Kevan Funk's films deserve attention.

And it's not just because the filmmaker was born in Banff.

It's because his work keeps winning awards and he keeps getting honoured by the film industry. Just last week he was part of the Toronto International Film Festival's Talent Lab, a four-day workshop that gives young filmmakers the opportunity to learn from the best in the world.

It was another opportunity for the producer, director and writer to hone his craft, which has already caught the eye of film festivals around the world.

His film A Fine Young Man premiered at the Toronto festival in 2010 and went on to win the Grand Jury prize at the Melbourne International Film Festival, the Alberta Spirit Award and at the Calgary International Film Festival. It was even long listed in the Academy Awards' Best Short Film category.

But the Banffite's short films haven't really been seen much in Banff - though that's about to change. This Friday, Funk will be back in town and will be screening four of his latest short films at the Banff Centre.

It'll also be a sneak peak of two brand new films, Leaf, which will open a week later at the Vancouver International Film Festival, and Saint Pierre, which will open at the New York Film Festival.

"The reason we're doing it is I haven't had a chance to showcase a lot of work in Banff," Funk said. "There's a lot of Banff content in there and I think people

will enjoy it."

Some of that content comes in the form of actors, like Banff's Juan Riedinger who stars in the short, blood/sweat/tears.

Funk is also bringing his films to Banff to generate a little hometown interest in his next project. He has started work on his first feature film and is looking to raise all the money needed. He'll be fundraising through Indiegogo, and he's hoping the Banff screening will generate some local support.

"We want people to come out and see the work and get people excited about supporting the feature. This will help kick off the crowd fundraiser campaign," he said. "It gives us a chance to show people the work and it's a way to generate some interest and support."

The screening will be around an hour long, followed by a Q&A with Funk.

The films will be shown at The Club at the Banff Centre at 7 p.m.

larissa.barlow@sunmedia.ca