At a time when film festivals are becoming more glamorous and glitzy, and star power and red carpets rival the films themselves as the main attraction, a small-town prairie festival that prides itself on its diminutive size, casual atmosphere and artistic focus is quite an anomaly. But, as far as the organizers and attendees of the Yorkton Short Film & Video Festival are concerned, that’s a good thing.

‘There are an abundance of big-market festivals where you can make big deals, but Yorkton has found a niche of a different kind,’ says Dean Sauer, a Regina-based post-production supervisor and chair of the Yorkton fest board. ‘In an industry that is becoming increasingly business-oriented, the Yorkton festival is a haven for filmmakers who want to focus on the art of filmmaking.’

While not known for its celebrities or swanky parties, Yorkton is remembered just as fondly for its delegate baseball games, barbecues and golf tournaments, not to mention the incredibly heavy Golden Sheaf Awards.

‘We aren’t afraid to say that we are a small-scale, folksy festival,’ says National Film Board producer Joe MacDonald, a member of the festival advisory committee. ‘There are lots of places to learn about the business, but Yorkton has always stressed the craft of filmmaking.’

The festival, which runs May 24-27 in the southern Saskatchewan town – population 17,200 – turns 60 this year, and holds the distinction of being the longest continually running film festival in North America.

Each year, around 200 delegates from across the country attend the event, which offers professional development workshops, pitching opportunities and the Golden Sheaf Awards, which recognize the best in Canadian film and TV productions under 60 minutes in length.

‘What is special about Yorkton is that it is so atypical of other festivals, which have become giant commercial enterprises,’ says Norm Bolen, EVP content group at Alliance Atlantis. ‘Instead, Yorkton is a creative and warm event where you can spend time with your colleagues and interact with filmmakers and the community as a whole.’

Other industry representatives echo this sentiment.

‘At events in big cities, I find myself multitasking to death, but at Yorkton you are literally hours away from anything else, so you can focus on just being at the festival,’ says John Dippong, head of feature film for Telefilm Canada’s Western office. ‘By virtue of being off the beaten track, you get to really spend time with people, instead of having perfunctory formal cocktail chatter.’

The festival dates back to 1947, when National Film Board field officer James Lysyshyn helped establish a film council in Yorkton and then pitched the organization the idea of starting a festival similar to the arts events being held in Europe at the time, and the growing number of music and science festivals cropping up in Canada.

In 1950, the country’s first film festival, the Yorkton International Documentary Festival, was launched. Organized by community volunteers, the event was held in the Yorkton City Hall and attracted film entries from all over the world, including India, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, the U.S. and Britain.

In 1956, Frank Morris, a Winnipeg film critic and member of the competition jury, suggested that the festival should have a grand prize, and the Golden Sheaf Award – symbolic of the fact that Yorkton was surrounded by wheat fields – was created.

During the 1960s and ’70s, the festival faced numerous obstacles, including a fire that destroyed its projectors and more than 80 films, then the shutting down of the Yorkton Film Council due to a lack of members. But determined volunteers decided the festival should continue, and started a society to run the event. The international competition was dropped in 1977, and the festival decided to focus on Canadian short film. 

‘We have continued to adapt as the industry has changed and are always looking at ways to bring new and improved programming to the festival,’ says executive director Fay Kowal, who has been with the organization for the past 16 years, assuming her current role in 1994.

Led by Kowal, along with a board of directors made up of community members and industry representatives, the festival receives ongoing support from Telefilm Canada, Saskatchewan Lotteries, the City of Yorkton, Access Television, the Saskatchewan Motion Picture Association, CBC, SaskFilm, SCN, NFB, CTV and Partners in Motion.

‘The festival has survived numerous ups and downs and financial woes, and still manages to pull through,’ says David Kyle, regional director of radio and TV for CBC Saskatchewan. ‘It is the little festival that could, and it keeps chugging along.’

Yorkton has developed a reputation for informal networking opportunities, being a low-key festival where emerging producers can rub shoulders with industry players, and where new talent is discovered.

‘There isn’t a lot of fast-and-furious formal pitching at Yorkton, so there is the opportunity to speak with emerging filmmakers that otherwise you might not have the chance to meet with at larger events,’ says CTV VP of documentaries Bob Culbert.

‘Filmmakers can introduce themselves to a broadcaster over a game of pool and begin to build a relationship which may lead, down the road, to an opportunity to work together.’

Nearly 400 films are entered annually into the Golden Sheaf competition, which is open to all Canadian productions 60 minutes or shorter.

‘It is a great screening festival,’ says SCN executive director of programming Richard Gustin, noting that all films entered into competition are available for viewing at the event. ‘They get a really excellent lineup of films competing, so it is a great place to look at product.’

More than 60 jurors from across the country adjudicate the awards, which include prizes in 17 genre categories (ranging from drama and comedy to lifestyle and children’s shows, plus eight documentary heats), 10 craft categories, plus cash and specialty awards.

‘One of the strengths of the festival is that it not only recognizes the directors, but also the craft people behind the scenes, from researchers through to musicians,’ notes Culbert. ‘Not enough festivals do that.’

Although the festival is sticking to its roots in celebrating the art and craft of filmmaking, it is also evolving to keep pace with the ever-changing demands of the film and TV industries. Five years ago, a national advisory board made up of film and TV industry representatives was introduced to help guide the festival’s future planning.

The event is exploring opportunities opened up by the growing demand for short film content on digital distribution platforms such as mobile devices and the Internet. The festival’s future may include master classes and competitions to produce short digital films that will premiere at the event, as well as awards for this type of programming.

The festival is also finding an important niche serving the needs of new and emerging filmmakers. It has initiated a program in Saskatchewan high schools to raise awareness of film and TV industry opportunities, and is involved in an aboriginal filmmaker training program called First Stories: Saskatchewan, a partnership among CBC, SaskFilm, SCN and the NFB. The program saw local aboriginal producers receive training at the 2006 festival, followed by the creation of four short docs that are premiering at the 2007 event.

‘Yorkton is the perfect setting for bringing in emerging filmmakers and offering outreach programs,’ says SaskFilm acting CEO Susanne Bell. ‘It isn’t as cost-prohibitive as other festivals, and new filmmakers have access to decision-makers and established players in an intimate and nurturing environment.’

The festival also plans to move into year-round programming, and is partnering with the Toronto International Film Festival Group’s Film Circuit and other organizations to screen Canadian films in Yorkton.

According to MacDonald, thinking ahead will be key to the festival’s ongoing success.

‘Yorkton may be the oldest continually running film festival in North America,’ he says, ‘but we have a lot of young and fresh ideas.’

www.yorktonshortfilm.org