Edmonton Short Film Festival
PO Box 68211 Bonnie Doon T6C 4N6 Edmonton, AB, Canada

Last night we are at Borden Park as part of ESFF@DeepFreeze 2021!!! Bundle up and take a stroll through the lite pathways and check out a film - even if for 1 minute! Huge shout out to @Skyboat Productions for being tech and equipment guy extraordinaire and braving the cold every night.

How are you spending the February long weekend? It's the perfect time to learn about Black History on the Canadian prairies! Through the stories of 19 descendan...ts of the original African American settlers, WE ARE THE ROOTS focuses on the experiences of discrimination these individuals encountered while living in the rural communities and in Edmonton. FREE SCREENING for #BlackHistoryMonth. Runs until February 28. Consider ordering from our popcorn popup for the full movie night experience! Details at shop.metrocinema.org

Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Fête at Borden Park is beautiful at night! Head down and check out our short films at the outdoor Bandshell.

ESFF@Deep Freeze 2021 As part of the Deep Freeze winter experience in Borden Park the following films will enrich your park stroll! We will be there till 8pm. Dress warm and check out a few films! Concession by Director Eric Spoeth Form and Function by Director Are You Artists or Cops? Frederick Kroetsch... VERITAS by Director Kyle Tiernan Undefeated: Journey To The Death Race by Director Sarah & Rew Jones 'Believe in Me' - The Kois by Director Ben Babchishin Katie Ohe: a mystical kind of experience by Director Aquiles Ascencion via Esker Foundation The Way Up by Director Colin Pearce Blue by Director Jason Hamilton Wild Constructs: The Human and The Other by Director Audrey Lane Cockett The Stonekiller by Directors Michele Hehir and Nathaniel Hehir Operation: Clean Slate by Director Jayson Therrienyou See more

ESFF@DeepFreeze 2021. As part of the Deep Freezewinter experience in Borden Park this film will enrich your park stroll on the evenings of February 8, 9, 10, 11. Operation: Clean Slate directed by Jayson Therrien. "When their summer of freedom is threatened, four very different teens hatch a plan to break into city hall and destroy their parking violations records clean."

CONGRATULATIONS to all the Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society Sponsorship + Bursary October 2020 Recipients including filmmakers Jonelle Belcourt, Uii Savage, and Nauzanin Knight, and organizations Okotoks Film Festival, Marda Loop Justice Film Festival 2020, Gotta Minute Film Festival, Quickdraw Animation Society, International Festival of Winter Cinema, Luma Quarterly, Calgary Underground Film Festival, CSIF - The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers.

The Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) 2020 Edmonton Film Prize: A 1st prize of $10,000.00 will be awarded to the winner and two prizes of $1,000.00 each will be awarded to two runners-up. More details on their website. https://ampia.org/2020-edmonton-film-prize/

"We have great crews, we have great vistas, we have great infrastructure" Luke Azevedo, Calgary Film Commissioner.

Red Carpet Gala at Metro Cinema Interview: : by Val Peps : Pluridisciplinaire Winner of the 2020 #bestjustice4reel Award

In honour of Métis Week and the Métis people of Canada we are sharing a film that we screened in 2017: Rellik - The Hour (Mama's Song) Official Music Video (W.LeBlanc / D.Bedard/ N.Cunningham/ D. Scramstad) Director - Doug Bedard ... Funded by Edmonton Arts Council Support from Wylieford.com https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qta4IIueKLU

Community Stories On Line Training ~ Application Deadline December 10. Filmmakers Corey Lee and Sandi Somers are facilitating an exciting training program thro...ugh the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers ( CSIF) . The program, Community Stories, is a joint effort between Telus Storyhive and CSIF. The training does not offer funding to participants , but rather provides instruction, guidance and limited distribution through Telus. The program is available for novice or first time filmmakers creating their own locally reflective documentary short film with equipment they have on hand or have access to . The workshop program is all online and begins in January 2021 with filmmakers delivering their projects in early April. Here is the direct Alberta Specific page hosted at CSIF: https://www.csif.org/community-stories-alberta

Red Carpet Gala at Metro Cinema Interview: by Jakob Densky Winner of the 2020 #BestComedy Award this year

For more than 30 years, Gil Cardinal was a pre-eminent Canadian filmmaker, best known for documentaries, such as Foster Child, The Spirit Within, David with F.A....S. and Totem. Five years ago, the Edmonton () community lost his creative spirit. In honour of his memory and contributions to Indigenous film and television, the ESIO is proud to announce that we will be contributing to the Gil Cardinal Legacy Fund through a grant totalling a combination of cash and in-kind services equalling $2,500. This grant will be awarded to an emerging, Alberta-based Indigenous filmmaker to help make a demo for their first professional quality film, short film, documentary, web, mobile, VR experience or television project. Head to https://bit.ly/2SE1qSr to apply. Applications close Nov 30, 2020.

In honour of Remembrance Day. This was a film created for our 2019 Mobile Device Film Challenge and screened at our 2019 Red Carpet Gala: Homecoming by Darrell Portz - Actor https://www.youtube.com/watch

Great opportunity for Canadian creators of short film! SPOILER: the film must have been produced in 2020 and in final form by December 1. https://participation.telefilm.ca//en/clermont-ferrand2021/

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts & ... Osas Eweka-Smith Osas is passionate about telling stories that elevate the human spirit and bring out marginalized voices. Her film, Beyond Curls & Kinks, tells the story of women and girls and the complex relationship they have with their Afro-textured hair. The film exposes status quo beauty ideals and explores issues of self-esteem, confidence, and identity while challenging society to see women and girls beyond their curls and kinks. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival

Red Carpet Gala at Metro Cinema Interview: by Delanie Tiedemann Winner of the 2020 #bestexperimental Award this year

to : by Val Peps for winning the 2020 #bestjusticreel Award this year Amazing interview by Valécia Pépin with CBC ... "' ': " shorturl.at/coGI7 See more

Red Carpet Gala at Metro Cinema: Interview: by Molly Little Winner of the 2020 #BestAnimation Award this year

ESFF 2020 Virtual Red Carpet Gala A lone Centurion flees his city that is under siege, as a dark enemy tries to find and destroy him. ... Kyle Tiernan Kyle developed an early love for cinematography which has taken him around the world, working on a wide variety of projects from commercial content to various projects. Kyle's unique eye for natural light, paired with strong abilities in VFX allows him to tackle a broad spectrum of projects. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

to by Delanie Tiedemann for winning the 2020 #bestexperimental Award this year

#ESFF2020 would like to thanks Alberta Film for supporting the Edmonton Short Film Festival. Thank you, for your amazing #support!

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts "Valérie, a former high-level fencer, dedicates herself to training the young people of her club. She invests a lot of hopes in Hicham, a 17-year-old with huge athletic potential, who lives in a foster home. Through the years, she has developed a near maternal attachment for him. As summer holidays arrive, Valerie learns that Hicham has decided to leave the club."... Alexandre LABARUSSIAT After a Master’s degree in cinema at the University of Paris 8 Saint-Denis and the directing of several self-produced short films, Alexandre Labarussiat directed La Ville est calme, released in 2012, freely inspired by a short story by Ray Bradbury (OCS broadcast, selections in Rhode Island, Strasbourg...). Alexandre Labarussiat is currently working on his first feature film. His next short Hit on the Left is inspired by his years of fencing.The screenplay won the First Prize of the Eure Screenplay Contest and was also selected at the Talents en Courts. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts A cinematic observation of Indigenous artist Lana Whiskeyjack as she works to complete a mixed-media sculpture of a tortured face, the face of her uncle. This brief study of an artist and her work helps us come to some understanding of the trauma experienced by Canada’s Indigenous people in the Indian residential school system, of its enduring effects on the children of survivors of the IRS, and of one woman’s journey to... recover what was lost: dignity, identity, and voice. A story of resilience, Lana’s journey speaks of the power of Indigenous ways of being in our time. Beth Wishart MacKenzie Beth is an independent documentary filmmaker based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Using film she seeks to communicate the richness and complexity of cultural-religious life in Canada and to examine the challenges multicultural coexistence presents to Canadians. Her prior experience in the discipline of Comparative Religious Studies allows her to bring an informed and sensitive perspective to her documentary film work and to effectively interpret the symbolic codes and spiritual sensibility of the individuals and communities she engages with. As a socially engaged documentary filmmaker, Beth seeks to use the creative medium of film to build community in Canada. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

/ to by Erick Delgado for winning the 2020 #bestsuspensehorror Award this year

ESFF 2020 Virtual Red Carpet Gala After being diagnosed with a terminal disease, Patrick and Rowena decide to do a final road trip through the prairies. Narrative music video-clip for the band Paradise Motel. ... Adrian G. De la Pena Adrian is a Mexican Director - Editor based in Edmonton, Alberta. Among his most outstanding work is the recently award winning short film T- Minus(2018) at the British Screenwriters Festival for Best Short. In 2014 directed a segment for the International horror anthology World of death called :Math with international distribution through a digital platform. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

to by Sarah Clarke for winning the 2020 #bestdrama Award this year

#ESFF2020 would like to thanks Metro Cinema for supporting the Edmonton Short Film Festival. Thank you, for your amazing #support! Metro Cinema is a community-based not-for-profit society devoted to creating and fostering opportunities for the exhibition of diverse, unique shared viewing experiences in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.... https://www.metrocinema.org/

#ESFF2020 would like to thanks the YourAlberta (Government of Alberta), Alberta Foundation for the Arts, Edmonton Arts Council & Canada for supporting the Edmonton Short Film Festival. #Thankyou, for your amazing #support!

/ to by Kyle Tiernan for winning the 2020 #besthorrorscifi Award this year

ESFF 2020 Virtual Red Carpet Gala Take a step back in time, to the infancy of the 1980's, and visit Heritage Mall. Its very existence hinged upon its ability to survive in an over-saturated, recession-era retail market. ... Matthew Dutczak For years, Matthew Dutczak has been documenting and preserving the history of Edmonton's Malls (and more!) via his YouTube Channel: Best Edmonton Mall. Appointed as Edmonton's unofficial "Mall Historian" by outlets such as Star Metro, CBC, and 630CHED, he is enthusiastic about sharing his passion for Edmonton's retail and entertainment history. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

#ESFF2020 Awards Ceremony Photo Credit: @Ernest Augustus

Beautiful Movement Captured at the #ESFF2020 Red Carpet. Photo Credit: Ernest Augustus

#ESFF2020 would like to thanks Alberta Retina Consultants for supporting the Edmonton Short Film Festival. Thank you, for your amazing #support! Alberta Retina Consultants was established in 1998 to meet the retina needs of Albertans. Seven retina specialists work together, within Alberta Retina Consultants, to provide seamless care to their patients. ... https://www.alberta-retina.com/

to by Jakob Densky for winning the 2020 #BestComedy Award this year

to by Molly Little for winning the 2020 #BestAnimation Award this year

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts short film, visualize a deep dream of a depressed woman through space and time between a gap of a single breath, from inhaling tobacco and breathing it out, her journey begins with the routine daily life, and continues to her past, where she meets her childhood, the dream will finish by witnessing a near future incident, which she is deciding to bring about. ... Mohammed Khaki Mohammad is an IRANIAN-AMERICAN award-winning Director and Cinematographer Filmmaker. Born in Tehran, Iran, grew up in Santa Barbara, California. His passion for analog photography led him to study Visual Arts in college resulting in many official selections in exhibitions and publications. He obtained his Ph.D. in Entrepreneurship from the University of Lyon, France. Much of his work in the last ten years has focused on Fashion Videography. His first short film Paradoxical Dream starring Paniz Rahnama is currently on the festival circuit, winning numerous accolades. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

to by Aquiles Ascencion for winning the 2020 #BestDocumentary Award this year

#ESFF2020 would like to thank Romanovsky & Associates LLP for supporting the Edmonton Short Film Festival. Romanovsky & Associates LLP is committed to providing high-quality services needed in today’s competitive market place. They work closely with each of their client’s day to day business and personal needs to meet their financial objectives. Thank you, for your amazing #support! ... Their goal at Romanovsky & Associates LLP is to foster the best possible working and learning environment. The firm strives to maintain a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism. They foster positive relationships with their clients, recognizing their perceptions of urgency and preferences, understand their expectations, and respond consistently with the highest possible level of service. https://www.romanovsky.com/

ESFF 2020 Virtual Red Carpet Gala ' A family is confronted by their teenage son who tells them that their smart speaker is listening to them. ... Thomas Stachura As a youth, Thomas Stachura was a whiz at computers, inventing on-line card games and mastering programming. With inventiveness and a flair for entrepreneurship, his path led him to become CEO and co-founder of Pleasant Solutions, which contains the in-house Pleasant Studios. "Orwell's Debut" for TheParanoid brand is Thomas's directorial debut. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

https://esff.ca/justice-4-reel-free-media-school/ Check it out ! Edmonton Short Film Festival has teamed up with the John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, MacEwan University, STORYHIVE and, FAVA to bring you the Justice4Reel (J4R) Media Advocacy Free School ! J4R brings together community advocates and human rights educators with DIY filmmakers to build technical skills and community coalitions to produce independent digital video art for change and resistance.

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts Successful businessman and golden boy, Jack Wells, is unscrupulous, immoral and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Along the way he has made many enemies and today they’re out for revenge! ... Simon Ross Simon has spent much of his career shooting and editing. Starting out shooting documentaries, whilst editing trailers and promos on the side, he developed an interest in combining CGI and VFX with live action. This led to directing opportunities in commercials and going on to direct major campaigns for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including BMW, Virgin and Oxfam. He has filmed everywhere from the Arctic ice sheet to the Congo jungle. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

ESFF 2020 Virtual Red Carpet Gala The day in the life of a Medium with an extraordinary, yet burdensom gift: the ability to take over people's hauntings. ... Taya Walter Taya is an emerging independent filmmaker from Calgary, Alberta, Canada who graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications Studies in 2015. She has worked in the directing department on various short film projects in her city, including assistant directing Chasing Tears, Just Ask, and Lucid Dream (Music Video for Calgary-based artist Hello Moth). She has directed the Web Series High Strung, which earned her an award of merit from the Southern Shorts Awards out of Roswell, Georgia, the short film Ghosted, as well as her feature film debut From Hell, With Love, which she also wrote, produced, and acted in. She is a born and raised Calgarian. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets

ESFF 2020 Virtual Long Shorts Joe has made up his mind: he’s enlisted to go back to war after learning of his father’s death. On the day of his departure, his fiancé Maria rushes in to change his mind. When the decision to leave is all but made- something strange happens that will change their lives forever. ... Mark Matechuk Mark is an independent film writer and director from Toronto, Ontario who started garnering some recognition on Funny or Die and Youtube, garnering over 30 million views with various shorts. One of his shorts "The Douche" was officially selected to the Friars Club Comedy Festival in recent years and is committed to making insightful, highly produced off-beat comedies for the film festival circuit. https://filmfreeway.com/EdmontonShortFilmFestival/tickets