Toronto, ON (November 23, 2018) — ACTRA production Reel Women Seen won the Best Short Film Award at the 2018 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival (ITWIFF) in Brooklyn, New York, which brings the total to four awards received by the ACTRA National Women’s Committee for this short film.
“Of the 255 films showcased at this year’s ITWIFF, what an honour for ours to be one of the 41 films recognized with an award this year by Brooklyn’s filmmaking community,” 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.”
Directed by Amanda Tapping and written by 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 multi-award-winning short film has been screened at over 30 festivals and events in Canada and around the world. The other three award wins include: the 2018 Jury Choice Award at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in Cannes, France; 2018 Best Director Award at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival; and the 2018 Festival Director Award (Short Film) at the Toronto Independent Film Festival. 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 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival
Imagine This (ITWIFF) is a Brooklyn-based women’s film festival devoted to showcasing the work of women storytellers from around the world. Bringing filmmakers and the community together for a rich experience.
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Media Contact: Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, tel: 416.644.1519, email: ctaverner@actra.ca