Rob Egan, President and CEO of British Columbia Film and Rina Fraticelli, Executive Producer, National Film Board of Canada-Pacific Centre, announced today the semi-finalists of the short form documentary competition, PICTURE THIS.

"We had an overwhelming response from over one hundred filmmakers from across the province, making the selection process both inspiring and very, very difficult," said Fraticelli.

"It was encouraging to see the wide range of submissions from both emerging and established filmmakers. It speaks volumes about the talent that we have in BC," said Egan.

From personal reflections to social explorations, from landscapes of concrete and land to the human body, this group of filmmakers is credited with showing unique visions and interpretations of the competition's theme of HOME. The ten semi-finalists are:

- Darren Alexander At Home with Paul Burnside
- Mary Alice Little Low-Rental on the Prairie
- Arlene Ami Lolo's New Home
- Trish Dolman *Home
- Lisa Jackson My Indian Name is Nahmabin
- Shannon McLelland Opera Man
- Ellen Raine-Scott The Home Front
- Velcrow Ripper Where the Alveoli Roam
- Rafi Spivak Fragments of Proximity
- Mary Ungerleider Home: Where My Stuff Is

Each of the semi-finalists will receive $2,000 in development support. After a one-month development phase, five of these filmmakers will be selected to receive production funding in the amount of $20,000 through a combination of cash and in-kind services. Projects will be approximately 8 minutes in length.

In keeping with the mandate of the competition, proposals were assessed on the following basis: the cultural and social relevance of the film, originality of concept, creative treatment, innovation and artistic merit.

For additional information, please contact:

Angela Heck,
National Film Board Public Relations
CBC Communications
Vancouver (604) 666-1151
a.heck@nfb.ca