Visitor Info
Information about hotel accommodation, car rental, and area attractions can be found here.
Program
A pdf of the 48-page program can be found here.
Calendar
Please see the festival schedule below which includes the 12 weekday daytime screenings for schools ($6/person booked in advance) that the public can also attend ($6 admission at the door).
Fest Pass – $59 ($49 students)
No need to buy individual tickets! With a Fest Pass, you’re a VIP and have access to every screening, Q&A session, and party from Monday morning, May 7 (school screenings) to Monday evening, May 14 (Best of the Fest). It does not include registration in the Documentary 101 workshop or the Acting for the Camera workshop. Enjoy a dozen or more film packages including the Pizza Party & Psycho Shorts horror package ($25), the Best of the Fest package ($15), and the Frantic48 films at no extra charge! See the schedule below.
Tickets
Tickets to individual film packages are available to buy online. See the schedule below followed by an explanation of the age ratings followed by a great 2-minute promo reel of the 2017 festival created by Jimber Jam Studios. Big thanks to Monty Simo for the trailer above!
School Program
Six film packages for schools ($6/person) – presented by Capstan Hauling – are available to book by emailing Terry at terry@reelshorts.ca. Homeschool families and members of the public are welcome to attend – admission is $6/person at the door. The films in these packages have been evaluated by teachers on the programming team to ensure that they have ties to curriculum and are age appropriate. School screenings take place Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 11 as well as Mon, May 14. More information can be found at 2018 School Program.
Venues
Find more information about venues here.
Festival Schedule
Sat-Sun, May 5-6
Ernie Radbourne Pavilion
- 10:00am – 5:00pm both days: Documentary 101 workshop taught by Dominique Keller – presented by Community Futures Grande Prairie; 16+; $129 ($99 students)
Mon, May 7
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 9:30am: Cinema Francophone (Gr 9-12 French) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 14+ (Coarse Language, Violence); $6
- 1:00pm: Critter Tales (Gr 1-3) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
Tues, May 8
Douglas J. Cardinal Theatre, GPRC
- 9:30am: Critter Tales (Gr 1-3) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 7:30pm: Friends & Lovers – presented by Q99; 14+ (Coarse Language, Sexual Content, Mature Subject Matter); $12 ($8 students)
- 9:30pm: Opening Night Party (all ages) – Encore Lounge (upstairs at GPLT)
Wed, May 9
Douglas J. Cardinal Theatre, GPRC
- 9:30am: World of Wonder (Gr 4-6) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
- 12:30pm: Fire & Ice (Gr 6-9) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 10+ (Coarse Language, Nudity, Not Recommended for Young Children); $6
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 7:30pm: A Passionate Eye – presented by Q99 and MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual; 10+ (Coarse Language); $12 ($8 students)
Crown & Anchor Pub
- 10:00pm: Pub Party at the Crown & Anchor Pub; 18+
Thur, May 10
Douglas J. Cardinal Theatre, GPRC
- 9:30am: At Risk (Gr 9-12 Social Studies) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 14+ (Coarse Language, Violence); $6
- 12:30pm: The Sky’s the Limit (Gr 9-12 English/Languages) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 14+ (Coarse Language, Violence); $6
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 1:00pm: World of Wonder (Gr 4-6) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
- 7:30pm: Crime & Punishment; 14+ (Coarse Language, Sexual Violence); $12 ($8 students)
MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual
- 10:00pm: After-Party at MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual (all ages)
Fri, May 11
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 10:45am: At Risk (Gr 9-12 Social Studies) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 14+ (Coarse Language, Violence); $6
- 1:30pm: The Sky’s the Limit (Gr 9-12 English/Languages) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 14+ (Coarse Language, Violence); $6
- 6:30pm: All in the Family – presented by Oliver’s Funeral Home; 14+ (Coarse Language, Sexual Content, Mature Subject Matter); $12 ($8 students)
- 9:30pm: Psycho Shorts & Pizza Party (pizza at 9:30pm; horror shorts at 10:15pm) – presented by Pizza Hut; 14+ (Coarse Language, Gory Violence, Sexual Content); $25 (includes pizza and pop); cash bar
Sat, May 12
Ernie Radbourne Pavilion
- 1:00pm – 4:00pm: Acting for the Camera workshop taught by Alex Zahara; 16+; $50 ($40 students)
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 1:30pm: School Favorites – Sprouts; 5+; $12 ($8 students)
- 4:00pm: School Favorites – Saplings; 10+; $12 ($8 students)
- 7:30pm: Best of the Fest – presented by Big Country and Sandman Hotel; 14+; $15 ($10 students)
- 9:30pm: Festival Wrap Party (all ages) – Encore Lounge (upstairs at GPLT)
Sun, May 13
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 3:30pm: Frantic48 – presented by Decca Industries; 14+; $12 ($8 students)
- 6:30pm: Frantic48 – presented by Decca Industries; 14+; $12 ($8 students)
- 8:30pm: Frantic48 Celebration Party (all ages) – Encore Lounge (upstairs at GPLT)
Mon, May 14
Grande Prairie Live Theatre
- 10:00am: Critter Tales (Gr 1-3) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
- 1:00pm: World of Wonder (Gr 4-6) – presented by Capstan Hauling; 5+; $6
- 7:30pm: Best of the Fest – presented by Big Country and Sandman Hotel; 14+; $15 ($10 students)
A Note on Ratings
The age ratings and advisories are provided by the festival’s programming team as a guideline only. Advisories relate to the age rating, therefore an advisory of 10+ (Nudity) could refer to an animated film that takes place in an art museum that has nude works of art. Many parents would be fine with their 10-year-old seeing such a film, whereas a film rated 14+ (Nudity, Sexual Content) could be considered by many parents to be inappropriate viewing even if the child is 14 years old although acceptable at age 16 or 17 (i.e. not so explicit as to be rated 18+). An advisory of 10+ (Mature Subject Matter) could refer to a child dealing with the death of a parent whereas an advisory of 14+ (Mature Subject Matter) could refer to a character who is contemplating suicide. The festival’s age rating system is similar but not identical to the following ratings used by Alberta Film Classification:
- 5+ – roughly equivalent to a G rating
- 10+ – roughly equivalent to a PG rating
- 14+ – roughly equivalent to a 14A rating
- 18+ – roughly equivalent to an 18A or R rating
Promo Reel
Thanks so much to Jimber Jam Studios for creating this promo reel for us!