Duluth Short Shorts Film Festival Call for Entries

Filmmakers are invited to participate in the third annual Duluth Short Shorts Film Festival. It will take place on February 23, 2008. The competition is open to films five minutes long or shorter. Entries must be received by Friday, February 15, along with a $15 entry fee. First, second and third place films win cash prizes of $250, $150 and $100 respectively.

Films screen at the Play Ground performance space, located at 11 East Superior Street in Downtown Duluth, Minnesota. Rules and other details are posted at: http://www.duluthplayground.org/shortshorts/info.html

Independent Film Night Comes to Duluth, MN – November 16

IFP Minnesota will host a night of information and entertainment at the Play Ground Theater in Duluth on November 16, 2007. The event will include two workshops on “How to Apply” for the McKnight Filmmaking and Screenwriting Fellowships and a special edition of Cinema Lounge, the popular monthly film showcase that features locally-produced short films.

Schedule

Duluth Play Ground Theater

• 6-7 p.m. – Screenwriting Fellowship “How to Apply” workshop
• 7-8 p.m. – Filmmaking Fellowship “How to Apply” workshop
• 8-9:30 p.m. – Cinema Lounge, featuring…
  • 12 Moons On Gichigami by Mark Ryan (6 min.)  See it!
  • Cross Country with the Snakes by Hansi Johnson (13 min.)
  • Birds At Night (Might Fall) by Bridget Riversmith (3 min.)  See it!
  • Jesus Loves Me by Jason Page (2 min. excerpt from the upcoming feature, “God Rocks”)
  • Resonance by Paul Creager (10 min.)
  • Broc by Steve Ash (20 min.)

Pizza Luce’

• 9:30 p.m. – Party

Aspiring filmmakers and screenwriters are encouraged to attend this free event.

More information at:

• Cinema Lounge
• IFP Minnesota
• McKnight Foundation
• McKnight Filmmaking and Screenwriting Fellowships
• Play Ground Theater

Source: IFP press release and web site.

IFP Minnesota Hosts “On the Lot” Finalist Andrew Hunt

Minnesota filmmaker Andrew Hunt is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, September 26, 2007 at 7pm, at IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts. Hunt will share his experiences, lessons and work samples as a finalist on the Fox reality TV show, On The Lot. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett, On The Lot featured filmmakers competing in weekly elimination competitions with the ultimate prize of a million dollar development deal at Dreamworks. The event is part of IFP’s professional development series for directors.

IFP Minnesota is located at 2446 University Avenue West, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55114. Ticket prices are $5 for IFP and MFA members, $8 for the general public. For more info, click: http://www.ifpmsp.org/new.html#OnTheLot.

Thanks to Chris Gegax of Signal Pictures for sending over this item.

Free Range Festival Announces Selections

The Free Range Film Festival announced its 2006 program of farm fresh films recently. The two-day festival, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, July 27 and 28, takes place in Wrenshall, Minnesota. The fest features a unique venue, with films screening in a barn.

According to the festival’s web site, thirty-eight films, varying in length from 1 to 88 minutes, will screen in three sessions over two days. Organizers are asking for a $10 donation per session.  Additional details, including travel directions and a map, are online at freerangefilm.com.

Call for Entries to the South Metro Short Film Festival

According to a press release from the City of Eagan, the deadline for the South Metro Short Film Festival is approaching. Submissions must be received by August 17. The festival will screen films on Friday, September 29. To be considered for selection, films should be 10 minutes or less in length and appropriate for family viewing (G, PG, PG-13). The entry fee is $25.

“Best in Show” winner will be awarded a cash prize and a IFP membership. A film in each age category, youth and adult, will also win cash prizes and “Quality Entertainment Awards.” The judges reserve the right to make up additional awards.

For more information and a link to the entry form visit http://www.cityofeagan.com/live/page.asp?menu=9079.

48 Hour Film Fest Screens “Best of Minneapolis”

The Twin Cities edition of th e 48 Hour Film Festival will premiere this year’s best entries at the Riverview Theater at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 28. Twelve entertaining shorts are scheduled to be screened at the Riverview Theater, 3800 42nd Street S., Minneapolis, MN. The screening will be followed by a wrap party at the nearby Global Market. For more, visit the contest web site and my previous post.

84 Films Entered in 48 Hour Film Festival

Last weekend’s Minneapolis/St. Paul edition of the 48 Hour Film Festival attracted 84 entries. No doubt many of the participants are still recovering from the frenzied film making challenge. The films begin screening tonight with seven two-hour sets scheduled on June 12, 13, 14, and 18 at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis.

The event challenges film makers to complete a short film in just 48 hours. Teams receive their assignment, which includes a genre, character, line of dialogue and prop, on Friday evening and must deliver a finished production exactly two days later.

The event showcases the vitality and creativity of Minnesota’s film production community and usually features the kind of humor that results when film makers are sleep deprived.

More details at www.48hourfilm.com/minneapolis/.

Minneapolis Resident Among the Finalists “On the Lot”

Andrew Hunt, a 31-year old promo producer for ShopNBC, is one of the finalists on “On the Lot.” The Fox reality show (think “American Idol” for film makers), which is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and reality tv kingpin Mark Burnett, aired Hunt’s one minute scifi comedy “Spaced Out” on Monday night. On Tuesday’s results show Hunt learned that he advanced in the competition.

A profile of Hunt and his film are available at http://www.thelot.com/contestants/view/?id=2.

While I’ve always thought that short films should be able to find a market on cable/satellite TV, this show is probably not going to prove me right. The format so far is not compelling and the ratings are not good. Still, Hunt could use some home town support in the voting that follows each round of film making.

Ketchup Commercial Contest

Heinz is sponsoring the “Top This TV Challenge,” a YouTube-based commercial contest. Details are available at www.topthistv.com. The deadline is August 6.

First place prize? Yea, you guessed it – $57,000!

MN Historical Society Sponsors Film Competition

The Minnesota Historical Society sponsors an annual film competition focused on “Minnesota’s Greatest Generation,” Minnesotans who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. View the 2006 winners at http://www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/film/winners2006.htm.

A call for entries for the 2007 competition is also available at http://www.mnhs.org/people/mngg/film/submit.htm.