Originally founded in London, England by Michael A. Dobbin and Michelle Hudson, Just Watch Me! was one-day festival focusing exclusively on Canadian short films.
Boasting a program of “shorts that aren’t pants”, Just Watch Me! BAFTA took place at the headquarters of BAFTA (British Academy of Film & TV Arts) in tandem with the opening night of the London Film Festival on 18th October, 2006. This unmissable event was attended by cinephiles, industry professionals, aspiring filmmakers and Canadianists alike. The programme included some entertaining award-winners alongside tried and tested favourites from years gone by to show off that great Canadian tradition of short-storytelling for the screen.
After an introductory presentation by programmers Michael A. Dobbin and Michelle Hudson, the programme began with a panel discussion which dealt with the question: “What defines Canadian Cinema, and what's its future?” The panel included special guests: Craig Moyes, Contributing Author: The Cinema of Canada; Yoram Allon, Director and Commissioning Editor, Wallflower Press and Philippe Bergeron, Writer/Director.
The screening section of the programme was again introduced by Michael A. Dobbin and Michelle Hudson before introductory comments were made by Mr. Guy Saint-Jacques, Deputy High Commissioner and Mr. Derek Linfield, The Canada House CinemaClub. The final programme was completely Canadian in content and was divided into three sections:
- Nostalgia Canadiana – Classic films from the National Film Board of Canada, Heritage Minutes and Hinterland Who’s Who.
- Bravo!FACT 10th Anniversary – made up of some of the best short films which were produced by grants from the scheme.
- The Award Winners – selections made with the help of the Film Circuit of the Toronto International Film Festival.
The event was designed to raise the profile of past and recent achievements of Canadian short cinema by making the programme accessible to a broad audience by celebrating Canadian films and artists in a positive and enjoyable way. Widely attended, the event attracted a significant audience for a medium that doesn’t often gain much attention.
Partners to the event included the Canada House Cinema Club, the Film Circuit of the Toronto International Film Festival, Bravo!Fact, Quiet Revolution Pictures, the Canadian High Commission in London, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Quebec House. Promotional partners included The Wallflower Press, Network Canada and Vertigo Magazine.
For a list of sponsors, click here.
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“Just watch me” is a phrase made famous by former Canadian Prime Minister, the late Pierre Elliot Trudeau during an interview at the height of the October Crisis of 1970. The defiant, off-the-cuff remark struck a chord with a nation struggling to overcome an identity crisis; and has since become a catch-phrase with deep roots in the Canadian psyche. |
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Tim Ralfe, CBC Reporter: Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister: |