Artology, Spring Bay Mill and Guardian Australia are delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural Very Short Film Festival. Not a short festival but a festival showcasing short films – of two to five minutes, in fact. One of the positives of this very strange year has been that many of us have found the time, and the urge, to explore our hitherto unknown or overlooked creative sides. The Very Short Film Festival is a national competition that has sprung out of the world we’re currently living in, and is open to anyone who’s ready to tell a story. There are no real rules of what that story might be or how it’s told – that’s purely up to entrants. The only stipulation is that Tasmania needs to sneak in somewhere. Cash prizes for winning entrants will be awarded in two categories – 21 years of age and under; 22 years and over. On top of that, the Very Short Film Festival will be holding Q&A sessions and masterclasses, and offering a number of mentorships. The bodies behind the festival are Artology, which is known for inspiring creativity, and Spring Bay Mill, soon-to-be-known as the most idiosyncratic performance and retreat venue on the east coast of Tasmania.
‘Creativity is our most valuable human resource, and in these times of climate change and a pandemic, we need solutions that are out of the box,’ says Anna Cerneaz, MD of Artology. ‘Opportunities to play, to think, to create are essential to our future. With this festival, we want people to be inspired and let their imaginations go wild.’
The mentors and judges are award-winning actress Marta Dusseldorp who has worked extensively in theatre, film and television; artist Rocco Fazzari, well-known for his cartoons and illustrations in the Fairfax press; writer and editor Leta Keens; and Leah Purcell, one of Australia’s most eminent cultural figures. Shortlisted entries to the Very Short Film Festival can be viewed online at The Guardian website from 1 May, leading up to the announcement of winners via a live-streamed event at Spring Bay Mill on 21 May.
‘The ability to tell a story in two to five minutes is incredibly difficult, but not impossible,’ says actress and judge Marta Dusseldorp. ‘Like 2020, this is a time to discover another way to look at things. The world, the tiny moments that make us human, that connect us. I am thrilled to be on the panel of this unique and superbly situated Spring Bay Mill Very Short Film Festival. So now is the time to grab your phone or your “old fashioned” camera, your mother or your best friend, and share with us your story, as you want to tell it. We dare you.’
Very Short Film Festival Submission deadline: 23 April 2021 Masterclasses, Q&A session: Dates to be confirmed Announcement of winning films: 21 May 2021 For more details, visit veryshortfilmfestival.com.au