By Spencer Sterritt

Local short film fest has record-breaking year

Feb 9, 2017 | 4:21 PM

NANAIMO — What started as a local short film festival has expanded to one of worldwide renown having its most successful year ever.

This year, 112 films were submitted for the Vancouver Island Short Film Festival, which is 50 more than last year.

Coordinator Greg Brown said they weren’t prepared for the turnout and diversity this year but it was a pleasant and most welcome surprise.

He said it’s an exciting place for film makers to screen their work because they sell out the theatre, unlike most short film festivals which have smaller audiences.

“I don’t think there’s an event in Nanaimo quite like this, certainly not in the Central Island, that brings together such dramatically interesting and diverse work that represents a whole host of different genres,” he said. “It’s a really eclectic group of films.”

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With so many films coming from places as far flung as Iran and Spain, Brown said local film makers do feel outside pressure. It’s something he and other festival planners are trying to tackle to make sure local artists still have a place to show their work.

“We want to honour both the past of the festival and the history of what we’ve grown out of, but also we want to make sure the local film makers have a chance to screen their films.”

The short film Reproductive Cycles was created by John Gardiner from Nanaimo. Vancouver film maker Olivia Lindgren submitted her piece Drifter.

Money raised by tickets goes towards film makers and also the prizes which will be handed out Saturday night.

It will also be used for a new initiative called Pitch-A-Flick. Young film makers will get to pitch their short film ideas to a selection committee. The winning pitch will receive $1,000 and a mentorship from a local film maker to produce the pitch into a full short film.

The first screening is 7 p.m. Friday night at VIU’s Nanaimo campus, with two showings Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.

-with files from Dominic Abassi

spencer.sterritt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit