TORONTO, July 17, 2013 /CNW/ - RBC and TIFF today announced the five
finalists for the 2013 RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition. Now in its
fourth year, the competition asked filmmakers to develop a one to five
minute short film on the topic of 'memory'. The 2013 RBC Emerging
Filmmakers Competition finalists are:
Rafael Balulu, Tel Aviv, Israel
MY NAME IS SOLOMON HAGOS - My name is Solomon Hagos. I am from Eritrea.
In Eritrea, I was forcibly recruited to Sawa military training base
against my will. I left the country illegally to escape these harsh
conditions. If I am returned to Eritrea, they will imprison me, torture
me, and maybe even kill me.
Kevan Funk, Vancouver, Canada
DESTROYER - A young athlete struggles with the weight of witnessing his
fellow teammates commit an act of violence.
Mako Kamitsuna, Los Angeles, United States
THE LULL BREAKER - A housewife, a victim of domestic violence, relives a
childhood trauma that initiated her to an act of vengeance.
Dan Popa, Montreal, Canada
TALES OF SANTA FE - A traveler shares his impressions of a city through
a photographic journey into his fragmented past.
Christoph Rainer, Vienna, Austria
REQUIEM FOR A ROBOT - Tortured by a recurring nightmare, an alcoholic
robot has nothing left but a corrupt memory. In order to find out what
has happened, he returns to his creator.
The finalists have been selected by a panel of esteemed jurors of
directors and producers. The five emerging artists were chosen from a
group of up-and-coming filmmakers who participated in TIFF Talent Lab,
a four-day intensive lab during the Toronto International Film Festival
that offers hands-on, artistic development opportunities. Each
filmmaker was given a $500 bursary donated by RBC to make a one to five
minute short film.
The winner and honourable mentions will be announced September 4, 2013
at a news conference prior to the start of the Toronto International
Film Festival. The winner will receive $20,000 and the honourable
mention will receive $10,000.
"Each year, we are excited to see the thoughtful, creative and
interesting films that are produced for the RBC Emerging Filmmakers
Competition," said Jennifer Tory, RBC's regional president for Greater
Toronto. "TIFF plays an integral role in promoting up-and-coming
filmmakers in Canada and abroad. We are enthusiastic about lending our
support to grassroots arts programs."
"The RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition is an annual celebration of the
works of artists to watch," said Piers Handling, Director and CEO,
TIFF. "We are proud to partner with RBC who, through this competition
and through their many initiatives, continue to focus on and support
emerging artists in Canada."
The panel of esteemed jurors for 2013 include:
Jennifer Baichwal, a Montreal-born documentary producer and director, has been recognized
with awards for her films at home and abroad including: Let it Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998) Manufactured Landscapes (2006) and most recently Payback (2012).
Atif Ghani, born in Edmonton, is currently working on his fourth feature film, Anima State. His previous works include two foreign language films; The Last Thakur (2008) and Leaving Baghdad (2010) and his most recent film, Ill Manors premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012.
Ruba Nadda is a Canadian film director born in Montreal, who has made many
short-films that received international recognition before moving to
feature films. In 2009, her film Cairo Time won Best Canadian Feature film at the Festival.
André Rouleau is a producer and founder of Caramel Films. He is best known for his box
office successes: Funkytown (2011), Goon (2011) and Starbuck (2011).
About RBC and the Arts
RBC supports a wide-range of grassroots and local initiatives that
contribute to the cultural fabric of our communities. Through the RBC
Emerging Artist Project, RBC provides opportunities for up-and-coming
artists through programs such as the RBC Canadian Painting Competition
and the RBC Emerging Filmmakers Competition. In 2012, RBC contributed
more than $95 million to causes worldwide, including donations and
community investments of more than $64 million and $31 million in
sponsorships. For more information, please visit rbc.com.
About TIFF
TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform
the way people see the world through film. An international leader in
film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International
Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five
cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities;
and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The
organization generates an annual economic impact of $170 million CAD.
TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including
Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of
Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi
Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more
information, visit tiff.net.
SOURCE: RBC
