“This year’s program will leave you truly inspired,” said Julie Glaser, ViewFinders Director. “We know that young people are utilizing film, video and new media to tell their own important stories and we’re proud to support that creative process right here at home with the ViewFinders Festival.”

“The strong selection of films this year are thought provoking and continue to engage, educate, and entertain our ever-growing youth and family audience,” said Andrew Murphy, Programming Manager. “It is an honour to kick off with the deeply moving Sundance winner War/Dance, and we are also excited about the very special Aardman Animation Retrospective program specially tailored for our Festival.”

FILMS

The CBC Opening Gala on Tuesday April 24 at 7:00 PM features the award-winning documentary War/Dance that follows the journey of three children--Dominic, Rose, and Nancy--and their school in the Patongo refugee camp: the first school from the northern war zone to make it to the finals of Uganda’s national music and dance competition. Amidst unimaginable violence and grief, these children sing and dance in protest and in celebration. Breathtaking cinematography almost makes it impossible to imagine such violence and devastation could exist among such natural beauty.

Another award-winning film, God Grew Tired of Us will be screened at the Empire Theatres Closing Gala on Saturday, April 28 at 7:00 PM. Winner of both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, God Grew Tired Of Us explores, over the course of a four-year period, the unconquerable spirit of three ‘Lost Boys’ from the Sudan who leave their homeland, triumph over seemingly insurmountable adversities and re-settle in America, where they build active and fulfilling new lives but remain deeply committed to helping the friends and family they have left behind.

Other film gems that will be screened over the five days of ViewFinders include Academy Award-winning animated short, The Danish Poet , last year’s AFF feature La Planиte Blanche/The White Planet screening in both French and English, and the hilarious Aardman Animation Retrospective collection of short films.

New this year is our Choix du public en ligne, an online people’s choice award for viewer’s favourite French family movie from a selection of 5 films: Annie Brocoli dans les Fonds Marins; Pollux, le manиge enchantй; Astйrix chez les Bretons; Astйrix et les indiens; Astйrix le Gaulois. Visit www.atlanticfilm.com/view to vote. The film receiving the most votes will be announced during the French Program day and screened on Saturday, April 28th at 2:00 PM.

All films take place at Empire 17 Cinemas, Bayers Lake and the Oxford Theatre. A full schedule and description of ViewFinders films can be found in this year’s ViewFinders Program Guide or online at www.atlanticfilm.com/view.

WORKSHOPS

In addition to 35 screenings there are over 40 workshops that offer insight and hands-on experience into how films are made and what happens behind the camera. Workshop topics include animation, special effects make-up, podcasting and video game development. There are also opportunities to hear from industry leaders in our Director’s and Actor’s Corners. And for those seeking more advanced instruction, we offer our Saturday Master Classes in composing for screen, sound effects design and frame x frame tabletop animation to name a few. Workshops take place in the Workshop Zone, Empire 17 Cinemas, Bayers Lake. Master Classes are held in various industry studio locations in Halifax. A full schedule and description of ViewFinders workshops can be found in this year’s ViewFinders Program Guide or online at www.atlanticfilm.com/view.

CONTESTS

The Just Kidding! Open Mic Comedy Event, Saturday, April 21 at 2:00 PM in the Keshen Goodman Library kicks-off our youth contests. Hosted again this year by Mark Critch of This Hour Has 22 Minutes it is one of our most popular events. Youth aged 18 and under may enter either as an individual (2 min. routine) or a troupe (4 min routine – max. members 5) in the categories of Stand-up, Musical Comedy, Vaudeville, Storytelling, Sketch or Improv by pre-registering at the Keshen Goodman Library or online at www.halifaxcomedyfest.ca. Prizes are awarded for each category, and the Grand Prize winner receives a personal appearance by a Ha!ifax Comedy Fest performer to their classroom during the week of Ha!ifax Comedy Fest.!

The ViewFinders film-making challenges for youth, open to those ages 18 and under, are back again this year, but are now open to all Atlantic Provinces. At each Challenge screening the top 10 entries will be screened and the winners chosen by the audience. Don’t miss these screenings as the thrilling atmosphere rivals the Gemini Awards for nail-biting excitement.

The ViewFinders Animation Challenge presented by halifaxfilm, for works of animation under 5 minutes will be screened on Wednesday, April 25. The NBC Universal Canada Movie Challenge for works of film and video under 5 minutes will screen on Thursday, April 26 and the Green Screen Challenge presented by Nova Scotia Power whose purpose is to stimulate dialogue and inspire youth-driven energy conservation action throughout the Atlantic Provinces through short films or animation under 5 minutes about energy conservation and efficiency pertinent to their communities will screen on Friday, April 27.

Each Challenge entry will be eligible for the $1,000 People’s Choice Award, voted by the audience in the theatre that night, as well as a $500 First Prize, $250 Second Prize and a $100 Third Prize. In addition to the cash prizes, there are NSCC scholarships to be won and a give-away draw from the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts will send one lucky filmmaker to their Arts Academy Camp. The winning Green Screen Challenge submission will also be entered into the Nordic Youth Film Festival Global Film Program at NUFF 2007 in Tromsш, Norway.

SCHOOL PROGRAM

The ViewFinders School Program offers students the opportunity to watch, question and better understand films and the industry that produce them. Organized along grade level programs, films and workshops within the School Program fall mainly within Elementary, Jr. High/High School, High School, Family and French Day cirriculums. The comprehensive NSCC Educator Pack produced specially for the School Program provides a series of GCO-compatible lesson plans and curriculum-derived activities for students that accompany ViewFinders film screenings. The NSCC Educator Pack and other information on the School Program are downloadable from www.atlanticfilm.com. The Empire Theatres Bus Program provides funding for transportation for schools to and from ViewFinders. See the ViewFinders website for more details.

All screenings and workshops are open to the public with priority given to classes only during the weekday School Program.