TORONTO – CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival (WSFF) presented 10 awards and over $60,000 in cash and prizes to this year’s top filmmakers at the 2009 CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival Awards Picnic. Offering one of the largest prize packages for short film in the world, the WSFF honoured this year’s exceptional filmmakers in the presence of over 400 industry delegates and filmmakers from around the globe.
One of only three Canadian festivals accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, WSFF Canadian award winners are eligible for Genie Awards, while winners of the awards for Best Live-Action Short and Best Animated Short become eligible for the Academy Awards.
The C.O.R.E Digital Pictures Award For Best Live Action Short was awarded to Nicolas Silhol (France) for his psychological drama, MY NAME IS DOMINIC (TOUS LES ENFANTS S’APPELLENT DOMINIQUE) garnering him $5000 in cash and eligibility for the 2009 Academy Awards®. An Honourable Mention was handed out to Joost Van Ginkel (Netherlands) for SAND (ZAND), a heart-wrenching story of a father and daughter separated through divorce.
Aparna Kapur received The Jackson-Triggs Award For Best Emerging Canadian Filmmaker and a cash prize of $5,000 for AMMA, the richly animated story of a girl’s bond with her grandmother. Honourable Mention went to Joseph Johnson Cami & Ayelen Liberona for BECOMING, an experimental dance/action hybrid.
The Kodak Award for Best Cinematography in a Canadian Short was presented to Cinematographer Miroslaw Baszak for the visually stunning THE WATER along with a digital camera package valued at $800. An Honourable Mention went to Director/Cinematographer Pedro Pires for his dance of death experimental DANSE MACABRE.
Best Animated Short honour and a Sony digital camcorder went to Hanna Heilborn and David Aronowitsch (Sweden/Denmark)for the powerful and haunting documentary SLAVES.
Best Canadian Short and a Sony digital camcorder was captured by director Ky Nam Le Duc for the compelling drama LAND OF MEN (TERRE DES HOMMES).
The Best Experimental Short honour along with a Sony digital video camcorder, went to Pedro Pires for DANSE MACABRE (Canada). An Honourable Mention went to director Servane Phillips and Nathalie Robison (Canada) for INSCAPE.
Best Documentary Short honour and a Sony digital video camcorder went to Rhys Graham for his fascinating documentary SKIN (Australia).
For the second year, CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival is pleased to present awards for Best Performance in a Live-Action Short. The Best Performance prize (Female) goes to Leora Rivlin for WIND CHIMES (Israel), Best Performance Prize (Male) to Jack Wouterse for SAND (ZAND) (Netherlands) and Best Performance Prize (Ensemble) to Kil-ho Kim & Tae-hoon Lee for AULD LANG SYNE (South Korea).
And finally, the Screenplay Giveaway Prize, a package of goods and services worth over $50,000 was awarded to Kate Hewlett for her script “SHE SAID LENNY”. The prize includes post-production services at Deluxe Laboratories and studio rental from Centennial College @Wallace Studios, along with film stock from Kodak, two programming passes to WIFT-T, legal advice from Heenan Blaikie Barristers and Solicitors and story editing courtesy of Super Channel.