ItSA国际影视传媒檚 lights, camera, action for aspiring Northern filmmakers looking to take home $20,000 in Bell MediaSA国际影视传媒檚 short film competition. 

The invites teams from the NWT, Yukon and Nunavut to submit a short film script of 10 pages or less, along with a director's vision statement and a brief synopsis of the five- to 10-minute film.  

A panel of representatives from each territory will review the submissions, along with the SA国际影视传媒� a division of Bell Media dedicated to supporting Canadian film and television.

With the majority of national funding opportunities going to experienced filmmakers, Camilla MacEachern, promotions manager of the NWT Film Commission, said the Northern Shorts competition is an opportunity for emerging producers to build their skills and make a nationally supported movie. 

MacEachern said the judges are looking to award the funding to unique scripts and solid teams. Often the director is also the writer and the producer, which is why the program encourages more defined roles to SA国际影视传媒渆venly distribute the work,SA国际影视传媒� SA国际影视传媒� though MacEachern acknowledges that's not always possible. 

The deadline for entries is Dec. 4, and winners will be announced four to six weeks later. 

The contest launched last year under the name SA国际影视传媒淗GF/Territories Short Film Program.SA国际影视传媒�

Mason Mantla was the first to win the NWT title with his film Nahga SA国际影视传媒� a short horror film that follows a dutiful Dene teen babysitter protecting her younger siblings from a shape-shifting, child-snatching monster. 

Alan Bacchus, program manager with the HGF, said as an agency of the Canadian film and television industry, the HGF is SA国际影视传媒渃ontinually seeking ways to elevate Canadian cinema and nurture the next generation of filmmakers.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淎udiences are always seeking new stories and fresh voices and there are exciting stories from the North not yet told, and terrific filmmakers in the North who may not have the resources to express their stories on film,SA国际影视传媒� Bacchus said. SA国际影视传媒淭his program seeks to find those stories and help bring them to screen.SA国际影视传媒�

The program is a partnership between the HGF, the NWT Film Commission, Yukon Media Development and the Nunavut Film Development Corporation. All agencies contribute to selecting the winners in their respective jurisdictions and to financing the projects. 

With the funding comes a mentorship component, as the HGF supports winning teams SA国际影视传媒渆very step of the way,SA国际影视传媒� MacEachern said.

The film and media sector is a SA国际影视传媒渧ery important contributor to the economy,SA国际影视传媒� she added. 

She explained guest producers, who travel to the territory to make films, leverage funding into the NWT through hiring residents, putting money into food, accommodations and other goods and services. 

NWT producers are important too she said, and hopes the Northern Shorts program can SA国际影视传媒渆mpower our local producers to write their own scripts and tell their own stories.SA国际影视传媒�