An overall $20,000 investment from Shaw Media in the NSI Online Short Film Festival has led to the launch of a $2,500 quarterly Fearless Female Director Award.

The award will be presented to a winning director four times a year, after being selected from films by female filmmakers that screen in each round of the festival.

The NSI will launch Fearless Female Director Month on April 2 – a curated showcase of short films by female directors from the festival’s archives – to recognize Shaw’s investment in the organization.