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The Vancouver Island Short Film Festival (VISFF) will be celebrating five years of local film excellence with a retrospective screening on February 11th, 2011.
This year’s festival will include a screening of award winning films that have been featured at the festival over the last 5 years and a live Pitch Contest where local filmmakers can pitch their short film ideas to the Festival audience with the winner receiving $500 towards the making of their next short film.
The VISFF, which is presented by the Nanaimo Arts council, has celebrated the best works by Vancouver Island Filmmakers since 2006 when it held a screening of short films by local filmmakers. In 2011, the festival enters its sixth year of serving Nanaimo’s community of filmmakers and film lovers. Approximately 90 films by local filmmakers have been screened at the festival to sold-out audiences.
“The Festival has been incredibly successful,” said Johnny Blakeborough, director of the VISFF. “We’ve been fortunate to screen so many great films and we felt it was time to look back and celebrate the best films of the last five years.”
New this year will be a VISFF 2011 live pitch contest – A Shorter Pitch for a Short Film – will have local filmmakers presenting their short film ideas before the live festival audience. Filmmakers are asked to submit a 250 word written pitch, summarizing their idea for a short film. A selection committee will pick the best eight pitches, with those selected presenting their idea to the festival audience on Feb. 11, 2011.
“We are very excited about the pitch contest” said Nanaimo Arts Council Manager, Odette Laramee, “This is an opportunity to envision a short film at its very beginning before the camera has started to roll. It’s a fun way to get filmmakers involved in the festival and will certainly engage the audience.”
The winner of the pitch contest will receive $500 towards the production of their short film. Live pitches can be made alone or in groups, with as many props as filmmakers would like, as long as the pitch is no longer than two minutes. The pitch contest is only open to residents of Vancouver Island. The VISFF is only accepting written pitches through their website at http://visff.com/pitch. Pitches will not be accepted by mail or in person. You must submit your written pitch before January 21, 2011, in order for it to be considered eligible.
Tickets for the VISFF are available at the Nanaimo Arts Council gallery in Nanaimo – North Town Centre, House of Indigo and the Nanaimo Art Gallery on the campus of Vancouver Island University. Tickets are $15. The festival will take place on Friday, February 11th, 2011 at 7 PM in Vancouver Island University’s – Malaspina Theatre.
Information on the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival is available on the website at www.visff.com or email mailto:admin@visff.com.
This year’s VISFF will be presented with the support of the provincial Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development and the Assembly of BC Arts Councils. The event will be held as part of the Spirit of Shadow / Spirit of Light: Multimedia Arts Festival which will include performances and events by Crimson Coast Dance Society, the Nanaimo Conservatory of Music, and the Snuneymuxw First Nation. Festival events will be presented each weekend in February. More information on those events will be made available early in the New Year.
For more information about the Spirit of Shadow / Spirit of Light: Multimedia Arts Festival contact Odette Laramee at the Nanaimo Arts Council admin@nanaimoartscouncil.co or 250-729-3947.