VISIONARY ACTRESS - Joan Collins
Joan Collins' passion for the characters she plays has no bounds.  Whether in feature films, television or short movies, she inhabits the screen with her engaging presence. She began her acting work in the short film, "Facts and Fancies." From here she went onto the stage, the big screen and television. Her exceptional acting talent has brought to life iconic characters which are a part of the very fabric of American culture. Few actresses in our generation have created so indelible an impression. She has never been afraid to explore new boundaries and her return to short films recently in the role of Francesca Vonn in the short film, "Fetish" pronounces this bold move for a great actress going against type.  As an actress who embraces short film's reputation for bucking the trend, we honor Joan Collins as this year's recipient of the Shorts Visionary Actress award.

VISIONARY LEADER - Marcy Page
Marcy Page's passion for short films and short filmmakers is astounding. Many with her production talents might have been tempted to move into feature production, but Marcy has served as champion of the medium for over 20 years, producing some of the most excellent short movies made in the world during that time. With over 45 producing credits, 5 Academy Award® nominations including this year's animated short nominee "Wild Life" and two Academy Awards®, Marcy has tirelessly ensured that talented Canadian animators make the director-driven films they are passionate about. This partnership with her animation directors and producing teams has led the National Film Board of Canada to be a creative tour de force recognized almost annually by the Academy®, the Genie Awards and film festivals worldwide. For this dedication and perseverance in short filmmaking, for enabling the path of many of our best emerging directors, for leading us in bucking the trend for many years and for her humble approach to true excellence, we wish to recognize Marcy Page as this year's recipient of the Shorts Visionary Leader award.

VISIONARY ANIMATOR - Bill Plympton
Two-time Oscar® nominee Bill Plympton's talents as an Animator and Director span a career of over 35 years. Internationally recognized, he has cultivated a tremendous following of Directors, Animators, Illustrators and fans of his unique style and storytelling sensibility. He inspires new generations of filmmakers and animators and has continually stepped in to foster new and emerging talent. For his success and dedication to the medium of Animated short film, for his support and drive to continue to make short films despite continual attempts by the studios to tempt him away, we recognize Bill Plympton as this year's recipient of the Shorts Visionary Animator Award.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Nick Park
This award recognizes the recipient's extraordinary lifetime contribution to short movies of every kind including Experimental, Live Action, Animation and Documentary. This is our highest honor, conferred to a filmmaker we've identified as being key to keeping the form alive internationally with their own work through technical/philanthropic contributions to the field, while sharing their knowledge and experience in short movies to inspire the next generation of filmmakers.

Nick Park's passion for animation and film started at an early age. At age 13, with the help of his creative parents, he started to make films with a home movie camera and cotton bobbins. He studied Communication Arts at Sheffield Polytechnic and then went to the National Film and Television School, where he created his unique animation vision and started his first Wallace & Gromit short film titled "A Grand Day Out." In 1985, he joined Aardman Animations in Bristol, where he worked as an animator on commercial products. The first of many highly acclaimed films were completed during his early days at Aardman. In 1990, Nick won his first BAFTA with "A Grand Day Out" and in 1991 he won his first OSCAR with "Creature Comforts." With his vision and creative genius in high gear, he brilliantly crafted a series of Wallace & Gromit short and feature films that earned 3 Academy Awards® and 5 BAFTAS. In total, Nick Park has Won 4 OSCARS® from 6 nominations, 5 BAFTAs from 8 nominations and has received an Emmy Award nomination.