The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Tom Osborne, Minister of Education:

Speaker, I rise in this Honourable House to congratulate the winners and participants of the inaugural Newfoundland and Labrador High School Short Film Festival 2022.

The NL High School Short Film Festival is a place for young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians to creatively express themselves through film.

Awards were presented to almost 30 filmmakers from grades seven to 12 from across the province. The grand prize, the Premier’s Short Film Award of Excellence, was presented to Alicia Mason-Quinton of Holy Heart of Mary High School for her film “Young at Heart”. Alicia shared her family’s relationship with dementia, highlighting the positive sides of her relationship with her grandparents that often are not mentioned when discussing this affliction. A full list of winners is available online.

Speaker, I would be remiss to discuss this festival without mentioning Allan Hawco and Paul Pope, who helped create the festival and these awards. There was no bigger advocate for filmmakers young and old in this province than Mr. Pope. His recent, untimely passing is felt deeply, especially amongst his colleagues in the film industry. His legacy will live on though for years to come, particularly as he spear-headed the recently announced Film and Media Production Centre at College of the North Atlantic.

Please join me in congratulating this year’s 28 Short Film Festival Award Winners. They are all shining examples of young Newfoundlanders and Labradorians creatively expressing themselves through film. I cannot wait to see what they produce in the future.

Thank you.