September 2, 2010
A new venue, additional sponsors, an indigenous filmmaker award and the acceptance of entries from filmmakers from other Asia Pacific countries will be the highlights of the 2011 Shorts Film Festival.
The festival will be held for the first time in the Norwood Concert Hall after a partnership was formed with the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters.
The move has been made to accommodate growing audiences.
Festival founder David Lightfoot said the last festival in 2009 achieved a record audience and we’re anticipating an even larger audience in 2011.
“People enjoy the social atmosphere of the festival, where they can eat good food, have a drink and discuss the films with their friends, family and the filmmakers themselves,” Mr Lightfoot said.
“With limited resources we’ve continually managed to implement new initiatives, form new partnerships and grow audiences. The 2011 festival will be no exception.”
The new venue is the result of discussions between the board and the City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters.
Hosting the event supports the council’s objective to build a national creative industries hub as part of its Business & Economic Development Strategy 2008-2013. The city will now play host to Adelaide’s only international dedicated short film festival.
The festival has increased sponsorship and corporate support with the NAB, Redbank Wines and Finlaysons all coming on board to support the 2011 event.
“The festival has also realised its aim to welcome entries from Asia Pacific in order to develop a regional profile for the festival,” said Mr Lightfoot.
“Entries from New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asia Pacific countries will be judged in the new award category of Best International Film.
“We’re also adding a Black Shorts Award for indigenous Australian filmmakers to encourage more indigenous people to tell stories through film.
Despite some significant developments in 2011, the festival will still remain true to its original values and vision.
These include:
- To celebrate the art of storytelling regardless of genre, length or budget;
- To show films in a relaxed, social and ‘non-cinematic’ environment;
- To champion and reward Australian filmmakers by providing valuable industry prizes and opportunities.
The 2011 festival will again feature a diverse range of films with genres including animation, comedy, horror, dramas and thrillers.
Festival organisers are now calling for entries from filmmakers. Entry closes on December 3rd, 2010. The terms and conditions of entry can be found on the festival website.
The judging and selection process will commence in January 2011. Judging will take approximately three weeks to complete, involving over 45 judges and 12 judging sessions, in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. The final program will be announced in February 2011.
In addition to the selected films, an additional 10 films from the UK’s prestigious Rushes SOHO Shorts Festival will be screened during the festival.
The SHORTS Film Festival formed a partnership with Rushes in 2007, which provides reciprocal screening rights.
The partnership provides a unique opportunity for Shorts Film Festival entrants to have their films shown to an international audience, which includes leading film producers, financiers and directors.
Since the first Shorts Film Festival in 2003, its reputation has grown to attract larger audiences every year.
For the filmmakers, Shorts offers one of the largest prize pools of any film festival in Australia, worth over $50,000. The winner receives an all expenses paid trip to the Cannes Film Festival, where they’re able to make valuable contacts to further their career.
Six runners up share cash, professional production support and other great prizes.
The 2011 Shorts Film Festival will be held at the Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide from April 9 to 16. For more information, visit the Shorts Film Festival website.
Media Contact: Simon Hatcher simon@hughespr.com.au
