Toronto, ON (May 1, 2019) — ACTRA production Reel Women Seen won the Best Foreign Short Film at the 2019 Artemis Women in Action Film Festival in Santa Monica, California, which brings the total to five awards received by the ACTRA National Women’s Committee for this short film.
“Of the 80 films showcased at this year’s Artemis Festival, what an honour for ours to be one of the films recognized with an award this year by Santa Monica’s filmmaking community,” 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.”
Directed by Amanda Tapping and written by Elvira Kurt, Reel Women Seen is a nation-wide collaborative effort of the ACTRA National Women’s Committee that 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, Reel Women Seen has been screened at 40+ festivals and events across Canada and around the world. The other four award wins include: Jury Choice Award (2018 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase); Best Director Award (2018 Canadian Diversity Film Festival); Festival Director Award (2018 Toronto Independent Film Festival); and Best Short Film Award (2018 Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival). To view the film, please visit ACTRA National’s YouTube channel. For more information about the short film, including 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 Artemis Women in Action Film Festival
Artemis Women in Action Film Festival (AWIAFF) celebrates powerful women taking action onscreen. From female action heroes to female activists, they shine a spotlight on women in narrative, documentary and animated films who are fearless, fierce and revolutionary.
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Media Contact: Carol Taverner, Public Relations Officer, ACTRA National, tel: 416.644.1519, email: ctaverner@actra.ca