New Brunswick Filmmaker’s Co-operative announce the NB Cell Phone Film Challenge.
David Bower
Who said you need a ton of expensive gear to shoot a film? All you really need is a smartphone and a good idea. That’s the message behind the NB Cell Phone Film Challenge, the latest initiative from the New Brunswick Filmmaker’s Cooperative.
As film festivals around the world are beginning to take notice of the creative potential that exists between an individual and their mobile device of choice, more and more shot-on-a-smartphone films are getting noticed. This also means more and more folks are beginning to try their hand at exploring the medium.
Framing the Challenge as a “mood booster, a chance to dust off your film skills if you have not created in a while, or an opportunity to get your feet wet,” the NBFC is hoping this new initiative will see the community get creative with filmmaking.
Besides bragging rights, the winner will also receive a cash prize of $150 for Best Short Film as selected by the challenge jury.
Here’s all you need to know:
Process:
Participants have until Wednesday, September 16 to register (it’s free), by filling out the submission form and emailing it to info@nbfilmcoop.com.
Participants will also get to vote on a film genre (drama, comedy, thriller, romcom, supernatural, and sci-fi) on their applications, and the genre that gets the most votes will be used by all participants in the challenge. The challenge will officially kick off on Friday, September 18, at 6 p.m. Registered participants will receive an email from organizers telling them the film genre for the challenge and the opening and closing shots they must incorporate into their short films. When completed, short films can be uploaded on Sunday, September 20, by 9pm, via Dropbox, Google Drive or another online platform of your choice (to info@nbfilmcoop.com). The film format required is: (MP4). If you need assistance with anything, email us and we will help!
A jury will select the Best Short Film while the voting public will choose the Viewer’s Choice Award Winner. The cash prize for Best Short Film is $150.
All films that meet the criteria will be available online for public viewing for a one week at which time voting will occur.
Challenge guidelines:
Participants:
- must be New Brunswick residents. All ages welcome.
- must create a short film suitable for family viewing, up to 3 minutes long with a team of up to 3 people in total (cast/crew).
- must use iPhone, iPad, computer, baby monitor, security camera, etc… (No professional equipment such as: DSLR, high definition video, celluloid film cameras, drones, GoPros, and audio equipment please). Any type of lighting equipment is allowed and encouraged. Use of programs like Zoom or Teams to make your films and involve potential team members in another town or city is encouraged.
- must not use copyrighted video content, pictures, or music. Be original.
- must follow provincial COVID guidelines whether they are shooting indoors or outdoors
- must complete a short film over three days (September 18-20).
Learn more:
