SVA MPS Live Action Short Film

2011-03-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

...And this is the shot she got

On the Set

2011-03-08T08:27:00.000-08:00

behind the scenes on the set of Nina LoSchiavo, one of the students in Bob Giraldi's SVA undergraduate short film class.

Visual Arts Brief Interview with Bob Giraldi

2010-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

The SVA Visual Arts Briefs recently sat down with the Chair of the MPS Live Action Short Film to discuss the inaugural class of the new program. Check it out here:

http://intranet.adm.schoolofvisualarts.edu/vabriefs2/index.php/20101209/department-dossier-bob-giraldi

A New AD for the MPS Live Action/Short FIlm Program

2010-12-08T09:10:00.000-08:00

A new ad for the MPS Live Action Short Film program is now running before all films at the Angelica theater in NYC- go check it out! Or just see it here.

Independent Film Week

2010-08-17T06:59:00.000-07:00

Independent Film Week is coming up. Volunteering is a great way to get involved and meet interesting filmmakers: http://independentfilmweek.com/volunteer/

Call for Entries: Atlantic City International Film & Music Festival

2010-07-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Harrah's Entertainment and its Atlantic City properties will play host to the inaugural Atlantic City International Film & Music Festival, taking place September 8-12th throughout various venues in Atlantic City, New Jersey. ACIFMF offers attendees a jam-packed schedule of events, including film and music offerings, meetings, seminars, and entertaining nightlife, giving attending filmmakers and musicians plenty of opportunities to showcase their work and make valuable connections.

Deadline: July 12, 2010

For more information, visit: http://acifmf.com/

Get a Grant and Make a Film!

2010-06-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

If you're in New York, mark you calendar for the Brooklyn Arts Council's Focus on Film and Media Grants Seminar.

Tuesday, June 22, 6–8pm

"Are you a Brooklyn-based independent artist working in film and media, learning the
ropes of researching and applying for grants? Hear straight from program officers at
two foundations supporting film and media in Brooklyn: Sean Elwood of Creative
Capital Foundation and Reva Goldberg of Cinereach."

The seminar is free. For more info, visit: http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/1510

The Guggenheim and You Tube

2010-06-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

It's a great time for short film and video! The Guggenheim recently announced its newest venture, YouTube Play: A Biennial of Creative Video.

They explain:

"YouTube Play hopes to attract innovative, original, and surprising videos from around the world, regardless of genre, technique, background, or budget. This global online initiative is not a search for what's "now," but a search for what's next."

Submissions must be less than 10 minutes long. A panel will select up to 20 videos to play in October at Guggenheim's New York Berlin, Bilbao and Venice Museums.

The deadline for submissions is July 31st. To enter your work, go to http://www.youtube.com/play

Call for Submissions: 3rd Annual International Narrative Short Film Festival

2010-05-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

The University Art Gallery at California State University in Chico, CA seeks films that are narrative in structure, under 30 minutes. Films will be shown at a preview screening at the University Film Series on Tuesday, February 1, 2011. Works will be on view continuously at the University Art Gallery, Feb. 2 - 11. First, 2nd & 3rd Place non-cash prizes will be awarded & announced at the Feb. 1 screening.

Review & screening format: DVD (NTSC). Include name, address, telephone & email, film title & running time. Submissions without a return SASE become the property of the University Art Gallery.

Earlybird Deadline: August 15: $15

Regular Deadline: September 15: $20

Late Deadline: October 15: $25

Send to: Narrative Shorts, University Art Gallery, Department of Art & Art History, California State University, Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0820

For more information, contact: Jason Tannen, 530.898.5864 or jtannen@csuchico.edu

Call for Entries: 6th Annual Brooklyn Indie House

2010-05-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn Indie House is an independent film festival held every Spring and Fall. The BIH was created to show the best Black and Latino indie films in the classic theater environment.

Every year they select up to 8 shorts and 4 features to participate in the Brooklyn Indie House. Each movie will have red carpet opening night and a total of 6(six) screenings at specially selected theaters in Brookyln, New York. At end of the season they count up the tickets sales and share the proceeds with the filmmakers.

Early Submission Deadline Friday May 28, 2010 - $10 Entry Fee

Official Submission Deadline Friday June 25, 2010 - $15 Entry Fee

Late Submission Deadline Friday July 16, 2010 - $25 Entry Fee

For more information, visit: http://blackandlatinofilm.com/blfc_brooklynindiehouse.html

Call for Submissions: Cinesonika

2010-05-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

CINESONIKA: The First International Film and Video Festival of Innovative Sound Design

"The theme of this international film and video festival is to celebrate the soundtrack. Usually in cinema festivals there is a fixation on movie stars, or captivating imagery, or the literary qualities of screenplays, or the abstract concepts of film theory. Sound tends to be relatively unvalorized in moving-image making. The intent of the festival is to give attention to innovative work in the creation of film and video soundtracks, and to give due credit to the importance of audio in audiovisual media.

This first annual festival will showcase international works of film and video with fascinating soundtracks, idiosyncratic sound design, eclectic scoring and innovative approaches to the sound-image relationship."

Deadline: September 1, 2010

For more information, please visit http://www.cinesonika.com or e-mail info@cinesonika.com

Watch The Grey Coat!

2010-04-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Grey Coat is Bob Giraldi's most recent short film about a hardworking Korean family being extorted by two local detectives. An unlikely hero emerges...

Calls for Submissions!

2010-04-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Extremely Shorts 13 Film Festival

Aurora Picture Show’s annual Extremely Shorts Festival features three-minute or shorter films and videos by artists, filmmakers, culture jammers, students, moms, security guards, and anyone with a camera and a vision.

Entrants may submit up to three titles. Each title must run three minutes or shorter including titles and credits. NO exceptions. All genres accepted and considered: experimental, animation, documentary, music video and narrative.

Early deadline: April 30, 2010
Late deadline: May 10, 2010

Kansas International Film Festival

The 10th Annual Kansas International Film Festival is accepting submissions for animated shorts, feature-length narratives and documentaries, with a special emphasis on documentaries that explore issues of social justice.

Late deadline: April 27, 2010

For more information, visit: http://www.kansasfilm.com/

For more information, visit: http://aurorapictureshow.org/files/408_es13_entry_form_and_guidelines.pdf

Angelus Student Film Festival

The Angelus Student Film Festival, which takes place in the Directors Guild of America building in Hollywood, CA, is now accepting dramas, comedies, documentaries and animated works that "explore the complexity of the human condition with creativity and compassion and "respect the dignity of the human person." Entrants must be undergraduate or graduate students in film schools or universities.

Past Angelus winners include Patricia Cardoso (REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES); Tony Bui (THREE SEASONS); 2010 Academy Award nominee in the Best Live Action Short category, Gregg Helvey (KAVI); and 2009 Academy Award nominee Reto Caffi (AUF DER STRECKE).

Early Deadline: May 1, 2010

For more information, visit: http://www.angelus.org/index.html

Focus on Film & Media Grants

2010-04-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, April 20th, from 6-8PM

UnionDocs hosts an "Introduction to the New York State Council on the Arts Grants and BAC Regrants" seminar. Independent filmmakers and leaders of organizations working in film or media are invited to this seminar, that focuses on researching and applying for grants.

"Don Palmer, Director of the Individual Artists Program at New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), presents information on production grants to film and media artists; Karen Helmerson, NYSCA’s Director of the Electronic Media and Film Program gives guidance to organizations on Exhibition Support including Film Festivals, Screenings and General Exhibition programs; and Ethany Uttech, BAC Regrant Coordinator, demystifies the application
and review process for artists and organizations applying for BAC regrants funded by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, NYSCA, and JPMorganChase."

Tuesay, April 20th
6-8PM
UnionDocs
322 Union Ave at Maujer St, Brooklyn, NY

RSVP Online Now
http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/forms/153

Call for Submissions: Electric Shadows

2010-04-13T13:48:00.000-07:00

Electric Shadows is a multi-platform film and music venture designed to promote and produce film and music in Beijing.

Their goal is to host communal cinema events where people can come together to experience local and international film and video works.

Each month, they present a new program of shorts, placing the emphasis on alternative and avant garde works, as well as curating one off events promoting longer films and translating and subtitling all films screened into Chinese.

For more information, or to submit a film, please e-mail electricshadows.bj@gmail.com

Call for Submissions: Margaret Mead Film & Video Fest

2010-04-12T08:29:00.000-07:00

The American Museum of Natural History’s Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival is the longest-running showcase for international documentaries in the United States. The Mead Fest considers documentary films and videos (including shorts, experimental films, essay films, animation, and new media) only. Productions must have been completed within the last three years.

Deadline: May 3, 2010

For more information on submission requirements and other details, please check out the guidelines and Mead FAQs at http://www.amnh.org/mead.

Scene: Brooklyn

2010-04-07T14:25:00.001-07:00

Check out new shorts, animation and documentaries by Brooklyn-based filmmakers during the Brooklyn Arts Council's Scene: Brooklyn flagship event this May. For tickets and more information, visit: http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/44

Call for Submissions: Strawberry Shorts

2010-04-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

The Strawberry Shorts Film Festival 2010 is seeking short film submissions by local, national and international filmmakers. Submissions should be less than 20 minutes. There is no fee to submit a film. The film festival will take place in July, exact dates still TBD.

Deadline: May 14th

For more information, visit: http://www.strawberry-fair.org.uk/film.php or e-mail cabaret@simonmullen.com

Because the internet is where it's at...

2010-04-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Submit your short film to BIGSTAR.tv's online film festival!

Hosted by the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, this is an international online film festival. Finalists will have their films judged by celebrity judges.

There is no limit on how many films you can submit, but each submission does require a $25 fee. Films must be 5 minutes or less. One film will win a $50,000 cash prize.

Deadline: Dec. 31, 2010

For more information, visit: http://www.bigstar.tv/bigstar-online-film-festival

Extended Deadline: Storyline Transport Call for Submissions

2010-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Storyline Transport: Shadow and Light Festival is seeking video submissions for a mobile festival occurring in Chicago in late August 2010.

The mobile festival will visit multiple locations over the course of three days, aiming to engage arts oriented audiences as well communities in Chicago for whom access to the arts is limited. Through the use of converted trucks and vans we will transport a shadow and light themed video screening, three artists run workshops, and a public-collaborative mobile installation to multiple locations throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

Submissions should address the festival's theme of shadow and light, but creative interpretations of this theme are encouraged. Any genre of video work is acceptable including fictional narrative, animation, documentary and video art.

Deadline: April 20, 2010

For more information visit: www.shadowandlightfestival.blogspot.com

Call for Sumissions: Extremely Shorts Film Fest

2010-03-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Aurora Picture Show’s annual Extremely Shorts Festival features three-minute or shorter films and videos by artists, filmmakers, culture jammers, students, moms, security guards, and anyone with a camera and a vision.

Entrants may submit up to three titles. Each title must run three minutes or shorter including titles and credits. NO exceptions. All genres accepted and considered: experimental, animation, documentary, music video and narrative.

Early deadline: postmarked by April 30, 2010

Late deadline: postmarked by May 10, 2010

For more information please visit
http://aurorapictureshow.org/pages/extremely_shorts_film_festival_154.asp

Call for Entries: Woodstock Film Fest

2010-03-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 11th annual WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL (Sept 29-Oct 3, 2010) is currently accepting submissions in all categories. Entry fee range from $10 - $50.

The Woodstock Film Festival is a uniquely intimate, casual and friendly event, where highly respected industry "movers and shakers" mingle freely with emerging filmmakers, providing excellent networking opportunities in a fun and stimulating environment. Honoring quality, the Maverick Awards are presented for Best Feature, Best Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Short Film, Best Student Film, Best Cinematography, Best Editing and Best Animation. Cash, prizes and/or services valued at $50,000 are given out. Audience Awards are presented for Best Feature and Best Documentary.To see 2009 details and jurors, visit: http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/awards2009.htm
Early deadline: May 21.
Final deadline: June 21.

For more details, visit: http://woodstockfilmfestival.com/entryform/index.htm or e-mail office@woodstockfilmfestival.com

Call for entries: JT3 Artist Awards

2010-03-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Young filmmakers from Brooklyn, NY and Washington, D.C. are encouraged to apply for the 2010 JT3 Artist Award.

They seek aspiring screenwriter/directors who demonstrate talent, passion, work ethic and a
deep-seated need to make art, but have room to grow and need this grant to help make
that growth possible. At least one $2,000 JT3 Artist Award will be awarded, and the
winning films screened at the annual JT3 Art Celebration of Young Filmmakers.

To apply, go to: http://www.jt3art.org/foundation.php

Deadline: May 7, 2010

For questions or additional information, please e-mail JT3AwardInfo@jt3art.org.

Call for Submissions: Sundeis

2010-03-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sundeis, Brandeis University's annual film festival, is welcoming submissions from students all over the world.

"Now in its 7th year, the 2010 SunDeis Film Festival will feature screenings of quality, thought-provoking student films. Professional filmmakers, including some Brandeis alumni, will participate in a panel discussion. On May 1st, there will be an award ceremony to recognize the best of the best. Please join us for the most anticipated SunDeis Festival to date!"

Deadline: April 8, 2010

For more information, visit: http://www.sundeis.org/index.php

Call for Submissions: PixelPops! Film Festival

2010-03-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

The 2010 theme for the PixelPops! Film Festival is URBAN REALITIES.

"The selected short films (5 minutes or less) will address issues faced by urban communities in America and aim to include the broadest number of interpretations on the theme. Films that highlight both the challenges and joys of urban life will be shown. In doing so, a balanced portrait of New York metropolitan area will highlight difficulties, and advantages of urban living and of those cities' inhabitants.

The films will be projected onto vacant buildings, idle billboards, crumbling structures such as stanchions, bridges, piers, etc."

PixelPops! 2010 will be held in October in a variety of outdoor locations across the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. This year's curatorial team is: Jeanne Brasile, Hiroshi Kumagai, Polina Zaitseva and Jade Lien.

Deadline: July 31, 2010

For more information, visit http://www.poppingpixels.org/

Call for Entries

2010-03-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

The Munich International Short Film Festival focuses on exploring and introducing
extraordinary short films from countries all over the world with the hope of
assisting up-and-coming filmmakers on the path to making quality, feature-length
films. From June 17 - 23, the 5th edition of the MUNICH INTERNATIONAL short film
festival will showcase the world's contemporary short films at the historical Gloria
Filmpalast in the heart of the Bavarian capitol.

Deadline: March 14

For more information, please visit http://www.muc-intl.de/

Brooklyn Filmmakers Meet-Up

2010-03-03T10:04:00.000-08:00

The Brooklyn Arts Council and the Independent Film Project are co-hosting a Meet Up event for Brooklyn Filmmakers.

"Calling all Brooklyn filmmakers for our first Meet Up event of 2010. Meet and mingle
with local filmmakers at BAC Gallery, drink free beer from Kelso Brewery, and learn
about the programs and support available for filmmakers through IFP and Brooklyn
Arts Council."

March 4th, 6-8pm BAC Gallery, 111 Front Street, Suite 218, Dumbo

Call for Submissions-- Screenplays!

2010-03-02T13:38:00.000-08:00

The Great American Screenplay Competition is now accepting entries for feature (60+ pages) and short (59 - pages) screenplays. They accept all genres of screenplay including, but not limited to film, television, spec scripts, narrative, experimental, documentary, fantasy, noir, musical, western, sports, sci-fi, animation, horror, action, adventure, comedy, drama, mystery, thriller, biography, PSA, news, viral, crime, parody, children's, etc.

Twenty (20) Semi-Finalists will be chosen in each category. From that pool, ten (10) Finalists will be picked in each category. One (1) Winner will be announced for the contest.

Semi-Finalists receive website recognition and two (2) ACEFEST All-Access Passes. Finalists receive website recognition, program booklet recognition, international press release inclusion and four (4) ACEFEST All-Access Passes. Winner receives prominent website recognition, their own industry inquiry form on acefest.com, significant program booklet recognition w/ logline & contact info, international press release feature and one (1) featured "congratulations" eBlast to 55,000+ filmmakers, writers, producers, ticket buyers and industry professionals.

Deadlines
Accepting Entries Jan 11 - Jun 16, 2010

Regular: Apr 21
Late: Jun 2
Withoutabox (WAB) Ext: Jun 16

For more information, contact screenplays@acefest.com

Future of Film Criticism

2010-03-02T09:42:00.001-08:00

I just found this interesting article about the future of film criticism in the The Chronicle of Higher Ed.

Oscar predictions

2010-02-23T12:16:00.000-08:00

The LA Times has some predictions for what is going to win Best Live Action Short Film at this year's Oscars. They're going with Kavi, which they describe as a "mini- Slumdog Millionaire." Personally, I enjoyed The New Tenants, a dark comedy shot right here in New York City over the course of five days. What's your prediction?

Call for Submissions: Young Directors Awards

2010-02-23T07:40:00.000-08:00

The Commercial Film Producers of Europe (CFP-E) and Shots magazine announce the opening of submissions for the 12th annual Young Director Award (YDA).

Divided into two sections (European and non-European), the YDA includes 5 categories:
Broadcast commercials
Web films
Branded short films
Film school commercials
Test commercials

You can enter your film online at: www.youngdirectoraward.com

Entry Deadline: April 15th, 2010

For additional information, visit their website, or e-mail Hannes Jakobsen at hannes@youngdirectoraward.dk

Call for Submissions: Torpedo Factory Art Center

2010-02-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

Female Shorts: Film and Video Showcase
Torpedo Factory Art Center/ Target Gallery
(Alexandria VA)

Female Shorts: Film & Video Showcase celebrates cinematic works of women in the arts. This showcase is dedicated and focused to seeking out and promoting cinema created by and for women. The showcase is part of the Virginia Commission for the Arts 2010 statewide celebration, Minds Wide Open, which celebrates women in the arts.

Female Shorts: Film & Video Showcase (FS) aims to promote and support the vibrant artistry of independent cinema from female filmmakers of all genres. FS seeks films that are engaging and innovative, reflecting a distinctive vision and independent spirit. Films that feature subjects related to the arts, that illuminate the artistic process, or that emphasize the art of film are encouraged.

Film Types: All MUST be Short: TRT under 60 minutes
--Documentary: Narrative that takes a factual and accurate approach to its subject.
--Narrative: Dramatic shorts whos approach encompasses comedy, suspense/thriller, family etc.
--Experimental/Mixed Media/Music Video: An approach that is neither fiction nor nonfiction.
--Animated(All genres): drawn, digital, and claymation – are acceptable.

Entry Fees and Deadlines
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: March 19, 2010: $20.00
REGULAR DEADLINE: March 26, 2010: $25.00
LATE DEADLINE: April 2, 2010: $30.00

For more details, visit http://www.torpedofactory.org/galleries/target_femaleshorts.htm

Call for Submissions: Aesthetica

2010-02-19T07:55:00.000-08:00

Call for Entries: Aesthetica International Short Film Competition

Aesthetica Magazine

The Aesthetica Short Film Competition is now open for entries. Leading the search for filmmakers who are driving the genre of short film forward through inspirational and innovative works the competition provides an opportunity for both new and experienced filmmakers to have their work broadcast to an international audience. All genres of film are being accepted: drama, artists’ film, documentary, music video, animation, satire and comedy.

This award offers winners and runners-up a fantastic international prize package, including:

• Screenings of your film at: The National Media Museum (Bradford, UK), Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festival (London, UK), Glasgow Film Festival (Scotland), Kerry Film Festival (Ireland), Project Space (Leeds, UK) and on the Aesthetica website.
• £500 (apx$800 first prize, £250 (apx $400) runner-up.
• 12 months membership with Shooting People.
• Collection of film books from Wallflower Press.
• Winner and runners-up to be included on a DVD that will go to Aesthetica's readers.

Films should be up to 25 minutes long.

Deadline: 30 April

For more information, visit: http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/film_submissions.htm

Pzza Chronicles: The New Independent Movement

2010-02-02T09:36:00.001-08:00

Join us on the evening of February 22nd at Tonda in the East Village for a panel discussion about the current state of independent film and the new independent film movement. Panelists will include Susan Korda, producer of William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, and Chris Walters, a Director of Photography. Bob Giraldi will moderate.

Starts at 6:30 pm and Tonda has generously offered to provide drinks and free appetizers.

RSVP to mpsfilm@sva.edu

Opportunities-- Internship

2010-01-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

The French American Cultural Exchange (FACE) is seeking a Film Program Intern from February through July 2010, to assist with the The Tournées Festival.

Qualifications:
- Detail-oriented and ability to multi-task
- Strong communications skills (the work requires substantial communication, written and otherwise, with university professors)
- Computer proficiency, knowledge of Approach for Mac a plus.
- Interest in French and Francophone cinema.
- French language a plus.

For details, visit http://www.facecouncil.org/

Calls for Submissions!

2009-12-18T08:22:00.001-08:00

SHORT and SAVORY: a mini festival of short films by women directors.

Women directors are invites to submit their work to Short and Savory, a mini festival that will take place in New York on February 24, 2010. Four films will be selected for presentation and cash awards: two fiction and two documentary works. Films must be 15 minutes or less.

Deadline: January 1, 2010

For more information, visit:
http://shortandsavoryfilms.com

NewFest

NewFest has been NYC's premier forum of international LGBT film since 1988.
Submissions of films/videos of any length and in any genre that are by, about, or of
interest to LGBT people are now being accepted for NewFest 2010: The 22nd
Anniversary New York LGBT Film Festival, which will take place June 3-13, 2010.

Early Deadline: January 4

For more information, visit:
http://newfest.org

Seed Grants: National Geographic All Roads Film Project

National Geographic All Roads Film Project offers seed grants for indigenous
storytellers. Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to filmmakers for the
development and production of a film or video that showcases indigenous or
underrepresented minority culture storytellers.

Deadline: March 15

For more information, visit:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/rfp_item.jhtml?id=276100002

More Calls for Entry

2009-11-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

Canadian Short Screenplay Competition

Enter your 1-15 minute screenplay (no more than 15 minutes in length). The winning script will be produced by Year of the Skunk Productions.

Visit http://www.screenplay-competition.com/ for more information.

Half-time Deadline is November 30th.
Final Deadline is December 31st.

L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival

Submit your short comedic film (under 30 minutes) to the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival. The L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival is the largest comedy film festival in the U.S. Moviemaker Magazine's recently named it one of “25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.”

Visit http://www.lacomedyshorts.com/lacs2010/about.htm for more information.

Absolute last Deadline: December 18th

Call for Submissions

2009-11-16T09:08:00.000-08:00

Screen Burns : On Screen Art Exhibition
JCIA Video Gallery
(Brooklyn NY)

This on-screen exhibition, juried by film and video artist Luis Gispert (Zach Furer, Mary Boone), celebrates all genres of 'screenable' artwork including film, video, animation, internet art, etc. All submissions will be screened inside the gallery. Artists that exhibit the strongest or most unique work will be invited to screen on the JCIA Video Gallery Street Projector which faces one of the busiest intersections in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Vitis http://www.jciavideo.com for more information.

Deadline is November 30th.

Calls for Submissions and Grants!

2009-11-13T07:11:00.001-08:00

Emerging filmmakers-- here are some places to submit your films!

Cinereach Grants Call for Film Submissions

Call for Submissions: Cinereach Grants

Each year Cinereach grants over $500,000 to well-crafted feature films that depict
underrepresented perspectives, resonate across international boundaries, and spark
dialogue. Grants usually range from $5,000 – $50,000 and are awarded to films at any
stage.

Letter of Inquiry Deadline: December 1

More Info: http://www.cinereach.org/grants

Call for Submissions : Rooftop Films

The 2010 Summer Series will run from May through September and will feature more
than 200 new films, all screened outdoors in parks, on boats, and on rooftops
overlooking the greatest city in the world. More than 25,000 people attended Rooftop
screenings in 2009, making it one of the biggest festivals for underground films in
the world.

Deadline: December 5 (earlybird)

Mire Info: http://rooftopfilms.com/submit.html

Call for Submissions: Scene: Brooklyn Film Series

BAC seeks short and feature narrative films, short and feature length documentaries,
animations, and video art from Brooklyn based filmmakers and artists.
Screenings are held at venues around downtown Brooklyn, including Galapagos Art
Space.

Deadline: January 11, 2010 (for flagship spring series.) Films submitted prior to
that date will be considered for the spring program, as well as for the seasonal
screenings at BAC Gallery and elsewhere.

More Info: http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/44

Call for Submissions: The Women of African Descent Film Festival

The Women of African Descent Film Festival, co-presented with the Brooklyn Chapter
of the Links, seeks feature length and short films directed, written or produced by
female filmmakers of African descent. Submissions can be registered through the festival's
Withoutabox site, which also includes additional information about the event.

Deadline: January 11, 2010

More Info: http://www.brooklynartscouncil.org/documents/1271

Tips: Raising Money for your Short Film

2009-10-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

So you had an idea and now you've written a screenplay, but you need money to continue to make your short film.

The good news is, digital technology has made filmmaking a more accessible medium. You don't actually need film to make your film. You can get HD Camcorders at every price point-- some prosumer cameras can be found for as little as $1300. So, although it would be great to have access to one, you don't need to spend $40,000 on a Red kit to make a quality movie.

What's more important is hiring a quality crew, beginning with a knowledgeable and experienced Director of Photography (DP). A skilled cinematographer with a low-end camcorder will always capture much better video than a non-skilled person with the most expensive camcorder. Your DP should be able to help you gather other crew members. But, capable crews cost money. And besides the crew, you'll also need to budget for actors, locations, equipment, editing and postproduction. Indeed, even a low budget film has some budget.

With that in mind, here are some tips for raising money for your film:

Find Investors
You may be able to find people who will front you money to make your film. The best investors will be passionate about your potential film, because they are film enthusiasts or they are personally invested in its subject, or they simply believe in you. If, instead, they are looking for a bottom-line profit, you should encourage them to go elsewhere.

Even those who believe in you most will want to see a clear outline of how you plan to make your short movie. Who is making it? How much will it cost? What is the audience? How will it be shot? How are you trying to distribute it? Jerry Kobler has some excellent pointers for writing a business plan for your independent film in his article on MovieMaker.com.

Then, make sure you involve your investors in the process: ask them if they'd like to be extras in the film. Invite them to preview screenings. Update them about your progress via e-mail newsletters. Thank them. They should feel that they are a part of something important and special, even if it doesn't ultimately generate them money.

And, make sure you are doing everything legally. From Reel to Deal by Dov S-S Simens gives an overview of all of the legal, business and insurance issues involved with filmmaking and provides a list of resources... You may want to call in a favor with a friend who is a lawyer.

And speaking of favors, that brings us to our next tip:

Call in some favors
Funding your short film is not simply about raising money; it's also about saving money. One way you can do this is to cash in on any favors owed to you. Do you know someone with an apartment that would be a perfect set for dinner party scene? Does your friend have a van she'd be willing to let you borrow to haul equipment? Will your brother make some of his fantastic sandwiches for the cast and crew to eat on days when you're shooting? Is your cousin a musician who could provide you with a royalty-free soundtrack? Remind your friends about how you helped them move/ gave them a free place to stay/ photographed their wedding for free/ brought them soup when they were sick or whatever it is you did, and ask them to return the favor. Or, if you haven't been a particularly generous friend, see if you can barter something now for their services: photoshop lessons, office work, and homemade dinners are all valuable commodities. And, remember, give them credit in the film's credits. A thank you on the screen goes a long way.

Still need money? Try to:

Get a Grant
Look for grants that are more specific to you or your projects. Grants can be location-specific, gender-specific, ethnicity-specific or subject-specific. The New York Foundation for the Arts has an amazingly comprehensive directory, NYFA Source, for grants, professional development programs, equipment access, etc.

When writing your grant proposal, as with your investors' packet, clearly define your project.

If possible, contact the granters: request guidelines and inquire about their decision process.

Submit everything so that it is formatted exactly as they ask for it, and make sure you submit on time. Don't give the granting organization a reason to immediately discard your application.

Finally, Don't get discouraged.
Raising the money for your film is one of the most difficult aspects of filmmaking, and even if your budget of $5,000 is small compared with the Lord of the Rings budget of $270 million, that $5000 can still feel daunting when you aren't sure where you're going to get it. Take solace in the fact that if you can get through the fund-raising, you've gotten though the hardest part. The actual filmmaking will be cake.

Good luck!

Faculty Updates

2009-10-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Honeytrap, directed by the MPS Live Action Short Film Program's chair, Bob Giraldi, and edited by faculty member Patrick Burns, Jr., will premiere at the 18th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival on Thursday, November 19th.

Tips: Your Short Screenplay

2009-10-08T08:02:00.000-07:00

So you have an idea... Now how do you transform it into a short film? The first step is to write a screenplay. But even before you do that:

Map it out.
Outlines and storyboards are key to helping you write your script. You should know your beginning, middle and end before you begin writing. What's more, the elements laid out in the beginning should be clear in the film's ending; they should have purpose.

Now you're ready to write. Make sure you:
Format your screenplay correctly.
There is a particular style that is used for screenwriting. Final Draft is a program that will help you to format your screenplay to the industry standard.

Keep your desired length in mind.
Typically, each page of a screenplay translates to one minute of film. So, the screenplay for a feature film might be 90-110 pages.

But your short film will probably be 5-20 minutes long. It could even be as short as 1 minute! That means that there is no time for subplots and complicated plot twists. This brings us to our next tip:

Create a strong opening scene.
Your opening scene will need to quickly set the story up: it needs to introduce the characters and communicate the conflict. In Bob Giraldi's short film, Second Guessing Grandma, the first line of dialogue is "You shouldn't have told her." This immediately establishes that the son has told his grandmother something difficult (that he's gay), and that this film will deal with the consequences of that.

Now you're into the meat of the story. You'll need to:

Write your remaining scenes. Easier said than done. Economy is integral to writing scenes for a short film, so remember, a good scene is dramatic; it moves the story forward; it reveals something new and important. In short, each of your scenes should be engaging and purposeful.

Don't try to write the shots.
You're screenplay shouldn't be filled with directions like, "Close-up" or "The camera pans out." Instead, describe your action well enough that the kind of shot needed should be obvious, and trust your director of photography to make the right call. He or she might even come up with a shot that you hadn't thought of, but that better serves the story.

Don't write long dialogues, or worse, monologues for your characters.
The actions of the character are often far more meaningful than what they say. One of my favorite short films, Spike Jonze's How They Get There has almost no dialogue. But there's meaningful interaction between the characters that establishes a rapport between them and builds up to the dramatic conclusion. All in under two and a half minutes.

So you have an idea? Well now get to it-- write that screenplay!

YouTube!

2009-10-08T07:17:00.000-07:00

The SVA MPS LASF Program has a YouTube Channel!

We'll be adding faculty short films, and writing about others that catch our eye. Check it out!

Call for Short Film Submissions!

2009-09-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

Submit a short film to The Coolidge Shorts Film Festival. The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, MA is launching a new short film festival to support established, emerging, and student filmmakers from all over the world. Films should be under 5 minutes in length, and the selected films will play before feature films screened at the theatre before a monthly audience base that totals more than 16,000.

The first deadline is September 25th.

New Date for Info Session!

2009-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

The date for the MPS Live Action Short FIlm Information Session at SVA has been changed to Saturday, November 7th, from 2-4pm at SVA. Come check out this new program!

The Economy of Short Film

2009-08-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Last night, I met with six of our program's faculty to converse about filmmaking in general, and specifically, short filmmaking. As I listened to the members of the group that included working screenwriters, a film historian, an editor, an assistant director, a director and producer, discuss what made the short film a unique and often particularly challenging genre, the word, "economy" came to mind. That is, the short film requires an economy of words, of shots, of locations, of cuts, and also, in part because of this, the short film also becomes an economic vehicle for the emerging or independent filmmaker.

Thomas Jefferson declared, "The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do." Indeed, the short film's screenwriter must heed this advice. Each page of a screenplay translates to about a minute of film. Furthermore, the attention to time is not the sole responsibility of the screenwriter, but also of the director, the cameraman, and the editor. Not only should each word of dialogue be pertinent, but so too should each second of each shot. Superfluity cannot be afforded.

And, although the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences classifies the short subject as any film lasting fewer than forty minutes, most strive to make shorts that are half or even a quarter that length. Spielzeuglad (Toyland), which won an Oscar in 2009 for best Live Action Short Film was just fourteen minutes. Cutlass, Kate Hudson's short that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival was sixteen minutes. Bob Giraldi's Second Guessing Grandma has a running time of just under ten minutes.

This is especially true today, as the short film has transitioned from elite arthouse fare, whose main method of distribution was through small festivals, to populist entertainment that can be created by anyone with video capability, and is distributed on the internet. In fact, although short film festivals, and categories for shorts in mainstream film festivals are more popular than ever, it is YouTube, the iPhone, PDAs, and PSPs that have made the genre distinctly relevent. These small screens are an ideal viewing place for small films: a viewer can watch a short on his morning commute, or while waiting in line for a coffee. He can easily show it to friends-- there is a sense of immediacy to the short film. Furthermore, as we become increasingly pressed for time and saturated with media, a fifteen, or ten, or five-minute narrative is the limit for many people's meaningful consumption.

Indeed, in an era where every resource, including materials, energy, conversation, time, and money, is valuable, shorter is better.

Information Session

2009-07-07T11:09:00.000-07:00

We've just scheduled an information session about the program for prospective students on October 24th. Exact time and location to be determined...

Shorter is better: The First Graduate Program Devoted to the Short Film

2009-06-30T08:15:00.000-07:00

In fall 2010, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) will pioneer the first ever graduate program devoted exclusively to the short film. Long overshadowed by its more glamorous sibling, the feature film, the short film is integral to the existence of an evolving and pertinent film industry, particularly as a conduit for the emerging filmmaker. In fact, many established and successful directors, including George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese, first began by making short films (1:42:08, Amblin' and The Big Shave, respectively). It served as a way for them to develop their abilities as filmmakers, and gain entrance into the industry.

Today, for the first time since the 1930’s, the short film has become a hot commodity. The shifting and changing media landscape has made short films one of the most relevant and malleable mediums available to filmmakers. Indeed, television, the internet, and mobile devices have all generated a market for shorts that goes beyond film festivals. What’s more, the widespread use of digital media and editing equipment has made the genre an economical and accessible way to articulate and experiment with ideas that might otherwise be deemed too challenging or untenable.

SVA's MPS Live Action Short Film program, chaired by Bob Giraldi, is a one year, 36 credit program, in which students will develop the intellectual and practical tools for filmmaking, including the conception of an idea, pre-production, photographing, editing, and marketing the final product.

The program places an emphasis on the filmmaker as collaborator. Students will develop a familiarity with every tool of filmmaking, and work with one another as directors, writers, crew members, and editors. This collegial way of working is an excellent model for both a supportive artistic atmosphere and a professional filmmaking environment. The course of study ultimately culminates in a competitive, thesis-based short film festival, hosted by SVA at their West 23rd Street theater.

The MPS Live Action Short Film program celebrates the truly independent art of filmmaking, honoring first-time filmmakers, instructing them about the history of short film, and outfitting them with the creative, technical, and critical tools needed to impart their artistic visions.