GFF Announces Funding for 11 Local Filmmakers

In celebration of 20 years of GFF and Manitoba's 150th, 11 local filmmakers receive funding to reflect on Manitoba’s past, present and future.

The Gimli Film Festival (GFF) announced today that they have commissioned 11 Manitoba filmmakers to make new films that celebrate, reflect upon and reconcile Manitoba’s history and collective identity!  The funding is just one part of GFF's ambitious Manitoba Project, launched in honour of GFF's 20th annual Festival, as well as Manitoba's 150th Anniversary.These 10 new short films and one live-narrated feature documentary will premiere at the 20th annual Gimli Film Festival – July 22 to 26 – and are part of the Festival’s special Manitoba Project. The project is funded by Manitoba 150, Canada Council for the Arts, the Thomas Sill Foundation, the Manitoba Arts Council and supported by a variety of other community partners including the Winnipeg Film Group and Video Pool Media Arts Centre.The commissioned films include new short works by filmmakers Karen Asher, Jaimz Asmundson, Erica Daniels, Marc Greene, Erin Hembrador, Mike Maryniuk, Eric Plamondon, Ryan Steel, Elena Sturk Lussier and filmmaking duo Sara Bulloch and Johanna Reimer-Henteleff. The project also includes a new live-narrated feature film WHAT WE’VE PULLED OFF… SO FAR: A short history of film in Manitoba by local documentary filmmaker Kevin Nikkel.As part of The Manitoba Project, GFF will also present Hindsight 2020, a Made-in-Manitoba Film Retrospective that celebrates Manitoba’s accomplishments in filmmaking over the years. As part of this project, GFF is looking for suggestions from the film community  and the general public on what Manitoba-made films are most important to re-screen. GFF is also looking to re-discover Manitoba films that may have been overlooked in the past, with special attention being paid to films from Indigenous communities or other communities of colour, as well as by woman-identified filmmakers and creatives.Anyone with suggestions for their favourite Manitoba-made content is encouraged to email manitobaproject@gimlifilm.com with their ideas and suggestions!The Manitoba Project has been generously funded by Manitoba 150, Canada Council for the Arts, the Thomas Sill Foundation, the Manitoba Arts Council         The Manitoba Project has been generously supported by our community partners The Winnipeg Film Group & Video Pool Media Arts Centre