This is a brief note with a full press release to follow. Thank you to all the filmmakers for their excellent submissions. Year after year the quality of the films improves. The task of selecting and judging films become more challenging each year. The awards this year were determined by a 3 person committee, independent of the VISFF organizers.
The VISFF is proud to present the list of award winners for the 2012 festival:

Special Student Award, present by The VIU Media Research Lab.
Josh Richardson & Jamie Ruddick for Nature’s Snare

Best Performance, presented by BC Gaming:
Dario Giordani for What He Left You

Best Arrangement of Music, presented by the BC Arts Council
Linley Subryan for The Way We Mend

Best Technical, presented by Boutique Mac
Walter Covarrubias for What He Left You

Best Writing, presented by The Nanaimo Arts Council
Michael Chen for Tartar Sauce

People’s Choice, presented by City of Nanaimo
Todd Jones for Close Your Eyes

Best Film, Presented by Firehouse Grill
Brady Cackler for What He Left You

Tang, the 2010 West Coast and Yukon SOBEY Art Award winner, currently he is the Artist in Residence at Red Deer College. For this year’s VISFF, Tang designed, created and donated six ceramic awards statues that will be given out to filmmakers in six categories.

“We are so honoured to have Brendan make these awards for our festival,” said Johnny Blakeborough, VISFF Festival Director. “He did an amazing job and I really think the winners will be thrilled.”

The awards will be handed out to filmmakers at the VISFF, which takes place this Friday and Saturday, April 13 and 14 (7pm both nights), in the categories of Best Film, Best Performance, Best Writing, Best Music, Best Technical Production and the People’s Choice Award. The awards ceremony will take place after the film screenings on Saturday night, while a Q&A with the filmmakers will take place on Friday.

“I was happy to create the awards for this year’s festival,” said Tang. “I’m a big fan of independent film and I wanted to do my best to support the filmmakers at the VISFF.”

Tang was born in Dublin, Ireland of Trinidadian parents and is a naturalized citizen of Canada. He earned his formal art education on both Canadian coasts and the American Midwest, where he learned to appreciate the ceramic medium. Tang has lectured at conferences and academic institutions across the country, and his professional practice has also taken him to India, Trinidad and Japan. He has been a resident artist at the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts (Helena, MT) and participated in an international residency at the European Ceramic Work Centre (‘s-Hertogenbosch, NL) in 2011.

Tang’s work has been showcased at galleries and in various print and online media. Most recently, he has been exhibited at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (as a Sobey Finalist 2010), Vancouver Art Gallery, and The Power Plant, and upcoming exhibitions of his work will take place at the Denver Art Museum, and the Museum London (Ont). He has been profiled by The Knowledge Network, and featured in printed publications including The National Post, Wired (UK and Italy), and ELLE (Canada). The broad appeal of his work is evident online, where he has received attention from prominent blogs around the globe, including Boing Boing, NotCot and Design Boom.

“We are thrilled with the awards Brendan created,” said Blakeborough. “I think our winning filmmakers will value these awards statues more than the cash awards that come with them. Brendan’s work is just incredible.”

For more information about Brendan Tang’s work go to www.brendantang.com

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival takes place on April 13 and 14 at 7pm at the Malaspina Theatre at Vancouver Island University.

Tickets are still available at the Nanaimo Arts Council in Nanaimo North Town Centre, the House of Indigo on Church Street and the Nanaimo Art Gallery on the Vancouver Island University campus. Some tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets for this crowd-pleasing show are $15 and are also available online at visff.com/tickets

For more information, contact Festival Director Johnny Blakeborough at admin@visff.com

Tickets are available at the Nanaimo Arts Council in Nanaimo North Town Centre, the House of Indigo on Church Street and the Nanaimo Art Gallery on the Vancouver Island University campus. Some tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets for this crowd-pleasing show are $15 and are also available online at visff.com/tickets

All types of short films were accepted for consideration into the festival.

“The quality and diversity of styles and ideas is what really sets our festival apart,” said VISFF Director Johnny Blakeborough. “This is our seventh year and each year our submissions get better and better.”

The VISFF is open to submissions from all over the world but it has always been a place to showcase the work of Vancouver Island artists. Last month, a three-person jury selected 13 films that will be shown at the festival on April 13 and 14 at 7 PM at the Malaspina Theatre on the Nanaimo VIU campus.

“Our main goal is to turn the spotlight on our talented local filmmakers,” said Blakeborough. “More than anything, this festival is for them. It’s an opportunity to show their films in front of a large audience.”

There will be two screenings of the 13 jury-selected films. Opening night will be Friday April 13^th and will feature a filmmaker’s question and answer panel after the film screenings. There will be food, music and an awards ceremony at the second screening on Saturday April 14^th. Awards will be handed out for best films and cash prizes for winning filmmakers.

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival creates opportunities for local filmmakers. The festival is not only a venue for their films, but also an opportunity to network with other film professionals and inspire growth in our film community.

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is made possible with the assistance of the Nanaimo Arts Council and the Elephant Room Creative. Information on the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is available on the website at www.visff.com. For more information, contact Festival Director Johnny Blakeborough at admin@visff.com or phone 250-729-3947.

The VISFF has an established tradition of providing an evening of outstanding entertainment, showing vibrant and captivating films created by local filmmakers. Like previous years, the festival was flooded with outstanding short films.

The selection process is a significant event in the festival’s calendar. This year, the panel is comprised of three judges. Returning judges are Shirley Goldberg and De Villiers Van Zyl. Shirley is professor emeritus at VIU where she continues to host The Friday Night Movie Series, now in its 30th year. De Villiers is a local filmmaker and previous winner of the VISFF Best Film award for his documentary Sticks & Stones.  New to the selection committee is local Emmy and Grammy Award winning producer, writer, director and VIU alumnus, Terence Fitzgerald, who has spent the last two decades working in Hollywood selling, producing and directing feature films, television, music videos and animation.

“We are thrilled that the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival can attract individuals of Terence’s caliber to the selection committee,” said Johnny Blakeborough, the festival’s director.

“It’s been wonderful being back here on the Island and lending a hand to local, independent filmmakers. Any help I can give to Island artists in regards to showcasing their work is a passion of mine,” said Fitzgerald.

Last month, the three-person jury selected 13 films that will be shown at the festival on April 13 and 14 at 7 PM at the Malaspina Theatre on the Nanaimo VIU campus. The festival will include a screening of the 13 selected films and an awards ceremony for best films in several categories with prizes for winning filmmakers.

“The quality of storytelling, technical aptitude and artistry is improving every year,” said Blakeborough.“This made the task of narrowing the films submitted down to the 13 that will be shown on April 13 and 14th extremely challenging. This was the hardest year to choose a limited number of films for the festival. There are so many talented filmmakers in our community and we are very excited to give them an opportunity to showcase their work.”

The selected 13 films include Nature’s Snare by Jamie Ruddick and Josh Richardson, What He Left You by Brady Cackler, One Last Thing by Tash Baycroft and John Gardiner, The Way We Mend by Linley Subryan, To The Sea by Catherine Parke, Close Your Eyes by Todd Jones, The A B C’s by Michael Chen, Tartar Sauce by Michael Chen, The Daring Defibrillator by Corrie Peters, Split Decisions by Graham Stark, A Temp At Crime by Malcolm Johnstone, Rush by Blair Dykes and Informational Presentation by Graham Stark.

The VISFF accepts all genres of films for consideration. This year’s festival is comprised of comedy, drama, animation and more. The 2012 festival expanded the time limitation to 12 minutes, up from the previous limit of 10 minutes.

“Our main goal is to turn the spotlight on our talented local filmmakers,” says Blakeborough. “More than anything, this festival is for them. It’s an opportunity to show their films in front of a large audience.”

The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is made possible with the assistance of the Nanaimo Arts Council and the Elephant Room Creative. For more information, contact Johnny Blakeborough at: admin@visff.com or phone 250-729-3947.

A Temp At Crime – Malcolm Johnstone
Close Your Eyes – Todd Jones
Informational Presentation – Graham Stark
Nature’s Snare – Jamie Ruddick/Josh Richardson
One Last Thing – John Gardiner/Tash Baycroft
Rush – Blair Dykes
Split Decisions – Graham Stark
Tartar Sauce – Michael Chen
The ABC’s of Adam and Eve – Michael Chen
The Daring Defibrillator – Corrie Peters
The Way We Mend – Linley Subryan
To The Sea – Catherine Parke
What He Left You – Brady Cackler

We thank everyone for their participation in the 2012 VISFF and encourage filmmakers to keep producing and submitting films to our festival in future years.

2012 Selection Committee:
Shirley Goldberg – Film Critic and Writer
de Villiers Van Zyl – Short Filmmaker
Terence Fitzgerald – Emmy and Grammy Award Winning Film Producer

Meg Fulton
2012 VISFF Submissions Coordinator
submissions@visff.com

 Local filmmakers have until Feb. 1 to enter this year’s VISFF, which is celebrating its seventh anniversary bringing filmmakers and filmgoers together. The VISFF is an annual event that continues to be the only short film festival on Vancouver Island that focuses on local talent.

“We’re excited to see this year’s great entries,” said Johnny Blakeborough, VISFF Festival Director. “There’s still time left to finish up any film projects and get them to us before the Feb. 1st deadline, so we are expecting a lot of incredible films from our local artists.”

The festival is open to all genres of films that are 12 minutes in length or less, including credits. In past years, the VISFF only accepted films of 10 minutes or less, but this year, the organizers decided to extend the time limit.

Another exciting addition to this year’s festival is the inclusion Grammy and Emmy award winning film/animation producer Terrance Fitzgerald as a festival judge and having this year’s awards designed by internationally renowned ceramic artist Brendan Tang.

“We are thrilled to have such an talented film producer as Terry as one of our judges,” said Blakeborough. “And having an amazing artist like Brendan Tang design our awards is an incredible honour. It’s going to be a great year for the festival.”

The Malaspina Theatre on the Nanaimo Campus of Vancouver Island University will play host to the Festival on April 13th and 14th at 7PM. Building on the success of previous years, the 2012 show will be comprised of 12 -20 juried films.

Films should be submitted on MiniDV, DVD or VHS tape. Filmmakers may submit multiple entries, but each film requires a separate entry form and fee. Each film must be submitted separately (on a separate DVD etc.) and no filmmaker shall have more than 2 films selected for the show. The VISFF is a juried event with films receiving the distinction of official selection entitled to artist fees.

Entries must be dropped off or postmarked no later than February 1st 2012. Mail or drop off entries to The Nanaimo Arts Council in Nanaimo North-Town Centre or mail to #259, 4750 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 4K6

Entry forms and guideline are available at www.visff.com/submission/

For more information, email admin@visff.com or call 250-729-3947.

The 2012 Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF) hits the silver screen on April 13 and 14. Film lovers and festival fans are encouraged to come out on December 1st to help support filmmakers who are hard at work finishing their films for the February 1 submission deadline. As part of the festival’s focus on supporting local artists, all the filmmakers who are selected for the show in April will receive artist fees to help offset the costs of their films.

“Funds raised at the December 1 fundraiser at the Firehouse Grill will go towards artist fees for local filmmakers,” said Festival Director Johnny Blakeborough. “We strongly believe in supporting local film with financial support for their creative ideas. This this fundraising party will help us maintain a healthy and active film community on Vancouver Island.”

The fundraising party is a semi-formal old Hollywood theme (dress up if you like), as is the festival in April, with entertainment provided by musician Flashback Freddie who will be entertaining the crowd with songs from the fifties and sixties. Tickets are $20 and available at the Firehouse Grill, Lucid, Elephant Room and the Nanaimo Arts Council. Included in the cost of the ticket is a sushi appetizer and a drink. The Firehouse Grill is the official restaurant sponsor of the 2012 VISFF.

The VISFF celebrates its seventh anniversary in 2012. This an annual event brings filmmakers and film goers together and continues to be the only short film festival on Vancouver Island that focuses on local talent. Building on the success of previous years, the 2012 show will be comprised of 12 -20 juried films.

“Our main goal is to turn the spotlight on our talented local filmmakers”, said festival director Johnny Blakeborough. “More than anything, this festival is for them. It’s an opportunity to show their films in front of a large audience.”

The fundraising party at the Firehouse Grill takes place from 7-10 pm on December 1. Tickets are $20.

The deadline for entering a film into the 2012 VISFF is February 1, 2012. For more information, email admin@visff.com or call 250-729-3947.

The Malaspina Theatre on the Nanaimo Campus of Vancouver Island University will play host to the festival on April 13^th and 14^th at 7PM. Building on the success of previous years, the 2012 show will be comprised of 12 -20 juried films.

The festival is open to all genres of films that are 12 minutes in length or less, including credits. In past years, the VISFF only accepted films of 10 minutes or less, but this year, the organizers have decided to extend the time limit. “In previous years, judges couldn’t select some great films that ran over the ten minute limit,” said Meg Fulton, VISFF Submissions Coordinator. “We still love a film that can tell a story in just a few minutes, but we hope this extension will aid the filmmakers in their creative process.”

The deadline for entry is February 1, 2012. Films should be submitted on MiniDV, DVD or VHS tape. Filmmakers may submit multiple entries, but each film requires a separate entry form and fee. Each film must be submitted separately (on a separate DVD etc.) and no filmmaker shall have more than 2 films selected for the show. The VISFF is a juried event with films receiving the distinction of official selection entitled to artist fees. For more information regarding submitting films, visit visff.com for entry forms and festival guidelines.

The 2012 festival sees the return of the Shorter Pitch for a Short Film Competition and the Filmmakers Q&A. In 2011 the Shorter Pitch for a Short Film Competition was popular with the audience and contestants.  Prospective filmmakers compete to win the audience’s favour, pitching their concept for a short film for a chance for cash toward the production of their project. This year’s festival will also include a Filmmakers Q&A. Listening to a filmmaker speak passionately about their work is always rewarding. The Q&A is your chance to engage in a dialogue by asking questions of local filmmakers.

Now in its 7^th exciting year, the VISFF is a hugely successful event that celebrates local talent. Building on the success of six previous years, the festival continues to support local talent by providing filmmakers with an opportunity to screen their films in front of an audience. The festival has a commitment to rewarding local filmmakers that produce outstanding work in their films. Cash awards for outstanding films will be given out in several categories, including best film.

“Our main goal is to turn the spotlight on our talented local filmmakers”, said festival director Johnny Blakeborough. “More than anything, this festival is for them. It’s an opportunity to show their films in front of a large audience.”

Drop off entries at the Nanaimo Arts Council in Nanaimo North-Town Centre or mail to #259, 4750 Rutherford Road, Nanaimo, BC, V9T 4K6. Entry forms and festival guidelines are here.  For more information, email admin@visff.com or call 250-729-3947.

Click here for a high resolution poster.