How winning a short film competition could change your life

The short film market has changed but competitions still provide valuable opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
[This is archived content and may not display in the originally intended format.]

Image: pexels.com

As Writer and Director Ben Chessell explains, changes in the world of digital film-making and online exhibition have transformed the way short films find their audiences.

Thanks to YouTube et al, short films are much more widely available than they were in the days when they were merely curtain raisers for features.

But the flood of material means short films are often not valued as works in their own right and the best work can be hidden among the dross. Short film competitions provide an antidote to the overload.

‘I think it’s a pity to relegate short films to being simply a portfolio for a film-maker, a sketch for a painting to come, and  a celebration of the short film as a form in its own right is something that could find a home in the world of short film competitions,’ said Chessell.

Winning a competition such as the Village Cinema competition Unscene is an opportunity for an emerging filmmaker to get on the map.

That’s the dream for filmmakers Michael Campbell and Nelson Allingham, who will be entering a short film in Unscene. Winning would provide them with enough money to create a proof of concept for their next short film that has been in the initial planning stages for a long time.

Entries to Unscene short film competition close September 30

‘We were talking the other day that if we were ever able to win Unscene, it would give us enough money to make that film we want to make. We would have the equipment and the money for it, and a mentorship with Open Channel to make it happen,’ said Campbell.

‘We’ve had a screenplay for a year or so now and we’ve been waiting to have enough to do it properly. That first prize would almost entirely cover it.’

Win $10,000 through Unscene

Film competitions that are aimed towards emerging filmmakers are valuable not only to the practitioners who start new projects, but also to the film industry by sifting out the best of the bunch.

But it’s not only the winners who benefit. The networking opportunities are invaluable, said Chessell. ‘I met my first agent at a short film competition, the finals of the Dendy Awards at the Sydney Film Festival, which I did not win. But I met Sadie Chrestman there and she subsequently offered to represent me, on the strength of liking my film. That was the beginning of a key professional relationship that has led to many others.

‘Also, I met the producer of my feature film, Sucker, Jason Byrne, and the producer of a feature I have in development, Louise Smith, through screening our films together in Short Film Competitions. They produced the Short Roundabout, directed by Rachel Griffiths at a similar time and we screened together a lot. These are very important relationships to me both personally and professionally which only happened because of short film competitions.’

The professional relationships Chessell built through these competitions have been critical to moving him to the next stage of his filmmaking career.

Click here if you want your film seen by 12 million people.

 

For more information on how to enter the competition visit unscenefilms.com.au

Submissions close September 30 2016.

Brooke Boland
About the Author
Brooke Boland is a freelance writer based on the South Coast of NSW. She has a PhD in literature from the University of NSW. You can find her on Instagram @southcoastwriter.