Calling all Canadian film students and emerging filmmakers: Would you like to win five thousand dollars cash? Would you like your film work to be seen by millions of people? If so then Air Canada has the perfect opportunity for you with their Eighth Annual enRoute Short Film Festival! If chosen, your film will be shown on the in-flight screens on Air Canada flights. There is rarely an opportunity this vast that allows students and emerging filmmakers to be viewed on this sizable scale.

To film students like myself, there is nothing more exciting than knowing there are multiple opportunities to showcase our work and talents within the Canadian community. However, if you are anxious and worried about your work and not confident enough that it will win first prize and five thousand dollars cash, there are other categories in which you can win. These categories are Achievement in Direction, Achievement in Cinematography, Achievement in Animation, the People’s Choice Award and, new this year, Achievement in Documentary.

If you are wondering what the alternative prizes are do not worry, they are even better than the grand cash prize. The lucky winners in each category will be awarded an exhilarating destination prize to an international film festival. The grand prize winner also receives this perk, but in fairness who doesn’t want to go to an international film festival.

One of the most exciting facets of the enRoute film festival is the way they select the winning films. It is not down to a simple popularity contest, nor is it like the Golden Globes, it comes down to a council of excellent Canadian talent who have been previous judges, such as Jay Baruchel, Sarah Gadon, Evan Goldberg, Denis Villeneuve, Donald Sutherland and many more.

Last year’s winner for Best Short Film, Just as I Remember directed by Andrew Moir, played at the 2013 Hot Docs festival in Toronto. The documentary short focused on Andrew’s life with his father who had recently been diagnosed with ALS.

If film production is something you are passionate about and considering as a career it is never too early to jump on board and take a shot. Worst case scenario you hear from a panel of industry professionals and  even an Oscar winner, who help point you into the right direction toward future success.  Submissions for the Eighth Annual enRoute Short Film Festival presented by Air Canada are now open through May 31, 2014.

Lights, camera, action! For more information please visit http://www.enroute.aircanada.com/en/film-festival/