In partnership with Canadian Heritage/Canada150, Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier21, RBC, Bell Media/CTV Atlantic, NFB (National Film Board of Canada) and Telefilm Canada, ‘From Away’ is a film competition for Atlantic Canadian post-secondary students produced by the Atlantic Film Festival as part of Canada’s 150th Anniversary of Confederation.
The film competition and program presents a multi-faceted opportunity to showcase Atlantic Canada's next generation of visual storytellers. Post-secondary student filmmakers are encouraged to examine, explore or celebrate Canada as home as both a concrete and abstract space - a landscape, a person, a feeling, and a memory - through the medium of film. The challenge will be to construct their own interpretation of the nation that surrounds them and how immigration has shaped their place within it – connecting audiences with Canada’s past and present.
“We are so excited to be joining with the Government of Canada and our incredible partners to put a spotlight on the next generation of Atlantic Canadian filmmakers in a unique and once-in-a-lifetime national event,” said Wayne Carter, Executive Director, Atlantic Film Festival. “As we celebrate Canada’s 150th, the opportunity for these films to be shown to festival audiences nationally provides a real world launching pad for film students telling stories of the global community that inhabits the best country in the world.”
“The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 is delighted to partner with the Atlantic Film Festival on the 2017 ‘From Away’ Film Competition. This competition provides a valuable outlet for new Atlantic Canadian filmmakers to connect with an audience,” said Marie Chapman, Chief Executive Officer. “As a museum of stories, we understand the need to tell stories that reflect Canada’s diverse immigration experience.”
The ‘From Away’ program, featuring the multi-faceted celebration of filmmaking and Canadian identity through the Film Competition, will also include a Film Festival Gala Screening Celebration, an Atlantic Canada-wide school tour, community screenings and online presentations.
Interested filmmakers must be currently enrolled in an Atlantic Canadian post-secondary institution and/or be an Atlantic Canadian post-secondary student.
Films must not exceed ten minutes in length and in instances where multiple languages are used those films must feature English subtitles. The deadline for submissions is Friday, June 30, 2017.
For more information on the competition and to submit a film, visit: http://www.atlanticfilm.com/from-away-film-competition
Regional film industry professionals will jury the Film Competition and ten finalists will be chosen to present their films at the 37th Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, September 14 - 21, 2017. Finalists will be awarded full AFF registration and a travel bursary with selected films being awarded additional prizes. The Grand Prize winner and a guest will attend the Opening Night Gala at TIFF 2018 as VIP guests of RBC.
Finalists will also participate in an Atlantic Canadian regional screening tour for youth as well as an online festival, creating opportunities for engagement, discussion and participation throughout the Atlantic region and beyond.
About the Atlantic Film Festival
The Atlantic Film Festival is an eight-day celebration of film, media and music from around the world. Celebrating 37 years in 2017, the Atlantic Film Festival began as a tiny, grassroots operation in St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1981, relocating to Halifax the following year. Just three and half decades later, the Atlantic Film Festival has blossomed into one of Canada’s premier film festivals. Providing an immersive escape and celebration for movie lovers, filmmakers and industry professionals worldwide, the Atlantic Film Festival is Atlantic Canada’s curator of epic and unforgettable stories.
Beyond our eight-day cornerstone event in September, the Atlantic Film Festival celebrates the experience of film, year-round through programs including, ViewFinders: Atlantic Film Festival for Youth, the AFF Outdoor Film Experience, Strategic Partners and Reel East Coast.
Receive the most up-to-date information about the Atlantic Film Festival and its Family of Programs, including sneak peeks and festival highlights online at our website: atlanticfilm.com, our Facebook page: /atlanticfilmfestival, our Twitter account: /thefilmfest #FromAway, our LinkedIn company page: linkedin.com/company/atlantic-film-festival, our Youtube channel: youtube.com/user/atlanticfilmdotcom, and our Instagram account: thefilmfest.