The Province's Best Young Filmmakers Shine at the TIFF Next Wave Jump Cuts Showcase

The 2017 winners of the TIFF Next Wave Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase were announced on Saturday at a ceremony held at TIFF Bell Lightbox. Now in its 15th year, this showcase screens the top short films made by Ontario students in grades 9 to 12. This year's showcase featured 24 short films from 39 young filmmakers in a variety of genres, from documentaries to fictional narratives, music videos, and more.

With 56 submissions this year from across the province, the annual competition engages and supports young emerging filmmakers by helping them bring their vision to life on the big screen. The films were judged in the categories of Best Fiction Film; Best Animation, Documentary, or Experimental Film; and Best Director. This year's Jump Cuts jury included experimental short filmmaker and photographer Justin Wu (Coup de Grace, Le devoir), director Aleysa Young (Workin' Moms, Baroness Von Sketch Show), writer and producer Carol Nugyen, and actor/director/writer Joey Klein (The Other Half, The Vow, American Gangster).

"The Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase is an integral element of our TIFF Next Wave Film initiatives," said Emily Scheer, Senior Manager, Family & Youth Programming. "From the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival in February, our monthly Film Clubs and this showcase, young emerging filmmakers have a home at TIFF Bell Lightbox. We're thrilled to support them, foster their creativity, and be a part of their growth."

The winners for the 2017 TIFF Next Wave Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcase are:

Best Fiction Film
Meat of the Matter, dir. Ava Young
Alice won't say what's on her mind, and Dawn won't listen. This 60-second short film focuses on the director's inability to communicate with those close to her.

Best Animation, Documentary, or Experimental Film
Madoka, dir. Callahan Bracken
Piano teacher Madoka Murata has been studying the arts for her entire life. She speaks about her connection to the spirit world and how this connection - whether myth or reality - benefits her as a teacher.

Best Director
Atlas World, dir. Morgana McKenzie
A narrative music video for the song "Atlas World" by Liu Bei, in which a malignant spirit forces a girl into a perilous journey through a watery underworld.

The Gertrude Löwengren Awards are generously supported by Garrett Herman.

The showcase and award ceremony, which took place on May 13, is part of a larger Jump Cuts celebration happening throughout the building. The National TIFF Kids and TIFF Next Wave Jump Cuts Showcases also took centre stage in celebration of Canada's sesquicentennial and TIFF's Canada on Screen programme. For a full list of all participants, please visit tiff.net/jumpcuts

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Photo Credit: Matthew Kozovski, TIFF Next Wave Jump Cuts Young Filmmakers Showcas

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