With its former annual FilmExchange festival, the National Screen Institute of Canada brought audiences to Canadian films. But since June 2008, it’s been bringing Canadian films directly to audiences.

“People who might not have considered going to an actual festival can now see these films for free online,” said Liz Hover, web manager and content producer for NSI’s Online Short Film Festival.

Although films had been shown online as part of the now-discontinued FilmExchange, Hover is sure to stress that the current festival is an altogether different project.

“It’s absolutely not meant as a replacement for an actual, physical film festival,” she declared.

That being said, she was wary of comparing the two means of presentation: “You can do both, after all.”

The advantage of the online film festival is simple, according to Hover.

“Canada’s such a vast country, with so many talented filmmakers living from coast to coast, that an online format seemed the perfect solution to reaching people across the land,” Hover explained.

That aspect is precisely what attracts some filmmakers, including Winnipegger James McLellan, the writer, director and co-producer of the ambitious 23 minute Tucked and Folded Away.

“More than anything, I wanted it to be in a place where it could be seen,” he said. “Hence, I thought it would be nice for it to be online.”

Polly Washburn, writer/director of the short drama The Coffee Maker, submitted her film for the same reasons.

“Literally anyone can see it now, from anywhere in Canada,” she said.

Hover described herself as “obsessed” with tracking the number of views for the fest. She said that the number of people it reaches far exceeds the estimated sizes of past FilmExchange audiences.

One submission criterion that certainly does work to the filmmaker’s advantage is that films made as long ago as 2006 can be accepted now. This, Hover explained, is so that they can “do the festival circuit” and still find a home online. Many festivals will not accept submissions that have already appeared on a web forum.

Indeed, the NSI fest was precisely where McLellan decided his film – which has played at several international fests since its completion in the spring of 2008 – would finally “live.” Washburn likewise completed her film in 2005 and had it shown on the festival circuit before submitting it to NSI.

“Having it accepted and available there on the NSI website does give your film an added cache,” said Washburn, who recently served as production manager and line producer on Black Field – the debut feature of local filmmaker and NSI Features First program alumnus Danishka Esterhazy.

McLellan noted that it’s also a great way to showcase your film when applying for grants and recruiting a crew for your next project.

Hover is aware that some people may have certain perceptions about films found online – that one won’t find festival-quality shorts.

“People may think of YouTube,” she said.

What she assures webheads and potential viewers is this: “We’ve already done the filtering. You don’t have to go digging for hidden treasure.”

Published in Volume 64, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 22, 2009)