Between now and March 2009 the National Screen Institute – Canada (NSI) is programming a special selection of films to celebrate some of the best work chosen for the NSI Online Short Film Festival during 2008. Each week NSI will spotlight one film.

• Week of December 7: Breathless directed by Kyle Sandilands (Vancouver, BC)

Spanning the rise and fall of a young couple’s three-year relationship in 90 seconds, Breathless follows one man’s reflections on how his own destructive personality shattered something beautiful.

Week of December 14: The Claw directed by Bruce Claydon (Winnipeg, MB)
The Claw is the remembrance of a bogeyman. Art-noir absurdity for kids aged 6 to 106.

Week of December 21: Father Fred directed by Nicholas Humphries (Vancouver, BC)
Bill's gone to Father Fred for guidance. Sometimes though, the best advice is not what you want to hear.

Week of December 28: State of Yo directed by Jason Karman (Vancouver, BC)
Harvey Lowe won the world’s first yo-yo championship in 1932. He lost his father, experienced political and economic unrest, and a brain tumour. The yo-yo helped him regain his identity.

Week of January 4: Critical directed by Jon Ornoy (Vancouver, BC)
While martial law rules outside the hospital's walls, its sudden evacuation forces a critical care doctor into agonizing decision about the fate of her patients.

Week of January 11: Photosynthesis directed by J. Scott Portingale (Edmonton, AB)
Through the magic of stop motion and time lapse photography, watch as the inanimate becomes animated in a world that exists behind closed doors.

Week of January 18: I’m Not the Indian You Had in Mind directed by Thomas King (Toronto, ON)
I’m Not The Indian You Had In Mind is a video exploration offering insight as to how First Nations people today are changing old ideas and empowering themselves in the greater community.

Week of January 25: Xplosion directed by Craig Kirkham (Toronto, ON)
In Xplosion, the loss of his wife in a gas explosion leaves a man numb and in shock.

Week of February 1: The engers directed by Jordan Hay (Nepean, ON)
A shifty boss takes two of his employees on a convoluted mission to get their last paychecks.

Week of February 8: String Theory directed by Will Pascoe (Toronto, ON)
A comedy about the ups and downs of dating in the internet age.

Week of February 15: Fine Line directed by Jimmy Bustos (Edmonton, AB)
The story of Miguel, a political activist who walks the fine line of being a terrorist or a revolutionary.

Week of February 22: Down and Derby directed by Sarah Boothroyd (Ottawa, ON)
Fishnet stockings, tattoos and roller skates: a short profile of Ottawa’s roller derby queen.

Week of March 1: About the Girl directed by Kevin Hoffman (North Bay, ON)
The death of a mutual friend brings three estranged high school friends together after years apart.

Week of March 8: Kodiak directed by Andrew McLeod (Vancouver, BC)
A rediscovered love for a childhood pastime heals the pain of heartbreak for Lucky as he finds the resolve to play the biggest ball-hockey game of his life.

About the festival:
The NSI Online Short Film Festival is a quality, year-round, 100% Canadian online film festival. New films and audio interviews with each film’s director are posted to the NSI website each week. All NSI website content can be accessed for free. New films are solicited four times a year and must be no longer than 30 minutes. Drama, comedy, experimental, animation and short documentaries are all eligible and must be Canadian. Filmmakers will next be able to submit new films in mid-December. To see all current works, visit the NSI website.

In addition to the NSI Online Short Film Festival, the NSI website also has an Online Industry Centre with professional development resources including blogs, industry articles and video and audio interviews with writers, directors, producers and actors from the film, television and digital media industries.

The NSI Online Industry Centre has been made possible in part through the of Presenting Sponsor Telefilm Canada. We also gratefully acknowledge the ongoing financial contributions of our additional Founding Site Sponsors: Rogers, Canwest, Insight Film Studios and MANITOBA FILM & SOUND.