EDMONTON — Super Channel announced Monday it’s partnering with the Edmonton International Film Festival (EIFF) to deliver a virtual edition of the 2020 EIFF, which is Edmonton’s annual celebration of contemporary Canadian and international cinema and an Oscar-qualifying festival for short films.
Beginning October 1 and running daily to October 10, Super Channel Fuse will showcase a selection of films from this year’s EIFF. More than a dozen feature films will have a linear-only limited run on the channel; plus, a number of international and Canadian short films will be interspersed into the broadcast schedule.
The Edmonton International Film Festival presented by Super Channel will bring the full festival experience to film fans, says the news release, with pre-recorded Q&As, virtual filmmaker chats and a digital awards presentation. Further details will be announced later.
“As an Edmonton-based company we are thrilled to be lending our support to the EIFF and forging a partnership with a homegrown festival that shares our enthusiasm for encouraging and supporting the appreciation of independent film,” said Don McDonald, president and CEO of Super Channel, in the release. “As we continue to look for ways to support the film community during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond, we couldn’t think of a better fit than sharing our platform with the EIFF and bringing a taste of this renowned local film festival to a whole new audience across Canada via Super Channel Fuse.”
Marking its 34th year in 2020, the EIFF was appointed by the Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences as an Oscar-qualifying festival in 2016 — the Grand Jury Award winners for Best Dramatic Short and Best Animation Short move forward for Oscar consideration.
