TVO is pleased to announce that Toronto filmmaker Mari Ramsawakh is the winner of the eighth annual TVO Short Doc Contest, for their short film Fluid.
Fluid reflects on identity and the labels people place on one another. Ramsawakh is a disabled and nonbinary writer, activist, and podcaster who covers topics such as disability justice, sexual health, race, and gender.
“When I made Fluid, I didn’t think that it would resonate with anyone else but myself,” says Ramsawakh. “To win the first prize in the TVO Short Doc Contest is so overwhelming because it shows how important it is that people like me tell our stories, even when it doesn’t seem like anyone is listening.”
The TVO Short Doc Contest 2019 invited filmmakers from all over Ontario to submit films no longer than 4 minutes and 45 seconds for the main category. Additionally, there was a Short Short category of films up to 90 seconds long.
Sasha Jordan Appler from Windsor won the second place prize for the film Craig Forget: Reclaimed Wood Artist; Stella Racca of Toronto won the third place prize for Do You Think You’re Beautiful?; Shelby Lisk won the Short Short category for Manasie Akpaliapik.
The winners were selected by a jury that included filmmaker Astra Taylor, Hot Docs Director of Programming Shane Smith, Short Doc Contest 2018 winner Sarah Gonyea, and Colin Ellis, host of TVO’s On Docs podcast.
“There was a lively, rigorous conversation from the judges on the merits of all the films entered in the 2019 edition of the TVO Short Doc Contest,” says Hannah Sung, TVO Manager, Digital Video. “We are thrilled to promote the work of such talented, emerging filmmakers.”
Yung Shaggy by Emma Grunwald won the People’s Choice Award, which is chosen by audiences in an online vote.
Visit tvo.org/shortdoc to watch all the top films in the TVO Short Doc Contest 2019.