Thank you, Madam Speaker. I am going to deviate a little bit from the theme today. Instead, I would like to recognize a constituent of the District of Great Slave, 10-year-old Jack Penney.
This year, Jack submitted his film "Eat Your Carrots" to the NWT-based Dead North Film Festival. "Eat Your Carrots" is a fantasy horror short that was written and directed by Jack when he was only nine years old. Jack is currently in grade five at Ecole J.H. Sissons School and, in his spare time, is an avid reader and snowboarder. He's also the best big brother to his sister, Lucy Dandelion.
Jack faced many challenges during the filming of "Eat Your Carrots," which included his cat, Pixie, stealing his Lego pieces as well as the difficulty of filming in the North in March. Jack's film was such a hit at the festival that it won the Zombear Award for the best death scene. This involved blowing up a snowman, and our own Legislative Assembly Clerk, Michael Ball, contributed his explosives expertise for this scene.
Recently, "Eat Your Carrots" was picked up as an official selection of the national, Toronto-based "Blood in the Snow Film Festival," which is currently being hosted and aired on Super Channel until November 8th. Jack is also planning on submitting his film to the Dawson City Film Festival.
Jack's cinematic success at such a young age is a good example of how the NWT strives to foster its creative community. This winter there will be many virtual events taking place which will allow everyone to attend, not just those lucky enough to get a ticket as often has been the case in the past. For example, the Yellowknife International Film Festival runs from today, November 4th to November 8th and anyone can attend from the comfort of their homes with no need to get out of their sweats. While the Dead North Film Festival will not take place this year, there is still funding available through the GNWT for artists. In fact, in the 2020-2021 fiscal year, there is $250,000 up for grabs for the creative industries. This funding is open to several artistic arenas, including performance, Indigenous cultural works, film, and visual arts. I strongly encourage all northern artists to apply.
In conclusion, I would again like to congratulate Jack Penney on his cinematic success on the national stage as he has a very bright future ahead of him, and I'm proud to call him my constituent and my neighbour. Thank you.