Nashville, TN – JUNO Nominated Male Vocalist Steph Carse was honored at the 2nd Annual Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival, winning “Best Music Video” at the star-studded event. The festival wrapped on Sunday at University of Toronto’s Innis College with a ceremony honoring winners from an impressive line-up of 177 submissions, 70 official selections, and 30 nominations across 14 categories.

According to Carse, “Being a part of the CIFF was an incredible experience. While I was honored to win, I have to say my favorite part was getting to perform the song during the awards ceremony. Amazing Grace is a powerful message that resonates with everyone. It was a highlight to share that moment with this impressive group of filmmakers.”

For the award-winning Amazing Grace video, viewable at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mul-MnDikRw, Carse not only arranged and performed the song, but also directed and produced the video.  Crossing musical styles including Pop, Gaelic, African, and Native American, Carse’s rendition of the beloved hymn is a multi-cultural experience, merging voices, scenes, and landscapes from North Africa, Madagascar and the U.S.

For CIFF, Carse was able to return home. A native of Montreal, Quebec, the artist began developing his four-octave range by performing at concerts across the country and received a JUNO Award Nomination for Male Vocalist.

As a songwriter, performer and recording artist, Carse has sold over 500,000 albums worldwide and received a 5-star review for his 36-show run in Las Vegas from Jerry Fink of “The Las Vegas Sun.”  In 1998, Carse achieved another career milestone when he performed at the ribbon cutting for Portofino Universal Studios Florida, backed by a 25-piece orchestra and choir.

Dedicated to championing worthy causes, Carse co-wrote and performed the anthem Reach Out, the official song for The American Red Cross, and wrote and performed the title track for the album “Holiday Heroes” for The Special Olympics in Canada. The “Holiday Heroes” album generated over $2 million in net profit for The Special Olympics. Carse has now launched his non-profit Y i Count to provide a platform for this generation, helping them to understand their true value and potential, the power of words, and to counteract the aftermath of bullying.

As a television producer, Carse won 5 awards from The Florida Motion Picture and Television Association, including Best Feature Film and Best Male Vocalist, for the one-hour TV special “Reach Out” that he produced for PBS.

He continues, “I am grateful for the opportunity to tell stories and perform. Being surrounded by the talent at CIFF was inspiring, and I look forward to returning to Canada to experience more incredible films in 2019.”

Carse is currently performing his catalog in concert while also touring schools for his anti-bullying campaign Y i Count.  He is working on a new album to release in 2019. His “My Shining Hour” TV Special is currently airing on Upliftv and is also available to stream through StephCarse.com and ChristianCinema.com.

For additional information, visit www.StephCarse.com and www.YiCount.org.

ABOUT CIFF
The Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival (CIFF) is a charitable not-for-profit division of A.C.T. Canada & International (Artists in Christian Testimony). Their vision is ministry through media. They are well on their way to be an international leader in faith based film & music culture. CIFF projects include the annual Canadian International Faith & Family Film Festival at Innis College Town Hall Theatre, and Cinema Studies Institute which features two cinemas, classrooms, learning and conference facilities with an innovative national distribution program. The organization projects to generate an annual economic impact of $1 million CND in 2019. CIFF is generously supported by contributors including founding sponsor A.C.T. Canada & International (Artists in Christian Testimony), AFBS Actra Fraternal Benefits Society, CBS Canadian Bible Society and its founders Rafael Kalamat and Jason Barbeck. For more information, visit: www.cifflix.ca

Courtesy of Front Gate Public Relations