June 1, 2018
A budding NWT filmmaker who first found success at a Yellowknife festival is heading to the national stage.
Yellowknife-based filmmaker Keith Robertson’s debut short film Bait! is representing the North on this year’s edition of CBC Short Film Face-Off — a competition where nine films selected from hundreds of submissions from across Canada battle it out for a chance to be licensed for broadcast by the CBC.
As the four-episode event progresses, the films will be shown, interviews with directors will be featured, and judges will narrow the field to three with Canadians voting on the winner.
It’s not the first time NWT talent has featured in the contest — well-known local filmmaker Jen Walden represented the North in 2016’s edition.
Robertson’s film career started on a lark as an entry in Dead North — a Yellowknife-based competitive circumpolar film festival where filmmakers make their best horror and fantasy films in the dead of winter.
On the strength of his submission, the rookie filmmaker won a trophy, and was tapped to join a contingency of independent Canadian filmmakers at the Cannes International Film Festival.
Support for Robertson’s travel was provided by the GNWT through the NWT Film Commission, in partnership with the Department of Education, Culture and Employment.
It’s these kinds of stories that continue to push the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment to support events like Dead North through the NWT Film Commission.
Related Stories:
NWT Film Profile Rises With Dead North Successes
New NWT Film Commission Award to Celebrate Remote NWT Locations
They provide opportunities for filmmakers to build their skills, the NWT film community to grow and thrive and, in some cases, provide a platform to push NWT production to the national and international stage.
Do you have a great idea for a film, documentary, or TV show? Visit the NWT Film Commission and find the funding, support, and resources to bring your creative ambitions to fruition.
Photo courtesy CBC Short Film Face Off.
