ACTRA production honoured at Canadian Diversity Film Festival
Toronto, ON (July 20, 2018) — A panel of film experts voted to honour ACTRA production Reel Women Seen with the 2018 Best Director Award at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival in Toronto last month.
“I thank the festival organizers and all members of the judging panel at the Canadian Diversity Film Festival for this award and for allowing us to share our film on the same screen as so many other talented filmmakers who have brought such a diversity of voices to the big screen,” said Reel Women Seen director Amanda Tapping.
“What an honour for our film to be recognized by our industry peers here at home in Canada,” 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.”
A nation-wide collaborative effort of the ACTRA National Women’s Committee, Reel Women Seen 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 short film has been screened at over 20 festivals and events in Canada and around the world and has now won two awards – the first being the 2018 Jury Choice Award at the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase in Cannes, France, this past May. 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 Canadian Diversity Film Festival
The Canadian Diversity Film Festival (CDFF) was created to celebrate the moments and experiences of different ethnicities and their stories captured behind the lens and detailed through the eye of a filmmaker. The aim of the CDFF is to bring diverse communities together to embrace our differences and discover our shared experiences. The festival accepts all genres of films from around the world.
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Media Contact: Jennifer McGibbon, ACTRA Public Relations Officer, 604-689-1165, jmcgibbon@actra.ca