Bell Media’s BravoFACT (Foundation to Assist Canadian Talent) announced today the nine BravoFACTUAL award recipients from the May 26 jury meeting. Selected from 82 applications, a total of $422,000 was awarded to Canadian filmmakers for the production of short documentary films. Continuing to fulfill BravoFACT’s Female Filmmaker initiative, funding for six out of the nine projects was awarded to female-led projects.
Committed to supporting Canada’s most talented filmmakers for both scripted and documentary projects, BravoFACT has also confirmed award recipients for two recent pitch contests. Two prizes were awarded in the first-ever WIFT-T BravoFACT Pitch Contest, with $50,000 awarded to short film Show & Tell, and the second place prize of $40,000 awarded to short The Unicorn. In the second annual Hot Docs BravoFACTUAL Short Film Pitch competition, three prizes were awarded to documentaries Repairing Society, Sexual Being, and Mother Canada, with a total of $75,000 awarded.
For more than 20 years, BravoFACT-supported films have enjoyed success both in Canada and abroad. Most recently, BravoFACT-funded film Reset and BravoFACT WIFT-AT Pitch Contest winner Ingrid and the Black Hole were selected to screen at Cannes as part of Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent program.
The BravoFACTUAL fund recipients from the May 26, 2024 jury meeting are:
Andre The Anti-Giant – Kim Saltarski (Director/Producer)
Andre The Anti-Giant is the compelling story of comedian and physical disability advocate Andre H. Arruda. It tracks his challenging journey to overcome spinal surgery so he can continue to share his gift of comedy with the world.
The Bowhead – Ou Ed (Director), Kitra Cahanah (Director), Becky Korman (Producer)
Set against the backdrop of the climate change in the Western Arctic, The Bowhead tells the stories of Inuit hunters as they embark on a rare and historic bowhead whale hunt in the most brutal and near uninhabitable environment in the world: Arviat, Nunavut.
A History Interpreted – Lisa Rose Snow (Director), Rachel Bower (Producer)
Eighty-nine-year-old photographer Maurice Crosby makes history unfold as he takes viewers on a visual journey of remembrance.
Into the Wildfire – Wendy Ord (Director/Producer), Glen Samuel (Director)
The science behind British Columbia’s intensifying wildfires is exposed through the personal, intimate, and dramatic stories of the people who are most effected by them, from firefighters to farmers.
The Last Ride (working title) – Rick Skene (Director), Gary Zubeck (Producer)
Iconic Aboriginal music legend Errol Ranville miraculously survived a fiery head-on car crash that killed his wife and four teenagers. His second chance at life has led to an unprecedented creative drive to solidify his legacy with his remaining time left.
Melting Stars – Kate Green (Director/Producer)
Melting Stars unravels the mystery behind one of the largest most catastrophic species die-offs in recorded history. In 2024, a scuba diver off the coast of West Vancouver discovered that the star fish were dying in the millions and suffering horrific deaths. They were disintegrating into goo on the ocean floor and the environmental balance of the marine ecosystem was being changed forever. Biologists scrambled to save these animals only to learn that a virus was wiping them out.
Mu Mural Project – Janice Zolf (Director/Producer)
MU, the open-air museum in Montreal collaborates with artists to create spectacular, visual stories on outdoor walls. Artists work as change agents, beautifying communities and changing perceptions of social housing and public spaces.
Starry Nights – Dodie McKay (Director/Producer)
Since time began, humans have had a connection to the stars. The heavens shaped our art, philosophy, religion, and culture, and gave us a sense of place in the universe. Artificial light is drowning out this inspiration. Starry Nights introduces us to the amateur astronomers who are passionate about reconnecting us to the sky above.
Take a Walk on the Wildside – Lisa Rideout (Director), Lauren Grant (Producer)
In 1987, Wildside, one of Toronto’s first cross-dressing stores, began offering male to female transformations for $300. Still open today, this film delves into the colourful past of the store while also examining the future of Wildside.
The next submission deadline for BravoFACTUAL is September 16, 2024.
For information about BravoFACT and BravoFACTUAL program requirements, and application guidelines, visit http://bravofact.com.
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