FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August, 2013 Weengushk Film Institute Seeks Film Enthusiasts to Inspire Manitoulin Island, OnWeengushk

Film Institute is now accepting applications for the fast approaching 2013 educational year. The LAB 1: SHORT FILM Program offers instruction and hands-on training in all aspects of filmmaking to participants with any level of experience in the film industry. LAB 1: SHORT FILM consists of: Screenwriting, Producing, Directing, Editing, Cinematography, Composing and Marketing. Tuition is $8000 for this eight-month comprehensive program. LAB 1: SHORT FILM is designed around fostering the artists unique and creative visions while providing a platform for their stories to be told. This is achieved under the guidance of our experienced industry professionals who make up the Institutes award-winning faculty and mentors. Those enrolled will learn the skills needed to write and direct their own short film. This short film will be the artists calling card, and will introduce the artist, and their work, to the film industry. What makes Weengushk Film Institute and the LAB 1: SHORT FILM Program unique is that the only pre-requisite a student needs is the desire to learn. Students come to Weengushk from a variety of educational backgrounds and participants with little to no experience with school or the film industry can be accepted. Our ideal applicant has an interest in film making from a technical perspective, says Nano Debassige, Senior Manager of Production and Facilities. They should also have a story to tell. We all have stories: they are our past, present and future. What most lack is an outlet of expression to tell those stories, and that is what Weengushk Film Institute representsan avenue of expression for those who may struggle to find a platform to share their stories.

Though LAB 1: SHORT FILM focuses on equipping students with a thorough understanding of the film making process, through their hands on studies, students acquire a broad spectrum of knowledge on the film industry as a whole. Through the LAB 1: SHORT FILM program, students are exposed to all areas of film making, and they could find that a specific film industry niche, such as sewing or accounting, inspires them. This is what Weengushk is all about. Inspiring people who are struggling with where they belong in the professional world, and helping them find their voice. Weengushk is the Ojibwe word for Sweetgrassan Indigenous purification medicine that is burned in ceremonies for healing. Sweetgrass enhances creativity, opens doors, and welcomes helpful energies to sustain a meaningful journey. Weengushk Film Institute embraces this purification ritual as a symbol for clearing the path to professional sustainability and cultural advancement for communities with limited resources in Canada and abroad. The mission of Weengushk Film Institute is to create independent and award winning alumni who are trailblazers in the media industry. For more information, or to apply for LAB 1: SHORT FILM, please contact Weengushk Film Institutue. Nano Debassige Senior Manager, Programs & Facilities (705) 377-5322 ndebassige@weengushk.com