Toronto, ON (November 13, 2018) — ACTRA production Reel Women Seen was honoured with the Toronto Independent Film Festival’s 2018 Festival Director Award (Short Film).
“I thank the festival organizers of the Toronto Independent Film Festival for this award and for allowing us to share our film with the Toronto community,” said Reel Women Seen director Amanda Tapping.
“What an honour for our film to be recognized here in Toronto,” said Reel Women Seen producer Heather Allin. “We started our project to raise awareness of the inequalities that exist in our industry both at home in Canada and around the world. Everyone who worked so tirelessly on the film has been touched by the reception it has received and the changes it inspires.”
Written by screenwriter Elvira Kurt, Reel Women Seen is a nation-wide collaborative effort of the ACTRA National Women’s Committee that takes a comedic look at how women are underrepresented in all areas of screen-based media, most notably: as protagonists; behind the scenes in creative, writing and directorial roles; and in key technical roles. While telling the stories of realities faced by women in the film and television industry, the film also shows solutions for change.
To date, the short film has been screened at over 30 festivals and events in Canada and around the world and has now won three awards – the first being the 2018 Jury Choice Award at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in Cannes, France, this past May and the second the 2018 Best Director Award at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival this past July. For a complete list of past and upcoming screenings as well as cast/crew information, please visit www.actra.ca/reelwomenseen.
About the ACTRA National Women’s Committee
The ACTRA National Women’s Committee has a mandate to explore the issues of all female ACTRA Members, raise awareness of these issues, and support women both within ACTRA and the industry.
About ACTRA
ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is the national union of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of over 25,000 members across the country – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.
About Toronto Independent Film Festival
The Toronto Independent Film Festival presents the best of low-budget filmmaking from around the world and mixes it up with relevant industry discussions and targeted social networking events.
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Media Contact: Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, tel: 416.644.1519, email: ctaverner@actra.ca