ReelHeART International Film Festival

Established in 2004, The ReelHeART International Film Festival (ReelHeART) known as The Filmmakers Film Festival is an annual independent film festival that premieres cross-genre films from 30 or more countries during six days around the last week of June in Toronto, Canada.

Program

ReelHeART accepts films of all genres, countries and film lengths. ReelHeART programs on content. ReelHeART has 12 categories of film competition: Feature Narrative, Feature Documentary, Short or Long Form Narrative, Short or Long Form Documentary, Dance and/or Music Related Category, Animation and New Media Category, Experimental Category, Music Video Category and "Off The Shelf". ReelHeART has two screenplay competitions. One for feature scripts of 120 pages or less. One for short scripts of 15 pages or less.

In 2007, ReelHeART introduced a Feature Screenplay Competition. ReelHeART was the first film festival to feature rehearsed live reads for the top three feature scripts in front of a festival audience.

In 2007, two of the top three scripts were by the same writer, Joe Acton of Washington State. In 2011, two of the top three scripts were by the same writing team, George Sanders and Shawn Curran of New York, NY. In 2011, the first international feature screenwriter top 3 winner was Steven Hart from Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom. In 2012, short screenplays got the same treatment as feature screenplays getting a rehearsed cast-to-type "Live read" on front of a festival audience.

Award Types

ReelHeART filmmakers and screenwriters compete for awards in 14 categories.

2007 brought the decision to honor Best Actor on film.
2007 brought the decision to honor Best Actress on film.
2008 brought the decision to honor Best Online film in a category called "ReelTube".
2008 brought the decision to honor Best Sound in film.
2009 brought the decision to honor Best Cinematography in film.

In 2012, for the first time in their history, ReelHeART awarded a feature LGBT documentary, called "Hollywood to Dollywood" with the prestigious Founder's Award ('Best of the Fest') for its outstanding achievement on film and engaging and entertaining audiences of all walks of life. "Hollywood to Dollywood" also received the 1st Place Feature Documentary Award.

ReelHeART International Film Festival is best known for its Programmer’s Pledge of “We watch your film from moment one to moment none...”

2012 Award Winners

Founder's Award (Best of the Fest): "Hollywood to Dollywood" (USA) - Director, John Lavin, Producers Gary Lane, Larry Lane
1st Place Feature Film: “Tag und Nacht”/“Day and Night" (Austria) - Director, Sabine Derflinger
Best Cinematography: “He Film" (France) - Cinematographer, Philippe Chevallier
Best Editing: “We Run Sh*t” (USA) - Picture Editor Scott Storm
Best Sound: “The People’s Tenor” (Scotland, UK) - Sound Editor, Derek Farnham Cox
Best Actor: Gottfried Helwein (as himself) for “Gottfried Helwein and The Dreaming Child” (Austria)
Best Actress: (Joint Winners) Anna Rot and Magdalena Kronschläger for “Tag und Nacht”/“Day and Night” (Austria)
ReelHeART Spirit Award: John Craig Innes (as himself) “The People’s Tenor” (Scotland, UK)
1st Place Feature Screenplay “Resilience“, by Steven Hart (Congo, Africa)
2nd Place Feature Screenplay “William, Will you Dance?“, by Mary Huckstep (Colorado, USA)
3rd Place Feature Screenplay “Norman the Conqueror“, by Deanna Dewey (England, UK)

2011 Award Winners

Founder's Award (Best of the Fest): "How I Got Lost" (USA) - Director, Joe Leonard
1st Place Feature Film: “Unitards" (USA) - Director, Scott Featherstone
2nd Place Feature Film: “Land Gold Women" (Mumbai/UK) - Director, Avantika Hari
3rd Place Feature Film: "Mitä meistä tuli (What Became of Us)” (Finland) - Director Miika Ullakko
Best Cinematography: “Land Gold Women" (Mumbai/UK) - Cinematographer, David Rom
Best Editing: “We Run Sh*t” (USA) - Picture Editor Scott Storm
Best Sound: “El Payo” (Canada) - Sound Editor, Max Montalvo
Best Actor: Jamison Featherstone, Sam Featherstone, Zach Spurlock (Ensemble) for “Unitards” (USA)
Best Actor: Narindar Samra for “Land Gold Women” (Mumbai/UK)
Best Actress: Judy Hazlett (as herself) for “Impoverished Places” (Canada)
Best Venue: “Seventeen People From Toronto” (New York, NY) - Director David Wild
1st Place Feature Screenplay “Overwhelming Darkness“, by Steven Hart (Scotland, UK)
2nd Place Feature Screenplay “Bird Brained“, by George Sanders and Shawn Curran (USA)
3rd Place Feature Screenplay “Chomp“, by George Sanders and Shawn Curran (USA)

2010 Award Winners

Too many restrictions for visitors and freedom of movement before and during the 2010 G-20 Toronto Summit, combined with new non-profit status, ReelHeART went on hiatus. ReelHeART relaunched 2011 season and opened for submissions in July 31, 2010.

2009 Award Winners

Founder's Award (Best of the Fest): The Notorious Newman Brothers (Canada) - Director Ryan Noel
Best Feature Film: "Knuckle Draggers" (USA) - Director Alex Rinarevelo
1st Place ReelTube: (joint winners): Francis, The Letter Game, Elephant Boy (England, UK) Director Pat Kelman
Best Cinematography: Play with Fire, Soren Johnstone, Cinematographer
Best Actor: Paul J. Alessi, for the role of "Kyle" in Knuckle Draggers
1st Place Feature Screenplay “Dressed In A Black Flag“, by Marc Winzer (USA)
2nd Place Feature Screenplay “The Sleep Clinic“, by Ramona Baillie (Canada)
3rd Place Feature Screenplay “Upside Brown“, by Brad Farris (USA)

2008 Award Winners

1st Place Feature Screenplay “The Other Side of The Wall“, by Mary Townsend (New Mexico, USA)
2nd Place Feature Screenplay “Bliss Creek“, by Don Teague (Texas, USA)
3rd Place Feature Screenplay “Scavengers“, by Diana Kemp-Jones (California, USA)

2007 Award Winners

1st Place Feature Film: Deadpan Valentine,UK, Robin Lindsey, Director
2nd Place Feature Film: After Roberto, USA, Louis Fusco, Co-Director, Marc Fusco, Co-Director
3rd Place Feature Film: Streets Of Wonderland, Canada, Carey Lewis, Director
Short or Long Film: Divide, Japan, Masato Tsujioka, Director
Best Editing: Deadpan Valentine, UK, Katherine Lee, Editor
Best Sound: Les Punks, USA, Scott Teems, Co-Director; Charlie Shanian, Co-Director NB Divorced from Tori Spelling after 14 months. Often referred to as "Mr. 9021Over"
1st Place Short Film: Photograbber (aka "Photomateurs"), France, Pascal Tosi, Director
1st Place Feature Screenplay “Channel 79“, by Joe Acton (Washington, USA)
2nd Place Feature Screenplay “Willing“, by Jason Coleman (California, USA)
3rd Place Feature Screenplay “Married Seeking Same“, by Joe Acton (Washington, USA)

2006 Award Winners

Best Of The Fest: Ten 'til Noon, USA, Scott Storm, Director; Paul Osborne, Writer NB Ten 'til Noon received an "R" rating March 1, 2008

2005 Award Winners

Best Of The Fest: Bad Day, UK, Dominic Makin, Director, Writer NB Bad Day was banned in Britain
1st Place Feature Film: Encounters, UK, Pat Kelman, Director, Jonty Reason, Producer on behalf of Pittot Films NB Directorial debut of well-known British Character actor Pat Kelman ("Lighthouse", "The Odyssey")
2nd Place Feature Film: Formosa, USA, Noah Kadner, Director NB Stars great character actors such as, Steven Gilborn, Geoffrey Lewis and Saginaw Grant
2nd Place Feature Film: Sweet Destiny, USA, Francine Pellegrino, Director NB Stars Abe Vigoda ("Fish" from Barney Miller) in his first role as a romantic leading man

In 2006 ReelHeART started a Monthly Film Series. The selections are curated from past winners and audience favorites from the ReelHeART archives.