INSIDE OUT ANNOUNCES WINNER OF THE HAROLD GREENBERG FUND SHORT TO FEATURE AWARD Inside Out celebrates its 25th anniversary May 21 to 31, 2015 (January 27, 2015– Toronto) Inside Out, presenter of the annual Toronto LGBT Film Festival, announced today the winner of the Inside Out Harold Greenberg Fund Short to Feature Award. Toronto filmmaker James Fanizza will receive $10,000 cash towards his short film, You Are Free that will have its world premiere at this year’s festival. This inaugural award has been established to provide financial assistance to an emerging Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans (LGBT) identified filmmaker whose work is consistent with the goals of Inside Out. It will provide funding towards the production of a short film that will also serve as a calling card for the development and production of a feature length version of the film. "I am incredibly honoured to be selected for the inaugural Inside Out Harold Greenberg Fund Short to Feature Award,” said Fanizza. “I'm a firm believer that Canada needs more queer content in its mainstream media and it's thrilling to be supported by both of these organizations." Fanizza’s You Are Free is the story of an amateur drag queen who gets a oncein-a-lifetime chance to compete in a national drag queen competition in which he strives to go the distance to save his failing bar, overcome adversity and fight for his self respect. You Are Free will be Fanizza’s second film at Inside Out. Last year, he produced the short film Sebastian that played as part of the Local Heroes shorts program. “Congratulations to James for earning this fantastic award,” said Andrew Murphy, Inside Out’s Director of Programming. “We are very appreciative to the Harold Greenberg Fund for supporting our mission to help emerging Canadian LGBT filmmakers turn their vision into reality and create new work. We look forward to screening James’ film at this year’s Festival.” About Inside Out Inside Out presents the annual Toronto LGBT Film Festival, with financial support from Presenting Sponsor, RBC Royal Bank. It is the largest event of its kind in Canada and entertains cinema buffs of all stripes, showcasing the best and most diverse films by, for and of interest to LGBT communities. For 11 days, the Festival draws crowds of more than 32,500 to screenings, artist talks, panel discussions, installations and parties that showcase more than 175 films and videos from Canada and around the world. In addition, Inside Out is committed to challenging attitudes and changing lives year-round through the exhibition, production and promotion of LGBT film with initiatives including annual festivals in Toronto and Ottawa, educational programs including the Queer Video Mentorship Project and the Mark S. Bonham Scholarship, and fall/winter screening series. Inside Out celebrates a quarter century of showcasing the best in Canadian and international cinema with the 25th Anniversary Toronto LGBT Film Festival that runs from May 21 to 31, 2015. About the Harold Greenburg Fund The English-Language Program of the Harold Greenberg Fund, with contributions from The Movie Network and Bell Media, provides reimbursable financial assistance for the development and production of feature films, as well as sponsoring industry workshops, training programs, festivals, special events, and awards. Since its inception in 1986, the Fund has supported nearly 4,000 projects and initiatives, for an investment of over $85 million to date in the Canadian film and television industry. It is proud to support the vision and works of Canadian storytellers. SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Visit us on the web: www.insideout.ca Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/InsideOutTO Like Us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/InsideOutFilmFestival -30For more information including media accreditation and interview requests, please contact: Alma Parvizian (416) 593-0777 x202 [email protected] Jennifer Rashwan (416) 593-0777 x204 [email protected]