piper voices

An award-winning Saskatchewan short film and a two-minute sizzle reel for a new film project have captured the attention of both the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and a prestigious film festival in New York City. 

 

At the centre of it all is Regina-based filmmaker Lynette Piper.

​

Piper’s short film, Out Standing in His Field, has been selected for this year’s CBC Short Film Face Off competition – the only Saskatchewan entry in a field of nine shorts from across the country. It is the story of an elderly man with dementia who escapes the nursing home and winds up back on his former wheat field.

 

“This is the biggest thing to ever happen in my film career,” Piper enthuses. “There is a $30,000 cash prize up for grabs. Whether you grew up on the farm or not, I think there is something about the prairies that draws us all in. I am hoping this sentimental factor will encourage people to vote for this project.”

​

A win for Piper means she can finance her next short film called Driver’s Licence about an elderly man who loses his licence after a series of accidents and run-ins with police. She put together a two-minute film pitch and it was accepted into the New York Indie Shorts ‘Pitch the Audience’ contest. Piper will be competing against some of the best filmmakers in the world.

​

Piper’s film, Out Standing in His Field, has been honoured at film festivals from Toronto to Vancouver to Tokyo. Now, with this recognition from the CBC, along with the New York nod for her upcoming film Driver’s Licence, it is a strong testament to Piper’s storytelling abilities.

 

“Being acknowledged in this way is a huge boost as an independent short filmmaker,” Piper explains. “We do what we do because we love telling stories, often going into debt to pursue our dreams. There’s not much of a market for short films when it comes to broadcasters and streaming services, but these shorts (typically under 15-minutes) are a necessary step in a filmmaker’s career. Making a successful short gives you film cred and lets funders know you are someone to watch when it comes time to make a feature or TV series.”

​