About Us

In 2006, Terry Scerbak attended the Edmonton International Film Festival and came back to Grande Prairie inspired to share some of the great short films she'd seen. As a volunteer with Grande Prairie Live Theatre, one of Canada's largest nonprofit community theatres, she founded the Reel Shorts Film Festival in 2007. With the help of dedicated volunteers, it has grown each year.

The Reel Shorts Film Festival celebrates short films and the filmmakers who make them by screening gems of storytelling brilliance from around the world and here in the Peace Region. Along with entertaining audiences, our goals are to inspire, develop, and showcase Peace Region filmmakers.

Our school program introduces students from Grades 2-12 to narrative films from around the world that help to broaden their world view. Our filmmaking workshops introduce students from Grades 9-12 to the most collaborative art form in the world.

Click on the programs at right to see our selection of films and workshops included in our first 4 festivals. If your browser doesn't open them properly, right click on them and choose "Save Target As" to save them to your hard drive.

2009 Feedback

At our 2009 film festival, 93% of questionnaires received from the public rated their film package as good or great and 100% of the teachers who brought their students to a film package or the Youth Filmmaking Challenge workshops rated it as good or great.

Youth Filmmaking Challenge workshops

• Mike Bass (Hythe Regional Junior High Video Tech teacher): "Scott was very effective at adjusting lines and shots and motivating students. All three, and especially Mike, explained highly technical concepts in a manner the kids could understand: Scooter on adjusting the camera lens and focussing and Mike with sound recording. One of my students in particular asked questions and really enjoyed running the computer and doing the sound recording."
• Sherri MacDowall (Hines Creek Composite High School English teacher): "Guys did awesome! The students responded very well to them. They were professional, fun, and very informative. Excellent patience. My students learned a lot and are excited to apply what they've learned into new projects. I was able to use Scott's filmmaking challenge in conjunction with what I have done at school to obtain CTS credits for my grade 12 students! The next step was to ask to have an actual CTS class devoted to filmmaking which I was granted for next year! We are very excited to see how it goes and where it might take us to next."
• Teresa Plontke (parent of 2 students): "Great work with the kids."
• Josie McKay (parent of 3 students): "Worked great with the kids - gave them lots of room for own ideas and gave everyone a chance to try everything they wanted. Thanks for the opportunity - the kids really enjoyed it."

Acting for the Camera workshop

• Kendra Wilson: "Very entertaining. I feel that I learned some useful tools to continue on with acting."
• Becca Scott: "Very informative. So full of energy, a great person and very encouraging and helpful."

Film Packages

• Margaret Johansen (Harry Balfour Grade 2 teacher): "It was great! All my students greatly enjoyed the Hiccups Family Program."
• Dave Watson (Swanavon Grade 4 teacher): "My students benefited greatly from the Hiccups Family Program that we as a class viewed at your festival. Their enthusiasm was reflected in the quality of their writing in their reflective journals. The quality of the short films presented kept the class focused on the stories, plots, and character development without any signs of being bored. I was amazed by the quality of the classroom discussion that followed the viewing of the films. From an educational point of view, the films at your festival were first rate."
• Adrian Tanasichuk (Peace Wapiti Academy Social Studies teacher): "I found Days of Glory to be very complimentary to our program of studies in Grade 10-12 Social Studies. My students thoroughly enjoyed these films. It led to a very productive discussion in class the next day. Any opportunity to enhance the curriculum is most welcome, especially now with a new curriculum. Having students witness the horrors of war through a visual aid is very beneficial. It is one thing to discuss this and yet another to show it visually. My students were quite moved by the experience."
• Holly Galbraith (Hiccups Family Program): "As a first time attendee, I feel it's an invaluable experience to introduce such a vast variety of techniques, ideas, and creativity to both my students and my own children. We'll be back."
• Darla Dawn (Oscar-Nominated Live Action): "They were all incredible."
• Dymphny Dronyk (Oscar-Nominated Live Action): "Lovely set of films - very classy presentation."
• R. Scooter Corkle (Love is Love): "Terry has a talent for bringing some of the most interesting, thought-provoking and diverse films - packages that rival the largest festivals in the world."
• Victoria Carter (Love is Love): "This is a great festival. Keep up the good work!"
• Bailey Armstrong (Oscar-Nominated Animated): "It was great."
• Jake Hammell (Oscar-Nominated Animated): "Loved the atmosphere, loved the attitude."
• Becca Scott (Bob & the Aliens): "It was entertaining and a good laugh."
• M. Peterman (Bob & the Aliens): "I thought I Am Bob was hilarious and original."
• Alex Zahara (Bob & the Aliens): "It was a great selection! Something for anyone and everyone!"
• Brenda Parker (Love is Love): "This was great - wish I'd come to some of the earlier packages! I will next year!"
• Catherine McLaughlin (Love is Love): "Great gift to the community! We are so rich. Thank you."
• Heather Gunson (Psycho Shorts): "This was just as great as last year."
• Darla Dawn (Hiccups Family Program): "Great package. I love that I actually laugh out loud. The twists and unexpected turns in the plots are appreciated. Fantastic price, paid very few coins for such incredible films. Travelled the world this weekend for a mere $50 and no jet lag! Though Psycho Shorts was a red eye."
• Debby Ray (Hiccups Family Program): "Loved it. Will come again."
• Jason Eisener (Hiccups Family Program): "There were some great shorts."
• Anastasia Johnson (Abracadabra): "I thought it was really good! There were great messages in each film I saw, and I find that fascinating as it has me expand to new ideas and different ways of thinking. Thanks!"
• Dwain Costelle (Best of the Fest): "I enjoyed the variety ... delicieuse!"
• Sheri Jickling (Best of the Fest): "Great 'best of fest'. First time here but will definitely be back!"
• Jeff McKay (Best of the Fest): "Great selection of films."
• Debbie Mathias (Best of the Fest): "Enjoyed the student films, nice accompaniment!"
• Catherine McLaughlin (Best of the Fest): "Great! Wonderful to see the local films done by youth."

Filmmakers in attendance

• R. Scooter Corkle: "As a filmmaker, I've never felt so welcome at a festival with such a high caliber of screened films. It's fun, friendly and delicious - go!"
• Jason Eisener: "The film selection was great. I love the sections they were divided into. You guys are awesome and do a great job of taking care of the filmmakers."
• Michael Bourree: "It was a great experience."

2008 Feedback

At our 2008 film festival, 98% of questionnaire respondents rated their film package or workshop as good or great. We also had a school program, filmmakers in attendance, and after-parties.

Workshops

• Gail Littleton (Acting for the Camera): "Alex is wonderful. He is very informative, interesting, and "LOVES" his field. An inspiration to anyone interested in acting or the film industry."
• Laurie Bellam (Patrick Ross: The Painter and the Film): "It was very interesting and powerful!!"
• Dymphny Dronyk (Patrick Ross: The Painter and the Film): "It was all brilliant."
• Marian Shilka (Patrick Ross: The Painter and the Film): "All great!"
• Ryan McKenne (Behind the Green Screen: Visual Effects and Postproduction Magic): "Everything great!"
• Mona Arsenault (Breaking into the Alberta Film Industry): "Very informative session. Great work!"

Film Packages

• Joan Kennedy (Little Gorillas): "All excellent."
• Gwen Rochon (Little Gorillas): "I thoroughly enjoyed myself."
• Margaret Wright (Fair Trade): "Enjoyed the films immensely!"
• Melissa Shalagan (Fair Trade): "Event seemed well-organized and affordable."
• Lisa Deppe (Oscar-Nominated Animated): "I had a wonderful time. I am very happy I came and look forward to doing it again."
• Catherine McLaughlin (Oscar-Nominated Live Action): "What an opportunity!"