Sarah Gadon and Sophie Cadieux tapped as ambassadors for third annual The Shortest Day short film celebration

Free screenings across the country of Canada’s best short films:
a fun way to mark the shortest day of the year during the holiday season

Montreal, November 19, 2015—Canadian actors Sarah Gadon and Sophie Cadieux are the ambassadors of The Shortest Day, which returns for a third year across the country from December 18 to 21, 2015. Spotlighting a homegrown program of new, classic and award-winning short films, 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 28 shorts organized into four thematic programs: Kids (under 8, 61 minutes), Family (56 minutes), Musical (16+, 74 minutes) and Dramas and Comedies (16+, 91 minutes).

“I’m thrilled to be the ambassador for The Shortest Day’s English-language program this year,” said Sarah Gadon (Enemy, Dracula Untold, A Dangerous Method). “Compact content has become an important way in which we experience culture, politics, style and much more. Shorts are a beautiful art form in their own right and are also a great platform for burgeoning feature film stars.”

Ms. Gadon will be present at select Toronto screenings.

Sophie Cadieux (Rumeurs, Watatatow, Funkytown) is The Shortest Day ambassador for the French-language program. Ms. Cadieux has appeared in a number of Quebec short films.

The free screenings, which spotlight animated and live-action shorts, will be held in more than 60 venues across the country. Screenings will be held not just in movie theatres but in cultural centres, community spaces, schools, coffee shops, shopping malls, hospitals and public libraries, making the event accessible to as many cinemagoers as possible.

The Shortest Day was started in 2011 by France’s Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC). Presented in more than 50 countries, the event is sponsored in Canada by the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Société de développement des entreprises culturelles du Québec (SODEC) and Telefilm Canada.

New partnerships for 2015

In an effort to reach as many Canadians as possible, this year The Shortest Day partners initiated the following exhibition partnerships:

• Air Canada is sharing a selection from this year’s programming as part of its in-flight entertainment on all domestic flights (December 1 to 31); and
• Montreal’s Urbania is hosting a digital-only sidebar program (The Shortest Day: The Urbania Selection) of 10 edgy Canadian shorts on urbania.ca (December 1-16).

To learn more about The Shortest Day
The microsite (www.theshortestday.ca) includes the campaign trailer, as well as lists the films in the each of the programs, along with their synopses and screening details at venues across the country.

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

The Shortest Day is made possible in part through the financial support of the Talent Fund.

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 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—Inspired by talent. Viewed everywhere.
Created in 1967, 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 makes recommendations regarding the certification of audiovisual treaty coproductions to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and administers the programs of the Canada Media Fund and the Talent Fund, a private donation initiative. Visit telefilm.ca and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/telefilm_canada and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/telefilmcanada.

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Media enquiries:
Sources: NFB, SODEC, Telefilm Canada

Laura Sosin, Jive Communications
(416) 873-0784, laura@jivecommunications.ca

 Sarah Gadon (photo: G. Pimentel Photography courtesy of the academy.ca)

 
Sophie Cadieux (photo: Félix Renaud)