Latest posts from National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI)

Creative Saskatchewan supports NSI Aboriginal Documentary and NSI Features First

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 12:13 PM PDT

The National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is pleased to announce Creative Saskatchewan’s support of its NSI Aboriginal Documentary and NSI Features First training courses.

This commitment benefits NSI Aboriginal Documentary team Janine Windolph and Trudy Stewart and NSI Features First participant Hugh Patterson, all based in Regina.

“We are grateful for Creative Saskatchewan’s support of their region’s filmmakers in NSI programs,” said John Gill, CEO of NSI. “NSI Aboriginal Documentary and NSI Features First are well-respected training programs that will give Trudy, Janine and Hugh the skills to further their careers and enrich the province’s filmmaking community.”

Janine and Trudy’s NSI Aboriginal Documentary project is called Statement Gatherers Reflections. Janine serves as producer while Trudy is directing. Previously they were selected as the 2016 ZoomerMedia Bursary recipients.

Statement Gatherers Reflections is a 10-minute documentary on the reflections, observations and lessons from statement gatherers with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. The documentary will offer an inside look at what it’s like to record some of the most painful and uplifting stories of resilience of the Indian residential school legacy.

Hugh is producer on NSI Features First project SuperGrid alongside writer Todd McCauley. SuperGrid follows Deke Campbell, a young smuggler who has a haul turn tragic on the Super Grid, a road running through Canada from the US Border to the Northwest Territories. Loss of cargo, his vehicle and his younger sister have put him in deadly debt to the crime syndicates who employ the smugglers and own the very road itself.

NSI Aboriginal Documentary is a development launch pad for producer/director teams looking to produce a short documentary. Teams are paired with an industry mentor to help with the final development and production of a 10 minute documentary.

NSI Aboriginal Documentary 2016 is supported by Presenting Sponsor NBCUniversal; Program Partners Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage and RBC Emerging Artists Project; NSI Aboriginal Training Programs Partner Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries; Bootcamp Presenting Sponsor Manitoba Film & Music; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel; Corus Entertainment; Breakthrough Entertainment; imagineNATIVE Film + Media Festival and Hots Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival; Tuition Sponsor NBCUniversal; Provincial Sponsors Manitoba Film & Music and Creative Saskatchewan; Industry Partners National Film Board of Canada, Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television (ACCT) and Directors Guild of Canada; and Service Sponsor Line 21 Media.

NSI Features First is a development training launch pad for producer/writer teams looking to produce their first or second feature film with strong commercial appeal.

NSI Features First is funded by Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada; Program Partner The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment and Breakthrough Entertainment; Provincial Sponsors Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), Innovation PEI and Creative Saskatchewan; and Industry Partner Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. NSI Core Funders are Manitoba Sport, Culture & Heritage and the City of Winnipeg through the Winnipeg Arts Council.

About Creative Saskatchewan

Creative Saskatchewan is dedicated to the growth and commercial viability of Saskatchewan’s creative industries: visual arts and craft, publishing, music and sound recording, live performing arts, and screen-based and interactive media. The agency facilitates the expansion of a business environment advantageous to the growth of the creative industry and to the growth of new employment, investment and production opportunities in Saskatchewan, and encourages and supports innovation, invention and excellence in the creative industry by stimulating creative production and new models of collaboration. For more information, visit creativesask.ca.

About the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI)

Renowned for having given many emerging filmmakers, television writers and producers their first breaks, the National Screen Institute provides training and production support through courses like NSI Totally Television, NSI Drama Prize, NSI New Voices, NSI Features First, Movie Central Script to Screen, Corus Diverse TV Director, NSI Aboriginal Documentary, TELUS STORYHIVE Web Series and Digital Shorts, and TELUS Optik™ Local.

NSI also offers exposure through the NSI Online Short Film Festival and provides vast resources and support to those in the film, television and digital media industries at nsi-canada.ca.

All media enquiries

Laura Friesen, Manager, Communications & Alumni Relations
Tel: 204.957.2999 or email laura.friesen@nsi-canada.ca

Watch the new trailer for Zell-Koj Studio’s Al Sparks: The Fighting Saint

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 10:27 AM PDT

Watch the brand new trailer for Al Sparks: The Fighting Saint, the first documentary from Craig Guiboche (NSI New Voices), Roger Boyer (NSI New Voices, NSI Storytellers) and David Zellis (NSI Totally Television) of Zell-Koj Studio.

This documentary about Winnipeg boxer Al Sparks, 1968 Canadian light heavyweight champion, is being produced by MTS Stories From Home.

Apply for Whistler Film Fest’s Aboriginal Fellowship

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 09:34 AM PDT

Whistler Film Festival’s (WFF) Aboriginal Filmmaker Fellowship is a three-day creative and business immersion experience from December 1 to 3, 2016 during the Whistler Film Festival + Summit.

Designed to advance Canadian Aboriginal talent, this program focuses on strengthening and advancing short script projects by facilitating feedback from a group of mentor filmmakers who are successful, well-respected members of the Canadian film community.

Up to six emerging Aboriginal Canadian film artists with short film, webisode projects or television pilots will be accepted. Short scripts in all genres can be submitted. Writers must be Canadian citizens and of Aboriginal descent. Deadline for applications is August 29, 2016. Read their FAQs.

Read more about the program and apply.

Mizbrük by Daniel Duranleau + 2 more films in this week’s NSI Online Short Film Fest

Posted: 12 Jul 2016 09:24 AM PDT

Three new films in this week’s NSI Online Short Film Fest from directors Daniel Duranleau, Neil Christopher and Guillaume Blanchet.

Mizbrük

Mizbrük | Drama, 16:19, French with English subtitles, QC, 2015 | Director: Daniel Duranleau

A clever boy designs a creative ploy to protect his little sister from repeated monster attacks.

Little Folk of the Arctic

Little Folk of the Arctic | Animation, 3:11, English, NU, 2015 | Director: Neil Christopher

In the folklore of most cultures around the world there are stories of magical little folk. And the Arctic is no exception.

Tea Time

Tea Time | Animation, 4:02, French with English subtitles, QC, 2015 | Director: Guillaume Blanchet

Two tea bags flee to a better life.

• • •

The NSI Online Short Film Festival is made possible through the support of Festival Partner Telefilm Canada; Supporting Sponsors Entertainment One, Super Channel, Corus Entertainment, Blue Ant Media, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation and Breakthrough Entertainment; Award Sponsors A&E Television Networks, The Brian Linehan Charitable Foundation; Corus Entertainment and Blue Ant Media; and Industry Partner the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television.