New Film Series Launches on National Canadian Film Day
byNetflix and REEL CANADA are set to launch a short film series on National Canadian Film Day (“NCFD”), April 21, 2021. They have have joined forces to create a cinematic snapshot of the country as we emerge from the pandemic, engaging up-and-coming film talent to create eleven short films under the banner of Light(s) at the End of the Tunnel.
National Canadian Film Day
- When: April 21, 2021
- Where: Online
- Tickets: Tune into a variety of online streaming sites. There will be great Canadian films on CBC, CBC Gem, Encore+, Netflix, Hollywood Suite, Crave, the NFB and the many others listed on the website.
The eleven Light(s) at the End of the Tunnel films, streaming on the NCFD website, run between one and six minutes and are created by fifteen young filmmakers identified as rising stars by a range of industry leaders.
The young filmmakers were selected by REEL CANADA staff and advisors, including board members Atom Egoyan and Veronica Tennant; Don McKellar; Ariel Smith (nēhiyaw); Tom McSorley (director of the Canadian Film Institute); and NFB animation producers Jelena Popović and Maral Mohammadian. Diverse both culturally and geographically, the film creators hail from Vancouver, Regina, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Montreal, Halifax, and Pabineau First Nation (NB).
“Canadians from coast to coast have deeply felt the impacts of the last year in all areas of their lives,” said Stéphane Cardin, Director of Policy for Netflix Canada. “This initiative is giving a voice to a broad range of Canadian filmmakers during an important period in our country’s history and we look forward to sharing their stories with the world.”
The short films include animation (4), live action (5), and documentaries (2). Each project received $10,000 cash. Production equipment was generously contributed by William F. White International (and MELS for Quebec-based projects).
Light(s) at the End of the Tunnel: Film Lineup
- 5:1 Director: Sara Ben-Saud | documentary
- 7h59 Director: Mattias Graham | documentary
- Divination Directors: Simon “Paul M” Mutabazi & Dan Boos | live-action
- Le givre de Bobby-Yves Directors: Bogdan Anifrani & Ranee Inez | animation
- I’ve Got Blisters on My Fingers Director: Ryan Steel | live-action
- In bedrooms only Light will touch Us Director: Alicia K. Harris | live-action
- Namid Directors: Victoria Anderson-Gardner & Sagi Kahane-Rapport | live-action / animation
- On Fire Director: Dylan Glynn | animation
- SARS-CoV-2 Director: Andrew Huculiak | live-action
- Shoot Your Shot Directors: Madison Thomas & Meegwun Fairbrother | live-action
- Tussle Director: Christopher Grant | animation
The Light(s) at the End of the Tunnel short film series will debut as part of National Canadian Film Day programming on the NCFD streaming platform. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this year’s program.
