An Honor to Be Nominated
Maybe you watched the commercials during the Oscars and thought, "Hell, I could do better than that." Or perhaps you consistently come up with great ideas for videos or short films, but then burn out after 28 seconds. If so, do I have the contest for you! The Stranger is teaming up with the Seattle International Film Festival for the 28-Second Film Contest. There is no entry fee, and you have the chance to win some fabulous prizes, including a pass for two to SIFF, a Northwest Film Forum production package, and oh so much more. Even better, your masterpiece will screen before one of four Stranger-sponsored screenings at SIFF.
The next logical question is, "What the hell are they looking for?" We don't know! Maybe it'll play like a commercial for the paper. More likely, it'll show off your ability for the intricately crafted single take. Or maybe you'll be courting the younger viewers with that "MTV editing" that they're so fond of. In terms of content, that's entirely up to you. Professionals and amateurs both are encouraged to submit, with 28 seconds leveling the playing field. The deadline is April 22, and your short needs to be submitted on VHS no matter what format you shoot it in. I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to be part of this. Join early and join often!
Those who want to get into the groove of short films before wrapping their minds around the contest have several options this weekend. The Little Theatre is presenting Academy Leaders: Oscar-Nominated Shorts (Fri-Sun March 26-28). You may know these movies only from their titles and a five-second clip during the Oscars; now you have a chance to see them in their entireties! See the work of the people who just felt honored to be nominated.
Another source of inspiration should be Sources of Silly (Sat March 27 at 2 pm), also at the Little Theatre. This is a bunch of classic silent-film comedies from years gone by, and it's not just for children, either. Then there's the Green Lens Experience (Fri March 26) at 911 Media Arts, part of its Young Producers Project. Basically, the 911 folks take a bunch of green kids, give them lenses (cameras), then see what kind of shorts they make. Don't laugh, cuz these young'uns will probably be your competition in The Stranger's contest.
In other filmmaking news, the Screenwriters Salon returns to Richard Hugo House (Wed March 31). The topic this month is censorship, so maybe you can learn what not to put into your contest entry (and put it in there anyway). Though there's plenty more to write about, I'm going to end this week's column with Bums' Paradise (Mon March 29) at Central Cinema. You should check out this documentary about a community of homeless folks as they are evicted from the Albany Landfill in the Bay Area, if only because filmmakers Tomas and Rabbit will be there to introduce the movie.
