Edmonton, March 15, 1999

Contact:

Gregory Pang,

Executive, U of A Film Zone

H: (780) 462-1099

The University of Alberta Film Zone has courted more sponsors for the upcoming MisFit Short Film and Video Festival. Several new restaurant sponsors are Badass Jack’s, Chianti Café and Restaurant, Iron Horse Eatery and Watering Hole, Fargos Fine Food & Wet Goods, and Three Musketeers French Crepery. The reason for the recruiting of so many food-related sponsors is because restaurant’s type of sponsorship is simple and at the same time desirable for the Festival, according to U of A Film Zone Executive Chester Sit.

"Everyone likes food! Gift certificates from restaurants are great prizes to give away. It also doesn’t cost restaurants much and gives ‘em a little more exposure at the same time, especially for the newer and smaller ones," said Sit.

Other recently signed on sponsors include the House of Trophies Co. Ltd. and graphics designer Nëkid, who is in the process of designing the Festival’s posters that will be ready in approximately two weeks. Among other changes to the MisFit Short Film and Video Festival include adding the "and Video" to the original name MisFit Short Film Festival. The fact that videos, not actual film, will likely dominate the entries in the Festival justified the name change, according to Sit.

Taking place at the Humanities Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton on Saturday, May 1^st at 7:30PM, the U of A Film Zone (a non-profit student club at the U of A) is proud to present this year’s MisFit Short Film and Video Festival. Designed after, but sufficiently different from the Local Exposure (a part of Local Heroes) amateur video contest, MisFit is quite an expansion on the Local Exposure them encompassing greater aspects of short film/videos.

Whether you’re a pro filmmaker or you’ve just learned how to turn on your camcorder, MisFit has categories and prizes for a diverse variety of films and videos. Before a panel of judges, the Top Ten entries will be selected to be screened at the Festival night. Among the prizes to be awarded will be for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and the Audience’s Favorite Award for Best Picture. There will also be an intermission where directors, actors, cinematographers, media types, etc. will have a chance to mingle and enjoy the night. A 20-minute time limit on entries is imposed, but we hold no restrictions on content; this is Alberta's grown-up local film/video maker's festival.

The fee for entrants will be $4 per movie entry and there will be a $2 admission charge at the door or in advance for the screening night.

Sponsors currently are Multimedia Communications Inc., Nëkid, CJSR FM88, Badass Jack’s, Chianti Café and Restaurant, Digital Identity, House of Trophies Co. Ltd., Iron Horse Eatery and Watering Hole, Fargos Fine Food & Wet Goods, Pizza 73, Rogers Video, The Movie Studio, Three Musketeers French Crepery, and Vue Weekly.