Toronto – Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund (“Fund”), in association with premium pay television networks Astral's The Movie Network and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central, today announces the re-launch of the “Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund's Shorts-to-Features Program” to encourage emerging Canadian filmmaking talent.
Previously called the “Short Film Program,” the initiative has been renamed to further reinforce the connection between the calling card short and the feature film version. New to the program is a boost in funding from the addition of Movie Central, additional script-development support from The Fund, and the potential of additional financial support from various Provincial agencies and production service providers.
“Last year's inaugural 'Short Film Program' was a huge hit and we received nearly 200 applications to support the next generation of Canadian feature filmmakers through an emphasis on helping create a short that will act as a calling card,” said John Galway, President, English-Language Program, Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund. “We made the effort this year to enhance the resources available to the filmmaking teams. We are thrilled to welcome Movie Central as well as Provincial agencies with complementary programs. Various service providers have also offered cost effective production and marketing support.”
“Movie Central is proud to champion young filmmakers and bolster the Canadian film industry through the development of emerging talent,” said Jocelyn Hamilton, Vice President, Original Programming, Kids, Comedy, Drama, Corus Entertainment. “We look forward to supporting the brightest talent in short films.”
Three prizes of $30,000 each are available, consisting of a contribution from Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund and Pay-TV broadcast license fees from The Movie Network and Movie Central. The Fund is also offering an additional $10,000 script development loan for the feature film project associated with the short. Additional provincial support and in-kind production support is also available.
Interested applicants are encouraged to go to Astral's website for full guidelines. Applications are due by June 5, 2013.
The 2012 Short Film Program winners were: Honor Code from writer/director Pascal Trottier and producer Paul Lenart; Little Pig from writer/director Spencer Maybee and producer Tara Woodbury; and Supernova from director Peter Mishara, writer Jane Maggs and producer Alex Lalonde.
The Fund has been a long-standing supporter of industry training, project development and promotional initiatives. In addition to the Fund's Script Development and Equity Investment Programs, the Industry Initiatives Program invests $200,000 each year in the Canadian film and television industry. Funded by The Movie Network and Viewer's Choice, this program is reviewed annually by the English-Language Committee, including Suzette Couture, Damon D'Oliveira, Melanie Friesen, John Galway, Bryn Matthews, Jane Tattersall and Kevin Wright.
The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - The Movie Network, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. All five multiplex channels are also simulcast in High Definition and are joined by The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada; TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to BellTV, Rogers and Videotron subscribers; and TMN GO, a video streaming service currently available to Bell TV and Cogeco Cable subscribers. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca.
Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund and The Movie Network are members of the Astral family. Founded in 1961, Astral is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates several of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com.
Movie Central is a commercial-free premium pay TV service available in western Canada. Movie Central premieres the best in Hollywood, international and Canadian films across nine 24-hour movie channels, including dedicated high-definition feeds, a Movie Central On Demand service and exclusive HBO content on HBO Canada. Movie Central is also the first window for Showtime content and home to cutting-edge Canadian series. A major force in the Canadian independent film and television production industry, Movie Central, through The Corus Made with Pay Fund, supports many critically-acclaimed and award-winning Canadian series and films. Visit the Movie Central website at www.moviecentral.ca.
Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc. (CJR.B), a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing, children's animation and animation software. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment