New for 2012
This summer the Kootenay Express News is offering free movies in Lakeside Park. Please visit the Kootenay Express News website here to find out when the next movie is being screened. The Kootenay Express Summer Shorts Film Festival has taken a new form, offering first rate movies for free under the summer stars.
For the past five summers, Watershed Productions in partnership with the Kootenay Express News has organized the Kootenay Summer Shorts Film Festival. This unique festival celebrated the films and filmmakers of the Kootenays. The filmmakers were a mix of ages, backgrounds and range in experience from first-timer to award winning professionals. The Kootenay Express Summer Shorts Film Festival enjoyed the ongoing support of Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Bibo, Sidewinders, Reo’s, and other business sponsors over the years.
Past genres included everything from adventure sports to documentary. All films were suitable for an all ages audience. Screened outdoors in Lakeside Park on Sunday nights in the summer, this event was free and open to the public.
Joanne Alaric wins Best of Festival $500 prize from Director and Producers of 'Tall Man'
Past Sponsors
- Bibo
- Valhalla Pure
- Sidewinders Cafe
- Selkirk College Independent Digital Film Program
Film festivals like the one in Nelson are very important as they
will spawn the next generation of filmmaker in Canada. Minds Eye
Entertainment was delighted to sponsor the grand prizewinner in 2010.
To Amy and everyone involved in the festival, my hat is off to you
all.
It’s a great way for up and coming filmmakers
from the Kootenays to get there films shown to a large audience on a
big screen.
The film festival has encouraged me to continue in the art, knowing there are venues where we can showcase and celebrate our work.
Winning ‘Best of the Festival’ at the ‘Kootenay Summer Shorts Film Festival’ was such an exciting honor. For a new filmmaker the experience of being recognized by my community was incredibly reassuring that all of my hard work had paid off. Not only was it a wonderful moment for me but also for the subjects of my film. For them to have their story acknowledge and celebrated reaffirmed that it is a story worth telling.
I won second place in a film festival with my first ever movie My Home and My Life. It was one of the best moments in my life.
I love that it’s a local festival because it’s a nice experience to see what strangers at other festivals think of your film but nothing will truly compare to sharing it with your friends and family and the people you grew up with back home.
Submission Guidelines 2011
- Films of all types are welcome – preference will be given to films that have a definite storyline that would appeal to a diverse audience.
- They are to be short films, no longer than 20 minutes in length.
- Films are to be made by part-time or full time residents of the West Kootenays.
- Films should be appropriate for screening to an all ages audience.
- All filmmakers acknowledge and guarantee that he or she has obtained all rights necessary to the rights granted for the short film submitted, that such short film is original, free and clear of any rights, including any rights related to works owned by third parties or related to performances of performing artists included in such short film.
- Please include a short bio (no more than 50 words), a synopsis of your film (no more than 50 words), a production still (photo) at 300 dpi, the title and total running time of your film. Email this information to info@watershedproductions.ca in addition to making your hard copy submission.
- Please send submissions including name, email and phone number along with two DVD copies of the short film to: Kootenay Express Summer Shorts Film Festival, c/o Express Office, 554 Ward Street Nelson, BC V1L1S9. You can drop them off during office hours, Monday -Thursday from 9AM – 11AM or drop them in the Express mailbox just outside the office. DVD copies will not be returned, but will only be shown in the context of this year’s or future year’s film festivals.
- Deadline for submissions is Monday, July 25th by 11am. Films must be received by this date to be eligible for awards and screening.
- Filmmakers will be contacted directly within two weeks of the submission deadline if his or her film is chosen for screening.
- Selected filmmakers agree to have their film synopsis and bio used by the Kootenay Express for promotion of the festival.
- Please email questions regarding submissions to amy@watershedproductions.ca
2010 Award Winners
- Joanne Alaric, Our Bus
- Aaron May, No Straight Roads
- Peter and Julien Locke, Going for Gold
- Rory Case, The Box Mountain Bower
2009 Award Winners
- Jessica Gates, Seeing Sol
- Rachel Schmidt and Katherine Pettit, Freedom To Belong
- Peter and Julien Locke, Off Track
- Isabelle Herzig and Janet Pierce, Women and a Wall
- David Lavalee, Powderhound Proposal
- Antonia Sullivan, Best on Baker: Fries
- Nemia Darwell, My Life and My Home
2008 Award Winners
- Saige Andreychuck and Antonia Sullivan, Heaven’s Kitchen
- Michaela Thompson and Taavi Wickman, The Hat
- Shane Ainsworth, Triathlon for Kids
- Gary Ramsbottom and Peter Schramm, Silence