Congratulations to the award winners of the 2016 Reel Shorts Film Festival! These films were showcased in the Best of the Fest package presented by Big Country and Hansen Ford Lincoln. For a pdf of the 56-page program, click here. You can watch two of the award-winning films below!
Jury members (from right to left) Andrew Scholotiuk from Edmonton, Mark Sawers from Vancouver, and Scott Belyea from Vancouver selected the following winners from the 81 films that were eligible for juried awards:
- Best Animated Short – The OceanMaker, a 10-minute film from Belize and the United States written, produced, and directed by Lucas Martell and produced by Christina Martell. Above, Chris Wall of Hansen Ford Lincoln presents Lucas (left) and Christina with their award. Scroll down to watch their film.
- Best Documentary Short – The House is Innocent, a 12-minute film from the United States produced and directed by Nicholas Coles
- Best Live Action Short Under 13 Minutes – The Jacket (Die Jacke), a 9-minute film from Austria written, produced, and directed by Patrick Vollrath
- Best Live Action Short 13+ Minutes – Wolf Head (Guele de loup), a 25-minute film from France written and directed by Alice Vial
- Best Peace Region Short – The Souvenir, a 7-minute film written, produced, and directed by Chris Beauchamp (from right to left in the photo below) and Gordie Haakstad. The award and a $250 cash prize were presented by Erin Wells (second from the left) at the Peace Region & Guest Encore package presented by Decca Industries. Erin made all of the juried and audience choice awards from 3/4″ aluminum on Decca’s waterjet cutting table.
- Audience Choice Award – Discipline, a 12-minute film from Switzerland written and directed by Christophe M. Saber
- Youth Audience Choice Award – Dji. Death Sails, a 5-minute film from the Republic of Moldova directed by Dmitri Voloshin. See below to watch his film.
Frantic48 jury members Eric Durnford from Calgary (from right to left in the photo below), Scott Belyea from Vancouver, and Sharon Stevens from Calgary (second from the left) selected the three juried award winners from the 13 eligible films:
- Frantic48 Best Film – Anyone Out There? by the Bourbon & Scotch Team led by Chris Beauchamp and Gordie Haakstad who received an award and a $250 cash prize presented by Sharon Stevens, Executive Director of AMAAS (Alberta Media Arts Alliance Society
- Frantic48 Audience Choice Award – Anyone Out There? by the Bourbon & Scotch Team led by Chris Beauchamp and Gordie Haakstad who received an award and a $250 cash prize
Audience votes determined the winners of the following awards:
- Frantic48 Best 1st Time Team – Friday Special by the Hen House team led by (from left to right in the photo below) Richard Podsada, Laura Beauchamp, and Robin Sissons who received a $250 cash prize presented by PRIMAA (Peace Region Independent Media Arts Association)
- Frantic48 Best Youth Film – Gestalt by the Young Life team led by Ezra Wood (left) and Josh Mervyn (right) who received a $250 cash prize and a gift basket from the County of Grande Prairie No. 1
Watch these award-winning films!
Our Awards
Grande Prairie sculptor Grant Berg (left in the photo below) designed the award that winners receive. On the right is Mack McDonald of Decca Industries in Clairmont who turned Grant’s vision into reality. The base was made by D.R. Sales Woodworking in Grande Prairie, so in every respect it’s a creation of the Peace Region like the film festival itself. The design reflects the fact that the festival takes place in Grande Prairie which is known as the Swan City because trumpeter swans return to the city and surrounding area every spring to nest, and its flame shape symbolizes the passion of the people who put on the festival every year and the filmmakers whose work we celebrate.
Thanks!
Thanks to all of the funders and sponsors who made the fest possible, and thanks to everyone who came out and made our 10th festival the best one yet! Below, filmmakers Chris Beauchamp (left) and Gordie Haakstad (right) with Skinless (Hudløs) Actress Kristiane Nerdrum Bøgwald from Oslo, Norway display their posters which Chris designed. A huge thank you to Laura Beauchamp for the photos!
