Business
Documentary "An Alberta Farm" wins $10,000 prize at The Eddies Short Film Festival for Big Rock Brewery
CALGARY , June 9, 2015 /CNW/ - Top prize for the inaugural Eddies Short ...
About this update from Big Rock Brewery Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nCALGARY, June 9, 2015 /CNW/ - Top prize for the inaugural Eddies Short Film festival has been awarded to Red Deer producer, Brendan O'Brien and his \"An Alberta Farm\" documentary. O'Brien's documentary about the changing landscape of the family farm picked up the $10,000 cash prize at the inaugural Big Rock Eddies Short Film Festival at Theatre Junction Grand in Calgary, Alberta. \n\nThe winning short tells the touching story of Alberta dairy farmer Bruce Bell and his struggle to keep the family farm alive. \n\n\"When I read about submission requirements for the Eddies this year, that they had to be themed around tradition, I immediately thought of Bruce and his story,\" said O'Brien. \n\n\"Bruce was really open and honest. We talked for about 3 hours. It was hard to edit it down to just 5 minutes.\"\n\nO'Brien owns Red Van Studio in Red Deer. He plans on using the cash prize to buy new equipment and will shop around his winning doc to upcoming film festivals. \n\n\"Stock\" a black-and-white documentary about Calgary artist David Brunning, produced by Gabriel Yee, took home second place honors and a cash prize of $5,000. Yee, who owns 403K Films, says his exposure to industry insiders via The Eddies has provided him with some ideas on how to promote his documentary moving forward. \n\n\"The key for me was learning that I have to give my film the service it needs to get out there,\" says Gabriel who had a chance to network with a celebrated panel of judges that included Hell on Wheels actor Anson Mount, Calgary TV producer Chad Oakes, the CBC's David Gray, Calgary Underground Film Festival founder Brenda Lieberman, Calgary International Film Festival executive director Steve Schroeder, and Big Rock Brewmaster Paul Gautreau.\n\nA film about a tattooed puppet named Xane took home 3rd place and $2,500. \"Modern Love\" by Winnipeg's Matthew Dyck and Tedi Gilmartin, began as a student project at Red River College. \n\n\"We wanted it to be funny… we had no budget… just an idea of traditional beer for untraditional people,\" explains Dyck. \n\nTheir untraditional love story was shot and edited on an estimated $60.00 budget (hand puppet included). \n\nPartnering with both CUFF and CIFF, Big Rock Brewery received over 50 entries from across Canada. This was the first year for the revised form...