Filmmakers from all over the country are in Yorkton and are being put to the test.
The Yorkton Film Festival brought filmmakers together to screen their films and to practice their skills.
Jennifer Jellico helped run a film pitch workshop involving a wheel with vague ideas for a film written on paper.
“They said ‘Hey, spin the wheel, do a pitch, then you have ten minutes to figure out what this is going to be and try and sell it to a broadcaster,’” Jellico said.
The Yorkton Film Festival is North America’s oldest short film festival. It’s known for the education it provides and the people it draws as much as for the film it screens.
Daniel Cross has won several awards in his two decade career as a filmmaker. He said the Yorkton festival has a special place in his heart.
“The regional film festivals like Yorkton, they're smaller and it's much easier to connect with new filmmakers because there's no barrier,” said Cross. “It gave me my start. So the first film that I ever played at a festival was here.”
The festival is in its 72nd year. It not only hands out awards to film makers, but also offers those in the industry an opportunity to perfect their craft.
Patricia Marcoccia is nominated for two Golden Sheaf Awards. She said she appreciated the chance to rehearse her craft.
“I already feel like I got a lot out of the pitch-o-rama competition this morning,” she said. “And getting some things that you already know but you sometimes forget—it really just hammers it home and you get tight strong pitches"
When the festival ends the filmmakers will disperse back across the country. They're hoping to take their experience here and put it on the big screen.
