The Harold Greenberg Fund (HGF) and Manitoba Film & Music (MFM) have lifted the lid on the inaugural edition of its HGF/Manitoba Shorts Program.

Launched this July, the $80,000 envelope aims to help finance short films from Manitoba filmmakers to help them further their careers. Each project will receive a total of $20,000 in financial contributions.

Projects selected to take part include: Broken Glass from writer/director Sage Daniels; Devotion from writer/director Rowan Gray; Lover Boy’s Little Dream from writer/director Ritvick Mehra; and Wolf’s in Dude’s Clothing from writer/director Solmund MacPherson.

Broken Glass from Daniels and producer Sonya Ballantyne follows a young poet confronted by his ex-lover. Meanwhile, Devotion with producer Jessica Gibson tells the story of a caregiver who discovers the elderly woman she’s responsible for has disappeared.

Rounding out the list, Lover Boy’s Little Dream from producer Gerard Jacinto sees the film’s title character fantasize about a future with his long-time crush and Wolf’s in Dude’s Clothing from producer Drew Scurfield follows a wolf who finds a human skin suit.

The HGF/Manitoba Shorts Program is one of three new programs launched by the HGF over the last couple months.

This September, the film development funder revealed it had launched The HGF/Territories Shorts Program with Yukon Media Development, Northwest Territories Film Commission and Nunavut Film Development Corporation – a program designed to give one emerging team from the three territories $20,000 towards their dramatic short.

Last month, it introduced the HGF/Newfoundland & Labrador Shorts Program, an initiative created in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation (NLFDC) to offer two recipients $20,000 in financial contributions.

In an interview, HGF president John Gallway told Playback Daily that these new programs aim to make the funder accessible to emerging talent as well as help them further their careers.