Reel Shorts Film Festival

The Reel Shorts Film Festival, held annually in Grande Prairie, Alberta since 2007, is recognized as one of North America's best short film festivals. Its programming focus is short-form cinematic storytelling, screening "gems of storytelling brilliance" from around the world, across Canada, and in the Peace Region. The purpose is twofold: to entertain, educate, and engage audiences; and to grow the film-making community in the Peace Region by inspiring, developing, and showcasing its filmmakers. Thousands of submissions are received annually from which 80-105 short films are selected. It is a qualifying festival for the Canadian Screen Awards. HistoryTerry Scerbak founded the festival as a production of Grande Prairie Live Theatre in 2007. In 2016, she was one of the founding members of the Reel Shorts Film Society which took over the production of the festival in 2017 with the full support and cooperation of the GPLT Board of Directors. The festival's program has grown from 3 days screening 38 films in 2007 to 6-8 days screening 80-105 films since 2014. The 12th edition of the festival will be May 8-14, 2018. Film ProductionsIn the summer of 2012, the festival produced a short film as part of Shoot for Reel, a collaboration between the festival, Grande Prairie Regional College, and Ricebrain Media, a Vancouver film company whose president (Scott Belyea) grew up in Grande Prairie. The Horizon Project, the short film that Belyea directed during the 11 days of Shoot for Reel, premiered at the 7th Reel Shorts Film Festival in 2013.

The Reel Shorts Film Festival, held annually in Grande Prairie, Alberta since 2007, is recognized as one of North America's best short film festivals. Its programming focus is short-form cinematic storytelling, screening "gems of storytelling brilliance" from around the world, across Canada, and in the Peace Region. The purpose is twofold: to entertain, educate, and engage audiences; and to grow the film-making community in the Peace Region by inspiring, developing, and showcasing its filmmakers. Thousands of submissions are received annually from which 80-105 short films are selected. It is a qualifying festival for the Canadian Screen Awards. HistoryTerry Scerbak founded the festival as a production of Grande Prairie Live Theatre in 2007. In 2016, she was one of the founding members of the Reel Shorts Film Society which took over the production of the festival in 2017 with the full support and cooperation of the GPLT Board of Directors. The festival's program has grown from 3 days screening 38 films in 2007 to 6-8 days screening 80-105 films since 2014. The 12th edition of the festival will be May 8-14, 2018. Film ProductionsIn the summer of 2012, the festival produced a short film as part of Shoot for Reel, a collaboration between the festival, Grande Prairie Regional College, and Ricebrain Media, a Vancouver film company whose president (Scott Belyea) grew up in Grande Prairie. The Horizon Project, the short film that Belyea directed during the 11 days of Shoot for Reel, premiered at the 7th Reel Shorts Film Festival in 2013.