ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — A film made in this province has been named the recipient of a prestigious national honour.
“Touch”— a 15-minute drama written and directed by Noel Harris, starring Krystin Pellerin and Darryl Hopkins — has been selected as the co-winner of the National Screen Institute’s A&E short filmmakers award for best film.
An independent jury made the award selection.
“A wonderfully nuanced film with a strong and engaging story,” filmmaker Sandi Somers said about the film. “Noel’s ability to take us a on raw and natural journey is outstanding.”
The previous winner, Michael Clowater, added, “A superbly crafted film and story that drew me in from the very beginning and carried me through to the final moment.
“I loved the attention to detail that Noel brought to this. The little things like the fistfight in the background as the man drove his car helped set this world of poverty and made it feel gritty and real. A great film.”
Cinematographer Alexandra Tse said, “A beautifully crafted vacuum of a film. It does the work in a sensitive and engaging way to look at life’s small moments and complexities and find the nuance and humanity within them. 'Touch' is a film that gets better every time you watch it.”
Since its 2016 release, distributor Network Ireland Television has represented "Touch" internationally.
That three-year contract has expired and writer/director Noel Harris and producer Mark O’Neill have chosen Dec. 20 as the release date for public viewing.
“Touch” will be uploaded to the Internet on portals, including YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo and Twitter.
“Touch” was made through the Newfoundland Independent Filmmakers Co-operative, with the support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corp., the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the City of St. John’s.
