Edmonton International Film Festival
The Local Heroes International Screen Festival incorporates indigenous filmmakers from
around the world into an annual nine-day event. A good mix of foreign features and
Canadian independent shorts are screened amidst gala events, workshops, seminars and
classes.
Since its inception in 1986, Local Heroes has come to be known as "the Sundance
of Canada." Big names in the independent and commercial filmmaking industry alike
come from all corners of the globe for a chance to screen their work to an average
audience of 15,000. The films are divided into two categories: features and
independent shorts. The shorter works are shown as a part of the Declaration of
Independents every afternoon while the longer films are shown as a part of the
Global Heroes portion in the evening.
New Heroes TV is a program designed to help aspiring filmmakers produces and showcase
their first piece. Each summer, several dozen inner-city teenagers attend a camp that
will guide them through the process of writing, directing and producing their own
film. The end result is six to ten films with a common theme, that are screened at the
festival each year.
Following every screening at Local Heroes, a question and answer period is held,
giving the audience a chance to interact with their favourite filmmakers. Festival
organizers or film aficionados often host these sessions.
The National Screen Institute sponsored local Heroes until 2002
when the Edmonton International Film Festival took the reigns.
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