Emerging Director Veronika Kurz Stands Out in Tight Competition for the 2017 MPPIA Short Film Award
The Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia (MPPIA), Creative BC and the Whistler Film Festival are pleased to congratulate Veronika Kurz on her winning pitch for short film project 20 Minutes to Life.
DGC-BC Executive Director Kendrie Upton moderated a jury of filmmaking professionals, Producer Peter Harvey (Cannon, Mobile Homes ), Director/Writer Eisha Marjara (Venus) and Producer/Actor Jameson Parker (Prodigals). The jury heard and provided feedback on project pitches from four emerging directors:
Jessie Anthony,The Last Cigarette
Veronika Kurz,20 Minutes to Life
Joel Salaysay,What You Take With You
Morgan Tams,Cruel Sister
Now in its eleventh cycle, the MPPIA Short Film Award has become a highlight on the annual Whistler Film Festival calendar, as some of BC’s brightest emerging directors vie on stage before a jury of industry professionals for the sought after filmmaking prize.
The MPPIA Short Film Award winner receives a $15,000 cash award plus in-kind production support resources worth up to $100,000 for her/his short film project to be completed within one year of receiving the Award. The completed project will premiere at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival, taking place Nov. 28 ‘ Dec 2, 2018.
The Motion Picture Production Industry Association of BC (MPPIA) is a member-based, non-profit society established in April 2002 to grow, diversify and promote a competitive and sustainable motion picture production industry in British Columbia.
Creative BC is a non-profit society established by the provincial government in 2013. Their mandate is to provide the programs, services and expertise needed to expand and diversify British Columbia’s creative industries, stimulate investment and employment in the creative sector and promote BC’s creative content and production capabilities both at home and in the global marketplace.
TheWhistler Film Festival Society (WFFS) is a cultural charitable organization dedicated to furthering the art of film by providing programs that focus on the discovery, development and promotion of new talent culminating with a must attend festival for artists, the industry and audiences in Whistler. WFFS produces one of Canada’s leading film festivals and plays a leadership role in offering professional and project development programs for filmmakers. The 2017 Whistler Film Festival runs November 29th to December 3rd.
The MPPIA Short Film Award is made possible by the above organizations as well as the generous support and contributions of the British Columbia motion picture production community.