The Motion Picture Production Industry Association of British Columbia (MPPIA) Short Film Award 2017 goes to former Terracite Veronika Kurz.
Her short film, “20 Minutes to Life” is a comedy about nine-year-old “good kid” Olivia and her very first school detention.
She imagines it as a prison, complete with barred windows, guards, and a warden. Olivia must befriend the “bad kids” and figure out how to solve 20,000 math problems in 20 minutes in order to escape.
Established in 2007, the MPPIA Short Film Award provides one filmmaker with the opportunity to further develop her directing career by realizing a unique creative vision in a short film project.
Applicants were shortlisted into a field of candidates who pitched their projects at the 2017 Whistler Film Festival that took place November 29 to December 3.
Veronika Kurz will receive a $15,000 cash award plus services “in-kind” valued up to $100,000 from across the industry, enabling her to complete her project with the guidance of experienced industry professionals and support services provided by the top supply houses in B.C.
The completed film will have its world premiere screening at the 2018 Whistler Film Festival.
The MPPIA Short Film Award has become a highlight on the annual Whistler Film Festival calendar, as some of B.C.’s brightest emerging directors vie on stage before a jury of industry professionals for the sought-after filmmaking opportunity.