaster to offer diverse regional and cultural perspectives in English, French and eight Aboriginal languages, plus seven languages for international audiences. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada celebrated 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada. 

For further information, contact:         

Melissa Prince,
Veritas Communications
P) 416-482-2669
C) 416-704-8733 prince@veritascanada.com