Second edition of The Shortest Day: a treat for families, kids and movie-lovers of all ages in Atlantic Canada

Free screenings of Canada's best short films, including the award-winning comedy Infanticide! by St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, filmmaker G. Patrick Condon

MONTREAL, Dec. 9, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - The Shortest Day returns for a second year across the country—including in Fredericton, Halifax and St. John's—on December 19, 20 and 21, 2014, with an outstanding program of new, classic and award-winning shorts by some of Canada's most talented filmmakers. This year's free event—a fun way for families and movie-lovers to celebrate the lead-up to the winter solstice on December 21, the shortest day of the year, and usher in the holiday season—features 27 shorts organized into three thematic programs: Kids Under 8 (56 minutes), Family (88 minutes) and Comedy (13+, 99 minutes).

The free screenings will be held in more than 60 venues across the country—not just in movie theatres but in cultural centres, community spaces, schools, hospitals and public libraries, making the event accessible across Canada to as many movie-lovers as possible.

In Atlantic Canada, Shortest Day programs will be screened, notably, at the newly opened Halifax Central Library, the Al Whittle Theatre (Wolfville, N.S.), the New Brunswick Film Makers Co-operative (Fredericton), and City Cinema (Charlottetown), and the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative (St. John's).

The Shortest Day was started in 2011 by the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) in France to celebrate an art form that has moved in exciting new directions. Presented in more than 50 countries, the Shortest Day is sponsored in Canada by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Quebec's Société de développement des entreprises culturelles (SODEC) and Telefilm Canada.

"Feeling the energy of different filmmakers"
"I'm extremely excited that Infanticide! is screening at this year's Shortest Day," said the director of the award-winning short, G. Patrick Condon, who hails from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. "Halifax was the first city to screen Infanticide! a year ago, and that was the beginning of all the exciting things that happened with the film. I love that The Shortest Day is promoting the short film format: it's the format that most filmmakers begin with, and the experience of seeing a program of eight short films is much different than going to see a single feature film. An event like this gets people out to feel the energy of different filmmakers played back-to-back and, in the case of the Comedy program, eight wildly different reasons to have a laugh."

Condon's comedy short, about a couple looking for that perfect family, won the Best Atlantic Short Award at the 2013 Atlantic Film Festival. It also screened at various other festivals and events, including the Los Angeles Comedy Festival in Los Angeles, Telefilm's Not Short on Talent market screenings at this year's Cannes Film Festival, the Nickel Independent Film Festival in St. John's, where it won the award for Best Newfoundland and Labrador Film, and at the Comedy Cluj International Film Festival in Cluj, Transylvania, Romania—"my personal favourite of all the festivals where Infanticide! has screened!" said Condon.

To learn more about The Shortest Day
The microsite (www.theshortestday.ca) includes the campaign trailer, as well as provides a list of the films in the program and up-to-date details about screening venues and times across the country.

You can also get real-time Twitter updates via the hashtag #ShortestDay.

About the NFB
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) it's 75 years of innovation and leadership in social-issue documentaries, auteur animation, and most recently, groundbreaking interactive works. The NFB has produced over 13,000 productions and won over 5,000 awards, including 10 Webbys, 9 Canadian Screen Awards, 12 Oscars and more than 90 Genies. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

About the Société de développement des entreprises culturelles
SODEC is a government corporation overseen by Quebec's Minister of Culture and Communications. It supports the creation and growth of cultural enterprises throughout the province. SODEC is a true driving force for cultural development in Quebec. SODEC brings together the passion of artistic creation with the power of economic development and provides cultural enterprises with a range of solutions designed to nurture Quebec creators and promote the production, distribution and exportation of their work. Follow SODEC on Facebook, Twitter and visit www.sodec.gouv.qc.ca.

About Telefilm Canada
Telefilm is dedicated to the cultural, commercial and industrial success of Canada's audiovisual industry. Through its various funding and promotion programs, Telefilm supports dynamic companies and creative talent here at home and around the world. Telefilm also administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

SOURCE: Telefilm Canada

Sources: NFB, SODEC, Telefilm Canada; Laura Sosin, Jive Communications, [phone], [e-mail]