Youth Silent Film Festival

Youth Silent Film Festival

With an October 1 deadline, young film-makers need to get a grip and focus if they intend to enter this year’s New Zealand leg of the International Youth Silent Film Festival.

The competition, which is open to anyone aged 20 or younger as of April 15 this year, calls for 3-minute silent films – genre soundtracks are provided free though the festival website – but the New Zealand regional co-ordinator Megan Peacock Coyle reckons storyboarding, filming and editing could take up the rest of this month.

The other news for those thinking of entering is that, thanks to the generosity of the New Zealand Broadcasting School, this year’s winning film will receive $2000, with a total prize pool of $6500 across 10 awards.

The winning movie will represent New Zealand at next year’s IYSFF final in Portland, Oregon.

Finalists will be screened with live musical accompaniment from a 1926 Mighty Wurlitzer organ with the winners announced by the well-known screenwriter, actor and director, and the contest’s celebrity judge, Tim Balme at a red carpet event at Baycourt Community & Arts Centre in Tauranga on November 22.

FAQ

CAN I OTHER PEOPLE HELP MAKE MY FILM? Yes, but all filmmakers including those writing, filming and editing the film must be aged 20 years or younger as of April 15, 2017. Actors can be any age.

CAN MY FILM HAVE SOUND EFFECTS OR SPOKEN DIALOGUE? No, because then it wouldn't be silent, would it?

DOES MY FILM HAVE TO BE BLACK AND WHITE? No, though the traditional look of silent film is black and white because colour film stock did not exist. Many video cameras today allow the colour feature to be turned off. If yours cannot, or you prefer the colour look, enter a colour film.

CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE FILM? Yes, but please enter each film separately. Do not batch upload your films. Do not enter multiple films on the same Submission Form. Each entry must have its own Submission Form.

CAN MY FILM BE LONGER OR SHORTER THAN THREE MINUTES? No. Your film should begin and end with one of the music tracks on our website. Each of the provided music tracks are almost exactly three minutes in length, so your film should be, too.

CAN I USE MY OWN MUSIC? No. Please do not edit the provided soundtracks, combine them, or use music other than the film festival compositions, as these will be performed live by an organist.

CAN MY FRIENDS AND I SUBMIT A FILM AS A GROUP? Yes, but all filmmakers must be 20 years and under as of April 15, 2017. Please list each filmmaker on the Submission Form and in your credits.

IF MY FRIENDS AND I SUBMIT A FILM AS A GROUP, DO WE ALL GET A PRIZE? Cash prizes are awarded per film, not per individual. This means a film made by several filmmakers would share in a single prize. It is up to the filmmakers how to divide the prize money.

HOW WILL FILMS BE JUDGED? Films will be judged based on meeting all submission criteria; family oriented and suitable for all audiences, no copywrited material, your own original work, three minutes in length, and including three title cards.

ENDS

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