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NEWS
RELEASES - 2006 | 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CREATIVE STAKES GET HIGHER AS 72 HOUR FILMMAKER
SHOWDOWN OFFERS $2000 CASH PURSE IN ADDITION TO PRIZE HAUL
Registration underway for TELUS World
Ski & Snowboard Festival’s film-making sprint.
WHISTLER, BC , February 26 2007 –
Film-making becomes an athletic endeavour at Whistler’s annual 72 Hour
Filmmaker Showdown. The competition, an integral part of the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard
Festival’s line-up, challenges artists to perform feats of speed, endurance
and precision, with the call to shoot, edit and produce a 3-5 minute digital
film set within a 100km radius of Whistler in the space of 72 hours.
The 72 Hour Filmmaker Showdown traditionally spawns a concentrated burst of
creative energy in Whistler. The Muses descend en masse, as 100 filmmaking
teams are loosed on the resort and are given free range to blow the budget,
burn the midnight oil and storm the house to meet a deadline.
As if that’s not alluring enough to the creatively-minded, finalists
have a chance to showcase their film to a live audience of 2000 people for
the final Showdown.
The Gala screening of finalists is the hottest ticket in town, packing the
2000 seat Conference Centre. Even the unsanctioned Second Cuts screenings
sell out. Previous winners have also received significant exposure, including
screenings for the Directors Guild of Canada, at the 2003 Squaw Valley Film
Festival, and the 2003 World of Comedy International Film Festival in Toronto.
Winners from the 5 previous years of the competition can be viewed at www.whistler2007.com < http://www.whistler2007.com/ > .
The winner of the 2007 Best in Show award will pick up $15,000 in prizes including
a $2000 cash purse.
A $50 entry fee per team, introduced this year, means the 72 Hour Filmmaker
Showdown is still the most accessible film competition in North America, and
the winner walks away with a cash purse, in addition to a swag of prizes, and
a rocket-fuelled boost to their film careers.
The call for participants is now underway, open to anyone who loves to make
films - amateurs and professionals, teams or individuals. Teams from California,
Montreal, Vancouver and Whistler have already lodged early submissions. Festival
Production Coordinator Lilli Clark says, “The profile of 72 Hour Filmmaker
Showdown is growing, and it’s earning a reputation globally as a quality
film-making event, with professionals and industry-insiders from across the
country lining up to take part.”
The exposure for the film-makers is more than just to a packed house at the
Gala screening, but will put their work before an A-list panel of reviewers
and judges from within the Canadian film industry.
Industry luminaries including Leo nominated writer and director Tara Hungerford;
the film, TV and theatre producer who is also behind the monthly Celluloid
Social Club, Paul Armstrong; Anthony Vitale from WhiteOut Films and Zaib Shaikh
of Little Mosque on the Prairie fame will sit on the review panel to choose
the finalists.
The panel who will judge the Best in Show will include writer/director Bruce
Sweeney ( Last Wedding, American Venus ), actor Terry David Mulligan,
producer Kevin Eastwood ( The Delicate Art of Parking, Fido) , and
film critics Katherine Monk and Glen Schaefer.
Due to the popularity of the Filmmaker Showdown, advance registration is
highly recommended. Entries may still be accepted, but not guaranteed, at
a meeting required for all participants at the TELUS Conference Centre on
Friday April 14 at 9am in Whistler. The deadline for guaranteed entry is
April 3rd. The competition begins following the meeting at 10am. You can
register your intent to participate and read up about all the filming details
at www.whistler2007.com/film/entry < http://www.whistler2007.com/film/entry > .
The TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is produced by Watermark
Communications, a Whistler sports & entertainment marketing company, and
presented in partnership with Tourism Whistler and Whistler Blackcomb. Celebrating
its twelfth year as the largest annual winter sports and music festival in
North America, the TELUS World Ski & Snowboard Festival is a
high-octane 10 day and night showcase of the best of snowsports, music, arts
and mountain life. Featuring major professional ski and snowboarding
competitions, the largest free outdoor concert series in Canada, the legendary
Pro Photographer and Filmmaker Showdowns, and many more unique art and cultural
showcases, the Festival is the ultimate wrap party. For information on
the 2007 TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival , this year from April
13-22, visit whistler2007.com.
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Contact:
Lilli Clark
Production Coordinator (Indoor Events)
Tel: 604.938-3399 x 27
Email: lclark@watermarkinc.ca
Lisa Richardson
Communications Manager
Tel: 604 938 3399 x21
Email: lrichardson@watermarkinc.ca
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