Calling all Peace Region filmmakers. Submissions for the Reel Shorts Film Festival may be closed for the rest of the world but local submissions will be accepted until February 21st. Festival Director Terry Scerbak says the extension gives Peace Region filmmakers a chance to show their work right away.
“We do require a Grande Prairie premiere and that it not be on YouTube or anything. Sometimes filmmakers are anxious to show their work, we don’t want them to necessarily have to wait a full year to be in the festival so we include an extra long deadline for Peace Region filmmakers.”
The festival started in Grande Prairie in 2007. It was created in the hopes that showing films from around the world would inspire the next generation of local filmmakers. So far, more than 5,000 films from over 116 countries have been submitted this year.
The extended deadline applies to filmmakers who live in the Peace Region, used to live here or shot their film in the Grande Prairie. Submissions should be between two and 31 minutes in length and have been completed after January 1, 2017. Overall, Scerbak says the judges are really looking for storytellers.
“We’re very story focused. It’s a very audience driven festival so if it tells a good story and then obviously everything else; good acting, music, sound quality all of those sorts of things but ultimately, is it a good story that our audience will enjoy. That’s the kind of films were looking for.”
The 13th annual film festival will run from May 6th to 13th at Grande Prairie Live Theatre and GPRC. Submissions can be made here.