Sniffer snags Palme d’Or

The Palme d’Or for best short film and the Norman McLaren prize went to Norwegian filmmaker Bobbie Peers for his Sniffer at the close of last month’s Cannes Film Festival. The 10-minute film is set in a world where people have the natural ability to fly, but remain anchored to the ground by heavy boots. Winners of the best short Palme d’Or automatically win the McLaren prize, launched last year by the National Film Board in memory of the acclaimed animator.

The McLaren prize comes with 3,000 Euros and the choice of a distribution or coproduction deal with the NFB on the winner’s next short.

The only Canadian film in competition at the fest this year was the short Conte de quartier, a copro with France that drew special mention.

Telefilm short contest

Telefilm Canada, Radio-Canada and the National Film Board are calling for TV dramas by francophone writers living outside of Quebec – offering an opportunity to hone their skills while expanding the pool of creators from outside the province.

Eight short dramas will be chosen. Four will make the development phase in October and the final two will see production in February. The application deadline for the first round is June 15. See www.telefilm.gc.ca for details.

Kissed case settled

An out-of-court settlement has ended a battle between the makers of the 1996 film Kissed, with Boneyard Film Company agreeing to pay Vancouver filmmaker John Pozer $60,000 plus 75% of its profits for the next four years and 49% beyond that, in perpetuity.

The settlement brings to an end a three-year legal row in which Pozer – the former common-law spouse of Boneyard principal and Kissed director Lynne Stopkewich ­- claimed he had missed out on profits from the film that he helped finance, edit and produce. Under the terms of the agreement, he will transfer his shares of Boneyard to Stopkewich.