Many years back, becoming a director on either television or in the movies seemed like dreaming to be a priest. If someone had the strange obsession to be a movie or TV director, the first question that would come to mind was, “Do I know or does anyone in my family know somebody in the movie/TV business?”
These days, however, to be a director seems easier, and kids who want to see their names on a screen, whether theatrical or television, need not know anyone in the industry anymore. The key is lug a camera around (even the phone camera, for so long as it’s HD capable) and start shooting scenes you want to show in your movie. Then search the web for film festival websites, fill in an application online, and upload the movie you had shot.]
The ease of joining festivals now is due to the sudden shrinking world, thanks to the world wide web or Internet.
Many young Filipinos now look up to names like Jerrold Tarog or Zig Dulay among others who have made names for themselves as filmmakers using the current technology of video cameras and computer-aided editing.
Now, here comes another opportunity for filmmaker wannabes.
The deadline of submission of entries to Cinestudyante, the first Filipino All-Student Film Festival, is extended to July 31 (that’s tomorrow.)
The film festival is open to all high school and college undergraduate students in the Philippines.
Entries can be in Filipino or a combination of English and Filipino, or any of the country’s regional languages (with English subtitles).
Cinestudyante will only accept works produced from January 2017 to June 2019. Films of alumni of a school may still be submitted if the film had been produced at the time its creators were still students. Those that were completed after the students had been graduated by the college are no longer eligible, excepts films of senior high school students currently matriculating freshmen in any college or university.
All forms of student short films will be accepted. These include works representing the following genres: (1) short fiction live-action feature; (2) animated short; (3) mixed media short films (incorporating animation with live-action); (4) short documentary; and (5) experimental short film.
Submissions must have a maximum running time of 20 minutes, inclusive of OBB and CBB (opening and closing credits). Short shorts or microfilms (with a running time of three minutes or less) are also accepted.
All documentary film submissions must include necessary waivers and permits from those directly or indirectly involved as the subject of production.
Entries to Cinestudyante are accepted through two means: (1) Communication or film departments or programs of colleges and universities may nominate outstanding works of their students. Each school can submit as many nominations as they deem representative of their best works; and (2) Individual or groups of students may submit their works, as long as they have an endorsement from the Program or Department Chairperson responsible for their film or broadcasting courses.
Again, students may submit as many entries as they want but with the proper endorsement of their school authorities.
Schools and individual or group of students certified by their schools must submit their entries via email to cinestudyante@rockwell.com.ph, in the form of links via Vimeo or YouTube with proper identification and password. Each entry exceeding five minutes of running time must be submitted as an individual link. Clusters of microfilms may be combined to a single link for purposes of submission.
There shall be a total of four clusters that will be programmed by the Screening Committee with a total running time of 100 minutes per grouping. Each grouping shall include a cross-section of all the genres included in the festival. Thus, each cluster can have a minimum of five films or an undetermined maximum corresponding to the completion of the said total running time. These films will be shown in rotating schedules at assigned cinemas at the Santolan Town Plaza.
A minimum of 20 films will be selected from among these submissions. A Selection Committee shall be comprised of the following: (1) Festival Director and Chairman of the Selection Committee; (2) Festival Programmer; (3) Festival Coordinator; (4) Two representatives from the colleges and universities participating in the festival; and (5) Representative from Rockwell, the major sponsor of the festival.
A profit-sharing scheme has been drawn by Rockwell in which a 50/50 share between the cinema and the students based on the box office receipts of their films will be implemented. The best performing cluster will be shown on a regular screening at the Power Plant Mall cinemas at Rockwell Center Makati.
So, now, parents, it’s time to encourage your filmmaker-wanna-be son or daughter. The chance to become great is just around the corner. And don’t we thank these film festivals and competitions for the opportunities they’re opening to the millions of young boys and girls whose future rests upon their success as filmmakers?