DC Shorts Film Festival

January 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The DC Shorts Film Festival is one of the most popular film festivals of its kind. In its seven years, it is one of the favorite film festivals in the United States. DC Shorts stands apart from most film festivals because the judging panels review every entry and feedback is given on every submission. Filmmakers continue to rank DC shorts as one of their favorite film festivals. DC Shorts is expecting at least 1,000 short film submissions for the 2011 competition. In addition, they will receive hundreds of script submissions. This is a fabulous venue for filmmakers and scriptwriters.

The submission process is easily completed online with the payment of the entry fee. For those that love movies and reading scripts, DC Shorts is accepting application for volunteer judges. This is a phenomenal opportunity and an experience of a lifetime. The judging does require some travel to attend training sessions and they prefer you live within the Washington D.C. area. This is a wonderful experience for film or writing students.

The festival is full of activities and provides free seminars for filmmakers during the festival. Filmmakers have an opportunity to discuss their films with the audience and judges. The top scripts are read to an audience, which is an opportunity for the writer to obtain immediate feedback. The festival provides an opportunity for filmmakers and scriptwriters to display their talents while building an exceptional networking resource.

The DC Shorts Film Festival typically receives films and scripts from at least 34 nations. In it short seven-year history, the festival is recognized around the world. The expectations for the 2011 festival are quite high and DC Shorts is committed to making the festival a fun and exciting experience for everyone. The festival begins September 8, 2011 for films and October 13, 2011 for scripts. This is an exciting opportunity for short filmmakers and scriptwriters from around the world.

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Size Matter: Festival Rules

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It was meant to be a quick film, contained within meager minutes. All scenes were to be succinct, offering power through their simplicity. But each day offered a new inspiration; and all scenes expanded beyond their original intents. Eventually your short movie billowed out to almost an hour — and you could find no frames to slice away, no seconds to cut. Everything instead seemed too vital. It all had to stay.

And so you send it now to a festival, certain it will be accepted. It is not the length you intended but it still remains far below the usual times. It should be appreciated.

It’s not.

Festivals seeking short films will not allow entries to ramble on, hovering at the hour mark and ruining their scheduling. Individuals hoping that the merit of their work will earn them recognition will be (highly) disappointed. No movie that extends beyond 20 minutes will be allowed entry into the majority of festivals; and even that number is often too much.

The most craved length for these formats is under 10 minutes. And the reason for this is obvious — festivals wish to offer their audiences as many films as they can. Each hour is to be filled with new genres, new styles. When that hour is dominated by a singular movie, however, the entire purpose of the event is lost. There can be fewer viewings and fewer chances to discover an exciting project.

Individuals therefore must recognize the importance of size. Never assume your work will be selected (even if it’s too long) simply because it’s unique. It won’t. Instead it will be replaced with a piece that follows the rules. Entering short film festivals requires an understanding of time and its demands. You must remain true to the format.

Try to narrow your frames to 10 minutes. If they refuse to be edited, consider abandoning the notion of small films entirely and create an epic instead.

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