Village Gamer

The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is calling on filmmakers across the country to show audiences the contribution movies make in our lives with The REEL Challenge: Movies Matter – The Big Picture. A grand prize of $10,000 will be awarded, with a runner-up prize of $5,000. The contest runs until January 26, 2014.

Movies matter.  Let’s look at the big picture. Not only do movies transport us to places of past, present and future – challenging us to see the world as it was or as it could be, and inspiring us to believe in movie magic – but they are the product of the tens of thousands of Canadians who play an integral part in taking a film from a simple idea to your living room or local theatre.

“Initiatives like The REEL Challenge are important because they highlight the sheer volume of people working to make movies happen,” said Slawko Klymkiw, CFC’s CEO. “There are jobs beyond the director and the star that often go unnoticed. Without all the individuals involved, our economy would not be as vibrant as it is today.”

As evidenced in the The Economic Contribution of the Film and Television Sector in Canada report (July 2013) commissioned by the Motion Picture Association – Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Media Production Association, and conducted by Nordicity, in 2011 the film and television sector supported 262,700 full time equivalent jobs, while contributing over $5 billion to the Canadian economy through production and distribution alone. From special effects studios and soundstages that create jobs, to film festivals that bring in tourists and all of the jobs and people that are supported by the film industry, movies are more than just entertainment.

Video submissions should be under sixty seconds in length. All genres are accepted. The contest is open to all Canadian residents, excluding Quebec residents, who have reached the age of majority in their province of residence at the time of entering. Prizes will be awarded to the contestants whose submissions best capture the theme of this year’s contest, Movies Matter: The Big Picture, and are considered the most engaging, imaginative and innovative in content and delivery. Visit The REEL Challenge site for full contest details

The REEL Challenge is an initiative of the Canadian Film Centre, supported by the Copyright Collective of Canada, and administered by iThentic.